quite possibly.

Let's face it, shit happens. I am probably Sako's biggest fan...I love'em, got 3 in the safe right now and several more have passed this way over the years. My biggest complaint with Sako is the falling quality over the years...the bean counters got too much control and those investment cast actions suck. But, the dollar/euro rules the roost and that's how it goes.

That shooter was one fortunate s.o.b. to have not been injured seriously.

Although it is hard to see from the pics, the chevron pattern would indicate the fracture initated at the arrows.



What is the indented ring in the freebore of the barrel?



I would thing the fracture appearance would indicate the bullet was obstructed.

I would have imagine the barrel was obstructed by that sort of blow up.

But then I would have imagined the barrel would have remain together ahead of the obstruction, and not split like this one did.

Earlier this year, a hunter hunting in Africa had a custom rifle - in 416 Remington - blow up in his face, taking his left thump with it.

The flutes were suspected of being too deep and too close to the chamber.

He was also using Federal ammo!!??

I have had custom loaded ammo from Europe, in 375 H&H, where some rounds did not have any powder in them!

A man brought them in here, complaing that some of them misfired.

I pulled the bullets out of those that did not fire, and they had absolutely no powder in them.

I am certain if one of those bullets got stuck into the barrel, someone might have not noticed. Firing another round behind that one would have caused a certain blow up.

I then weighed all the ammo he brought in, and found several with no powder.