Haven Police Ditch Glocks After Two Explode

[JSandi]

WINTER HAVEN | The Police Department is ditching $38,000 worth of guns after two .45-caliber GAP Glock Model 37 pistols exploded in separate training incidents a year a part, causing minor injuries to an officer and a cadet.

"I've been around 34 years in law enforcement, and we've seen malfunctioning with guns, but never seen it explode," Police Chief Mark LeVine said.

"When I've got two guns out of 90 mess up, something's wrong."

The department has not had any problems with the guns during use in the line of duty.

The force of the explosions came down through the bottom of the guns and blew the triggers off, LeVine said.

Police Officer Frank Scianimanico, 32, and then-cadet Rodrique Jean-Louis, 20, suffered bruised fingers in the separate incidents.

As a result, the department will try an all-metal gun as a possible replacement for the plastic Glock during weapons testing Tuesday and March 20.

LeVine issued a memo Feb. 1 to his officers saying that if anyone was uncomfortable carrying the Glock they could carry a personal weapon instead, as long as the gun meets the department's requirements.

The department tried to work out a solution with Glock. The gun's Georgia-based manufacturer offered to swap out the nearly 2 1/2-year-old guns if the department paid the company $10,000.

But LeVine said that is unfair.

"I personally question if it should cost us anything at all," the chief said.

A Glock spokesman said the company is aware of the Winter Haven incidents, but hasn't had the opportunity to examine the guns yet.

"Without looking at the pistol, there's no way for us to make a determination," said Glock spokesman Carlos Guevara.

FIRST EXPLOSION

The first incident occurred in January 2007 when a Glock exploded while being used by Jean-Louis, a former cadet the department was sponsoring at the Polk Community College Kenneth C. Thompson Institute of Public Safety, which trains prospective police officers.

Department officials dismissed the incident as the fault of bad ammunition, and so did Glock.

The second incident, the one involving Scianiamancio, was this January during training at the department's shooting range at the Winter Haven Airport.

"We had another explode in the same fashion," LeVine said. "We've only got 90 guns, and two failed. It has caused a certain amount of uneasiness."

The issue seems to be with the gun, which only Glock makes, LeVine said.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office uses a different Glock, the .40-caliber Model 22 pistol, but there haven't been any incidents with it, said spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers.

The Sheriff's Office switched last year to the Glocks after using Smith & Wessons. The Glocks cost the agency $350 per gun, compared with $560 for the .45-caliber Smith & Wessons deputies were using.

"They're easier to fire, more accurate, and they hold more ammunition," Rodgers said.

Lake Alfred Police Chief Art Bodenheimer said he would never let his officers use a Glock after he saw a video demonstration of one being partially disassembled after being jammed.

His officers use Smith & Wessons instead, because it is an all-metal gun, compared to the plastic Glock, he said.

"I'm not a Glock enthusiast," Bodenheimer said.

The Winter Haven Police Department isn't the only one that has had problem with Glocks. At least two other law enforcement agencies have reported issues.

elsewhere in u.s.

Two .45-caliber Glock Model 21 pistols exploded in the hands of two officers at the Portland Police Department, according to a 2004 article in The Oregonian newspaper. That department then switched to 9 mm Glocks.

In 2006, The Oregonian reported an officer who was injured when his gun exploded filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against Glock and the ammunition manufacturer.

In Pennsylvania, a training officer with the Upper Darby Township Police Department said his department used to carry the Glock Model 21 before it started jamming.

The department is now testing a different model of Glock. "We can't get a reason why it keeps happening," he said.

Guevara said Glock's guns aren't defective, and malfunctioning incidents at other agencies are attributed to ammunition or maintenance of the guns.

And the fact that the Portland Police Department switched to a different Glock model is an indication of how good Glock guns are, Guevara said.

http://www.theledger.com/article/200...803130481/1004

[RyanB]

I notice a pattern...

[The Dumb Gun Collector]

There are few 9mms better, if any, than the Glock 17. Glocks in all other calibers are...eh.

[ZDL]

***********

[moonshot]

Opinions on the G26?

[Going4Broke]

Well my buddies Glock 45 acp blew up on him. Luckily he was wearing safety glasses and only received minor facial cuts and a few bad ones on his hand. Came to learn many people have had the same and several PD's also, not just the two mentioned. I have only heard of 1 model 17 blowing up.

[geminidglocker]

Opinions on the G26?

I absolutely love mine. I reduced the backstrap and did a stippling job on mine. I have owned the 17 and the 19 as well. Simple fact is I shoot the 26 just as well as the other 2 in close quarter double tap scenarios. I must admit, I shoot atleast three times a week to stay sharp, my ammo budget for the Glock is 125.00 a month. I use my GI Bill money for guns and stuff. Concealability is paramount for me, even though I live in Vermont where you can pretty much carry however you like. Speer makes a great short barrel pistol round that I can put into a four inch group @ 25yds, slow-fire ofcourse. I used the +2 extensions by peirce. I stippled these to match the frame. The model number is 2733 on the extensions. I also have Trijicons on my weapon. I outshoot some of my friends that have 19's. Usually though, after a little instruction on proper grip and trigger control, they catch up. Did I mention I love my 26. I agree that the Glock is at it's best when in the model 17, or it's derivatives, the19 and the 26. Nine is cheap to shoot so I get more trigger time.

[M4arc]

Opinions on the G26?

The G26 is an outstanding little handgun. I'm wearing mine now and in my opinion it's the perfect CCW. Stick to the 9mm Glocks and you can't go wrong.

That said, and to make this post applicable to the thread, guns don't just explode. It takes bad or double charged ammo to explode. I had a Kaboom in my H&K USP 9mm several years back because of a bad reload. It happens to all calibers and all platforms.

[jp0319]

I notice a pattern...

You notice a pattern? How may glocks are in the hands of law enforcement and military agencies world wide, and how many documented major falures have there been? I would still trust my life to all of my glocks, 9mm and .40. If any problem exists is would seem to be with the .45 caliber models, the problem with the GAP is the pressures trying to get .45 acp performance out of a cartrige with less powder capacity = high pressure. and the fact that the cases arent fully supported as previously mentioned, which by it self suggests ammo failure, Speer designed the cartridge.