Carrying a no-safety SA five-up may be a bad idea...

Jim March · March 27, 2013, 07:57 PM

...in a motor vehicle crash:

http://imgur.com/wz8kYNr

(Note: image is VERY high res, better to view it on Imgur...)

This cylinder is from a Ruger Old Model that was carried in the door pocket of a truck that was involved in a crash severe enough to rotate the chambers across the firing pin. All five carried rounds went off. One of the empties was easily extractable, these four were not and the gun was destroyed per the guy who posted the pic on Reddit (username "thekevincollins"):

http://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comment...he_pin_across/

A New Model Ruger action with a transfer bar wouldn't have done this, obviously. Neither would a Beretta Stampede, Freedom Arms '97 series, Taurus Gaucho (a horrible gun by the way) or the transfer-bar equipped Pietta SAs. All other Uberti, Pietta and the like close clones of the Colt SAA *would* behave as the gun picured did

.

Sarge · March 27, 2013, 08:26 PM

I guess it would have gone off if it were hit by a meteorite, too.

I don't believe I would let that freak accident cause me to jettison a fine old Colt or other good example of the breed.

Deaf Smith · March 27, 2013, 09:20 PM

If the crash was THAT bad, then I think the gun being destroyed was the least of their problems.

Deaf

Jim March · March 27, 2013, 09:23 PM

As each chamber rolled in front of the firing pin it sent most of a bullet down the barrel. Ooops.

newfrontier45 · March 27, 2013, 10:24 PM

Quote:

I guess it would have gone off if it were hit by a meteorite, too.

I don't believe I would let that freak accident cause me to jettison a fine old Colt or other good example of the breed.

Agreed and it's about that far-fetched.

James K · March 27, 2013, 10:26 PM

The hammer had to have been forced in/held down somehow by the accident. Just the normal hammer in the down position would not have enough force to score the cases like that and then set off the primers. (Yes, I tried it; only light scratches on the cases and no primers fired.)

Also, there had to be enough force to break the cylinder stop.

I think there is a bit more to the story, though. Strange things happen in accidents, with a lot of energy flying around, but how a revolver in a door pocket would sustain that kind of damage escapes me.

Jim

9mm · March 27, 2013, 10:27 PM

Where did the bullets strike?

Jim March · March 27, 2013, 11:14 PM

We have no idea where the bullets went.

Venom1956 · March 27, 2013, 11:29 PM

thats nuts! I hope everyones ok.

Poor poor OM blackhawk... you will be missed.

James K · March 27, 2013, 11:48 PM

"We have no idea where the bullets went."

I'll bet no one measured group size either. Sheesh!

Jim

Stiofan · March 28, 2013, 12:00 AM

The caption on the photo says the gun was trapped between the truck and the ground (one could assume at decent rate of speed), so the forces exerted on it would have been pretty substancial. An argument could be made that any gun could be made to fire if enough force is applied to it, it wouldn't have to be a SA revolver either.

A curiosity for me, but doesn't bring up any design flaws.

CajunBass · March 28, 2013, 06:02 AM

I'll put that on my list of "things to worry about."

Just behind Zombie Dinosaur attack.

Kreyzhorse · March 28, 2013, 06:06 AM

Interesting story and certainly a freak incident.

feets · March 28, 2013, 08:10 AM

They should send the gun back to Ruger and ask for a transfer bar update.

dayman · March 28, 2013, 10:47 AM

I don't carry a SA anyway, but this seems on par with the guy who's safetied 1911 went off when it got sucked into an MRI.
More an interesting physics question than a cautionary tale.

**44 AMP** · March 28, 2013, 12:35 PM

wow.

ok, note to self, when planning on being in a motor vehicle crash, unload all firearms prior to crashing!

there you go, one more justification for my preference for New Model Rugers!

Venom1956 · March 28, 2013, 01:31 PM

Lol. That could be the FIRST EVER SA revolver that had barrel heat damage from rapid fire...

You might have set a record.

Slopemeno · March 28, 2013, 02:04 PM

I'd say the gun going off was probably the least of his worries, at that point.

Hawg · March 30, 2013, 03:46 PM

I think you'd have a better chance of winning the lottery than to have that happen.

Rifleman1776 · March 31, 2013, 05:53 AM

Another good reason to have the safety transfer bar installed.

treg · March 31, 2013, 09:11 AM

A Glock 17 was known to have similar issues in an automobile accident when carried in the door pocket. After two mag swaps a total of 52 rounds were fired in full auto. The difference is all 52 bullets stayed inside the "O" of a stop sign nearly 50 yards from the scene and were found in the gizzards of a dead condor family nearby.

The BH story is almost as believable.

Gdawgs · March 31, 2013, 10:21 AM

Quote:

They should send the gun back to Ruger and ask for a transfer bar update.

LOL. I bet they'd fix it at no charge.

Sarge · March 31, 2013, 03:36 PM

LMAO treg.

FoghornLeghorn · March 31, 2013, 07:57 PM

Quote:

They should send the gun back to Ruger and ask for a transfer bar update.

Quote:

LOL. I bet they'd fix it at no charge.

Gun, nothing. I'd send the truck back and tell 'em it busted my gun.

berettaprofessor · April 1, 2013, 03:26 PM

Let's see, the gun discharged 5 times with a single pull of the trigger; should the ATF be notified?

March 27, 2013, 07:57 PM	#1
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	Carrying a no-safety SA five-up may be a bad idea... ...in a motor vehicle crash: http://imgur.com/wz8kYNr (Note: image is VERY high res, better to view it on Imgur...) This cylinder is from a Ruger Old Model that was carried in the door pocket of a truck that was involved in a crash severe enough to rotate the chambers across the firing pin. All five carried rounds went off. One of the empties was easily extractable, these four were not and the gun was destroyed per the guy who posted the pic on Reddit (username "thekevincollins"): http://www.reddit.com/r/guns/comment...he_pin_across/ A New Model Ruger action with a transfer bar wouldn't have done this, obviously. Neither would a Beretta Stampede, Freedom Arms '97 series, Taurus Gaucho (a horrible gun by the way) or the transfer-bar equipped Pietta SAs. All other Uberti, Pietta and the like close clones of the Colt SAA would behave as the gun picured did . __________________ Jim March

March 27, 2013, 08:26 PM	#2
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	I guess it would have gone off if it were hit by a meteorite, too. I don't believe I would let that freak accident cause me to jettison a fine old Colt or other good example of the breed. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

March 27, 2013, 09:20 PM	#3
Deaf Smith Senior Member Join Date: October 31, 2000 Location: Texican! Posts: 4,453	If the crash was THAT bad, then I think the gun being destroyed was the least of their problems. Deaf __________________ “To you who call yourselves ‘men of peace,’ I say, you are not safe without men of action by your side” Thucydides

March 27, 2013, 09:23 PM	#4
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	As each chamber rolled in front of the firing pin it sent most of a bullet down the barrel. Ooops. __________________ Jim March

March 27, 2013, 11:14 PM	#8
Jim March Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 1999 Location: Pittsburg, CA, USA Posts: 7,417	We have no idea where the bullets went. __________________ Jim March

March 27, 2013, 10:26 PM	#6
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	The hammer had to have been forced in/held down somehow by the accident. Just the normal hammer in the down position would not have enough force to score the cases like that and then set off the primers. (Yes, I tried it; only light scratches on the cases and no primers fired.) Also, there had to be enough force to break the cylinder stop. I think there is a bit more to the story, though. Strange things happen in accidents, with a lot of energy flying around, but how a revolver in a door pocket would sustain that kind of damage escapes me. Jim

March 27, 2013, 10:27 PM	#7
9mm Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2011 Location: Land of the Free Posts: 2,834	Where did the bullets strike?

March 27, 2013, 11:29 PM	#9
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	thats nuts! I hope everyones ok. Poor poor OM blackhawk... you will be missed. __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

March 27, 2013, 11:48 PM	#10
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	"We have no idea where the bullets went." I'll bet no one measured group size either. Sheesh! Jim

March 28, 2013, 12:00 AM	#11
Stiofan Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2006 Location: Panhandle, Idaho Posts: 714	The caption on the photo says the gun was trapped between the truck and the ground (one could assume at decent rate of speed), so the forces exerted on it would have been pretty substancial. An argument could be made that any gun could be made to fire if enough force is applied to it, it wouldn't have to be a SA revolver either. A curiosity for me, but doesn't bring up any design flaws.

March 28, 2013, 06:02 AM	#12
CajunBass Senior Member Join Date: May 6, 2005 Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia Posts: 4,767	I'll put that on my list of "things to worry about." Just behind Zombie Dinosaur attack. __________________ For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

March 28, 2013, 06:06 AM	#13
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	Interesting story and certainly a freak incident. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

March 28, 2013, 08:10 AM	#14
feets Senior Member Join Date: April 28, 2008 Posts: 560	They should send the gun back to Ruger and ask for a transfer bar update.

March 28, 2013, 10:47 AM	#15
dayman Senior Member Join Date: April 18, 2011 Location: The Woods Posts: 1,197	I don't carry a SA anyway, but this seems on par with the guy who's safetied 1911 went off when it got sucked into an MRI. More an interesting physics question than a cautionary tale. __________________ si vis pacem para bellum

March 28, 2013, 12:35 PM	#16
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 28,791	wow. ok, note to self, when planning on being in a motor vehicle crash, unload all firearms prior to crashing! there you go, one more justification for my preference for New Model Rugers! __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

March 28, 2013, 01:31 PM	#17
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	Lol. That could be the FIRST EVER SA revolver that had barrel heat damage from rapid fire... You might have set a record. __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

March 28, 2013, 02:04 PM	#18
Slopemeno Senior Member Join Date: January 19, 2007 Posts: 2,663	I'd say the gun going off was probably the least of his worries, at that point.

March 30, 2013, 03:46 PM	#19
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,188	I think you'd have a better chance of winning the lottery than to have that happen.

March 31, 2013, 05:53 AM	#20
Rifleman1776 Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 3,309	Another good reason to have the safety transfer bar installed.

March 31, 2013, 09:11 AM	#21
treg Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2006 Posts: 1,102	A Glock 17 was known to have similar issues in an automobile accident when carried in the door pocket. After two mag swaps a total of 52 rounds were fired in full auto. The difference is all 52 bullets stayed inside the "O" of a stop sign nearly 50 yards from the scene and were found in the gizzards of a dead condor family nearby. The BH story is almost as believable. __________________ .44 Special: For those who get it, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible.

March 31, 2013, 03:36 PM	#23
Sarge Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2002 Location: MO Posts: 5,457	LMAO treg. __________________ People were smarter before the Internet, or imbeciles were harder to notice.

April 1, 2013, 03:26 PM	#25
berettaprofessor Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2008 Posts: 1,091	Let's see, the gun discharged 5 times with a single pull of the trigger; should the ATF be notified?

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