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My P30 blew up.

37K views 150 replies 77 participants last post by  Sinnius 
#1 ·
Had a scary one at the range today. Took my P30 out to put a quick 100 rounds through it, 3rd shot caused a fatal malfunction, neither myself or the guys at my shop are quite sure how or why it happened.





It scared the bejeezus out of me, the switchable side grips actually came halfway off the frame as it expanded in my hand. Slide, barrel, and recoil spring appear perfectly intact. The frame has absolutely had it, guide rods are out of place, and I'm pretty sure the trigger no longer functions.



Was using Winchester range ammo, not reloaded.

Thinking I'll call HK tomorrow as their office is closed Sunday.
 
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#38 ·
First and foremost, glad that you are okay! I'm interested to see how Winchester is going to handle this. My guess is that they will do the right thing. It's always scary to see this happen, especially with a major ammo manufacturer.

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#39 ·
For those of you saying you're nervous about you or a family carrying a p30 put that fear to rest. This was an ammo issue, not a gun issue. It can happen to anyone at any time. Just bad luck. The p30 is a super reliable and durable pistol. It's almost impossible that this was caused by the gun. Just my opinion, of course.

To the op glad no one was hurt, that's scary!!
 
#41 ·
The fact that a p30 took the beating (assuming as we all do for now, looking at the casing, that it was a double charged round) and kept the OP's hand intact should be more a testament to carry p30's and other HKs and the kind of beating they can take as a quality firearm.
 
#42 ·
Crazy stuff. I agree with MJ on his post.. Maybe the quality of the P30 saved his hands. Glad youre alright. I would've discharged some 50 cal brownies in my underoos that Winchester would have to pay for.
Would be great to find some consistency in double charged Winchester rounds. I bought one box a while back cuz they were cheap, but probably never purchase again bc of this info.

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#43 ·
Agreed, this proves my love of HK's...

The most interesting thing about this disaster is. I'm like 95% sure everything but the frame is perfectly fine. Granted, I wouldn't Fire it without having it checked out.

Thank you for all the well wishes. I'm a little surprised I don't even have a scratch on me. I've seen this thing happen before, with a guys FNS, and his hand was pretty jacked up.

I'm going to call Winchester first thing tomorrow, I'll let you guys all know how it goes.
 
#44 ·
I purchased a new Glock 43 a few months ago. On the 63rd shot my wife experienced a catastrophic Kaboom. It bent the slide, destroyed the barrel, ruined the magazine, blew the entire trigger out and split the Mag well. It cut her hand ( minor bleeding ), sent a small piece of schrapnel embedded in her hand ( she's a RN, so she dug it out ) peppered my forehead as I was standing beside her. Glock said they had never seen damage that severe in a 9mm. Kabooms aren't terribly uncommon, though that was the first and hopefully last for us! However, your p30 and my little Glock did as they were designed and that is to channel pressure through Mag well! You were blessed as well as we were.
 
#45 · (Edited)
a good friend invited me to his deer camp yesterday for some target practice . finally got a chance to shoot my new Z5RS and PTR91, had a good time and both were flawless . after about 200rds of 9 and 7.62x51 i grabbed my LMT 5.56 for some practice .
i was in my 2nd mag when i experienced a failure to feed . lowered the weapon, rotated it 45 degrees and peeked in the chamber . i noticed a piece a brass wedge between the feeding ramps and the tip of the next round, so i grabbed the charging handle, shook the weapon port down and out falls the primer from the last round . cleared and inspected the weapon, no damage and continued shooting .
i was lucky the next round didn't wedge it in the chamber . the ammo was AE. XM855 in the 120rd ammo can from PSA .

my day was nothing compared to yours, glad your safe !
 
#46 ·
the ammo was AE. XM855 in the 120rd ammo can from PSA .

my day was nothing compared to yours, glad your safe !
After my research with m855 ball, I will never use that ammo, it tears up firearms, higher pressure etc. The m855a1 is even worse, the tip destroys feed ramps and chambers and requires updated magazines.

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#53 ·
well I won't be buying WWB anymore - I bought a bulk pack for my Glock 19 and my PPQ when I was visiting my in laws last time and although no malfunctions - moral of the story to me is pay a couple bucks more a box for the non-bottom of the barrel stuff in order to hopefully avoid these situations -
 
#54 · (Edited)
Flattened/cratered primer, classic indicator of overpressure.
Head appears to be flattened some too, I'd like to compare (micrometer) the blown case against other spent/new from the same batch/box.
A steel frame wouldn't have necessarily fared better, 30K psi has to go somewhere when the casing is out the chamber.

Do you remember, did you actually pull the trigger on this 3rd rnd?
 
#66 ·
WWB has given me several case-neck separations in my Steyr AUG. I called and they gave me a free box, but I'm gonna delegate that ammo to my cheapo AR instead.

When it comes to expensive guns, it might be best to buy "premium" ammo to reduce headaches. Magtech, FN, Wolf Gold, etc.

ETA: Glad you're okay OP!! It's a miracle you weren't hurt.
 
#70 ·
Yes but it is not the fact that your gun exploded due to negligence by the ammo factor. You could have been maimed or worse had the gun not protected you. The end game is far greater than just a new pistol. I guarantee some ambulance chaser would be all over these types of situations.

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#71 ·
Hardly since no one was hurt. Ambulance chasers are not stupid. They will only take a case if they are sure they will get a big payday. There is also the burden of proof that the plaintiff would be responsible for.
 
#73 ·
first things first: an apology to everyone in here, for me NOT knowing about this "kaboom" thing which happens.
I was under the "assumption" the gun blew apart from JUST a normal round, not the exploding overpressure cartridge.

I was wrong, and I am learning the ins and outs of firearm ownership, handguns more or less, are newer to me than my old rifles.

Thank you all for your understanding, and my crazy comments should be changed, or simply ignored. ( which i may do......) unless people like to read, then they will read all of my nervous a$$ comments, then read this one.

I had been lurking about a year or so before I signed up, and did learn quite a lot, and I have learned a lot more since I signed up, and have been reading a lot of firearm info, facts, spoofs, and the like.

a huge "thank you" to all the mentors and elders in here who will forget more than most will even remember when it comes to basic knowledge of firearms. I salute you, and look forward to packing more knowledge into my head! cheers & beers to you all !






p.s. Lyman sent me an email, STATING why I was wrong at many of the things I put in my posts. Thank you for correcting me sir. I do appreciate it.
 
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