[FL-Flinter]

Sorry Jim, I'm going to disagree with you based on the numerous ruptured barrels I've seen with my own eyes. Mud & snow were the most common causes of ruptures but one in particular was a dime. Someone dropped a dime down the bore of a 12ga Remington 870, probably to check the choke but that someone failed to remove it and the fellow who fired it failed to check the bore prior to loading it. The dime was stuck sideways in the choke as was indicated by the opposing metal transfer lines that were exactly 180° opposite of each other. The bulge in the barrel started about 1.750" before where the metal transfer marks located - that distance is roughly equal to the length of the shot and wad column plus half the diameter of the dime itself clearly indicating the failure started at the base of the wad column and not at the obstruction itself.

Mud wasp nest in a .308win rifle bore. Bulge started a little over an inch prior to where the rust pits indicated where the mud started thus the failure was initiated at the base of the bullet and not at the point where the bullet met the obstruction. The same conditions were seen on a .270win bore that was also fired with a mud wasp nest in it - in total probably half a dozen victims of mud wasps, everyone showing the failure initiation point at the base of the bullet, no the nose.

20ga Ithaca/SKB recoil-auto fired with $600 in cash stuck in the muzzle (husband saving up for a new rifle was hiding the money from his wife. Two $100 bills the rest in $50's rolled tight together and stuck in from the muzzle. Barrel bulged 1.5" behind where the money roll was - again clearly showing the failure initiated at the end of the wad column and not where the shot column came in contact with the obstruction.

Muzzleloader operated by some yahoo that thought loading two balls would be better for hunting. Likely would not have done much more than wreck accuracy if he had fully seated both balls be he left the second one hang at the end of the short starter. Barrel bulged and opened a narrow split but did not open-up completely like a flower. Laying the short starter alongside the bore then adding two balls matched up perfectly with the widest point of the bulge or at the base of the ball, not where the two balls met.


If you're talking about the M1A that splintered into numerous pieces (green or camo if I recall) that was not from an obstruction, it was incorrect powder - rounds loaded overseas charged with powder intended for .30carbine if we're thinking of the same incident. Detonation/overpressure is not in the same category as an obstruction - same thing with failures attributed to design/manufacturing flaws - apples and bowling balls, completely different.

Mark