But then, I am really wimpy where potential loss of life & limb is concerned. A decent Pedersoli costs much less than may the hospital bills & prosthetics.
Actually the verdict of the incident is in, and the accident would've blown a Pedersoli to hell as it did the Indian musket. Italy is the home of Beretta, and I recall Beretta model 92 blew up a bunch of times before they finally "fixed" the problem. So much for the superiority of Italian guns.
Some how, in the use of blanks, a very bad habit became the norm for many reenactors. They have a misfire, with a flash-in-the-pan. Now the proper method of clearing is to prick the touch hole, and
feel the powder in the breech, then reprime, and fire. What many reenactors do, however, is they dump their blank load by pointing the muzzle at the ground, then start from scratch. What happened was the reenactor ended up coating the interior of the barrel with powder, and had bit built up beyond the chamber. When he finally touched off the charge after some misfires, and reloading..., the expanding gases moved forward and detonated the residual powder causing a pressure spike, and BOOM.
BTW this can also happen on the first round of the day, if the muzzleloader is not thoroughly cleaned, and a deposit, a sort of donut-of-crud is formed near the breech, when the first charge is poured down the muzzle, and nothing is rammed down on top of that charge, powder can deposit on the shelf caused by the crud, and cause over pressure. Not a problem when one rams, but for safety reasons, nothing is rammed down on the charge at a reenactment. I have seen a thick rifle barrel bulge due to second situation.
LD