Quote Originally Posted by orfeo View Post
The piece that blew out of the cartridge case was probably positioned where the extractor claw was touching. The reason that your frame survived without damage is because the brass was just barely strong enough that most of the force from the blast went down the barrel. If that load had been just slightly hotter, or if the brass had been just slightly weaker, you would have cracked your grip frame and blown out the mag onto the ground.

You were VERY fortunate this time around.

Or if it had been a Glock you likely would have lost a thumb...