Not to gloat, but that was my conclusion back in post No.29 based off a preliminary failure mode analysis. Glad you got it figured out before trying those rounds i na second gun.
LE No 1 blowup or how not to dissemble a Lee Enfield (Update post #97)
- Thread starter bdft
- Start date
Not to gloat, but that was my conclusion back in post No.29 based off a preliminary failure mode analysis. Glad you got it figured out before trying those rounds i na second gun.
It's good that you were able to figure it out OP.
Just to make you feel better, I had a severly over pressured 303 round in spring. It's the only one I've ever had, but it still is stuck in my brain. Thank god it was in my Ross, she held up to it no problem. The worst thing is that after I also pulled all of my rounds down (118 in total) and found the right powder in the exact charge, seating depth was also perfect. At least you 100% know what you did!!
I was a little gun shy for awhile after that but I got back on the horse! I still have no idea why that one round failed!!
Glad you're Ok, and thanks for sharing all of this with us!!
Just to make you feel better, I had a severly over pressured 303 round in spring. It's the only one I've ever had, but it still is stuck in my brain. Thank god it was in my Ross, she held up to it no problem. The worst thing is that after I also pulled all of my rounds down (118 in total) and found the right powder in the exact charge, seating depth was also perfect. At least you 100% know what you did!!
I was a little gun shy for awhile after that but I got back on the horse! I still have no idea why that one round failed!!
Glad you're Ok, and thanks for sharing all of this with us!!
Hopefully at least two things can be learned from this:
- one powder at a time on the reloading bench and KNOW what it is; and
- the cause (obviously and from square one) wasn't the Great Satan HEADSPACE. People need to understand what it is, and why and where it's important. Replace ignorance and fear with knowledge.
- one powder at a time on the reloading bench and KNOW what it is; and
- the cause (obviously and from square one) wasn't the Great Satan HEADSPACE. People need to understand what it is, and why and where it's important. Replace ignorance and fear with knowledge.
I have a fair collection of blown up guns. Only one was my doing. (Double charge in a 38Spl) I have heard of a number of others. (Add yours to the list.) By far the most common cause of a blown up rifle is pistol powder.
This was usually done by pouring a hopper of pistol powder back into a can of rifle powder, thus contaminating it and causing issues the next time that can is used.
The big danger in loading is not the actions we think about - like which powder to use or how much to use. The problem is the automatic things we do while brain is on autopilot, like pouring powder into a can.
It is unfortunate when a pilot kills himself by re-proving an issue we already knew and understood. Same thing goes for blowing up guns. read my sig line..... I mean it.
This was usually done by pouring a hopper of pistol powder back into a can of rifle powder, thus contaminating it and causing issues the next time that can is used.
The big danger in loading is not the actions we think about - like which powder to use or how much to use. The problem is the automatic things we do while brain is on autopilot, like pouring powder into a can.
It is unfortunate when a pilot kills himself by re-proving an issue we already knew and understood. Same thing goes for blowing up guns. read my sig line..... I mean it.
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Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid.
I sat down at my reloading bench to pull the bullets and weigh the loads and found myself staring at a container of Titegroup. I started looking around and found my can of 4895 on the shelf behind a bunch of other stuff. It looks like what I did is pour the Titegroup into almost empty hopper of the Lyman 1200 I use without even looking at it, assuming it was the 4895 that I had been using before, and merrily started loading. I don't know what the pressure is on 38 grns of Titegroup but I'm pretty sure it exceeds the maximum for a LE action.
The difference doesn't show up that well in the pictures but when its right in front of you its obvious as hell.
#### I'm stupid.
Oh well, maybe somebody else can learn from this and not blow up a perfectly good old gun.
Glad to hear that a) you weren't seriously injured, b) that you've figured out the problem.
Things like this is why there's only ONE can of powder on my reloading bench at any given time.
I also subscribe to the one powder at a time school of thought. I also empty my powder out of the hopper into the original container after reloading. Like said above it could be a day or a month in between reloading sessions.
Ganderite, I've always loved your sig line, it is brilliant and oh so true!!
I was always super paranoid of this when I first started reloading pistol, enough so that I don't even use the same powder measure foe rifle and pistol. I also try to have only one pistol powder on hand at a time; with this recent shortage though, I might have to cave on that one.
Ivor
Ivor
Imagine where the world would be going if that happened!
Re. reloading error: a very good tutorial for new or soon-to-be reloaders; a good reminder to experienced ones.
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Thanks for letting us know.
If it had been a Ross you never would have blown it up!
I've heard of two cases where several .303 rounds were fired through M10 .280s with no obvious damage.
I heard of one case where it was nearly a full box! Pretty crazy!
oh really, 303's thru a 280???? And just how, pray tell, did they get those 311 diameter slugs through that 287 bore. I mean a little squeezing, is sure to work, I've fired 358s through a 9mm barrel ( rifle ). but...... a full box????? not to mention the rimmed versus the rimless headspacing problems ah well
- Location
- Beaverlodge, Alberta
Not sure exactly. But I did hear the same story, maybe it was just a myth, but did hear it none the less.
bdft
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Tut tut, Mr. Smurd. Don't spoil the party by dragging logic into it.
