Re: Contender
buckeye509 said:
GB, Would you consider sharing the events surrounding that experience sometime?
Sure. I've posted it on my forums several times in the past but it taught me valuable lessons and is worth repeating from time to time.
The barrel was an old Super 14 in .44 Magnum that I used in local silhouette matches prior to NRA registered matches being held here. In those long ago days I scrounged all of the range brass I could find and used it rather than buying new brass. (Lesson 1. I NEVER use range pickup brass anymore) Two of the cases I picked up had the S&W headstamp on them.
When I loaded then and now I put 50 cases in a loading block and dispense the charges with a powder measure. I did and still do tip the tray at an angle under good light and verify each case appears to have an equal level of powder. Two cases appeared to have too much powder. So I pulled them from the tray and dumped the powder back into the measure and inspected the cases for any foreign matter inside. I found nothing obviously wrong so once again charged the cases from the measure and returned them to the block and they still looked too full. So I again pulled them and dumped the charge and this time weighted out the correct charge of either H2400 or W296 (have forgotten the exact load but it as the book max for 240 grain bullets either 22.0 H2400 or 24.0 W296 as those were he loads I used in those days). They still looked too full and I knew at that point I really shouldn't use them. But I said to myself what the heck it is a BOOK LOAD after all what harm can it do? (Lesson #2-Never assume a book load is ALWAYS gonna be safe)
Those two cases both had the S&W headstamp. (Lesson #3-I never again used cases with the S&W headstamp. Anyway when I touched off the first case with the S&W headstamp the barrel popped open and the Pachmayr Fore end went sailing over 20 forward of me.
Examination of the gun revealed the barrel was buldged upward in the area where the rear sight/scope base screw holes are. How much other damage was done I don't know. I know it hurt my hand like the dickens but I found no blood. A quick check showed I still had 10 fingers, two hands, two eyes, one nose and a pair of ears. All seemed intact.
Packed the gun up and shipped it to TC and explained to them what had happened. Got a replacement barrel from them at no cost to me. I assume the frame was OK as it came back.
So never assume anything with loads. Definitely do not assume any book load in safe in your barrel or gun without working your way up from below. Any change in components even just different lots will change pressures and maybe very drastically so.
In those innocent days I used any brand of case I picked up off the range indiscriminately and didn't bother too much with even worrying if a set of shots for a group or set of targets were of the same headstamp. I assumed that the load I had fired thousands of with no problems with RP and WW headstamp brass would be OK or at least safe in S&W headstamp cases. It sure wasn't that time.
GB