Revolver blew up

tiriaq said:
Just looked at the Hodgdon website. Hornady 250gr XTP bullet, 5.5gr Titegroup gives 9700CUP, 6.3gr gives 12,700CUP. Based on this information, your load of 6.8gr was .5gr, about 8%, over maximum. Hardly a double charge, but still a stiff load. Pressure would have been right up there. .45Colt has a lot of volume, shouldn't be any problem getting a double charge in the case. Looking at the remains of the cylinder, the chamber walls are remarkably thin.

I wouldn't break it for parts just yet. Justin isn't going to be in power forever.
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Hopefully not. It was my fault.
 
Easy to get a bit extra tight group in without noticing, that’s why I only use it for 9mm
 
calibrecarstairs said:
Courtesy of the OP... :O

sDLgffs.jpg
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Thats an ouch !
Good to hear all that is injured is your pride .
Rob
 
This is the easiest of all cartridges to load far too stiff a load especially for older firearms and their replicas, and above all others needs to be kept carefully tame and mild with light loads.

If it says .454 Casull or the like on the firearm, then I'll use load data for that and essentially it's .45 Colt loaded max hot & spicy, but all my .45 Colt brass gets low-end-of-the-scale loads.
 
lyman54 said:
FLHTCUI Thanks, yes was a bit lucky. More embarrassed than hurt pride though.
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Well positive thing is, you have all your digits to learn from this. Little tips, if you get distracted any bit, dump and start over. Double charge a round to notice what it looks like. So when you shine a light over and inspect, before you plop the bullet on. You know what to look for.
 
The new hornady manual also shows a max of 6.3 grains of tightgroup using a 250 grain XTP bullet
you wouldn't think that .5 of a grain over would blow up the gun?
Aren't these things proof tested at the factory?
 
What is your reloading method? single stage press I assume? Are you using a powder measure to charge the cases with powder or scoop and funnel?

Maybe some lessons to be learned here for others.

My 9mm goes through my progressive with case activated powder thrower and it would be very hard to double charge if you are not messing around with backing up shell plate.

The rest goes on my single stage where I have my prepped and primed brass in a bin, drop powder with the powder measure and then place the brass in the loading block. So hard to double charge because it is obvious that whatever is in the block has powder.
 
lyman54 said:
Hopefully not. It was my fault.
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What type of reloading press are you using? Single stage or progressive? How do you go about measuring powder?
I'm only asking as I have both a Forster Co-Ax single stage for rifle loads and a Hornady AP for 9mm. Just got my S&W 357 Magnum, want to start reloading for it, but I read your post and now I'm nervous...
 
To the original poster, I am so glad that you're ok. Having this revolver blow up in your hands like this as what you have showed in pictures, is an experience I think you probably don't want to happen again anytime soon, touch wood. I have had many opportunities in the past to buy revolvers, but my fear was having the gun blowing up in my hands like this and maybe not having hands. In a sense I'm so glad I don't own any revolvers because of events like this. I do respect the power of these weapons; timing has to be precise for everything to line up for firing. The loads in the shells have set standards going past these standards you risk explosions of a great magnitude that can shatter the revolver to pieces. Again, I'm glad you're ok and your able to continue the sport shooting you love to do.
 
XCR User said:
To the original poster, I am so glad that you're ok. Having this revolver blow up in your hands like this as what you have showed in pictures, is an experience I think you probably don't want to happen again anytime soon, touch wood. I have had many opportunities in the past to buy revolvers, but my fear was having the gun blowing up in my hands like this and maybe not having hands. In a sense I'm so glad I don't own any revolvers because of events like this. I do respect the power of these weapons; timing has to be precise for everything to line up for firing. The loads in the shells have set standards going past these standards you risk explosions of a great magnitude that can shatter the revolver to pieces. Again, I'm glad you're ok and your able to continue the sport shooting you love to do.
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To each their own, I love shooting my s&w 686 :) (with reloads)
 
XCR User said:
To the original poster, I am so glad that you're ok. Having this revolver blow up in your hands like this as what you have showed in pictures, is an experience I think you probably don't want to happen again anytime soon, touch wood. I have had many opportunities in the past to buy revolvers, but my fear was having the gun blowing up in my hands like this and maybe not having hands. In a sense I'm so glad I don't own any revolvers because of events like this. I do respect the power of these weapons; timing has to be precise for everything to line up for firing. The loads in the shells have set standards going past these standards you risk explosions of a great magnitude that can shatter the revolver to pieces. Again, I'm glad you're ok and your able to continue the sport shooting you love to do.
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There is risks in everything. Semi, bolt, levers all can blow up and experience the same. That like saying you dont want to drag race because I don't want to crash.
 
Normally I'd say it's done for... but if the frame cannot be factory replaced with the same number (getting it exported for gunsmith work is a problem too, unless you can get a Ruger rep in Canada to deal with that) ...

... Run this past Nick at Vulcan gun works - if anyone can straighten and reforge/requench the frame it is him.
 
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