[WLE]

This did not happen to me my bother sent to me so I thought I would share as a reminder to those who are just starting out in the reloading. Be safe.

[delta5]

Oopsy, did someone miss a shell with the powder?

[delta5]

Whoa, it looks like the bullets in the hole on each side of the one in front of the chamber ruptured and exploded. WOW!

[RoostRider]

Thats gonna be tough to fix....

[delta5]

seriously, does the owner have any of his face left? that gun went BOOM...

[Nematocyst]

You should know that this incident is already being discussed over here (http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=486382) - be prepared for thread merge - and that there is some controversy about it.

[Jeff H]

This must have been the 10th thread I've read about this gun in the last few weeks. Surely all the OP's in all of those thready couldn't have all had brothers blowing up guns that were identical to each other. :rolleyes:

[Strongbad]

I got this in an email last week. Althought I didn't read the other discussion yet, I'm 99.9% positive of the cause. It was a chain fire. That is virtually the only thing that would cause what you see in the pictures. An overload on the round in battery wouldn't cause the rounds at 9:00 and 3:00 to blow (I think :D). Also, the dead give away is the bottom picture. Look very closely and you'll see what appears to be a primer sticking out of the bottom of the case. This is a classic example of a large rifle primer in a large pistol pocket. My $.02 (and then some) anyway.

[AKElroy]

Now that they have established their max load, they should probably back off a bit.

[highorder]

Now that they have established their max load, they should probably back off a bit.

/thread.

[Kernel]

Now that they have established their max load, they should probably back off a bit.
Yeah. Reduce 410% and work up.

[Otto]

This must have been the 10th thread I've read about this gun in the last few weeks.
Yeah, these photos are spreading quicker than the swine flu.
They have been on at least a dozen different forums since August.
IMO, the gun was intentionally blown-up for the sake of drama.

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Now that they have established their max load, they should probably back off a bit.

Yeah. Reduce 410% and work up.

We've got some real weisenheimers on here.... :D :D

Thats gonna be tough to fix....

Aww, c'mon, a little superglue or JB weld, and boom, back in bidness.

In all seriousness, doesn't look like a chainfire to me, since the bullet is still inside the cylinder in that one - this jives more with the idea of one big kaboom that blew the adjacent cylinders open too, along with blowing apart the brass inside the adjacent cylinders, and burning the powder therein. So yeah it's a "chainfire" in the sense that the powder burned, but since at that point there's no cylinder left to guide and direct the gases toward the bullet, it's not a traditional chainfire like in black powder guns, where multiple bullets shoot out of the cylinders at high speed (and hitting the frame, etc.).

[Nematocyst]

Ok, I'll go out on a limb here.

I'll admit zero - that's nada, nil, zip, - knowledge of metals, metal fabricating, welding, etc. (I'm a biologist; we work with cytoplasm instead of steel.) I'm fully prepared for this hypothesis to be shot down. (Hey, it's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.)

So, here goes: any chance the damage could have been staged? That is, could the cylinder have been custom cut, empty cases crafted to create that "kaboom" look, then inserted into the cylinder after it was cut?

For a gunsmith with some metallurgical skills, I wouldn't think such a scam would be that difficult.

OK, I'm not attached to that. Just trying to learn something. Shoot it down.

[RoostRider]

Aww, c'mon, a little superglue or JB weld, and boom, back in bidness.

You forgot duct tape.... gotta use some duct tape to hold it all in place while it sets up...

I would highly doubt that someone would want to stage such a thing.... especially when there are other very real examples... lacking motivation here.....

I don't see any controversy really... Seems to me a simple thing such as using the wrong powder could easily cause this kind of damage.... it has happened before, it will happen again....

[Deus Machina]

No, not really. It's almost impossible to cut metal in a way that looks so similar to a failure. It's a texture and pattern thing.

For example, find a cast iron pot you're not attached to, and smash it with a sledge, then look at the edge. Little cracks, voids, and that telltale garnular texture that may be visibly recreated by someone like a Hollywood prop designer, but won't pass a physical examination. Which isn't to say it couldn't have been started, or weakened, and then kaboomed.

Besides, there's a much easier way to do it. Load 6 rounds way too hot. Load, put in a shooting vice, and pull the trigger with a wire. Actual kaboom, and everyone can still count to ten.

[rogn]

Whats to argue--Have had the misfortune to blow up a Smith and that is what they look like. In my case only 1 cylinder loaded-- takes out the top stap and the 2 adjacent cylinders. The folks that took the pics cleaned things up a bit but thats what youi expect w/ inappropriate laods. My case suspect double dose or worse of Bullseye, abt 45 yrs ago. Injuries are typically cuts on hand and afeww spot shrapnel wounds on face. Apparently rare for fools to get hurt too badly. Speaking from experience. Quoteing my SIL--' Good judgment comes from experience, which comes from bad judgement!". Anyhow dont do what I did or what they did(bet it was OL of faster powder)

[Shoney]

RoostRider wrote
You forgot duct tape.... gotta use some duct tape to hold it all in place while it sets up...Using duct tape on a firearm?????????? That is blasphemy! Everyone know you use string.

[RoostRider]

You forgot duct tape.... gotta use some duct tape to hold it all in place while it sets up... Using duct tape on a firearm?????????? That is blasphemy! Everyone know you use string.

You "Old School" Gunsmiths just can't let go of your antiquated ways can you?..... You'll never get good indexing out of that gun again if you use string.... duct tape is just so much more precise...

[Remo-99]

yes I can see a problem, the cylinder didn't hold the load which in turn broke the topstrap. lol.

Also rupturing the rounds in the adjacent chambers.

How many times they gonna recycle the same damn pics.

[Roccobro]

Using duct tape on a firearm?????????? That is blasphemy! Everyone know you use string.

That practice has been updated due to the ATF classifying string as a Machine Gun part....

Justin :neener:

[rcmodel]

I think it can all be traced back to using WD-40 to clean his gun.

rc

[Afy]

I use WD40 on my BP revolvers..

[Rollis R. Karvellis]

Duct tape is for sissy's, Gorilla Tape is the way to go.

[Capstick1]

You think?

[Quoheleth]

Duct tape is for sissy's, Gorilla Tape is the way to go.

Everyone in Texas knows you use baling wire (pronouced "baylin," rhymes with sarah Paylin - "wahr", rhymes with "Kahr"). Hayull, that right there will hold up busted mufflers, stop leakin' pipes, bind a cut barbed wire ("bobbed wahr") fence, and in a pinch can be used for belt, a toothpick, or roasting spit.

Couple strands of baling wire and it'll be good to go.

Q

[schmeky]

Don't S&W's have a warranty?