now thats what i call an earth shattering KABOOM

[Harry Tuttle]

http://www.bpcr.net/index-a.htm

This is not BPCR, but is definitely worth a look, folks. I have posted ten relatively high quality images of a brand new SAKO bolt action rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum caliber, with synthetic stock, and fluted barrel. On the 15th shot out of the box, it went KA-BOOM! The first 14 shots were from a box of Hornady factory ammunition. The fifteenth shot was from a new box of Federal factory ammunition.


The barrel is now in three totally separate, longitudinal pieces, the receiver is split down the middle, with left and right halves, and the forestock is a black plastic memory. The cartridge case is split from mouth to case head, and looks like a three-petaled flower.


With the limited number of images available - here are my thoughts on the event:


To my non-professional (since I don't get paid for my opinions,) eye this is a failure caused by included flaw(s) in the barrel steel. Once the barrel started to fail, the fractures continued forward, generally along the edge where the flutes join the major diameter of the barrel. Note, in the image of the cartridge case, there does not appear to be any significant swelling, or deformation, of the case head, itself, and I can not see any melted brass, or brass flow. I cannot see any brass flow in the shattered area of the split barrel, either. To my mind, that precludes the possibility that it was a high pressure round causing the failure. (Unfortunately, I do not yet have any images of the case head, itself, or of the bolt face, which might add additional credence to my point.)


The shooter was NOT seriously harmed because he was shooting from the bench, apparently wore proper protective gear, and had his arms cradled under the butt - in the rear sand bag area.


OK. enough teasing. Here's the link to the photos. - Rick A. Shay, Colorado

 

[Zundfolge]

Holy Cats!





Well there's a good reason to make sure you ALWAYS wear your eye protection if I ever saw one.

 

[yesterdaysyouth]

DAYUM!!

 

[Fudgie Ghost]

I thought you were refering to Dan Rather/CBS meltdown. . .

 

[Preacherman]

I wonder if the flutes were cut just a leeeeetle bit too deep...

 

[gezzer]

C4 propelent?

 

[Wiley]

Send it back to the blacksmith. Those hammer forged welds were bad.

Watched a guy in Cowboy action shooting blow up a replica yellow-boy. The owner hadn't filed the points on his reload bullets down enough. No one hurt but the shooter and owner walk around the rest of the afternoon with their eyes open real wide:

 

[morganm01]

The fifteenth shot was from a new box of Federal factory ammunition.

I bought a box of that same ammo (but in .243) a few months ago and it had a single .308 round in there with it.

 

[BryanP]

Whoa mama. Those pictures made me pucker up so tight I need help getting out of the chair.

 

[AirPower]

WOW! Could've been alot worse it went out like a pineapple, good thing the pieces stayed more or less together.

 

[JohnKSa]

Sabotage?

I can't imagine how the barrel & case split so neatly into 3 pieces at the receiver end...

I've never seen anything like that--normally a kaboom aftermath is ugly and assymmetrical. I think I'd be hard pressed to cut it up that neatly with tools.

 

[meathammer]

Very scary! I've never seen anything like that! I think I would be done shooting for the day after that.


--meathammer

 

[WhiteKnight]

Good grief.

 

[BluesBear]

Sure they can julienne a barrel but can it make french fries?

Seriously, this is exactly every new gun should be test fired enough times for the owner to be confident in it's ability. Just because it's brand new and just because it's a name brand doesn't mean there can't be a lemon every now and again.

 

[4v50 Gary]

Never have I seen such a perfectly split barrel along its longitudal axis. It's a grim reminder to use safety equipment like the shooter did.

 

[Mal H]

If you haven't yet, go look at the pictures on the website. The one of the cartridge is almost eerie it is so symmetrical. Anyone who looks at the scope and doesn't wear safety glasses from now on is a [expletive deleted] fool.

 

[Preacherman]

I see what you mean about the cartridge. To me, this is one of the most puzzling aspects - how did the cartridge split so evenly? Very wierd...

 

[Nightfall]

Amazing.

 

[BondageJaguar]

It's a steel case so the lack of brass flow is irrelevant since there's no brass to flow so this very likely could have been a case of an overcharge or three.....scary in any case D:

 

[Watchman]

Ive only seen one example of a rifle that looked like that...

It was a .300 Whisper barrel that had a bullet stuck in the barrel and another was fired behind it.It split the barrel pretty much the same way all the way to the receiver.

Is it possible that you had the same thing happen ?

It's a steel case so the lack of brass flow is irrelevant since there's no brass to flow
Does Federal make steel cases ? Could it be a nickel plated brass case ?

The steel on the barrel looks a little "hard"... could it be a bad heat treat ?

I would contact the manufacture of both the rifle and the ammo and send them the pics. It could be possible that a recall is needed.

 

[BluesBear]

BondageJaguar,
Put your tongue away, we don't kiss on the 4th date.

That is NOT a steel case!
That is a nickle-plated BRASS Federal Premiium cartridge case.

Even a steel case would not look this way from an overpressure charge.
This was a chamber/barrel failure not an ammunition problem.


By the way, Welcome Aboardâ„¢.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Looks like a big smear of copper jacket in the barrel... I'd guess a bullet that didn't go downrange.

 

[mete]

I wish I could see it up close but the fracture looks like it started where the bullet was. Ammo problem or obstruction ,not a barrel or receiver problem. It does take skill to fracture it into three pieces though, I've only seen two !

 

[GOT]

WOW!

Wonder if Sako would help that guy out with either a replacement or a % off of a new rifle?

 

[BluesBear]

the fracture looks like it started where the bullet was.

Well of course it looks that way.
The Bolt is sealing the bore on one end while the Bullet is sealing the bore on the other end. The indicates the position of the bullet at the moment critical pressure was reached.

Looks like a big smear of copper jacket in the barrel

A copper smear would be an indication of the position of the bullet when the barrel had expanded enough for the bullet to lose stability. This would have occured a few nanoseconds after critical pressure was achieved. The loss of stability and the resulting gas cutting would be the cause of the jacket smear.


An obstructed barrel will show signs of fracturing from the location of the obstruction emanating rearwards towards the breech. Usually there is a bulge or a split that peels backwards.

This was a catastrophic failure of the barrel. Because the barrel was split into three sections as defined by the fluting and because those sections remainted relatively straight, the failure appears to have been caused by a steady rise in pressure. Since there seems to be no evodence of peeling, I would guess that the bullet was leaving the muzzle right about the time the barrel finally gave way.

If this had been a double charge the pressure curve would have been different and the bullet would have more than likely still been in the bore at the moment of total failure. The pressure would have risen faster than the bullet could exit and there should have been a rupture at the weakest part of the barrel eminating in both directions until the pressure had dropped.