I wanted to pass along some information on an incident that happened to me today at the range. I was shooting a stock Wilson Combat Protector chambered in .45. I have owned this pistol for about 5 months and have put 1,200 rounds downrange. Since I end up at the range 2-3 times a week I usually purchase reloaded ammo from LAX Ammo, Freedom Munitions, etc. As an FYI I have shot well over 6K rounds of 9mm and several thousand rounds of reloaded ammo from LAX Ammo without a single failure.
Today I was shooting 230 grain FMJ from LAX. I had shot about 30-40 rounds when the incident happened. I pulled the trigger and what followed was a loud bang, puff of smoke and my hand wringing. I looked down and saw the empty casing half in and half of the magazine. My hands were streaked with black smoke. I was able to rack the slide, eject the empty casing and drop the magazine. I inspected the pistol for any obvious damage and checked to make sure the barrel was empty. I replaced the magazine and finished shooting my 50 rounds for the day.
When I examined the Wilson Combat magazine I noticed that the follower was stuck down in the magazine about an inch from the bottom. I pulled off the bottom cap and the spring (badly distorted and bent) and what was left of the follower fell out. The follower had snapped in half and the spring was hopelessly bent. The magazine frame itself was unharmed.
I am attaching pictures of everything to show what it looked like after the incident. I showed the casing to a range employee who has been reloading for 40 years. He examined the casing like a forensic analyst and decided the issue was weak brass. He gave reasons why it wasn't a case of too much powder.
Am I blaming LAX Ammo? No. Am I blaming Wilson Combat? No, of course not. I'm not blaming anyone or anything. My buddy told me that this could happen to new or reloaded ammo due to the inherent nature of brass casings. He also said it was the design of the 1911 to vent gases and pressure down the magwell and out the bottom of the gun. I said a silent thank you to JMB and a thank you prayer to God that all my fingers were still attached.
The lessons learned from this incident? Always have one proper ear and eye protection. Make sure you have a good grip on any weapon when firing it. Remember that firing a weapon of any kind is a serious thing and never take your mind of the proper techniques.
Be safe.
Today I was shooting 230 grain FMJ from LAX. I had shot about 30-40 rounds when the incident happened. I pulled the trigger and what followed was a loud bang, puff of smoke and my hand wringing. I looked down and saw the empty casing half in and half of the magazine. My hands were streaked with black smoke. I was able to rack the slide, eject the empty casing and drop the magazine. I inspected the pistol for any obvious damage and checked to make sure the barrel was empty. I replaced the magazine and finished shooting my 50 rounds for the day.
When I examined the Wilson Combat magazine I noticed that the follower was stuck down in the magazine about an inch from the bottom. I pulled off the bottom cap and the spring (badly distorted and bent) and what was left of the follower fell out. The follower had snapped in half and the spring was hopelessly bent. The magazine frame itself was unharmed.
I am attaching pictures of everything to show what it looked like after the incident. I showed the casing to a range employee who has been reloading for 40 years. He examined the casing like a forensic analyst and decided the issue was weak brass. He gave reasons why it wasn't a case of too much powder.
Am I blaming LAX Ammo? No. Am I blaming Wilson Combat? No, of course not. I'm not blaming anyone or anything. My buddy told me that this could happen to new or reloaded ammo due to the inherent nature of brass casings. He also said it was the design of the 1911 to vent gases and pressure down the magwell and out the bottom of the gun. I said a silent thank you to JMB and a thank you prayer to God that all my fingers were still attached.
The lessons learned from this incident? Always have one proper ear and eye protection. Make sure you have a good grip on any weapon when firing it. Remember that firing a weapon of any kind is a serious thing and never take your mind of the proper techniques.
Be safe.