KSG Broke (Explosively)

10093 Views 46 Replies 27 Participants Last post by 850sub, 12 d ago

bmmacdonald

Discussion Starter · Aug 21, 2015 (Edited)

New to the forum - have gotten lots of good info from previous threads for the past few months - thanks!

I have had a KSG since 7/1/15, and have taken it to the range a few times. During the first several range sessions, I fired slugs, buckshot, and birdshot. All shells were factory fresh Winchester. Most of the rounds cycled well, but the birdshot shells in particular (Winchester 7 ½ shot, 2-3/4” shells, low brass) seemed to get stuck in the chamber after firing. In some cases, the shell would only extract after significant pressure was applied to the forend, needing to “smack” it back to remove the shell. On other cases, the shell would remain stuck, and the extractor would slip off the shell. Then the KSG would have to be racked very forcefully many times until the shell finally extracted.

Today, I was again firing birdshot after carefully cleaning and lubricating the KSG to see if it would function properly. One of the shells became stuck in the chamber again, and I forcefully racked the forend back and forth to clear it. After the shell came out, the racking action was very heavy, like racking in molasses. I chambered a new round, forced the forend forward, and pulled the trigger. The shell fired, but the bolt was slammed to the back of the KSG, the bolt carrier arms ripped out of the forend, and hot gases and the blown apart shell pieces blew down onto my arm.

I suspect that I bent the forend as others have done due to racking it forcefully to extract the shell, which caused the “sticky” feeling. Then, I think that the bolt was not locked to the barrel extension due to the bent bolt carrier arm, and was blown backwards.

While I like many aspects of the KSG, I am disappointed that it is not reliable, shells stick in the chamber, and that a malfunction like this could happen. Allowing the firing pin to strike a shell when the bolt is not fully locked has high potential for injury, and I feel lucky that I was not injured. In hindsight, I should have stopped when it stopped feeling right.

I contacted Kel Tec, and it is on the way back now.

I'll post some pictures below.

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bmmacdonald

Discussion Starter · #2 · Aug 21, 2015

Note the arm on this side is off the forend, and the slot where it normally attaches is gone. Remains of the shell are above.

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bmmacdonald

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 21, 2015

Other side - forend slot still there, but broken. Bolt is stuck in the end of the stock

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PF9Newbie

· #4 · Aug 21, 2015

Sorry to hear about the problem, and very glad that you were not injured. But I do think this illustrates that no one should ever continue to try and shoot a firearm that seems to be having a problem, or is not operating properly ("......the racking action was very heavy, like racking in molasses. I chambered a new round, forced the forend forward.....") Hopefully this will serve to remind others that in such circumstances, the thing to do is stop, unload, and thoroughly inspect and check the weapon before continuing, or if the problem cannot be cleared at the range, put the weapon away until it can be repaired.

Jim R

Reactions: 1

bmmacdonald

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 21, 2015

Agreed - that is why I posted it - learn from my mistake.

Reactions: 1

jbarchitect

· #6 · Aug 21, 2015

Winchester white box low brass are crap.
They're the only ones that get sticky in mine.
The higher quality winchester shells could be ok but I only shoot federal now and don't have any problems.

Sharrack1

· #7 · Aug 21, 2015

Any chance the previous lube mixed with soot fom the shells to gum it up?
I remember oiling the gas piston on my AK....by the second round the gun locked up like it had glue in it.

bmmacdonald

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 22, 2015

Thanks for the thought. I was careful not to lube the chamber, so I do not think that is the case. It was binding up with the chamber empty as well.

DrewBone

· #9 · Aug 22, 2015 (Edited)

bmm,

Wow, an out of battery KSG Ka-Boom

, the first ever that I'm aware of, and I'm really glad you weren't injured.

This event sure brings up a dangerous and serious safety issue that needs to be addressed by KelTec before someone suffers a similar or worse fate.

Please keep us posted and up to date on KelTec's response and subsequent actions.

PF9Newbie

· #10 · Aug 22, 2015

DrewBone said:
bmm,

Wow, an out of battery KSG Ka-Boom , the first ever that I'm aware of, and I'm really glad you weren't injured.

This event sure brings up a dangerous and serious safety issue that needs to be addressed by KelTec before someone suffers a similar or worse fate.

Please keep us posted and up to date on KelTec's response and subsequent actions.

Not really sure that this is a Kel Tec issue. Gun should never have been forced or fired, when there was obviously something wrong as clearly noted by the OP.

Jim R

DrewBone

· #11 · Aug 22, 2015

PF9Newbie said:
Not really sure that this is a Kel Tec issue. Gun should never have been forced or fired, when there was obviously something wrong as clearly noted by the OP.

Jim R

Jim, the fact that the firearm could be manipulated without tools, modification, or through the addition of or the subtraction of parts to cause an OOB detonation with factory ammunition, indeed makes it the manufacturers (KelTec's) issue to address, resolve, and make safe, before someone gets hurt, maimed, or killed.

Better safe than sorry

850sub

· #12 · Aug 22, 2015

Pass the popcorn, this looks like a good'n!

ls81

· #13 · Aug 22, 2015

subbing to see what kt says sometime week after next when someone gets around to answering the phone/email.

haugrdr

· #14 · Aug 22, 2015

Kel Tec will say send it in for repair.

Then they'll return it with very little or no info on what happened.

They rarely ever give out much info...just a standard check - sheet with a couple items checked.

cx4stormer

· #15 · Aug 22, 2015

Out of battery discharge??

TheLastDaze

· #16 · Aug 22, 2015

DrewBone said:
indeed makes it the manufacturers (KelTec's) issue to address, resolve, and make safe, before someone gets hurt, maimed, or killed.

Better safe than sorry

Can someone point me to just one article where someone was Killed by a malfunction, just one... the worst by far is firing after a squib the barrel will banana peel, gun blow up etc but its never fatal...
People act as if though some bomb is going to go off and kill everyone around them, there isnt enough powder nor compression to do anything,like an m80 at best case scenario with a squib explosion..

Everyone is always so concerned that there is so much danger in live ammunition that it will kill you, its only deadly from the opposite end... in fact you can throw ammo in the camp fire and wouldnt blow up like a bomb but simply catch fire under pressure when the bullet popped off...

bmmacdonald

Discussion Starter · #17 · Aug 23, 2015

ls81 said:
subbing to see what kt says sometime week after next when someone gets around to answering the phone/email.

I actually called Kel Tec the same day it happened. Spent all of about 30 seconds on hold, and they sent the return shipping label immediately.

I'll update when I hear more.

DrewBone

· #18 · Aug 23, 2015

TheLastDaze said:
Can someone point me to just one article where someone was Killed by a malfunction, just one... the worst by far is firing after a squib the barrel will banana peel, gun blow up etc but its never fatal...

Perhaps not fatal [yet], but would you care to be anywhere near any firearm that decided to come apart inches from your face if there was any chance it could have been prevented by a design change, etc.? Over the years I've seen plenty of pictures of mangled hands and peppered faces from OOB detonations, and as such, I'd prefer to keep my face and digits the way they are if at all possible

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Gun+kaboom+images

E46SC3

· #19 · Aug 23, 2015

Sorry about your KSG. Glad you weren't seriously hurt and hope that Kel Tec will take care of you.

PF9Newbie

· #20 · Aug 23, 2015

DrewBone said:
Perhaps not fatal [yet], but would you care to be anywhere near any firearm that decided to come apart inches from your face if there was any chance it could have been prevented by a design change, etc.? Over the years I've seen plenty of pictures of mangled hands and peppered faces from OOB detonations, and as such, I'd prefer to keep my face and digits the way they are if at all possible

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Gun+kaboom+images

I agree about staying out the way of gun kabooms (I have been present at a couple), but how about those caused by failure to simply observe proper caution when something 'does not seem right' about the gun function and trying to force it anyway (something the OP has already basically said is what happened) There is no mechanical device that cannot be misused to the point of danger, no matter what the design, or manufacture quality. It is not always, or even usually, the makers fault.

Jim R

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