Also referred to as
Kb!, a
semi-funny term which refers to a
firearm catastrophe which usually involves a
case failure that results in a cracked chamber, cracked slide, cracked barrel, destroyed frame, and/or wrecked magazine depending on severity of the said case failure. Barrel obstructions can also cause a gun to Kaboom! Revolvers can also Kaboom!, usually destroying the cylinder where the ammunition is held. The actual thing is
not funny as it can seriously injure the operator or anybody nearby.
Used in that sense quite recently after a number of users destroyed their Glock pistols after firing a round which apparently produced pressures too high for the glock to withstand. The fact that Glocks have chambers which are not fully supported (to ensure feeding reliability in adverse conditions) is also another factor that can contribute to a Kaboom!
Glock pistols are the most commonly associated guns with this phenomenon but it is common knowledge that any and all guns will eventually Kaboom! if used to fire ammunition that generates pressure levels in excess of what the particular was designed for. The Glock's popularity means that there are much more of them out there and therefor there is a greater chance that one will Kaboom! Stastically, they do not Kaboom! more often than any other quality pistol.
Though supposedly more common in the .40 S&W versions there also have been reports of Glock Kaboom!s in the other calibers. Lead build up on the polygonal rifling has also been suspected as a possible culprit as this can also contribute to the generation of excessive chamber pressure.