browning 30 06

[RSMITH3006]

I just had my browning 30 06 blow up in my hands, it was the first shot of . the season and it was the same bullets i used last year. anyone have any idea what happened or how i can find out what happened? can i send the rifle back to browning, will they test it and tell me what happened? anyone have any experiance with this?

 

[Tmygun]

Sounds like a bore obstruction. Did you clean and check the bore before firing? Was it handloaded or factory ammo you were using?


Tmygun

 

[Josh45]

In order to help you with your issue, Were gonna need more details.
Was it factory ammo or a handload?
If a handload, Did you check your charge and powder?

 

[rondog]

#1 - Are you OK?
#2 - More details, and photos please, if you can. Could be many things.

 

[bobnob]

Not to criticise but if you put a little more detail in the thread title you might get more people responding.

In any case that really sucks. Hope you are ok.

 

[GooseGestapo]

my 40+yrs experience as shooter, hunter, gamewarden, hunterEd instructor says that it's 10 to 1 odds it was a bore obstruction.
I've seen dirt daubber nests, mud plugs from sticking bore in mud, rats's nests (12ga shot gun), cigarette butts, bullets stuck in bore, .22lr dropped in .30cal bore, 20ga in 12ga, .38spl in bore of .41mag, you name it....... Even an 8mm Mauser in .30/06....not pretty btw.
My bet is bore obstruction.......

Although it's remotely possible that a defective load (very unlikely if factory ammo) or poorly stored ammo that had deterioated. I had some H450 go bad and an "accuracy" load from a .30/06 w/180gr bullet locked up the bolt and removed case looked like a belted magnum...... but gun was unharmed.... primer was blown however and pitted the bolt face...... I pulled down the rest of the ammo and powder "stunk" like vinegar and inside of cases were turning green from acid corrosion..... Ammo had only been loaded 6mos earlier... and powder looked and smelled "ok" then.

A storage room that is un-airconditioned or if stored in a vehicle, temps can exceed 140degF. and deterioate ammo.
Hence the admonition to "store in a cool, dry place".....

Glad you weren't hurt...

 

[RSMITH3006]

Thanks to everyone who responded, this was my first post and got alot of useful information. Everyone who replied was helpful and much appreciated, thanks. Back to the gun, yes the bore of the gun was clean i cleaned it the night before and put it in its case till i got to the farm. I was shooting reloads,but each was weighted on the lee powder measurer and rechecked on digital scales.i ve even taken a few apart in each batch and not found any thing wrong. I bought some brass off gunbroker and was told that i may have got some old brass that may have had a crack. Is it possible for a cracked brass to cause a complete failure. Mine did. The bolt flew back and hit my lip. The scope windage knobs were blownoff,the scope was bent.i only had the barrel and the butt stock left.the rest just blew in pieces. Blown everywhere. Ha it was crazy.
I took it to the dealer today and they are sending it to browning with some of the shells, so i ll post when i here back from browning, thanks again,

 

[James2]

That's wild. Glad you are OK. If the barrel was not obstructed, I wonder if its possible there was too much powder in the load? Please tell us what powder and bullet you were using. Also, did you check your brass for length?

Welcome to the forum.

 

[sage5907]

I do two things when I load each rifle cartridge. First, after I pour the weighed powder charge in the case I visually look in the case to make sure the powder level is as expected. Second, when I insert the bullet I feel the tension on the press ram to make sure the bullet seats in the case with a small amount of pressure. Like James2, please tell us the kind of powder, the powder charge and brand of bullet and bullet weight. I would also like to know if you crimped the case neck in a cannulure grove. Thanks. BW

 

[243winxb]

Recalled Brownings here > http://firearmsid.com/Recalls/FA_Recalls%201.htm

 

[sage5907]

If your powder charge and bullet weight are OK, I think the culprit is that when you loaded the cartridge you had the seating die screwed down so far in the press that the case neck was squeezed into the sides of the bullet when the bullet was seated. This condition would create big time pressure. A simple way to check this would be to run a newly formed case into the bullet seating die without a bullet to see if the die contacts the top of the case neck. BW

 

[fguffey]

There is no such thing as over crimp according to R. Lee, there is a benefit to a crimp when time is a factor but the maximum has an 'X' factor.



F. Guffey

 

[rcmodel]

Crimp in no way can create big time pressure!
Or even little time pressure.

This whole thing sounds like a case full of the wrong powder to me.
Something had to detonate to blow up a Browning action to the point the bolt could possibly come out of the receiver and hit you in the lip.

rc

 

[fguffey]

The bolt flew back and hit you in the lip!!!!??????, Not possible unless you attempted opening the bolt after pulling the trigger. The firing pin should be checked, if the bolt flew out you experience an "OUT OF BATTERY" firing, now, how bad was it? Did the lugs shear off? Was it a bolt gun?



I have a Mauser bolt with the lugs sheared off, even then there is/was the third lug safety lug, no warranty! seems the warranty was voided when the bolt face was opened up.



F. Guffey

 

[W.E.G.]

This whole thing sounds like a case full of the wrong powder to me

I watched a guy blow up two Garands before he would believe this to be the case.

 

[rcmodel]

The OP said:

The bolt flew back and hit my lip. The scope windage knobs were blownoff, the scope was bent. i only had the barrel and the butt stock left. the rest just blew in pieces. Blown everywhere

This is a detonation due to some unexplained reason.

Firing out of battery with the bolt unlocked would not & could not do nearly that much damage to everything.

rc

 

[Slamfire]

Although it's remotely possible that a defective load (very unlikely if factory ammo) or poorly stored ammo that had deterioated. I had some H450 go bad and an "accuracy" load from a .30/06 w/180gr bullet locked up the bolt and removed case looked like a belted magnum...... but gun was unharmed.... primer was blown however and pitted the bolt face...... I pulled down the rest of the ammo and powder "stunk" like vinegar and inside of cases were turning green from acid corrosion..... Ammo had only been loaded 6mos earlier... and powder looked and smelled "ok" then.

Sure proves the lie that powder gets benign as it gets older. And confirms what an insensitive munitions expert told me that weapons have exploded with old munitions and old gunpowder. He said that old propellants have combustion instability issues. The stuff does not burn "smoothly" and I guess pressures waves are erratic. Maybe an analogy is lugging your car engine.

I am going to use your post in the future when I discuss old gun powder issues.

 

[rcmodel]

It would sure be nice if the OP would tell use what kind if Browning rifle it was.

Bolt-Action, Auto-loader, Lever-Action, Single-Shot, or?

Browning has been selling rifles of all types for a long time.

rc

 

[280shooter]

Could have blown up due to not enough powder. or under charge,, maybe a short stroke on the powder dispenser,,

 

[R.W.Dale]

The only thing that blows a modern sporting rifle's ACTION to pieces is the use of a fast handgun powder in lieu of the "correct" powders

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