I am new to muzzleloading and bp, and am still learning. Reading several of the boards I have come across references to guys blowing up a rifle by not seating the ball all the way onto the powder charge. If a space is left between the powder and ball it can, depending on the powder charge, blow up the barrel. This would be exaggerated if a really stout charge was used. If a rifle that should use FFg was loaded with the wrong powder, like FFFg or even FFFFg to the same max load recommended for FFG it would cause overpressure- for instance a max load calling for 120gr of FFg would be safe, but 120gr of FFFg or FFFFg would be bad.
Using the wrong cap if percussion could cause problems too.
I researched a lot before even buying powder, etc., but if someone just bought a rifle and loaded it without knowing what he was doing it would be very easy to destroy a rifle.
Jim

Jim,
What kind of percussion cap could cause a rifle to blow up? That's a new on me.

Different powder granulations cause different results. No doubt about that, but different brands of powder are often more different than different granulations of the same brand. Even different batches of powder from one supplier can be extremely different. But none of these are likely to cause a gun to blow up.

Brent

I just read an interesting post on another forum about a gunsmith who was asked how to work up a max load in a muzzleloader. When asked if he ever blew up a barrel he said not with a properly seated bullet.
Here is a link to the article. Look for the post at the bottom by Darkhorse.
Jim

This scenario sounds similar to the manner in which "reduced load" modern loads blow up rifles. Essentially the propellent is spread around the inside of the "compartment" (casing, bottom of bbl). In a smokeless powder environment, the casing is loaded with regular smokeless powder but volumetrically is too far short of capacity. Separate piles of propellant sometimes result inside the case just due to the way a rifle is carried, held etc. In a muzzle loader this potential arises when the ball is improperly seated, and there is space between ball and charge because of operator error.



In either case, instead of one controlled combustion you get a first burn that ignites another ignition source in the compartment AFTER the first ignition is underway. When the two shock waves meet, the colliding shock waves create an explosion. Because firearms are designed for rapid combustion, not explosion, a bomb effect results. That is why special reduced load powders are supposedly designed to require sufficient volumes within cases to prevent the problem.

Bruce, the other theory is that as the powder lies on the bottom of the case or chamber, the flame front from the primer travels over top of the powder charge resulting in a much faster burn off of the powder resulting in a devestating over pressure. derf

Bruce, you are on the mark.
I remember reading an article a long time ago in G&A about the differences in standard deviation, velocity and accuracy by only changing the way the weapon was held prior to firing. One shooter held a pistol muzzle down and slowly raised it to shoot. The other pointed the muzzle up and lowered it to aim.
The one who pointed the muzzle up had better accuracy, lower sd. The powder was settled back against the primer and had more uniform ignition. The other also had higher pressure measured with a strain guage.
Both pistols were loaded with a powder charge that didn't fill the case. That is where the differences came from. Loads that fill the case, or almost fill it don't have a problem.
Any space between the powder and projectile will cause an overpressure situation and possibly sudden, unexpected, deconstruction of the weapon.
In modern weapons, the article stated, the standard indications of overpressure were not accurate. Using a guage they found overpressure with no flattened primers, sticky cases, etc. Use published loads and always pay attention to the max load and never exceed it.
Jim

I have not heard of a modern inline coming from the factory loaded. What I think happened is the rifle was loaded with smokeless powder instead of black powder or substitute and blew up the rifle. 100 or 150 grains of lets say IMR 4350 should blow up any muzzle loader not made for smokeless. I hope the unfortunate person lives to learn from there mistake.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I re-read the original post. I wonder if it was a new rifle, or if he bought it used? If used, I could see someone leaving it loaded, forgetting that little detail when selling it. The new owner may have loaded it not noticing the rod didn't go down far enough.
Would that blow one up?
Jim

I bet a 100gr charge of IMR4895 would really wreck your afternoon.
I would like to hear updates about this story.
Jim

Why would anyone shoot into their fireplace?
Maybe, just maybe, he got the barrel hot enough that the ball/conical/whatever slid a little toward the muzzle.
This guy is definately a candidate for the Darwin Award.
Jim

Education is everything. No one will probably know for sure what happened, probably the smokeless powder.

Hopefully when some sells a gun they tell the person what loads etc. but who knows, estate sales etc. a gun left loaded could have happened.

New guns come with manuals to educate you, on that particular gun. Of course thats if you read it. Never got one loaded from factory either in smokeless or black powder.

Hopefully forums like this and word of mouth will prevent this from happening to someone else.

Guns are like motorcycles, jump on one not knowing what you are doing and you will hurt yourself and or someone else.

John TN.