about smokless....and c@b's

[Jamie C.]

The blast came so fast and was so loud that no one was really sure exactly what happened, but the general consensus was that a chain-fire did cause the extent of the damage.

Just looking at the pic, and seeing how symmetrical the break is, and how the chamber walls of the middle chamber seem to be bulged outward a bit ( could be an artifact/trick of the photography ), I'd guess that the middle chamber blew/split at the sides, venting hot gas into the two adjoining chambers, and probably setting both of them off near simultaneously. From there, that one piece of metal just peeled back and broke off.

But I'm also guessing that poor cylinder has been inspected, analyzed, and postulated over for a long time now.

Still, it's pretty obvious that a whole lot of pressure was at work there... And not the kind that's usually generated by BP.

 

[1858rem]

i finally got the money an bought a kirst design conversion w/loading gate! cant wait for it to get here! im being safe now right, cowboy loads only too

 

[squirrelheart]

Gentlemen,

I just want to say here that I was present once when a cylinder blew on a .38 special cartridge revolver, and old S&W Mod. 10. Absolutely no chance of a chainfire there.... WE NEVER FOUND ONE SINGLE PIECE OF THE CYLINDER!!!! We found a couple of sections of brass from the cartrige, and the top strap of the frame was bent in an arch at least 1/4" above normal. Fortunately no body got hurt, but that just goes to demonstrate the explosive force of smokeless powder. I am not sure what caused it, but I suspect the cylinder was very slightly out of time with the bore. The bottom line is that the gun was designed to use smokeless powder, it would not take much smokeless or more than one cylinder detonating to do the type of damage shown in the photo.

Just enjoy the C&P revolvers as they are intended, and have fun doing it.

:banghead:

 

[BHP FAN]

Thousands of the conversion cylinders by Kirst and R&D have been sold and used safely.

 

[mykeal]

A chamber slightly out of battery will not cause a cylinder to fail catastrophically; that has to be either an overloaded casing or, more likely, a casing that was incompatible with the chamber.

 

[Voodoochile]

I agree, mykeal.

I've told quite a few friends that have older S&W J Framed .38 Spec. to limit their use of the +P .38's to maybe a box worth a year being that they ere not made for normal use with those pressures, one didn't listen & only cracked the cylinder & battered the recoil shield.