Kel-Tec P3AT KABOOM!

This is a first-person report. I am the Kaboomee, and it was my pistol which Kaboomed. I suffered a slight flesh wound in the Kaboom, but have determined that it is not a threatening wound in any way.

I was shooting with a couple of buddies at the Rio Salado Sportsmen's Club range at Usery Mountain near Apache Trail, AZ.

The range is a very organized place, with uniformed Park Rangers running it.

I had shot several weapons without incident, when I decided to do some "present and fire" drills with my Kel-Tec P3AT. I had some "gun show" reloads for the .380ACP firearm that my friend, and host on my Road Trip had purchased for me two months ago at a Crossroads of the West gun show in Phoenix, AZ.

The drills consisted of presenting the pistol from "depressed pistol ready", firing two rounds, and returning to depressed pistol ready. The target was at 10 yards, and I was happily covering it, getting all shots in a lethal area (well, as lethal as you can get with the .380ACP).

On my third 6-shot magazine full, I had fired two sets, and was firing the third when the pistol exploded in my hands.

I had been using a two-handed Weaver stance. with my little finger under the butt of the little pistol. The cartridge ruptured in the chamber, and the Glock-style chamber cutout allowed a section near the base of the hull to tear away, leaving a open gap of maybe 2mmX8mm. Pressure from the ignited powder then blew downwards through the magazine, disintegrating and blowing off the end cap and pieces, and blowing everything from the magazine follower on down out through the bottom of the magazine well, tearing the flesh of the distal end of my finger.

I knew I had been hurt, but I held onto the gun and scanned to see if anyone else had been hit. I knew immediately that my firearm had failed explosively. There was instant searing pain, and some blood flow.

After determining that no one else was involved, I set the weapon down on the table at my firing point, and looked for something to bind the wound. After securing a compression bandage of paper towels, I reported to the Rangemaster, then the men's room, in that order. After cleaning up the wound, the Rangemaster put on a proper bandage, and I went back to my station to examine the wrecked Kel-Tec.

One of my companions had secured all the pieces, and I dis-assembled the gun to find the cartridge still in it, the extractor wrecked (bent outwards and twisted out of it's channel). The rangemaster came back with a drift and mallet, and I removed the cartridge without much difficulty. The barrel appeared intact.

Taking digital photos of everything, I packed up the wreckage in a baggie, and continued my drills with my Hi-Standard Sentinel.

Here are the photos I shot after the Kaboom.

Note the twisted magazine spring. It takes a lot of force to do that. Pieces of magazine follower, base plate are also visible in the photo.

This photo displays the bent and displaced extractor, as well as the wrecked magazine base and grip plug.

The magazine came right out of the pistol upon dissassembly. The shell of the magazine appears undamaged.

Here's the dis-assembled pistol, with the ruptured cartridge shown still stuck in the barrel.

Preparing to remove the ruptured cartridge.

The ruptured .380ACP cartridge case.

The bag of "gun show" reloads from which the suspected double-charged round came from. Note the warning label!

The hand-written label on the other side of the "gun show" reloads. A fine handwriting exemplar, actually...

I'll have to wait until I get home to send off the Kel-Tec back to Florida for rebuilding. Fortunately, it's not the only carry piece that I brought.         

Comments

[Gerry N.]

I'm glad to hear your injuries were no more serious than they are. Heal quickly.

A few years ago I bought some .38 Spec. gun show reloads. The first twelve showed moderate report, light recoil and acceptable accuracy. The thirteenth round was extremely loud, with very sharp, harsh recoil. The empty had to be forced from the cylinder with a dowel and mallet. I pulled the bullets from the remainder of the 50, finding two with double charges. I had never fired another person's handloads before, and I never will again.

Another story. My wife found a really good deal on hand loading gear at a garage sale, including 250 some-odd .308 Win. reloads. For some reason I felt "squishy" about them so I decided to break 'em down for components. About 1/3 of those handloads, all with 180 grain bullets, were compressed loads of a flake type powder with little red flakes interspersed in it. Full case charges of Red Dot under a 180 grain bullet. The rest were an unknown stick powder which looked like IMR something. All the powder went under my wife's roses. My BVD's and trousers went into the wash. I did, however, get a big pile of primed .308 cases suitable for cast bullet loads along with a 12 ga. Lee Shotgun loader and 50 lbs of shot for $10.

Gerry N.

[Geoff]

2nd on that one paw paw... My pop always told me never trust another man's handloads.

[John of Argghhh!]

Hey, Armorer! I'm #1 in Google for "I am the kaboomee"

Sweet.

Everybody should be number one in Google for something!

Those who know, know.

[PawPaw]

Glad you're okay. I don't trust anybody's reloaded ammo but my own.

[Bob]

Glad you're OK! Pleased to see you were packing spare undies in your range bag, I presume that's what you went to the men's room for.

[The Chaplain]

Damn that cheap Mexican drug lord reload ammo… can’t get ya one way, they’ll get ya another. Glad you’re ok, but man, you knives, guns and
hand injuries. Wear your Kevlar gloves next time. And I was thinking
about buying a Kel Tec like yours... think I’ll wait until the gunsmith’s report returns. Oh, BTW… the wife says she’s not shooting your reloads anymore and she hopes you have plenty of underwear left for the rest of the trip (LOL)!