Blown .45 Auto casing, or what happens when...

[Mike Irwin]

you drop a double charge of WW 231.

I finally got some halfway decent pictures of the case.













What I couldn't get a picture of was how badly the case has stretched. The case mouth on the side opposite the blown section is about 1 to 1.5 mm longer than the reset of the case.

I'd LOVE to know what the chamber pressure was when this let loose.

In the third picture you get an idea of how enlarged the primer pocket is, and a vague idea of the shape of the flash hole. It's pretty impressive when you realize that both are now egg shaped and probably 50% larger than what they should be.

 

[Delmar]

That does make you respect the strength of a 45, and certainly what not to do to test it! Glad you are okay Mike.

 

[Valkman]

Holy crap. This does scare the hell out of me since I'm still new to reloading. Glad you're ok!

 

[Sisco]

What kind of gun and how did it hold up?

 

[Arub]

Looks like pretty clean burning powder.


Glad you weren't seriously hurt.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Sisco,

Springifield Armory 1911-A1 Mil Spec. I can't find any indication that my gun was damaged.

 

[Third_Rail]

Wow. You weren't kidding about that really kbing!

 

[Old Fuff]

Gee Mike .......

Am I right in thinking that you aren't going to try and reload that case again?

Anyway, you did come out O.K., and that's what's most important.

Be sure static electricity during winter weather isn't messing up your powder measure. I always drop the powder charge into cases set up in 50 round blocks, and don't insert the bullets until I've inspected the block under strong light to be sure the charges are all at the same level.

On occasion I've found uneven amounts of powder which I think were caused by some powder sticking to the sides of the drop-tube and then letting go on the next round.

 

[Wil Terry]

SEVERAL YEARS AGO A PAL OF MINE DOUBLE CHARGED

About 200 rounds of 45ACP ammunition with 231. It was for use in a 4506 S&W. He had burned up most of it when a casehead finally let go and tought him the error of his ways. He had set the scale at 10 grains instead of 5.0 grains. The gun took it all in stride which was more than my pal's ego. We promptly renamed him NITRO as he had a habit of screwing up like this. NITRO's best bud was named TURBO because he drove like a maniac in a supercharged Mustang. What a pair those two were !!!

 

[griz]

Is it the photo or is the part of the headstamp on the blown side kind of ironed out?

 

[Mike Irwin]

The headstamp is VERY ironed out.

I know I've reloaded some of these a fair number of times, but that one was a PMC case, and I don't think it's been through the wringer too many times.

 

[Desert Dog]

All I can say is OUCH!

 

[motorep]

I'd say you're fortunate...a friend of mine- gunsmith, IPSC A shooter, during a local IPSC match- fired a double charged .45. Blew both grips off, blew the magazine out the bottom, tweaked the slide pretty severely. Startled the RO a bit, too.

 

[WhoKnowsWho]

Holy cow, and I took advice from you to try Win 231? (Which works great in the .380 loads so far!) Just kidding! Glad you are okay!

 

[zeke]

Mike-glad you are alright , and willing to share the reminder. Have had several cases"unzip" on me. They were factory IMI 185 gn match loads with TZZ brass (86 headstamp)

 

[Bruce H]

Pshaw Mike, a little time with a torch and brazing rod, some drill bits, a file, and a sizing and trim and you will be good to go again. At least you and your firearm seem to have come through unscathed. Stay safe.

 

[P95Carry]

Thx for the pics Mike ...... good result there and apart from the bit of stretch you refer to .. these tell the tale admirably. More than useful to have in the THR archives.

I too wonder at the peak pressure ...... it had to have been a mega peak ..... just guessing but .. probably 50% over SAAMI rating perhaps?

I find it hard to believe the gun handled it but .. OTOH .. the catastrophic results to the case did in fact probably spare the gun by dumping pressure the way it did.

 

[wally]

From my earliest days of reloading I nixed the idea of using powders where a double charge will fit in the case. WW231 was my first powder for 45ACP, when I saw how probably a triple charge could fit the case I switched to Unique, and used the rest of the 231 as lawn fertilizer. Sure Unique is dirty, but works well enough for practically every pistol caliber except trying to equal factory performance in .357 mag and .44 mag for which I use Blue Dot where a double charge would still spill over in both calibers.

--wally.

 

[bogie]

Yeech - I've got a buddy who cracked a Para frame... he says it fired out of battery, I think he nodded off at the powder measure...

Looks like you may wanna check your barrel - has anyone been relieving any of the chamber area with a dremel?

 

[BigG]

What brand of C4 did you say you used, Mike?

 

[Mike Irwin]

I got the gun used but unfired some years ago.

It's digested a LOT of factory and handloaded ammo with no problems.

No one, to the best of my knowledge, has been at the barrel with a dremel tool.

 

[tex_n_cal]

a digital scale is a quick and easy way to check loaded rounds for double charges.

 

[Third_Rail]

a digital scale is a quick and easy way to check loaded rounds for double charges.

...if you use all the same brand of cases, the same commercial bullets, etc. If you cast your own bullets, you're out of luck. If you mix case brands, you're out of luck. If you mix case brands AND cast bullets, you're really out of luck.

 

[Clark]

I have done incremental work ups to see what happens:

1) The bulge is a warning.
2) Next, the hole is a painful lesson.
3) Last, the case head failing is a more painful lesson of picking up pistol parts.

What does it all mean?
When you see the bulge, stop working up, because the hole is next, and you don't want that. Reduce the load by 6% from the threshold of the bulge.

CAUTION: The following post includes loading data beyond currently published maximums for this cartridge. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Neither the writer, The High Road, nor the staff of THR assume any liability for any damage or injury resulting from use of this information.

 

[caz223]

I use unique in .45 acp, it's accurate, and double charges dump powder all over the floor.