Gun show reloads strike again. Fortunately, the gun was intact.
This is a casing from a 9mm reload, fired from a Glock 19. It’s a standard-pressure, 115gr FMJ sold in bulk at local gun shows. What you’re looking at is a case-head failure. This can break a gun really quick.
It can also lead to severe injury. Saving a few bucks isn’t worth taking such risks.
This casing is from the same lot as the first:
There are several possibilities as to what happened. The most likely are overpressure, poor chamber support, or weak brass.
I immediately ruled out #1 by shooting the ammunition through another gun. Recoil was normal and consistent, and all rounds met point of aim.
Poor chamber support may be an issue, but if so, it’s peripheral at most. While the somewhat unsupported chamber in some Glocks has caused problems, these loads weren’t pushing the kind of pressure levels to which it would be an issue.
That leaves us with the possibility of weak or fatigued brass. Notice Exhibit 3:
This was from a Sig P226, and although we don’t see damage to the rim or head as evidenced with the Glock, the case split at the mouth.
Moral of the story: be careful when buying off-brand ammunition. Had this loading been a centerfire rifle caliber (or even a Magnum), the results could have been tragic.