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March 16, 2015, 07:29 AM | #1 |
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I blew up my Super BlackHawk - Opinion/Advice?
My son was shooting my Super Blackhawk in .44 mag this weekend. Two shots fired fine. Third was very loud, my son said he felt a pressure wave across his face.
Result was the cylinder split and the top strap bent. I do reload and I am cautious. But, I could have made a mistake. I need an opinion, is this: 1. Case failure? 2. Hot reload? 3. Cylinder failed on gun? 4. Something else I do not know about? I included a shot of the case. It is split neck down on each side directly opposite each other. Last edited by MrMopar; March 19, 2015 at 06:37 AM. |
March 16, 2015, 07:32 AM | #2 |
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Severe overpressure from an overloaded cartridge.
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March 16, 2015, 07:43 AM | #3 |
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Since you said you reload, what was the supposed load you were using?
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March 16, 2015, 08:15 AM | #4 | |
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Quote:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=341348 Nothing like making an excuse, I load on progressive and single stage presses. I do not get into mortal combat with reloading. I will take the time to weight components then total the weight. After loading I weight the loaded ammo and compare the weight with the weight of the components. Not knowing what is going to happen when I pull the trigger is not exciting. F. Guffey |
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March 16, 2015, 08:40 AM | #5 |
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I would rule out 1&3, even though I don't know what your reloading recipe was I would have to go with 2&4.
The cause appears to be from severe over pressure but that does not necessarily translate to an over charged round. |
March 16, 2015, 09:14 AM | #6 |
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God bless Bill Ruger....
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March 16, 2015, 09:35 AM | #7 |
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Likely a round got double-charged.
I saw it happen with a Model 10 Smith and it looked about the same. |
March 16, 2015, 09:58 AM | #8 |
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Almost 50 years of reloading, range officer, and sponsored shooter: my opinion is double charged load, and I'd suspect they were pretty hot to begin with. If you're loading on a progressive, use a powder that will fill the case over half full. If on a single stage or turret, check each cartridge before seating bullet.
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March 16, 2015, 10:11 AM | #9 |
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#2. Hot load.
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March 16, 2015, 10:28 AM | #10 |
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I use VV N110 because, among other reasons, it fills the case.
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March 16, 2015, 11:09 AM | #11 |
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Hmmmmmmmmm - Over changed load.
I have been abusing Ruger 44 mag firearms for years and have pushed well past the safe limit of loading with 2400 and IMR 4227 powders and never blown a Ruger up. A S&W model 29 yes, twice but not a Ruger SBH or RH. If just the cyl was split I would say a defect to the cyl but the top strap tells the tell. You may not have had a double charge but had a very hot charge that was compressed and that can be a very bad thing.
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March 16, 2015, 11:10 AM | #12 |
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What kind of bullets were you using? Check the primer strike, could it be a hot load and out of time?
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March 16, 2015, 11:40 AM | #13 |
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I appreciate the responses. I am on a firewall so I can only respond certain times.
1. I weigh all my magnum loads after they are complete. 2. I must have missed one. 3. Yes, I did indeed thank God for Bill Ruger. My son was shooting. I could not have handled the guilt. 4. All loads are now being gone through again. What I usually load is 9 grains Titegroup behind a 240 grain bullet. I need to check which bullet. I do not know off top of my head if we were shooting jacketed or lead. Titegroup can be double charged. |
March 16, 2015, 11:41 AM | #14 |
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An interesting aside, the empty shell in the adjacent position was crushed. Not sure what to think about that.
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March 16, 2015, 12:12 PM | #15 |
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One of the drawbacks of reloading is your pals who don't reload wanting you to do it for them.
If you have friends like that, just show them the picture. That oughta' cure the problem.
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March 16, 2015, 12:32 PM | #16 | |
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March 16, 2015, 04:13 PM | #17 |
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MrMopar, glad your son is OK!! Lessons the hard way are not forgotten. I don't think you are not smart, on the contrary, I think you are smarter!!
NoSecondBest, just think, if that dummy Elmer Keith hadn't pushed the limits with the special, we wouldn't have the great .44 mag. Thanks Mr. Keith. Mike www.goonsgunworks.com |
March 16, 2015, 06:54 PM | #18 | |
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March 16, 2015, 07:18 PM | #19 | |
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March 16, 2015, 07:55 PM | #20 |
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OK, weighed the last 25 loads I had complete. 23.3 to 23.7 GRAMs. That ain't right.
So I took apart the 6 of them that were over 23.5 grams. The cases do not weigh the same. They vary by .5 GRAMS. WTH. I have 4 different case manufacturers. Checked powder weight on 2. One was 13 GRAINS. One was 6 GRAINS. I guess I need to group cases by manufacturer, weigh each charge and figure out WTH is going on. Hornady LNL. Maybe powder is not dropping correctly. I am now going to disassemble the other 20 or so cartridges and weigh the powder. Strange stuff happening. What am I not seeing. I have been reloading for three years. .38, .45 colt, .357mag, 44 mag and now 454 Casull. Never a problem. Til now. A bit discouraged. Thought I was very careful. I guess I have to weigh each powder drop? Why have a progressive? |
March 16, 2015, 08:09 PM | #21 |
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Something is wrong somewhere. 23 grams is around 350 grains, an impossible load. (Even a .50 BMG won't hold that much!)
If one of your unfired rounds held 6 grains of powder and one 13 grains, you evidently are double charging some cases, explaining the blown cylinder. Your use of "grams" is bothersome. If you are trying to weigh charges using a scientific scale, I strongly recommend you get an inexpensive powder scale calibrated in grains. There is too much chance of getting your weight systems mixed up. Jim |
March 16, 2015, 08:18 PM | #22 | |
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March 16, 2015, 08:26 PM | #23 |
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I have loaded many thousands of .38 Special rounds with a Dillon and never double charged any. (Easy to do when the load is 2.7 grains of Bullseye!) It doesn't matter what tool you use, you have to concentrate on the job and eliminate distractions.
Jim |
March 16, 2015, 08:33 PM | #24 | |
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Quote:
He just didn't post the pictures on the internet
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March 16, 2015, 08:37 PM | #25 |
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Sad, but the guns he mostly blew up were Colt SAA's; old junk then, valuable antiques today.
Jim |
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