Over at Knuckledraggin', Wirecutter posts a picture of a Ruger Blackhawk gone wrong.
Obviously, something went very wrong. It looks to me like the top round detonated, carrying away part of the cylinder, destroying the top strap, and breaking through the two chambers on either side. That ruptured case you see seems to be from the destruction of the top chamber, It doesn't appear to have detonated, simply ruptured in the carnage.
The bullet seems to be the wide, flat-nose that heavy bullet reloaders like to use. I have some examples of those myself. Someone must have gotten his powders switched. Maybe a full case of Bullseye instead of 2400? I simply can't imagine.
I'd love to know the story behind that pic, but Wirecutter gives no clue. Just a picture of unbridled disaster.
Oh damn... Sad end to a fine pistol, and maybe a double charge??? Who knows.
ReplyDeleteI can recall shooting at a public range in Midrand, South Africa. The handgun positions were between two head-height brick-and-mortar partitions, painted blue. I was once allocated a bay that had two interesting gouges out of each side of the wall, both at the same (shoulder) height, and both dug deep into the bricks.
ReplyDeleteDuring a break I got hold of the range officer, pointed them out to him, and asked what had made them. His answer? "Last week, Smith Model 29, double charged with Bullseye instead of Unique."
Yep. Those were the gouges left by both halves of the cylinder as they departed the gun at high speed . . . Apparently the shooter suffered some minor cuts and bruising to his hand, but no serious injury.
Yikes!
Yea that will make you reconsider a bull pup type rifle.
ReplyDeleteI favor bulky rather than dense powders just because of this possibility.
ReplyDeleteThat's why you never see me at a public range. During the last "shortage" a ton of people jumped off into reloading 'cause they couldn't get factory ammo. Bought everything except a loading manual, now you see questions about what should I load in my xxxx all over the various fora. I know accidents happen, but people are crazy. GW
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