Has anyone had issues with the xdm safetys? We are experienced with firearems and when my husband pulled his out of the soft side holster...it was already out of his waist...the gun fired. we were in the process of putting them away.

Thee is a recall on some models.

It scares me that a guy who lists his credentials as teaching people new to guns, gives such a biased and ignorant spew of his opinions.

He blasts polymer handguns while at the same time praising Glock as a better choice.

Some of the things he says are downright fiction but to each his own.

I AM a fan of the XD and XDM guns. I also respect the fact that Glocks are very proven reliable handguns. So are steel frame 1911 handguns. I think the Kimbers are fantastic guns to shoot. I also plan on getting a Springfield 1911 in the near future.

The obvious bias of his post combined with his lack of response irks me. If you so dislike said firearm why would you not back up your badmouthing of a particular brand?

It seems to boil down to preference and god forbid anybody go against somebody with a sig like that.

Badmouthing a grip safety on the XD series as not needed???

So many times have I needed to fire my gun when I wasn't holding it...oh wait.

But a steel frame 1911 would fix all that!!! Doh, grip safety.

We all know that the best safety is between the ears. That makes the 1911 beef kinda moot. Why is the XD so much worse than a glock????

I do not bad mouth a glock. And yet the 1911 seems to have a manual safety...

I can not argue your credentials, but I do contest your bias against the XD and XDM.

With almost 3k worth of rounds through my .40 XDM with no problems even shooting reloads, your opinion seems kinda silly.

the .40sw is not a reloading endevor to be taken on by newbs to reloading.

its already at max pressure.

the the steel between me and a .45 peace of mind, id rather have a plastic .45 blow in my hand than a plastic .40.

19K psi in the .45 as opposed to 3 times that in a regular .40

I happen to own an xdm an it is by far the most supperior gun I have shot in 25 years. I have nothing against a Glock, they are fine weapons. In fact My next gun purchase most likely will be a Glock. That being said, anyone who buys a gun of any kind or caliber would be a fool to not first read the owners manual. The manual for My xdm says very plainly not to use reloads in that particular weapon. If You are the kind of guy who knows better than the person who made the thing what it can and can't do safely then there's a chance of something bad happening. I also agree that the gun in he pictures is absolutely filthy. I have fired thousands of rounds through My xdm without anything but the high performance I expected from Springfield. I understand people being bias. Glock guys and XD guys will always argue over which is better, just like Ford guys and Chevy guys. I pesonally am a Chevy guy, not because they are far superior to Ford but because I am 6'6" tall and 250 pounds. Fords have tiny little cabs for tiny little men. Ok back on track. My point is that both are great guns but You have to be smart with them and maintain them. I would bet a months pay that the failure in the xdm in the pictures was caused by a guy not only using a reload which You are'nt supposed to do but using a crappy reload that had been reloaded multiple times. If You're willing to spend $600 on a firearm then for the love of everything holy spend a few bucks on some ammo. You would'nt buy a Ferrari and put water in the gas tank because it's cheaper, use the proper ammo and care with any gun and it will perform as expected.

imo, it was a double charged round..

the XD, XDm are fully single action, hence the need for a grip safety/manual safety..

Agree about the double charge round...

i have 4 xd's and so far all have been flawless, the xdsc models are more accurate then i ever thought they would be.

as for ka-booms

i had one in my first SF1911-A1 back in the 80s with store bought reloads tht is what got me into reloading , (as i figured i could do that good and as it has turned out after who knows how many reloads NO KA-BOOMS .)only damage was to the mag and my hand, i still shoot it today with the same barrel and link pin, it has had many thousands rounds out it.

i love my xd but steel it king

the pictures of the XD-m above in mho are related to 1 of 2 things or both, 1) an over charged cartrige (double load) or/and 2) a damage case, with a week or cracked base. It appears the base of the bullet in question seperated, since it appears the barrel was not damaged much.

Reloads if done correctly should perform better and be more acurate than your standard off the shelf new factory loads. If the time is taken to match the primer, powder, and bullet weight to the gun, you should get a far more accurate load. Where problems come into play is people over charging loads, using incorrect loads, wrong primers, and old cases, old powder, and using 5g of XY powder instead of WX powder thinking it is the same, its not the max. load with XY powder may be 2g of powder with a 200gr. bullet, and WX may be 5.8 g. with a 230 gr bullet. Every one who has reloaded for any length of time is guilty of using old cases at one time or another weather this was at fault for doing this, of by accident just thinking they can get one more load out of a casing. I own many pistols that I shoot weekly, all of wich I shoot reloads thru, including an XDm .40 and an XDm .45, I have no problems with miss feeds or jams. Bullets in .45 caliber is your most finicky reload, do to the expansion of the bases. Every bullet I reload is checked whith a guage to ensure they chamber correctly, if they don't go thru the gauge they won't chamber in the gun, and I dismantle the bullet and toss the brass.

Reloads are a great way to save money, and improve the accuracy of your weapon if done correctly, if not eventually it will cost more than you will ever save, and possibly cause serious engery. You should never perchase reloads from some one else, as your playing with fire if you do.
Finally something many people do not do as often as they should - Clean your gun! If you go to the range and shoot 500 rounds, clean the gun every 100 rounds, why do you think they make all the new guns capable of being easily field stripped and cleaned!

Finally the difference in steel and polymer guns, and which is safest? Both guns have to pass the same tests, both guns are totally safe if shooting loads withing the specs of the gun. Poly will give a little more before coming apart, steel will endure more before coming apart, neither gun should be taken to this point, if you want years of reliable service from your gun (rifle or pistol) after ever set of rounds, allow the gun to cool, at 100 rounds feild clean it. If you reload do it correctly, and follow the specs. for that load. This means primer, powder and bullet type and weight all have to match, and inspect all brass pryor to reloading and be sure they are sized correctly with a guage. If in doubt toss it (be sure to dismatle it safely and dispose of it safely)

Wow, that guy looks lucky to still have his hand and fingers intact.....that being said, let's get to the point. To fully eliminate the possibility of this kind of "failure," we all have to remember the basics we were taught. These simple rules apply to any firearm. Here we go, ( without sounding too preachy ) Not trying to offend anyone here, just read the prior posts and thought I would give my 2 cents worth.
1. Always read the freakin' owners manual. That's what they give it to you for. When I read the owners manual for my xd and xdm, it clearly states to NEVER shoot reloads through the xd pistol. Springfield should not be held liable for this guy's accident, if he was using reloads.
2. Clean the freakin' gun. (You paid, $400-$750 for a new Sigma, M & P, Glock, Springfield, Beretta, and you're not gonna clean it?) If you're too lazy to clean the gun, ( that might win you a trophy in a tournament, or save your life in an alley,) then simply buy a gun that never needs cleaned. Wal-Mart stocks several cheap waterguns and Daisy/Red Rider models to fit your lifestyle. All too often, we take for granted our responsibilities for firearm ownership. Cleaning is just as important as target practicing.
And now some free advice on accuracy, in reguards to you guys that claim the xd is inaccurate and unsafe. I have a Glock model 22, and I shot it today. I couldn't hit the broad-side of a barn with it, if I stood inside the barn with the door shut. I hate it. Is it a bad gun? No, its not a bad gun. I immediately grabbed my xd service model and emptied 2 mags into my target at 50 feet, with great accuracy. The bottom line is practice with a pistol that fits your hand properly. I have smaller hands, so the size of the xd, and the grip angle is better suited to my shooitng style. The xd is the best....for me. If you want to be a Glock fan, that's fine, all you have to do is practice. I have a friend that coughed up $700 for an xdm and he hates it, claiming its inaccurate. We went out to shoot last weekend and after he spent one magazine, he handed it to me with a fresh mag, and said, "tell me what you think." I emptied the mag with decent accuracy ( 3 inch group at 50 feet ) much to his displeasure. I have considerable time with the xd line of pistols, and he doesn't. Its as simple as that. Practice.

Any gun... when not cleaned, or fed quality, precisely manufactured ammo, WILL fail. For those of you who aren't Glock fans, and have an open mind, and want educated on the reliability, and accuracy of the xd, i suggest you do a Google search on " the xd torture test." Find an article by Chaim Stein, the guy is a Glock fan, turned xd fan, by punishing an xd pistol with 17,500 rounds prior to a " Glock test."
Enjoy and be safe.
Recreation and Defense, and nothing else.

In the photos regarding the blown up SA XD, I would conclude it is simply an over-pressure cartridge. I've seen quite few over decades, and it is a classic picture of what a double charge does to a semi-auto. Reloads were behind almost every destroyed handgun.I've seen most in M1911s where the shooter is trying to maximize velocity. In revolvers it wasn't unseen to have ammo loaded by the jail trustees take the top of a S&W M19 simply fly away. Especially when the old Star reloading machines were in use.

My XDs blew from double charge. How can a bullet go off without striking a primer. I guess God can make guns go off anyway he wants.

Never use handloads.

Right because only handloads can cause kabooms. Factory loaded ammo always works the right way every time.

Be careful in your loading, check to make sure that every round is not only charged but charged appropriately. If your careful and not a total dumbshit you will be fine. I have Fired Thousands of reloaded rounds through my XDm, and yes it is a .40.

I have shot many glocks in all three calibers. The fact is that their factory stamped and cast parts are not the quality of the milled and laser etched parts of the XDm. I like glock, but i have found that different shooters have different preferences, my preference happens to be the XDm, and the HK USP.

Brandon, just email OR call the manufacturer of the pistol you own they will gladly tell you if a California version magazine for your particular firearm exists. I know for instance that Springfield Armory has them.

Not for a Xdm40 they don't. I have checked with Springfield Armory once a month since December to see if they have made any

My experience with pistols is rather limited having owned the Beretta Px4 .40 first, and now the Springfield Armory XDm .40... I hated them both equally the first time I fired each one at the range, however it was just a matter of time & practice before I was happy with each pistol, but It is ironic how a tight grouping begins to warm one up to that damned pistol.

ok so i found out i can have it in cali but i have to make the mag in to a 10 rounder can any one shed some light on how to do so

hey can any one tell me if the xdm .40 is illegal in ca i here they are then i here there not

Right now you can buy a Springfield XDm in California through the "Single Shot Exemption" program. The dealer needs to offer to do the program and have the special parts. Expect the SSE program to go away by the first of the year.

I'm with Nick Fitz, partially, I have used plastic for the two .40's that I've owned (currently own an XD(m) .40 and feel perfectly safe shooting that one), but I just like the idea of metal between myself and that .45cal, so I am staying with the 1911 for the time being, maybe always... It's doesn't take too many of those exploded .45 plastic pistols to convince me on that as being a smart idea.

One note, that EXPLODED pistol appears to be just filthy, could it be that his forty-five was all gummed up internally maybe a couple thousand rounds between cleanings, etc...??

KABOOM, XD's and OTHER OPINIONS

Regarding the reference to the hand that would have been severly injured if the pistol would have had a metal frame:
Wouldn't a metal frame withstand such a high pressure KB better than a polymer one??

And regarding an XDM not being accurate enough even for defensive shooting:
Hasn't the gentleman posting such a claim done enough shooting during his career to have this "Clunker" of a pistol perform to such a standard?
As I have understood, most defensive pistol shooting is drilled within a 7 to 10 yard distance. That would seem hardly a challenge for a professional such as himself.

Surely a man of Mr. Kolovos' credentials and titles (unavoidable under his name) has had the practice and experience to make such a dreadful pistol perform within the most mediocre of standards. Police departs the world over, protecting the same fumbling masses which flock to defensive pistol classes , such as Mr. Koslovs, have found otherwise after having conducted exhaustive testing by well regarded professionls such as himself. Oops, excuse me! That was a Glock I was referrring to. How could anyone make that grip angle for defensive purposes?

I would venture to guess that Mr. Koslov does not shoot his matches with a 500 to 600 dollar stock pistol such as the ones he had won in competitions. When making the claims he did about the XD series of pistol, it would have been more interesting to the reader if he would have given us some of his favorite pistols in order to give us a standard with which to measure against. Thereby, one may arrive at one's own
conclusion. I've found such a thing to appeal to the sensibilities of most gun toting individuals.

I do agree with Mr. Koslov's opinion that striker fired pistols should not have a grip safety. But others have their own opions as noted by the gentleman named Cymond.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that it was in good taste and proper form of Mr. Koslov to not have sold the two tone, .40 caliber, XDM gifted to him by one of his clients. Also, it would have been
meritable if Mr. Koslov would have donated the proceeds of the sale of the two XDs that he had won to underprivileged youngsters who find it fashionable to adopt a "gangsta" style hold with their pistols.

Finally in closing, if the comments I have made could ever have offended a gentleman such as Mr. Koslov, I have little doubt that if he were to use an XDM in a duel against me it would provide him with the defensive capabilites he has so woefully denied it.

With utmost respect to Mr. Koslov, I remain

AMP

Like some of the comments above I would l like to know what kind of ammo was being used at the time. And I agree it looks like to much powder in the case.

Hi, nice to join your blog, here. We just had a customer buy 4 derringers, one of them, a purple one. What do you guys think about carrying derringers in inventory? Is there any use for them? Best, Brad Gunsellers.com

Matt: I stand corrected. Actually the guy I buy my reloads from must do a pretty good job. He's at every gun show and often sells out of the popular calibers. If he didn't do a good job he'd be out of business by now. I've shot thousands of his rounds but will probably stick to his .38's since I got some 9mm with swollen cases. Let ammo dry up again or the price go through the roof and I'll probably end buying some more 9 again.

Reloads suck when they're made by sucky reloaders. MY Reloads, sir, most certainly do not suck.

I was shooting some reloads this past spring and had two rounds from the same lot fail to chamber all of the way (I know....reloads suck but there was a ammo drought in the early spring). In both instances there was about 1/8" of case left hanging out of the chamber. The first round ejected ok when racking the slide. It did not go bang when out of battery despite my wife trying to squeeze the trigger. Lucky us. Another round from the same box failed to chamber all of the way and would not eject. This also did not go bang when out of battery despite my wife trying to squeeze the trigger. This round was in there tight. The pistol obviously would not come apart with the normal disassembly method, the round would not eject and it would also not chamber. I won't go into what I did to get it to finally chamber but I will say it took some force and the gun did not fire until I squeezed the trigger. The gun has had about 1500 rnds through it and has been perfectly reliable other than with these two bad reloads so I don't fault the gun at all and have no trouble recommending it.

cavalier you know that revolvers go KABOOM too when used in conjuction with questionable ammunition...

here's one.

http://smith-wessonforum.co...

Whenever I get tempted by auto pistols, something like this reminds me why I stick to revolvers.

Just for reference, the 5.7x28 is supposed to have a PMax of 50,000 PSI and the uber-rare H&K 4.6x30 has a PMax of 58,000 PSI. .40 S&W is 35,000 PSI as noted by Matt above, and anything above 25,000 PSI in a pistol should be regarded as pretty hot. The problem with most .40 S&W pistols is that they're almost all built on a 9mm sized platform except for newer ones like the XDM. There's been a lot of hating of the XD/XDM series on this posting, and the pistol's design and manufacture had NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS FAILURE. I guarantee it. I'll bet my bottom dollar.

There's almost no force on earth that can keep a double charged cartridge from blowing up an otherwise serviceable gun, and if these photos have shown me anything, it's that the XDM is an excellent design, as the opperator was uninjured, and the pistol is probably salvageable by way of a new frame and possibly a new barrel, which is more than can be said for many pistols that experience the same problem.

Does Peter J. Kolovos verify any of his information? While comparing one round to another in terms of pressure is not an apples to apples comparison, both the 9mm and .40 S&W operate at 35,000 PSI. The .357 sig operates at 40,000 psi. Heck there is even one pistol round above those that operates at 50,000+ psi.

Even trying to use CUP measurements, the very few formulars to convert CUP to PSI or the reverse, you still get roughly 35000 CUP. PSI measurements are far more repeatable, and accurate than the outdated CUP. Your Pressure claims are pure exaggeration.

The grip safety on the XD/XDMs disable the trigger BTW...

Most failures I've read on the .40S&W have come from pistols with unsupported chambers; early Glocks. The XD/XDM have fully supported chambers.

Other failures from the .40S&W can be attributed to bullet setback. Mainly from those guys who chamber, and unchamber one round numerous times. since the 180gr bullet was originally designed for the 10mm case, shoving it in the .40S&W case, gives little error for pressure increase due to bullet setback (decreased OAL). There are a few pics posted on various forums of setback on .40S&W ammo.

Issue at hand, IMO was most likely caused by the ammo used, and not the firearm.

"If either of these pistols were equipped with a steel frame, these shooters probably wouldn’t have a functional hand left, so hooray for the Polymer-framed pistol."

Huh? Steel would be far better in handling an overpressure situation in that unlike plastics, metals will bend before breaking rather than just shattering. The best plastic will never be as durable as steel.

It does seem like the 40 S&W is involved in more catastrophic failures than any other pistol cartridge.

I used to carry an XD (several years ago) but after a couple of failures in the range and classes, off it went. I have also noticed that it was the least accurate gun I had. I guess that explains the XDM series, huh? The last class I attended, the only gun that went out of commission was an XD.

I agree with folks on not needing rounds with such high pressures, like .40 s&w and .357 SIG. I tell my students to avoid them in favor of 9mm and 45 ACP. Save the money for training so you know how to shoot instead of plunking down extra for these rounds.

My nephew had an out-of-battery discharge with one of these too, where it seemed like it just failed to lock up completely. Didn't blow up the gun, just bit him pretty good, and blew the magazine out the bottom. That said, this one looks like it could use some JB-weld. I recommend the 5-minute kind!

This same type of thing happened to my dad when a bad reload blew up in the chamber. Blew the bottom end apart and injured his hand. (Not too bad, didn't even need stitches, but it hurt like hell.) Interestingly, I had the same problem from the same batch of ammo with my 1911. Blew the floorplate out of the mag, and proved conclusively the value of wearing eye protection. After a cleaning and a repair job on the mag I was back shooting a while later. Steel, it works for me!

Ken,

Use of a transfer bar totally negates the need to carry a revolver with an empty chamber. The bar blocks any contact between firing pin and primer unless the hammer has been cocked. All DA revolvers I'm familiar with built since at least the 1950's have been safe to carry fully loaded. Your advise is sound for SA revolvers like the Colt SAA, many (most? all?) of its European clones, and "Old Model" Rugers. They should always be carried with hammer on an empty chamber.

Transfer bar is a "safety"(used loosely and quoted) on a revolver. Of course any half wit also knows to keep a hammer down on an empty revolver chamber. I have no prob with my xd40 so I cannot complain. I plan on reloading for this round and also possibly getting a barrel for 357 sig. Accuracy is acceptable on mine for normal "conflict" distances. I generally shoot for a balance of speed and precision. Im not let down at all by this handgun.

Glad hes ok. It depends if he used factory ammo the gun can be replaced. if he used reloads NO.

Can someone explain to me how a striker fired pistol is supposed to be safer than a hammer fired pistol? My XDM is absolutely a single-action trigger, and not any kind of double-action or half-cock action. The system holds the striker fully to the rear. Pulling the trigger merely lowers the sear and allows the striker to move forward; it does not move the striker backwards in any way. I have watched the process closely through a small opening between the frame and the slide (dryfiring). How many people carry 1911s chambered, cocked, and UNlocked? The XDM grip safety does lock the slide closed, it is also a sear-block design while the 1911 grip safety is a trigger-block safety.

Trigger blades on the XD and XDM series guns are nothing more than a trigger-block safety. (I assume this is also true about Glocks, but I'm not a glock fan. I have nothing against them except they just don't point naturally for me.) The trigger blade safety will not prevent a round from firing if the striker somehow moves forwards.

As for revolvers, they are typically carried with the hammer down. The hammer does not rest directly on the firing pin, instead relying on either a pop-up transfer bar or a hammer that moves further forward when striking than at rest (I don't know the proper term). Either way, people do not carry revolvers cocked.

Another example: I am fairly familiar with the Beretta 92fs. The manual safety rotates a section of the firing mechanism out of alignment, separating the hammer and firing pin. The 92fs also has an interesting trigger safety mechanism. Pulling the trigger on a 92fs raises a small block up from the slide (just in front of the rear sight). Experimenting with a disassembled gun, this appears to be an internal safety mechanism similar to a transfer bar. The hammer cannot impart force on the firing pin unless the block is raised by the trigger.

I cannot defend the XDM on the subject of KBs, but I do not understand where the gun community gets the notion that it is safe to carry a single-action gun with a round in the chamber, the striker held fully to the rear, and no safety mechanism other than a slim piece of plastic on the trigger.

More KB! pictures for my collection.

Leisureguy,

If the KB! gun use standard factory ammo, either the ammo or gun manufacture will replace/repair it for free.

If it reloaded ammo it will void the warranty. The manual that comes with the gun should state what is in warranty and what void the warranty.

Peter J. Kolovos,

I agree. The vast majority of handguns doesn't have manual safety. Grip safety is unneeded in a strike fire handguns. As I understand it the grip safety can cause reliability problems in the XD.

I'm not sure how the plastic frame protected the shooter's hand, whereas if it had been a steel frame the user "...probably wouldn’t have a functional hand left." Looking at these pictures, the steel parts look quite good compared to the Tupperware. I can also personally vouch for the strength of Colt's 10mm Delta Elite. One fired OOB on me many years ago. The magazine blew completely out of the pistol. The disconnector, ejector and some other small part needed replacement along with one of the grip panels. The pistol was functioning fine at the following week's pin match. My hands had very slight powder burns along each heel and a single scratch not even worthy of a Band-Aid.

When something like this happens (and it seems as though the gun's mechanism worked improperly rather than the cause being overloaded ammo), does the manufacturer's warranty result in the gun being replaced?

Steve Steve where you loading 9mm in a .40???? LOL just kidding.

I like to know if the shooter is ok?

Lance, LOL, not my gun! I think the shooter was ok.

That sure looks like a double charge to me! Look at how that case went into a plastic state, the edge of the case is even with the edge of the barrel breech, indicating that the chamber was closed and the guy works for Dillion Precision, too ("...from the Dillon Precision crew"). Hmmm.

I always said progressives are the devil! Single stage all the way!

Matt, Why are progressives bad? Please educate me (I do not reload).

In regard to the XDM Ka-boom posting:
First and foremost, let me clarify that I greatly dislike the Springfield Armory XD and the XDM series of pistols. Now this may raise the hackles of die-hard XD guys but so be it! A while back, I was given a two-tone .40 caliber XD as a gift by one of our members. Once I started shooting this Clunker I grew to despise it. Last season, I won two XDM's (M for Match, what a joke) at the NSPPL awards banquet and sold both of them after putting them through their paces.

Now I’m basically a precision accuracy guy and a hard-core pistol shooter, but both the XD and XDM pistols in my estimation are woefully inaccurate pistols, even for defense work. The grip safety was a very poor design and totally unnecessary on a striker-fired pistol. This safety locks out the slide and not the trigger as it really should when not fully depressed. We've seen far too many shooters attend tactical training classes with XD series pistols who repeatedly fail to keep these pistols up and running because of this stupid grip safety, especially under stress-fire conditions.

There is no reason on Earth that a striker-fired pistol needs to be so equipped. It was a stupid idea from the get-go, as is the resurgence of optional thumb safeties that are now available on striker-fired pistols. If a shooter is so uncomfortable with the operation of a striker-fired pistol that they feel they need a grip safety and/or an additional thumb safety, then they shouldn't own or carry a striker-fired pistol defense. Do revolvers have safeties? The answer is NO! Your trigger finger and brain are your two manual safeties. Keep your finger off the trigger and the pistol should not go boom. See I went off on an XD/XDM tangent and drifted away from the actual subject of high chamber pressures.

Secondly, the .40 S&W while being an excellent defensive round does generate upward of 65,000 Copper Units of Pressure. When these types of pressures are generated in pistols that do not have fully supported chambers, catastrophic malfunctions may occur, especially with reloads. This was a fairly common problem with the .38 Super round back in the early 70's, and those mishaps were in the venerable all-steel 1911 pistols. I'll bet if the statistics kept on these catastrophic malfunctions were checked by caliber you'd find that most, if not all were caused by the .40 S&W and the .357 SIG rounds and not the .45 ACP or 9 M/M. The latter two rounds just don't generate those kinds of chamber pressures.

In my estimation, the All-time King of the Polymer-framed pistols, the far superior Glock (yes, I’m rather fond of them) have also blown apart when loaded with spicy .40 caliber ammunition. We had one blow apart in the NSPPL. The shooter was using factory-loaded, Federal 180 grain Hydra-Shock ammunition in a Glock 22. There was a recall issued on this particular lot of ammunition but nobody knew that. The first round fired generated a lot of recoil and muzzle blast. Cool huh? The second round fired caused a catastrophic malfunction and blew the top-half of the pistol apart. Glock quickly replaced the pistol free of charge and Federal begrudgingly upped a couple 1,000 round cases of Hydra-Shock ammunition after hearing the words "Product Liability" uttered by this unfortunate shooter.

Just keep in mind that the .40 caliber round is the Habanero pepper of semi-auto pistol cartridges as is the .357 SIG (same case) so tread lightly, especially if you’re reloading for it. Follow the reloading data to the letter and check your fired cases regularly for signs of excessive pressure, especially by the rim. If anything seems off-kilter scrap these cases and start fresh.

One thing is for certain. If either of these pistols were equipped with a steel frame, these shooters probably wouldn't have a functional hand left, so hooray for the Polymer-framed pistol.

Peter J. Kolovos
Academy of Tactical Training & Security, LLC
NRA Certified Pistol Coach & Training Counselor
NSPPL Secretary-Treasurer and Director of Training

Looks like a pretty clear OOB to me... Though a catastrophic head separation in battery could have done it; it's less likely.

Almost has to be ammunition related. I can't see how the striker would be able to reach the primer before the barrel has tilted up into the ejection port.

Could possibly be a freak accident where a grain of sand or some other piece of debris got squeezed between the breech face and the primer and set it off before it locked.