Blowing Up Guns

Ganderite said:
I would say I learned two important life lessons while working in ammo R & D.

1. Murphy's Law is for real.

2. Don't accept other people's beliefs as fact. Facts are things you have seen and measured.
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Here is a fact for you. Many have never tried to blow up a gun but it happened and they don't have fingers or worse left to type to tell you about it

Fact.

Your luck is going to run out eventually since that is all it is. Nothing more

But hey to each their own
Cheers
 
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Ganderite said:
I did some tests at one time to see how guns responded to barrel obstructions. This is 60 years ago and I don't have that notebook. But I recall that a patch in the barrel is a big problem if it is more than half way down the barrel, but if it is near the chamber, nothing might happen.

So shooting with a bore sighter in the muzzle is bad, but shooting with a cleaning rod in the barrel might be ok. (But I have seen this split a barrel, too.)
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Julian Hatcher has an interesting chapter on barrel obstructions in his book "Hatchers Notebook"
 
3macs1 said:
Normal shooters go out of our way not to blow up a gun not try to do it
Like I said to each their own
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I never claimed to be a "normal" shooter.

As the technical director of an ammo company and as a curious fellow, I have deliberately blown up a number of guns in order to learn something. Sometimes it is done to see if we can re-produce what someone else thinks happened. I can assure you it is done in such a way that my face and digits are not at risk.

The three most common causes of accidental blows ups are barrel obstructions, pistol powder in a rifle cartridge and a double charge of pistol powder in a pistol.

I would describe myself as an "experienced" shooter. Some of my experience is learning from my own mistakes. I would rather learn from the mistakes of others. Reproducing their mistakes in a controlled manner can be very educational.
 
Ganderite said:
I never claimed to be a "normal" shooter.

As the technical director of an ammo company and as a curious fellow, I have deliberately blown up a number of guns in order to learn something. Sometimes it is done to see if we can re-produce what someone else thinks happened. I can assure you it is done in such a way that my face and digits are not at risk.

The three most common causes of accidental blows ups are barrel obstructions, pistol powder in a rifle cartridge and a double charge of pistol powder in a pistol.

I would describe myself as an "experienced" shooter. Some of my experience is learning from my own mistakes. I would rather learn from the mistakes of others. Reproducing their mistakes in a controlled manner can be very educational.
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And where until now have you stated it was done in a safe controlled environment
The entire issue I had with this since your first post is some poor fool is going to come behind you and think HEY if he can do it so can I and end up with a very dangerous situation

How about something like hey guys don't try any of this at home . My tests were done in a safe controlled lab setting or what ever

HUGE DIFFERENCE
 
3macs1 said:
And where until now have you stated it was done in a safe controlled environment
The entire issue I had with this since your first post is some poor fool is going to come behind you and think HEY if he can do it so can I and end up with a very dangerous situation

How about something like hey guys don't try any of this at home . My tests were done in a safe controlled lab setting or what ever

HUGE DIFFERENCE
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In an industrial setting, it is a given that it would be in a safe, controlled environment. Where I work, we do a lot of destructive testing safely to ensure the safety of the general public that buy cars with our components in them. Most of these tests would be in the "don't try this at home" category.
 
3macs1 said:
And where until now have you stated it was done in a safe controlled environment
The entire issue I had with this since your first post is some poor fool is going to come behind you and think HEY if he can do it so can I and end up with a very dangerous situation

How about something like hey guys don't try any of this at home . My tests were done in a safe controlled lab setting or what ever

HUGE DIFFERENCE
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Are you for real?

Anyone who's dumb enough to not realize this was done in a controlled environment by knowledgeable people deserve whatever they get...
 
Meroh said:
In an industrial setting, it is a given that it would be in a safe, controlled environment. Where I work, we do a lot of destructive testing safely to ensure the safety of the general public that buy cars with our components in them. Most of these tests would be in the "don't try this at home" category.
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I agree. Today mostly yes do to the required QA programs, labor standards etc etc but still not always and in this case with CIL the test site we are talking about was many many years ago long before there were what we would class today as safe controlled environments and documented requirements
But hey what do I know only spent 35 years in heavy industry in an engineering discipline and heavily involved in iso 9001 implementations
Cheers
 
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Suther said:
Are you for real?

Anyone who's dumb enough to not realize this was done in a controlled environment by knowledgeable people deserve whatever they get...
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Yes I am for real
What you guys keep missing is there are members here that still ask if they can fire a 2 3/4" round in their 3" stamped shotgun gun

Many are brand new to firearms and would not read into that as you assume. So it is fine for them to get hurt as a result NOT

Not to mention the test lab he talks about if CIL closed 46 years ago and the ammo components he would have been using are not even close to what they use today nor are the pressures


Has nothing to do with being DUMB
DUMB is those that think everyone who reads this as initially posted knows different

Knowledgeable people know how to communicate to ensure this is very clear for all and make 100% sure that is conveyed

Idiots make personnel attacks and assumptions . Where do you fall

But hey if you want to test some 50 year old dinosaur CIL loads to restart that old notebook I can still do shotgun for ya

KuZjZWz.jpg
 
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I originally posted

"Since those days I have occasionally deliberately blown up a rifle, in the attempt to try to learn something or to prove something. It is a fitting end to a junker rifle. But, unless you use pistol powder, it is not easy."

If any of you want to blow up a gun - go for it. It can be very educational. Your first attempt may fail. Guns are made quite strong.

And if any of you are dumb enough to hold the gun and pull the trigger with your finger, then I have seriously misjudged CGN readers, and DARWIN was in your cards, anyway.

I think warnings are appropriate when a danger is not obvious. In the case of someone deliberately blowing up a gun, the danger is obvious, and a warning is superfluous.

Enjoy.

 
3macs1 said:
And where until now have you stated it was done in a safe controlled environment
The entire issue I had with this since your first post is some poor fool is going to come behind you and think HEY if he can do it so can I and end up with a very dangerous situation

How about something like hey guys don't try any of this at home . My tests were done in a safe controlled lab setting or what ever

HUGE DIFFERENCE
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I think I can speak for everyone here when I say......we all just assumed so.

If that isn’t glaringly obvious to anyone reading ganderites post, then perhaps they should consider giving up firearms and taking up crocheting.
 
When the whole thread is about blowing up guns. Its safe to assume everyone knows one can get hurt in the process. So make sure you are carefull and think it through first. No need to act like ones mother. We are big boys here who can take responsibility for our own actions
 
Anyone that turns down a refund or replacement firearm in lew of parts to fix such ahh beast is a gooder CGN'r.

Hayya Mackattack, git sum bawxer shorts.............jeeeeeeez.................:sok2
 
3macs1 said:
Yes I am for real
What you guys keep missing is there are members here that still ask if they can fire a 2 3/4" round in their 3" stamped shotgun gun
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So you are using people being very cautious as an example of how a discussion about deliberately trying to blow up guns can make people do unsafe things?.. Do you not see irony in that?

As for your thinly veiled attempt at calling me an idiot, who's making personal attacks now?
 
Suther said:
So you are using people being very cautious as an example of how a discussion about deliberately trying to blow up guns can make people do unsafe things?.. Do you not see irony in that?

As for your thinly veiled attempt at calling me an idiot, who's making personal attacks now?
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No where did I call you anything. I asked a question. There is a big difference
That example was showing our levels of firearm knowledge nothing more

We have quite a range of firearm knowledge on this site from expert to little to none and no it is not Ok for someone to have an incident because they didnot have enough know how to see the OP was doing this in a controlled environment working for CIL and no should they give up the sport because they don't

Spell it out CLEARLY when posting and move on

I see you read this post yesterday also. A fine example of what I am talking about with regard to our range

"30-06 is the minimum caliber for some big game in Canada"

Then again we have a lot of 40 -50 year so called experienced guys blowing about all their knowledge unfortunately many have just one year 40 to 50 times

A few years ago a member shared this pic and that showed all I have to see as far as shotguns go and altering shells


We are all entitled to our own opinions here and in this case mine is different which is acceptable is it not???

Cheers

Z7sPoc3.jpg
 
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You believe altering shells is dangerous. Fine. Don't do it.

I, on the other hand, enjoy testing such alterations, to learn what the dangers might be. If I find a danger, I will know there is a danger, rather than just believe there is a danger. I prefer knowing over believing.

Your picture demonstrates that a barrel obstruction near the muzzle will sometimes cause the barrel to burst. When I see that picture, I think to myself "make sure the barrel is clear before shooting - and especially after stumbling or tripping while in the field."

I also think (thought) "I wonder why we don't see many burst barrels near the chamber?" and proceeded to run tests with barrel obstructions near the chamber, and then progressively further down the barrel.

I know know (as opposed to believe) that the risk of a burst is much greater when the obstruction is more than half way down the barrel. Closer than that, the damage is often a bulge or ring as opposed to a burst.

The last gun I blew up was a 12 ga Cooey single shot. It did not blow on the first 3 attempts. Finally, we stuck a big lag bolt in the muzzle and then pinched barrel flat in a vice. Even then, the damage was not significant. We can cut 6" off the barrel and put the gun back into service.

If you prefer to recognize danger and stay away, good for you. A reasonable attitude.

I don't believe anything I have ever done has been any more dangerous that the usual vagaries of loading and shooting.
 
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