WARNING !!

As I was unable to find a forum dealing specifically with firearms safety, I trust that the moderators will move this thread to the appropriate section.

Before that happens, I have placed it here, initially, hoping that as many shooters/hunters as possible see this…. and that perhaps any repeat incidents are avoided.

I want to state now that I will not be drawn in to answering p.m’s, e-mails or q’s from this thread requesting further information regarding this incident, as I was not present at the incident and have no factual knowledge to confirm which of the multitude of potential causes of this incident were responsible.
I do not want to minimize this incident for the person involved and would also not want to potentially jeopardize any legals that may/may not follow.

I just don’t want to see this happen to anyone else and if this post prompts users to check their firearms and prevents even one repeat episode we will all be better off.

I also wish to state that I am not driving any particular equipment design, or brand, agenda here other than highlighting a POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD, and what may be a potentially disastrous situation for the unwary.

Today I witnessed the results of a bolt coming straight back through the face of the shooter behind it.
The results being quite devastating, (and I would suggest coming close to being fatal).

I urge all of you operating ANY (of which there are several) straight-pull bolt-gun systems, take-down rifles and rifles with interchangeable barrels REGARLDESS OF BRAND OR MODEL to check your RIFLE OR HAVE IT CHECKED THOROUGHLY BY A COMPETANT GUNSMITH FOR ANY POTENTIAL FLAWS AND HAVE IT CHECKED (SAFELY) FOR A POTENTIAL TO FIRE WHEN NOT FULLY CLOSED, REGARDLESS OF CLAIMS MADE BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THAT PARTICULAR FIREARM.

I appreciate that the occurrence of this type of incident may not be limited to the particular designs of firearms I have highlighted in this post and/or a result of the firearm itself, therefore it may be a timely reminder to all of us to ensure our firearms are in good, safe working order and that we hand-load responsibly and safely.

Thank-you all for your patience and, I hope, your compliance to my request that we all enjoy our sport as safely as possible.

Paul,
Sorry to hear you had to experince something like that.

Straight pull bolt guns should have died with the Ross but some still want to built them.

Sam

Paul, thanks.

Didn't another incident like this happen in Vic, Australia a few weeks ago? Or is it the same one?

Hope the shooter is ok.

Cheers, Chris

I am sorry Paul but to post about an incident that happened with out specific information.

Really tells us nothing.

Kind of likes saying a car crash because of bad brakes, check your brakes.

But thanks for the safety reminder

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I am sorry Paul but to post about an incident that happened with out specific information.

Really tells us nothing.

Kind of likes saying a car crash because of bad brakes, check your brakes.

But thanks for the safety reminder

Exactly. Give us all the proper details.

Rifle mmake and calibre, factory or reloads. Powder and bullet of reload. How many rounds fired before the "blow up". Where there signs of high pressure before the blow up.

Have the reamaining rounds been properly inspected, to see what they were actually loaded with???

ANy rifle on the Planet can be blown up, with improper reloads...

I also think that more details are really needed. If I remember correctly, if you reassemble a Ross straight pull rifle wrong, the bolt will come straight back and out when fired. So was this incident involving something along that design line, or was it acompletely different type of action?

quote:

Originally posted by congomike:
I also think that more details are really needed. If I remember correctly, if you reassemble a Ross straight pull rifle wrong, the bolt will come straight back and out when fired. So was this incident involving something along that design line, or was it acompletely different type of action?

This is not about a Ross..

quote:

Originally posted by Paul Truccolo:

I urge all of you operating ANY (of which there are several) straight-pull bolt-gun systems, take-down rifles and rifles with interchangeable barrels REGARLDESS OF BRAND OR MODEL to check your RIFLE OR HAVE IT CHECKED THOROUGHLY BY A COMPETANT GUNSMITH FOR ANY POTENTIAL FLAWS AND HAVE IT CHECKED (SAFELY) FOR A POTENTIAL TO FIRE WHEN NOT FULLY CLOSED, REGARDLESS OF CLAIMS MADE BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THAT PARTICULAR FIREARM.

We need the brand and model involved.
Even so it could have been a shooter or ammunition caused problem.

and caliber, brand of ammo or handload. with over excessive pressure, the umbrella like locks retracts. (pressure in excess of the House Test Proofing)

He says he wasn't there and has no information. Then he says he witnessed it. The fairly
recent event with a 6 mm Lee was the result
of an overload that blew the receiver apart
releasing the bolt.

I think he meant he witnessed the results of the incident, though if so, he should have said "observed" the results.

"Witnessed the results" suggests our informant may be someone like a paramedic who attended the
accident or a friend who visited the victim afterwards. If the former, he might indeed have a hazy knowledge of the rifle involved.

However, a heads-up at least on the age of the rifle or its country of origin, or where we might look to find out more, would be appreciated - and I cannot see any way it could be actionable.

Anyone who owns any type of rotating bolthead straight pull or pump action firearm should make sure there are adequate safeguards in their firearm for the prevention of out-of-battery discharge. This should be a positive firing pin block. They must also confirm that those safeguards function properly. Most manufacturers build in safeguards, but mechanical devices can and do fail. Gun owners also need to make sure firearms are properly assembled after cleaning or maintenance.

I had a customer last year experience an out-of-battery discharge on a new pump (that I sold him!) shotgun on his first firing. The bolt was blown back and jammed in the back of the receiver; the forearm shattered and departed the gun. He was thrown from a duck boat into 6 ft of water and nearly drowned had it not been for his hunting companion. Luckily, he escaped unscathed save a good cold dunking! He had tried to ease a round into the chamber of a rotating bolthead action instead of the usual quick, firm movement. The locking lugs did not rotate and the firing pin fell hard enough to detonate the primer.

I reported this to the manufacturer and a representative visited my shop where I demonstrated the malfunction with another new shotgun. They made things right with the customer. This year I noticed the manufacturer announced that their flagship shotgun had a new feature to ensure bolthead rotation on a round eased into the chamber. The manufacturer was Benelli/Stoeger. The shotgun was the P350, but it shares the same bolt design with the entire Benelli/Stoeger line.

Sounds like a bs chainmail story to me.
Were this story true, the antis, the lawyers, and the Ralph Nader types would be all over it.

quote:

Originally posted by ken_ak:
Sounds like a bs chainmail story to me.
Were this story true, the antis, the lawyers, and the Ralph Nader types would be all over it.

Is this made up too? http://www.theage.com.au/victo...-20140301-33shw.html

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana_500:

quote:

Originally posted by ken_ak:
Sounds like a bs chainmail story to me.
Were this story true, the antis, the lawyers, and the Ralph Nader types would be all over it.

Is this made up too? http://www.theage.com.au/victo...-20140301-33shw.html

Same story or 2 separate incidents ?

Dont know from the lack of detail the OP posted. Just making the point these things have happened recently.

One incident is enough to support what the OP was trying to get across, though I agree with other posters that more details would help.