Blew up new Ruger 45Colt/45ACP

[flashhole]

This is why i select powders that give 85% or greater case fill. No way to double charge without powder spilling out all over the place. Glad you are all right but in the future I suggest you use powders that provide much greater case fill.

[Single-Sixer]

I once saw similar damage to a Ruger with an undercharge of H-110

[Reloader270]

I only have 3 words: This is Terrible!!! But once again by posting this it would make us all much more cautious with our reloading.

[MarkJD]

I will never know what really happened to cause the damage. I just know I will try to do everything I can to prevent this from happening again.

From reading this forum and others I'm inclined to to think I threw enough overcharge of powder that resulted in not a double charge but just enough for a compressed charge. Which I neglected to notice the too full case. Reading the various forums there is some mention of Unique powder escalating in pressure in a high volume case and being even slightly compressed. Evidently works in 9mm ok but not so much in 45 colt. I'm considering finding a slower burning powder if I try any more Ruger Only loads. Maybe one that will also be good for 357mag and possibly for 45ACP. But no rush to try again.

To answer some questions posted here... The number of these Ruger Only loads I shot through the gun was 13 rounds over a 3 week period. Number 13 was not so good. The first 6 were 10.3gr of Unique, second 6 were 10.6gr Unique and last 3 were suppose to be 10.9gr Unique. The loads I shot just prior to number 13 that fateful day were standard lower pressure 45 colt loads with lead bullets so no chance of plating tearing off and lodging in barrel.

It really was Unique powder I used. The 2nd bullet that was ejected with the blown cylinder I was able to get a powder sample.

The gun is only a few months old and had only about 250 rounds fired though it. I don't generally clean the guns after every time I'm out shooting unless I've had some reloads that were exceptionally smoky and dirty. Once I get 50 rounds or so through them is when they generally cleaned. I also shoot and reload 9mm and 38/357.

Now my reloading bench is a bit cramped. I have a 24" x 16" spot on my workbench devoted to reloading. There will be a new bigger one some day soon devoted just for reloading.

I use a loading block and was charging all the cases with powder then checking levels before seating the bullets. A couple months ago I read were a reloader charges a case with powder then immediately seats the bullet before charging the next case as a way to prevent double charges. I started doing this then. I'm so afraid of a double charge as I've caught myself almost doing just that more than a couple times now in the past 2 years.

Whenever I reload I write down all the recipe information for that particular bullet. I then double check I have all the right stuff in front to me and only the stuff I need at the time. Then I double check with the load manuals that what I wrote down is really what I want to do.

One step I am going to change now is when I set the counter weights on my RCBS 5-0-5 scale I am going to throw a charge and immediately use my Hornady pocket electronic scale to double check the weight. I used to just double check the settings but this last time I must have seriously overlook something like the weights not fully seated in the notch or totally wrong setting.

Thanks for everyone's comments. I really appreciate them all!

[mavracer]

I use a loading block and was charging all the cases with powder then checking levels before seating the bullets. A couple months ago I read were a reloader charges a case with powder then immediately seats the bullet before charging the next case as a way to prevent double charges.

I'd use the first method and don't seat any bullets until all cases are charged then it's easy holding the tray at a slight angle to see any possible double charges.

Powders slow enough to fill 45 Colt for heavy loads will mostly be too slow for 45 ACP, they'll work fine in 357 though, old favorites are H110/WW296,IMR4227 and Alliant 2400.

[Slamfire]

I use a loading block and was charging all the cases with powder then checking levels before seating the bullets. A couple months ago I read were a reloader charges a case with powder then immediately seats the bullet before charging the next case as a way to prevent double charges. I started doing this then. I'm so afraid of a double charge as I've caught myself almost doing just that more than a couple times now in the past 2 years.

It is easy to double charge cases in a loading block. I have a propensity to day dream, so do most people, when conducting repetitive tasks. It is my opinion that I am less likely to double charge on my Dillion 550B than a loading block.

I recommend putting all the charges in, then examine all cases with a flashlight, I use a small Maglite, and see that all cases are charged and to the same level. Then put bullets on the top and go seat them.

[Gster]

I used to charge all the cases, inspect with a light and commence seating bullets. About two months ago I changed my routine. All my empties sit in the loading block... primer up. Each case gets a charge and then the bullet gets immediately seated one at a time and gets moved to another loading block. I find that it's just as fast if not a little faster.

[swan_derek]

You are one lucky guy

[pete2]

Glad you weren't hurt, could have been a casting flaw. A metallurgist might be able to tell you.

[swan_derek]

How many times have you shot it?

[MarkJD]

Only shot it about 250 times.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Seen a few accidental disappointments over the years with those who owned Ruger Blackhawks. Serious enough to where I wouldn't buy one. So I bought a S/S Redhawk instead. (Last) disappointing Black Hawk in 45 Colt I observed suffered a separation of its ejector housing from its barrel. Not serious But still requiring factory repair services.

[Single-Sixer]

I've got one in .44 Remington Magnum that has been shot thousands of times. High pressure magnum loads and heavy projectiles (300 grain Sierra JSP's with H-110, max allowable charges) It's a stout pistol. If you blew it up, it's nearly certain there was a mistake made somewhere in the reloading process.

[Dragonflydf]

One thing I use is a powder cop die when I am loading cases that can easily be over charged.

[Salmoneye]

All my empties sit in the loading block... primer up. Each case gets a charge and then the bullet gets immediately seated one at a time and gets moved to another loading block. I find that it's just as fast if not a little faster.

This has been my method since I started loading metallic about 30 years ago...

[LE-28]

I charge and seat one shell at a time also, but I use an autocharge dispenser, .1 gr over and it errors out and I have to reset it.

Love that thing.

I have auto-progressives also but don't use them for maximum loads. Single stage only for them. I don't use my beam scale anymore either, mine is a Redding #1 also and it is just to hard to set the counterweights and one bump and I have to set up again.
Also don't like the oil creeping out of the oil well all over the scale.

I thought about buying a new beam scale but after using the computerized dispenser, and having the Hornady bench scale (which I already had for years) to verify with, I'm very comfortable with them and they really speed up the process, That is the biggest reason I load and seat one at a time, it's to give the Hornady Auto-Charge time to have the next measure of powder ready and waiting for me.

They are not cheap but they will keep you out of trouble and dramatically speed up the process so you can slow down and do more inspections while getting more done.

[F. Guffey]

When loading on a progressive type press I use a lock out die for straight wall cases. I know, there are those that insist seating and crimping in one operation is a bad habit. That is what Dillon said, I informed them I was not starting over on a complete re-due on dies, therefore I can not use their RL550B. I guess they made an exception, I purchased a RL550B and use RCBS dies, or Hornady etc..

Then I purchased the PRO type RCBS scale. I checked it out for speed, I loaded 250 30/06 rounds. Before I started I sorted the case heads and weighed the cases. There was 17 grains difference in weight between the lightest group of cases and the heaviest. After loading the 250 rounds there was 17 grains difference between the heaviest and lightest round. If I had not weight the cases and knew the difference in weight between the different cases I would not have know where the 17 grains came from. 17 grains difference in powder would be something I would want to avoid.

Pistol, same thing, the last opportunity I have to check is after seating the bullet and before firing. If I do not know the weight of the components I can not validate loads.

"It must have been a double charge", that is scary.

F. Guffey

[pete2]

You should be able to see a double charge when you look in the case after charging with powder.

[Single-Sixer]

You know everyone has been talking about a possible double charge. Nobody has thought of a pressure spike because of a light charge. This is very possible. I've seen photos of the results which look very much like the damage shown in the OP's photos.

[snuffy]

You should be able to see a double charge when you look in the case after charging with powder.

So are you captain obvious?

[GeauxTide]

I regularly use 10gr of Unique under a 275; however, my Ruger is not the medium frame you used. That frame is not meant for Ruger Only Loads more than 20k.

[Hunter Customs]

You know everyone has been talking about a possible double charge. Nobody has thought of a pressure spike because of a light charge. This is very possible. I've seen photos of the results which look very much like the damage shown in the OP's photos.

Yes I mentioned it in my post on detonation, it's been said that the pressure spike caused by detonation will quadruple the normal pressure, that's what causes the guns to blow so violently.

Some seem to think detonation is not possible that the problem is caused by a squib load where the bullet from the previous shot is stuck in the barrel.
That was not the case in the article that Elmer Keith wrote about and it was not the case with the shooter I know detonation happened to, in both cases the previous fired bullet strike was witnessed before the explosion took place.

[F. Guffey]

Ignition, pre-ignition and detonation. Then there is timing early, late and rat on time. All of that makes sense until someone thinks! Firearms do not have a crank shaft.
Then there are those that ask a question with their minds make up, they reject all information that does not starts with "Mush have been a double charge".

Then there are those that just have to pull the trigger to find out.

F. Guffey