I have been reading for years that any air gap between the powder and bullet in a BP gun (cartridge or muzzle loader) will result in the gun blowing up. I keep reading this, and seeing dire warnings, but I have never had it happen and I have tried to create the blow up with no success (if you can call blowing up a gun "success"!).
NOTE that I am not referring to loading a second bullet, or firing the gun with an obstruction in the barrel. Just a normal load and bullet except that the bullet/ball is ahead of the powder by some distance.
Here are some of the things I have read.
1. The ball/bullet must be firmly seated on the powder, with NO gap whatsoever. Any gap, even 1/16 inch, will cause the gun to blow up.
2. Some gap is OK, up to an inch or so, anything over that will cause the gun to blow up.
3. A gap up to 6-8 inches is OK, but anything over that will cause a blow up.
4. Compressing the powder with the ball will cause the gun to blow up. (See #1)
5. Blow ups won't happen with "real" black powder, only with BP substitutes.
6. Blow ups won't happen with BP substitutes, only with "real" BP.
I am sure there are other stories, but here is what I want to hear about:
1. An actual case YOU (not "somebody") has actually experienced a BP rifle or handgun blowing up due to an air gap.
2. If you have had or have witnessed such an experience, are you 100% CERTAIN that there was no second ball/bullet involved.
3. If you have had or witnessed such a blow up, do you know how great was the air gap?
If you can tell me of such an occurrence, please give the type of gun, make, and model, plus the type of powder involved, and also what happened to prevent seating the ball on the powder.
Remember, I don't want a regurgitation of some warnings from gunzines. If it didn't happen to you, or in your immediate presence, and you didn't load or witness loading the gun, your story is hearsay and of zero interest.
Jim