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"