M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

The article about the full-auto single action revolver is in the August '09 issue of "Handloader". It was a Colt Single Action Army, made in 1937, chambered in .357 Magnum.

RePete · Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:40 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

chambered221 wrote:

stovepipe wrote:

Ooookaaaay.... a triple chain-fire? Never seen a KB that bad before in a center fire pistol.

That's a crazy lookin pic...wonder how genuine it is. That must have made on hell of a boom, (3) .44m going off at once unbreeched?

I noticed the same thing............ anyone care to explain (attempt too) how 3 rounds went off !!!

Paul, good to hear from you !!! Will say prayer tonight for your family !!!

The one in line with the barrel fired (exploded) and the ones either side of the in line one are simpathetic detonations.

SilvertipGrizz · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:52 pm Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

I saw a Ruger Blackhawk 44 Mag that looked like this except the frame was broken in two!
The problem with this blow-up wasn't an overload. It was caused by the bullet crimps failing and the bullets moving too deep in the case, which caused the pressure to sky-rocket.

diesel · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 12:34 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

Grizz, don't understand, weak crimp will cause bullets to move forward, out of the case during recoil, not back to form a compressed load. cylinder lock will be the result.BTDT

RePete · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 7:07 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

SilvertipGrizz wrote:

I saw a Ruger Blackhawk 44 Mag that looked like this except the frame was broken in two!
The problem with this blow-up wasn't an overload. It was caused by the bullet crimps failing and the bullets moving too deep in the case, which caused the pressure to sky-rocket.

Usually bullet setback is caused by the bullet hitting the feedramp or the front of the magazine, in autoloaders, under recoil but with revolvers the cartridges tend to grow under recoil.

SilvertipGrizz · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:26 pm Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

diesel wrote:

Grizz, don't understand, weak crimp will cause bullets to move forward, out of the case during recoil, not back to form a compressed load. cylinder lock will be the result.BTDT

I do understand I've only been reloading and shooting hanguns since 1964!
I saw the gun at a local gunsmith's shop and, also, questioned their explaination. They had found that all the other cartridges had the bullets setting deep on the powder. The shooter was an experience shooter and reloader and hadn't loaded them that way?

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 10:51 pm Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

Not to start a fight but... I can't see any way recoil in a revolver can force a bullet INTO a case... The gun moves backwards and the bullets want to stay in place.

stovepipe · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 8:03 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

SilvertipGrizz wrote:

1- They had found that all the other cartridges had the bullets setting deep on the powder.

2- The shooter was an experience shooter and reloader and hadn't loaded them that way?

1- That didn't happen from recoil.

2- So were all the other owners of KB's I've seen. Every single one.

Just my .02.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:31 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

Regarding #2 in Stovepipe's post:

Last night I was looking for some info on a S&W I have and found a forum discussing it. Someone on the site was talking about the load he had developed for this airweight revolver. It was around 5% over the max powder charge in the manual. Later in the thread he was complaining about the quality of the gun because it was showing some damage from shooting his loads...

By the way, I know from personal experience that folks who have been loading for a long time (like 30+ years) STILL make mistakes. Luckily none of mine ever blew up!

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Your sure they all went off or when the one ruptured the cylinder it still was hot enough to ignite the 2 charges?

Dimitri

SilvertipGrizz · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:08 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

I stopped and talked with the gunsmith who had the 44 Ruger that was blown up. He said that he feels that that gun was dropped. It was loaded with soft lead bullets, which may have been slightly undersize, and the crimps had not retained the bullets when the gun was dropped. He also mentioned that most factory ammo has a secondary crimp below the bullet to prevent the bullet from moving farther into the case.

English Mike · Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

Squib followed by a normal load?

That would put a bullet in the barrel followed by another with no place to go.

Vince · Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:56 am Post subject: Re: M629 BLOWUP - Kaboom

A barrel obstruction would result in a blown barrel. I cannot see how a barrel obstruction would cause such a catastrophic failure of the cylinder and also cause what I believe to be a sympathetic detonation of the other two rounds.

Cheers, Vince