Careful when handloading

[TreeGuy]

Had a friend do some damage to his brand new s&w .44mag. Apparently he used a hot powder and did not accommodate weight accordingly. Nobody injured thankfully !

Edited March 6, 2016 by TreeGuy

[Pygmy]

Looks like a double charge..That's easy to do with handguns using fast burning powders that occupy a relatively small amount of room in the case.

On the other hand, with most rifle loads, if you double charged a case it would overflow and be obvious.

He's very lucky that he or a bystander was not injured.

[airedale]

Yikes!!, that was a hot one alright, to blow the cylinder and the top strap like that she had to be way over.

 

Al

Edited March 6, 2016 by airedale

[Pygmy]

A friend of mine ( now deceased) had a shotgun blow up while shooting trap. A double charge was suspected in that case. A piece of shrapnel from his Win M96 O/U flew over and KILLED the shooter standing at the next station.

[turkeyfeathers]

Dang !. Think I crapped myself a bit just seeing this and thinking of what could have happened.

[Pygmy]

Yikes!!, that was a hot one alright, to blow the cylinder and the top strap like that she had to be way over.

 

Al

Even the FRAME is cracked !

[wildcat junkie]

Similar albeit less dramatic damage can occur in handguns where the load takes up too little room in the case allowing the flame from the primer to overshoot the charge lying in the bottom of the case below the flash hole. The resulting pressure wave from a large surface area being ignited directs the pressure upwards before the bullet can leave the case.

Edited March 6, 2016 by wildcat junkie

[wildcat junkie]

Looks like a double charge..That's easy to do with handguns using fast burning powders that occupy a relatively small amount of room in the case.

On the other hand, with most rifle loads, if you double charged a case it would overflow and be obvious.

 

For rifle cartridges I always use load densities of near 100% or higher, up to 107%, as it prevents getting even  a 2-3 grain overcharge into the case W/O some warning signs at the loading bench during bullet seating.

 

 In a rifle cartridge, a load the blows the case head can result in a split stock & splinters of wood flying at high velocity way before catastrophic action failure from excess pressure ensues..

 

As I send test loads over the chronograph I can watch standard deviation shrink as load density increases to 100% & beyond.

[Core]

Wow that is pretty scary. Helps remind there is more danger from firearms than simply being shot with one.

[TreeGuy]

There were 3 bystanders. No one hit with anything. Still haven't found all the missing pieces though. It was the first shot of a supposed to be all morning shoot, needless to say the shoot did not last very long

[BizCT]

Yikes

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