Blowing up a GP 100

Reloading with a progressive reloader I couldn’t imagine taking the time to weigh each round I loaded, it works for you but it is insanity to me. The most important thing I think to ensure that you are totally free of distractions while reloading, friends of mine did a double charge after his kids came down and were arguing around him while reloading. Luckily it was a very light charge and did not blow his gun up but it was noticeably louder when he fired it in the indoor range.
 
Glad to hear your O.K.

Don't let this stop you from reloading...accidents happen.




Thats why I like the Hornady LnL Progressive.

It is VERY easy to see inside the case when you place bullet.

Even with W231 and .45 ACP you can see very easily if correct charge was thrown....no excuses with this press.
 
Silverback said:
Reloading with a progressive reloader I couldn’t imagine taking the time to weigh each round I loaded, it works for you but it is insanity to me. The most important thing I think to ensure that you are totally free of distractions while reloading, friends of mine did a double charge after his kids came down and were arguing around him while reloading. Luckily it was a very light charge and did not blow his gun up but it was noticeably louder when he fired it in the indoor range.
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hey i use a lee loadmaster- with a bullet feeder- you can't get more progressive than that- i just throw each one on the scale after i've done a bunch of boxes- it takes only seconds and i don't live at the range-
 
Sorry IanC. If I do bother to get it back, a safety course teacher would like it as a great teaching aid. Problem is the cost of postage etc. I doubt its monetary value to you. D.
 
BrockPython, all I know is I attached, after some kind prompting and help, a picture to my first post. It's certainly there.
 
Glad to hear that the shooter is fine. And thanks for admitting it may have been a reloading error. I was worried because I just ordered a GP100 and when you said "newer"...

Titegroup is a pretty fast burning powder so i can see how the pressure spike destroyed the gun. You should try some H110. You can go real hot loads with those and it's tons of fun (except for the guy in the stall beside you).

It's a good thing that was a Ruger. Not ditching S&W but their guns aren't as heavy duty as the Ruger. I wouldn't want to see what would have happened to my 686 with that.
 
musta been the comp at work .. home comp works .. yup.. blowed her up real good .. glad you were not hurt ... and people wonder why we insist on wearing ballistic eyeware
 
Sure glad to hear you're fine.

Don't hate yourself too much though, everybody makes mistakes. I think we can all learn from this, I'll confess I too have made a stupid mistake while reloading, fortunately enough there was no harm done.
 
Yup, I've screw-up reloading too. And it was only the very luckiest of circumstances that saved my wife. Squib load on her .303, and the next round would not quite chamber.
Whew!

Oh, and Blue-Dot was always my fave powder for .357.
 
pdubois64 said:
Thanks for posting your experience. Now that I have purchased a .44 Magnum I have been thinking even more about getting into reloading. This image will stay with me.

As previously mentioned, that sounds like a great idea to load 50% of max in .44 magnum.
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Using fast powder in a magnum is the bad idea. In the 44 magnum use a powder that will not double load. That is, a full power load with at least 3/4 of a case full. Excellent powders for the 44 are Winchester 296, or H110, which is supposed to be the same powder. The 44 magnum was developed by Elmer Keith, who used the old Hercules 2400 powder. His load, published everywhere, was 22 grains of 2400, with his cast bullets. This is a no fooling, full power load, but if you like it a little less, just use less powder, but more than a half case full, so it can not be double charged.
 
scotty said:
Really? I would of thought the gun would of stayed with you.... I would have kept it, had it reclasified as a dewat or inoperable then framed it and put it on my wall as a reminder.

You did spend $600+ on it so why don't you get to keep it?
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True, and good point.

Ask for it back now!

If they don't want to return it "for safety reasons" you might get a new one!

If not, you get a cool thing to frame, or be a safety reminder.
 
An excellent example of why combinations listed with the highest load density are generally safer!

Glad you're not hurt.
 
Jesus. If I'd read this thread earlier, I may not have gone out and purchased a 650. Thanks to Drücker's advice, I know that by using HP-38, double-loads are almost impossible to miss in most of my pistol cases. I'm hoping that this relatively high-volume powder as well as my powder-check alarm will save my a$$ :p
 
M_A_T_T said:
This is what I am wondering. Why is the blown out chamber of the cylinder not in line with the barrel if it is frozen in place?
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I agree, something doesn't add up. Let's suppose for a minute that there was another possibility, and consider what might happen had there been a high primer on the 6:00 round. Had a high primer of a normal load been set off by the recoil energy through the frame when the 12:00 round fired, the bullet would have impacted the frame ahead of the chamber, and pressure would have increased dramatically. The cylinder could have begun to fail, and flame cutting through the crack between the chambers would have cut through the case of the 7:00 round igniting the powder of that round. This would also explain the brass folded across the now exposed web between the two chambers. What ever happened, happened to the 6:00 chamber first.
 
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