P07 go boom (not in the good way...)

[cameramanmike]

So I am new to these forums, but I had a problem and I wanted to see if anyone here has heard of this before.
 Just over a month ago I purchased a P-07 Duty 9mm from my local gun shop. I took it out shooting this past Friday, which prior to that I had only fired a grand total of 175 rounds of range ammo through it on two other occasions. On Friday as I fired thelast round of the fourth clip of ammo through it, the entire gun "exploded" for lack of a better term. The entire frame experienced large cracks in multiple places, and the base plate of the magazine along with the follower and spring blew out the bottom of the magazine. The metal body of the magazine is still stuck in the handle of the gun. It was a miracle that I did not have any major damage done to my hand other than a lot of pain. I had heard good things about this gun which is what led me to purchase it, but now having experienced this after less than 300 rounds of standard ammunition, I don't know that I could ever comfortably shoot this model of handgun again.

Any thoughts?

[Jake G]

Two things come to mind.  My thoughts are that it was most likely the ammunition or possibly the gun fired out of battery leaving to much of the case head exposed.  I have a lot of experience with CZ but not the polymer variety.  I've never had a CZ not go fully into battery and even then I'm not sure it would fire if it didn't go into battery.  So about your ammunition.  Factory loads or handloads?  Double charges can take apart a gun quite easily.  If it's a factory load you need to get on the phone with the company who loaded it and I'd also be in contact with CZ.

Also, did you have a squib load prior to the last trigger pull?  Was there any damage to the slide or barrel?  It appears the cartridge casing let go at the case head.

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

This looks like a definate catastrophic ammo failure here. No one has posted an issue such as this with a P-07 anywhere. What ammo were you using. Also as has been asked did the barrel become obstructed due to a squib round? 

[cameramanmike]

Magtech and Independence fmj factory ammo is what I was shooting that day. Independence is the round that was in the chamber when it did that. As for a squib round, every trigger pull before that made a whole in the target so that *should not be the issue. Admittedly I am no firearm expert, but when the cartridge is in the chamber isn't it tight enough in it to prevent the cartridge from completely breaking apart?

[cameramanmike]

I was also stumped, because I could only find a single other instance of this happening. It was just over a week ago over at Rugerforum, but it sounds like exactly what happened to my P07.
http://rugerforum.net/pistols-revolvers/74314-cz-75-p-07-a.html

[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

I was also stumped, because I could only find a single other instance of this happening. It was just over a week ago over at Rugerforum, but it sounds like exactly what happened to my P07.
http://rugerforum.net/pistols-revolvers/74314-cz-75-p-07-a.html

According to that thread they are looking toward the ammo as the culprit as well. Take good pics of everything including the ammo and whatever may be left of the round that killed the gun. I'd give CZ USA a call Monday morning and explain the situation. They are great people to deal with so don't give up hope.

[AZ_CZ]

Looks like bad ammo.  The Internet is full of blown up guns from all the major firearm manufactures. No one makes a commercial gun that can withstand severe over pressure from faulty ammo. What I see and take away from this is the fact that you were NOT seriously injuried. The design directed the blast away from the shooter.  You can find a lot of horror stories of facial and hand injuries from this type of event.


Glad to hear you are ok.

[ThompsonCustom]

99% sure it's ammo. Just google glock kaboom and you'll get 100's of pictures of blown up Glocks for bad ammo.

[Jake G]

The chamber supports almost all of the cartridge.  There is usually a tiny bit of the case head that is unsupported so to speak that is exposed due to the feedramp/throat.  Drop a loaded round into a chamber of one of your barrels (completely disassembled) and you'll see what I'm talking about.  That is where rounds can let go when something goes wrong.  Usually this is when somebody is handloading and accidently throws a double charge or USPSA shooters are trying to load to 9mm major.  I have a piece of brass from a USPSA shoot that I picked up that blew out the case head.  I don't know who it belonged to or if the gun was injured.  You read about something like this happening every now and then and I think it was in the last IDPA journal the author did exactly that with a 9mm 1911.  He threw a double charge and blew the magazine just like you did.  As I recall he said a gunsmith checked the gun out and it was ok, except for the magazine.  The difference is a steel frame and polymer frame.  I don't think you'd question which is more likely to hold up.  Anyway, that is why many of us are pointing to the cartridge.  You didn't by chance find the cartridge did you?  I'd do as suggested and contact CZ first and then the ammo company.

[cameramanmike]

That is one of the biggest things I have heard about CZ, so I am not super worried that this will be taken care of. Although I am a little frustrated that I did not think to grab the shell casing from the affected round off the ground, but after having the pistol explode in my hand I was a little preoccupied:(. The place is about a 45 minute drive from my house, but I am hoping I can make my way up there this week to see if I can find the casing...

[Easy CZ]

I'm sure you've contacted CZ about this. I wish the Ruger forum guy would've included pics. Sounds like a P-07 problem instead of an ammo problem. YMMV.

[cameramanmike]

Well to those thinking it was the ammo, you were right. I decided to further tear down the pistol to see if it did any damage to the chamber of other metal parts. I found that I could not get the barrel to separate from the slide. After some coaxing, I was able to get them apart and found a blown out casing wedged in the barrel. I was able to get the cartridge out after a bit of pulling, and found out it was actually a Tulammo (I know, I know. never again!!) cartridge, which I thought I had already used all of mine up.

[Llamafood]

I hope that didn't kill your warranty chief.  call cz and please report back!

[cameramanmike]

I will call tomorrow if I can. According to my pistols "warranty certificate", the warranty does not apply to "defects caused by ammunition which does not comply with the C.I.P. or SAAMI regulations. Per Tulammo's website "The cartridge complies with CIP requirements." http://tulammousa.com/products/centerfire-pistol-cartridges/9mm-luger-9x19/#more-75
So I should be okay one way or another. I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a long and drawn out process though

[jameslovesjammie]

Do you have any of that ammo left?  If you do, DON'T shoot it!!! 

Do you have the lot number off the ammo package?  You definitely want to let TULA know of the situation.  Don't do it in a blaming or accusing way...just let them know the problem and try to be courteous.  They will most likely be more willing to help if you keep a level head.

To me, it seems like an ammo problem, not a gun problem.