Let me run this past the audience...years ago I was told by an "Insider" that the major arms companies...ie Winchester,
Remington, Ruger, etc. tested their rifles with a "blue load", not "blew"! They used about twice the high pressure load...say if the load more than max was 70,000 psi in their rifle...they used 140,000 psi to test the rifle's strength. This was NOT ever much spoke about, since as you know some tyro would load up too high or be otherwise encouraged to go crazy. This was to ensure a margin of safety in their rifles, lets say a "safety factor"...in case someone goofed somewhere...and had too hot a load, their rifle would stand it...and no lawsuits! Did anyone else ever hear of this? Thanks, Tom
ps. don't call the rifle companies..."plausable denial" may
come up...

I thimk you are referring to a "proof load". They are commonly discussed in firearms literature.

Post deleted by ASS_CLOWN

does anyone know what pressure range you are in when you blow a primer?? I blew a primer once and belive me I am way more careful about what I am doing, I double and triple check everything now.

One fairly reliable sourse.....(this is still heresay)...I was told that shotguns are tested to 20,000 PSI or about twice the high operating pressures of the loads.

Does that help?

I seriously doubt anyone tests rifles at 140,000 PSI!!!

In "Hatcher's Notebook" he writes, "Before any barrel is accepted for service it is proof fired with a high pressure Test cartridge or 'blue pill' , which gives about forty percent higher pressure than the service load. These test cartridges are tin plated to make them look different from the regular cartridges, and this gives them a bluish white color, hence the name 'blue pill' ". He goes on to state that the first blue pills gave 70,000# (psi?) which was later raised to 75,000. He also "used pressures up to 130,000# without any apparent ill effects on the barrels"

Blown primers may or may not happen even with pressure that is wayyyy over the top. Some folks with the m43 report no blown primers at 70 K. If you have a blown primer, back way back, and try again but not so far this time. Use a chronograph and don't exceed safe speed. Good hunting.

Thanks to Craigster! You found the reference...blue pill,
maybe also referred to as 'blue load' that makes sense. I
have bookcase full of good gun books, mostly reference types
I don't have, and should have "Hatchers Notebook"...are reprints still available?
Thanks again!! Tom

re. the "blown primers": I once used a hot load recommended by P.O. Ackley for the .25-06 (from his Handloaders Manual)..the rifle was a Browning A-Bolt. At the
range, every cartridge I fired had a primer missing...the
guys next to me moved away. However, the brass looked OK,
I had no bolt stiffness to open the action...I deduced the
main reason for the hotter than usual situation was that the
bullets were seated very near the rifling...not touching but darned close. And the A-Bolt design brings the rifling real close, compared to other rifle makers...
In my humble opinion, the pressure was high, but not dangerously so from other indications & I continued shooting off all the reloads...every case had a primer gone.
I afterwards seated the bullets further from the rifling
and primers stayed put. Tom

Tom,
"Hatcher's Notebook" is available in reprint, or you shouldn't have much trouble finding a used copy. It's a wealth of information and not a bad read. Every serious shooter/reloader should have a copy on his bookshelf.

The Weatherby Mark V action has been tested with proof loads up to 200,000 psi, as per "Tomorrow's Rifles Today" by Layne Simpson (Rifle Shooter 07/04). So there must be SOME load out there able to generate such a high pressure. But that is obviously under controlled laboratory conditions to prevent danger to some poor guinea pig shooter...



Maybe someone here knows more or could expand on this further?

.

Heck! Check with Clark. He'll tell you everything you want to know about high pressure testing first hand with illustrations and fotos to boot.If you want to talk failure mode he's the man. roger