.......Don't mix. I couldn't find all the parts to put the action back together again :-) It was a fine old NRA sporter and about all I could salvage was the floorplate and front sight. Gotta watch those P's and Q's.

........Buckshot

WOW, I hope your alright. It must have been some surprize to drop the hammer on that one.

Whoa!

Hope the shooter is alright.
What did the barrel/chamber look like?

And I thought I damaged a Ruger SBH.
Heck someone even found the topstrap downrange later and returned it to me!

Was it the powders fault?
Was it the powder scales fault?
Was it the powder measures fault?
Was it the presses fault?
NOPE! It was my fault and for the same reason as the one in the picture.

Hope the Springfield shooter was as lucky as I was!
Course I sure miss that SBH!
It was a SHOOTER with cast bullets!
BUT, I could be missing more important things more!

LouisB

Buckshot, it looks like we are going to like the "pictures in the post" features on this list.

I gotta get me a digital camera now, since you can put pictures in the post itself we can put together "how to" posts complete with relevant discussion on a project.

Onliest thing I miss so far is knowing who posted the last post (it doesn't show up on the topical list).

But, balanced against the ability to straighten up a bad sentence after the fact (edit functions) and the "insert a picture" ability that really isn't all that important.

Oldfeller

Buckshot, WOW! Shooter okay? Sorry to see that happen. As you know my favorite load for most cast boolits in 03s is 21 gr 4227 or N120 - less than half full in the case. Visual inspection of every dump of powder is a must. Are you sure it was a double charge and not something else?

OF, 10-4 on the picture feature. sundog

buckshot....you got to do someting about that new name. Maybe when you get a "terminator" govenor....

When Petey was with us, he "proof tested" a Shuttleworth 32-40 with 28 grains of 4227 (double charge) with cast. Smart recoil and it chrony'd 2800 FPS and some change but held. Case looked like crap.

Don't look like that low number fared as well./beagle

Bucksh.....err Whitworth,
Glad your're OK, but are you sure it was just a double charge? It really disassembled itself, you brought tears to my eyes, a fine NRA Sporter and all.
I hope to prevent such things and always visually inspect cases before seating the boolit. Never can be too careful!
Bet you had a nasty flinch for a while!-JDL

......The incident happened 6-7 years ago and no one was hurt. I got a scratch at the scalp line which bled a bit. Plus my eyes watered and nose was sore from my thumb hitting it due to recoil :-).

The extractor was stuck in a sandbag on the bench to the right, a piece of the action ring went through the overhead and another piece hit and bent a spotting scope tripod leg on the bench to the left. So it could have been MUCH worse.

I had been shooting 5 shot groups and had just completed one, so there wasn't a bullet lodged in the barrel to cause the incident. I was shooting over a chronograph and the 218gr Lyman bullet tripped it at 3059 fps. I have no doubt in my mind that had the casehead NOT failed the action would have hung together. And THAT is the nemisis of the low number superhard Springfield actions. They have no ability to handle sudden shock stretch or 'give'. Once that gas is released into the reciever they're a bomb.

The attached photo shows the 'brass' coloring deposited by the vaporized casehead. The body of the case was welded into the chamber. A piece of the casehead that remained against the boltface clearly shows a small outward bent lip and gas erosion, and a strong clue to what happened. Along with that Magnum velocity :-)

This instance caused me to alter the way I charge cases. I used to put them all in the loading blocks and then pick each up, charge it and return it to the block picking up the next. I must have been distracted or something. Regardless, NOW I either pluck one from it's box and charge it and then place it in the block, or I charge one and seat the bullet.

........Buckshot

........Although the bolt remained in the action, there wasn't much "Action" remaining! The 3rd safety lug had setback hard enough to indent the right bridgeface. I guess this fact was enough to arrest the rearward motion of the bolt until the gas pressure had disipated. Otherwise I guess I'd be wearing a bolt in my head.

........Buckshot