Hollow Points in a Tube Mag.... dangerous?

Simple confirmation.
Take two loaded rounds...NO FIREARM!!!
Match up the hollow-point with the base of the other rounds simulating its orientation in te magazine ans look closely where the bullet sits in relation to the primer.
You may be surprised.
I have used Hornady XTP hollow-points with no issues as well as Sierra, and Speer. Every bullet type I confirmed bullet/primer position using the above method.
 
Primers need to be hit pretty hard to set them off. If this was a problem, you wouldn't see guns manufactured with tubular magazines. I wouldn't even worry about it.
 
Well, I tried the little cowboy carbine out yesterday with the hollowpoints, fun little gun! And yes, I still have all my digits.
 
fingers284 said:
Try telling that to the wife & kids of the young man from Red Deer 15 or 20 yrs ago who was drug out of a hunting bush by his heels. My dad & I came along just as the LEO's were finishing up at the site north of Tees AB. One of the RCMP told us it apeared that a round had detonated in the mag of his Winchester and splinters from the front stock had ripped his wrist apart and he bleed out in the bush.

As well , when the Henry/Win. were issued during the civil war, they worked fine with the rimfire ammo they were chambered for at the time. Shortly after the war, center fire ammo became the new cat in town and both Winchester and Marlin submitted their latest inventions for Military tests in hope of landing a small arms contract. Both trials were suspended for the same reason, magazine explosions. Marlin re-submited at a later date again and was rejected again for the same reason. No other lever guns were allowed at thier trials until Winchester came up with the box fed mod 95 (but by then they had chosen the Krag to replace the trapdoor).

The ammo used way back then was significantly less powerful than a modern .44 mag but I guess its up to each person how much they want to test fait...I don't.
Click to expand...

Is there any evidence that suggests the kaboom was caused by a pointed bullet setting off a round?

I would be VERY hesitant to believe that even the pointiest of all pointy bullets would set off a primer in a tube mag.
 
Its all about PSI, a pointed bullet exerts alot more pressure then a hollow point which probably has 1000X more surface area. a hollow point likely has more surface area then a round nose bullet which is totally kosher.
 
Another element that minimizes the risk of an accident caused by a pointed bullet loaded in a tube magazine is that the rounds are spring loaded, and even when fully loaded, there is still sufficient movement in the spring so that the last round can be easily loaded. The recoil impulse that drives the point of the bullet of the rear cartridge into the primer of the cartridge immediately to it's front, also causes that cartridge to move forward at the same time, so the actual impact against the primer is quite gentle, at least in the case of a .30/30. A pointed bullet in a hot loaded .45/70 might be another matter entirely. Of course if a rifle with a tube magazine is dropped butt first onto a hard surface, from any significant height, who knows what might happen? I would though be hesitant to load pointed FMJs or Barnes pointed mono-metal solids into a tube magazine should the rifle be used for fur hunting. Although it might be unlikely that an accident occurs, that might be tempting fate just a bit. When in doubt, simply load the tube magazine equipped rifle as if it were a two shooter, one in the magazine and one in the chamber.
 
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