BLOWED UP,SIR!

[frankwright]

As Bill Murray said in the movie Stripes!

I went to the range to sight in a different Red Dot on my AR. After that I decided to do a bit of practice with my Sig P320X compact for the upcoming GA IDPA Championship.
I decided to go ahead and fire the full magazine of Federal 124gr HST's as I usually do with carry ammo.
I fired probably 9 or 10 rounds and then BLAM!

Loudest bang I ever heard close up, blew the magazine out and all it's guts too. (I never found the mag spring). Blackened and stung both hands. Slide was forward but I could see mangled brass in the chamber.
Normal jam clearing tricks would not work so I took it home and clamped the slide in a padded vise and hit the frame with a rubber mallet. It was and is really stuck. I got it back to get the brass out in pieces.
Slide is stuck, extractor is broken off.
I doubt it was a double charge from the factory. I am guessing a bad case or out of battery detonation but I question the slide being forward.
I saw the previous round hit the target and no barrel obstruction.
I emailed Sig for a RA to see what they will do. I don't know if contacting Federal would do any good as the case was cut out in pieces with a side cutter, it was the only way to get it out.
Frame and FCU may be OK, I don't know about the slide and barrel.

 

[Dub]

Dangitman......glad that you are okay.

 

[Jester896]

WoW! Glad your OK!

 

[DylanSeverens]

Wow, never would have thought carry ammo would cause something like that. I would assume they keep QA to a higher level. Glad you're alright.

 

[JustUs4All]

Yes, scared but not permanently injured is great news.

 

[bullethead]

Good to hear you are uninjured. I think you should still contact Federal and inform them of what happened. They may want to know the Lot# of the ammunition and may still want to see what is left of the case.
Many times an underloaded case is worse than an overloaded case as the powder lays down underneath the flash hole and explodes inside the case rather than the fast burn that pushes the bullet out when the powder fills the case.
Take and keep lots of pictures for your own safe keeping before sending anything to anyone.

 

[bullethead]

Thinking more on it, it usually takes a light load of a fast burning powder in a large case to cause an explosion. Not sure if a 9mm case would fit that bill. A double charge of fast powder in a 9mm sized case could definitely cause an extremely over pressure round.

 

[fauxferret]

Definately would suggest contacting Federal with the lot number. Saw a similar issue with Hornady about 5 years ago, with their CD Lite series. Had several boxes of squibs, thankfully all affected customers did not attempt to fire another round. Also recently had a revolver that a guy had 6 squibs in the barrel! Said he was using reman ammunition he purchased at a shooting range. Guy needs to go buy a lottery ticket.

 

[bullgator]

Good to hear you are uninjured. I think you should still contact Federal and inform them of what happened. They may want to know the Lot# of the ammunition and may still want to see what is left of the case.
Many times an underloaded case is worse than an overloaded case as the powder lays down underneath the flash hole and explodes inside the case rather than the fast burn that pushes the bullet out when the powder fills the case.
Take and keep lots of pictures for your own safe keeping before sending anything to anyone.

I believe they call that instantaneous ignition. There are various thoughts as to why it happens.

 

[Adam5]

Glad you’re okay!

I would definitely contact Federal. It sounds like a defective round.

 

[Big7]

Dang.. I never heard of a SIG blowing up!
Glad you are alright.

I'd still be cleaning out my pants. ?

 

[Nimrod71]

The Lord was with you Frank. I would say it was a problem with the load since the slide closed and the case was in the chamber. As stated above contact the ammo manufacturer with the lot number.

 

[Jester896]

I can't remember if it was a 320 or 365...thinking the smaller one that came to my buddy's shop. The shop that sold him the gun sold him some reloads with it. They weren't from my buddy's shop he was just evaluating the pistol for them. It looked like a double charge to him. Couldn't open the pistol and it took a few minutes for us to see why. With just the visual up to that point only showed a cracked grip frame. The chamber was swollen and wouldn't let the barrel move in the slide well. After getting it opened he replaced the barrel and the grip frame and it ran fine...tough little piece it seems.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

Sounds like an out of battery detonation to me. There are several lawsuits involving Sig 320s firing out of battery. According to what ive read Sig seems to always blame the ammo even when this is happening with several brands from different manufacturers with the only constant being Sig 320s without safety disconnectors. Your photos look identical to the ones Ive seen online claiming out of battery detonations.. I read of one case where Sig blamed the ammo, made repairs without including a safety disconnector and it happened again within 200 rounds to the same guy.

 

[frankwright]

After talking to Sig they immediately sent me a prepaid Fedex label and it should be in their hands in a day or so.

 

[Dub]

After talking to Sig they immediately sent me a prepaid Fedex label and it should be in their hands in a day or so.

Excellent

 

[frankwright]

Sig called me yesterday. I was just waking up from a nap after having two epidurals in my spine!
They said my gun was ready, damage was from the cartridge(I would not to expect them to say different) but my Wilson grip module was damaged and they did not have a replacement.
They said they would install a laser engraved Sig grip which is a $90 upgrade no charge..
They said they repaired the gun but as the FCU is the gun with the serial number, I will be surprised if they don't send me a new gun with the old Fire Control Unit.
I was too dopey from the procedure to ask them when it was coming but sounds soon.
I think I am glad but will wait for the gun to come and see.
If only I could get rid of this big flinch when I pull the trigger now!


If only I could cure this flinch I have developed every time I pull the trigger now

 

[Dub]

Sig called me yesterday. I was just waking up from a nap after having two epidurals in my spine!
They said my gun was ready, damage was from the cartridge(I would not to expect them to say different) but my Wilson grip module was damaged and they did not have a replacement.
They said they would install a laser engraved Sig grip which is a $90 upgrade no charge..
They said they repaired the gun but as the FCU is the gun with the serial number, I will be surprised if they don't send me a new gun with the old Fire Control Unit.
I was too dopey from the procedure to ask them when it was coming but sounds soon.
I think I am glad but will wait for the gun to come and see.
If only I could get rid of this big flinch when I pull the trigger now!


If only I could cure this flinch I have developed every time I pull the trigger now

Great news on the pistola.


Hoping those epidurals will yield you some effective relief on your spine. Sorry to hear that you are dealing with such.

Hang in there.

 

[bighonkinjeep]

Pretty sure I'd want to know if it had one before the incident or now has a safety disconnector ( Supposedly the fix for 320s returned to Sig that have blown up) before I pulled the trigger again.....
I believe I'd also contact the ammo maker and see what their reaponse to Sigs allegation is... There have been no recalls for Federal 9mm hsts I'm aware of.

 

[frankwright]

Back from Sig! Still need a range trip!