300 blackout in a 223 kaboom. (Pics inside)

beeenbag · Nov 8, 2018

so a friend of mine came up for me to swap out the FCG in his AR for him. While I’m working at the bench, he’s looking around the gun room. In the process he manages to grab one of my loaded pmags of 300 blk and is walking around with it. I get his firearm done and tell him we can step out to the range here at my house to try it out. He mistakenly grabs the pmag he’d been walking around with instead of his off brand mag full of 223.

Of course I never know he’s even touched a mag full of 300, muchless that he had one in his pocket. He sits down at the bench, inserts mag, chambers a round, no problems at all up to this point.

I’m standing behind him watching the target when kaboom, and smoke rolls from around him and his gun. I immediately knew something was wrong without even seeing the firearm. Once we pulled the mag out I explained to him what had happened (in a cuss your friend for being a dummy kind of way) as soon as I seen what had happened. Very lucky there were zero injuries. We had a little lesson session following this. Here are some pics.

boom boom · Nov 8, 2018

beeenbag said:
so a friend of mine came up for me to swap out the FCG in his AR for him. While I’m working at the bench, he’s looking around the gun room. In the process he manages to grab one of my loaded pmags of 300 blk and is walking around with it. I get his firearm done and tell him we can step out to the range here at my house to try it out. He mistakenly grabs the pmag he’d been walking around with instead of his off brand mag full of 223.

Of course I never know he’s even touched a mag full of 300, muchless that he had one in his pocket. He sits down at the bench, inserts mag, chambers a round, no problems at all up to this point.

I’m standing behind him watching the target when kaboom, and smoke rolls from around him and his gun. I immediately knew something was wrong without even seeing the firearm. Once we pulled the mag out I explained to him what had happened (in a cuss your friend for being a dummy kind of way) as soon as I seen what had happened. Very lucky there were zero injuries. We had a little lesson session following this. Here are some pics.

View attachment 811047 View attachment 811048 View attachment 811049 View attachment 811050

I'm impressed that the polymer lower held together as well as it did. It could have been much worse.

beeenbag · Nov 8, 2018

boom boom said:
I'm impressed that the polymer lower held together as well as it did. It could have been much worse.

The lower is trashed as well. See the bottom pic.

<*(((>< · Nov 8, 2018

Ouch, he's lucky especially considering it's a polymer upper, could've been much worse.

The downside to AR15 calibers with a 223/5.56 case head and different caliber bullets. Diligence is required.

Hokie_PhD · Nov 8, 2018

Wow
I’m glad you’re both ok

This is a great reminder to make 300 Blackout (and other calibers) clearly marked and away from prying hands. And all hands don’t have to be kids.

It’s also a good reason to have mags a color that are easy to see as other calibers (as a final sanity check)

beeenbag · Nov 8, 2018

Hokie_PhD said:
Wow
I’m glad you’re both ok

This is a great reminder to make 300 Blackout (and other calibers) clearly marked and away from prying hands. And all hands don’t have to be kids.

It’s also a good reason to have mags a color that are easy to see as other calibers (as a final sanity check)

Yeah I think the simplest solution is for me to adopt a “no loaded 300 blackout mags” policy since I don’t want to mark and label a bunch of mags. I have 4 chamberings in ARs so I have a very diligent routine for checking any loaded mags and one chambering at a time allowed out at the range.

Olon · Nov 8, 2018

Man, that's some carnage. Glad nobody is physically hurt though I'm sure your buddy is critically injured in the pride and fiscal departments.

boom boom · Nov 8, 2018

beeenbag said:
The lower is trashed as well. See the bottom pic.

Yeah but it doesn't look to have fragmented badly. That is what I meant as a lot of kabooms energy is often directed down the magwell.

md7 · Nov 8, 2018

I’m glad everyone is ok. I’ve seen this type thing happen enough that if I ever get a 300BO it’s going to get a rattle can job of some unique, off the wall color and so will each designated mag that is used to feed it.

And I will store them away from my 5.56 rifles, mags, and ammo.

Yikes!

beeenbag · Nov 8, 2018

boom boom said:
Yeah but it doesn't look to have fragmented badly. That is what I meant as a lot of kabooms energy is often directed down the magwell.

Yeah I was pretty surprised that it didnt blow apart myself. The upper is just chunks. I’m in the process of tearing it down now to see what parts I can salvage to build him another one. So far the only thing usable from the upper is the charging handle and forward assist. Lower parts seem to be in good shape.

boom boom · Nov 8, 2018

beeenbag said:
Yeah I was pretty surprised that it didnt blow apart myself. The upper is just chunks. I’m in the process of tearing it down now to see what parts I can salvage to build him another one. So far the only thing usable from the upper is the charging handle and forward assist. Lower parts seem to be in good shape.

View attachment 811068 View attachment 811069 View attachment 811070

Thanks for posting these as a caution to others.

303 hunter · Nov 8, 2018

I’ve never seen a bolt carrier destroyed like that. Glad he’s ok.

Sistema1927 · Nov 8, 2018

The reason why my 300 AAC Blackout pistol has a band marking the magwell with all of the mags that I use also similarly banded.

Legionnaire · Nov 8, 2018

So a .300 BLK is short enough to fit in a .223 chamber? I had assumed it would be too big to fit ...

Maybe the bullet gets pushed back into the case?

jmorris · Nov 8, 2018

Think about it, they are both loaded to an OAL that will fit in an AR mag and you chop the .223 case shorter.

Looks like this.

At least before you try and push a .308 down a .223 bore.

I’ve seen folks (me too) do a lot of “dumb” stuff when all they really needed to do is pay attention.

beeenbag · Nov 8, 2018

Legionnaire said:
So a .300 BLK is short enough to fit in a .223 chamber? I had assumed it would be too big to fit ...

Maybe the bullet gets pushed back into the case?

Here you go

edit... beat me to it, and what are the odds we’d post the same picture?

jmorris · Nov 8, 2018

First one that comes up on an image search.

Legionnaire · Nov 8, 2018

Interesting. Always learning.

Glad no one was hurt!

Englishmn · Nov 8, 2018

I think that scope mount afforded some protection.
Seen several 300blk in .223 kaboom videos always destroy rifle but minimal to no injury. That .308 bullet gets pretty long as it gets squeezed down.

Be paranoid and check whats in the mag twice.

MEHavey · Nov 8, 2018

Thank you Gene Stoner ... . .

tarosean · Nov 8, 2018

<*(((>< said:
Ouch, he's lucky especially considering it's a polymer upper,

Im more interested to learn where the Bolt was from.

Captains1911 · Nov 8, 2018

The reason why I only load 300 BLK into dedicated mags banded with red tape.

beeenbag · Nov 8, 2018

tarosean said:
Im more interested to learn where the Bolt was from.

Bolt said m&p on it. No markings that could tell on the carrier.

FL-NC · Nov 8, 2018

If I had a AR in 300 B-O I would do what my friend did- he had the upper laser etched 300 B-O in huge font on both sides of the upper, and he only uses Lancer clear mags stenciled 300 with that gun. He loads the mags at home and places the loaded mags in the case with that caliber gun. When he has 223 and 300 AR's at the range at the same time, only 1 case at a time is ever opened. I would be equally paranoid about such a screw up.

Bill Raby · Nov 8, 2018

300 blackout in a 223 kaboom. (Pics inside)

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