Signs of VERY EXCESSIVE PRESSURE - Super Blackhawk

Hey Folks, Thought I would share this in this section. This 5.5 inch barrel Super Blackhawk arrived at my local gun shop after the owner's unhappy experience with his latest reloads. NOBODY WAS HURT!





What we know:

He has reloaded in the past and not had this experience.
The gun had to be dismantled so that the cylinder pin could be driven out with a hammer and punch.






The frame had bent so much that the rear of the cylinder had been forced to the bottom of the frame window and the ratchet teeth were
cutting into the rear face of the window.







The cylinder had to driven out of the frame with a hammer. The remaining unfired cartridges still chamber in .44 mag chambers, but some show signs of damage. Other parts do not operate correctly, the transfer bar catches on the rear of the firing pin occasionally and the cylinder stop does not function correctly, and the loading gate will not open correctly.

Obviously the frame has pulled away from the barrel also.
We put on some damaged grips ( the owner kept the ones that came on it)
and will use it for instructional purposes for the time being. And we plan on examining the remaining rounds to see if we learn anything further. We are glad nobody was hurt and this can be used as a reminder to be safe, safe, safe in your reloading habits!

WOOOOWW!!!!

Glad everyones OK !!!

I`ve got to the stage where if I feel tired & can`t give it 110% attention I just put it off .

Poor Millet sight

Oh the humanity......

A little bit of JB weld and it will be fine!

Seriously, it would be interesting to know what his load data was. And did he overcharge a round? That looks to be the first thing to consider considering the cylinder grenaded itself.

I've already checked the dimensions and condition of the remaining rounds- some were obviously damaged when the cylinder came apart but one shows a split mouth and one round is short for case length but over all dimensions are all longer than minimum. When we get a scale set up we will start weighing the rounds and charges and see if we can get some more info. A few more questions to the former owner might reveal more too- if we can get the details.

Mike Mulligan said:

...A few more questions to the former owner might reveal more too- if we can get the details.

Click to expand...

Like what was the load supposed to be? 8) 8)

...Jimbo

Did the bullet clear the barrel?

The bullet did clear the barrel and no apparent bulging in the barrel. There is a distinct coating of copper visible in the forcing cone. He claims that he habitually checks the cases after charging them with powder in order to be sure they are not double charged, but that still leaves the possibility that he started with the wrong charge, either powder type or weight, that he got a mixed powder charge... where are Sherlock Holmes or Dr. House when you need them?

In Dr. House's words: "Everybody Lies"

Looks like a classic symptom of a double shot of a fast powder. The fact that the top strap actually held together and the cylinder didn't completely come out of the gun is a testament to the strength of the Ruger design. Most of the S&W guns I have seen that have befallen a similar fate had a completely missing top strap and a convertible cylinder. (Convertible as in as in a removed top not multi caliber)

I find it interesting that there are 3 different head stamps remainig in the cylinder.

Might be an indication of sloppy loading practices.

Pete

Sugar River said:

I find it interesting that there are 3 different head stamps remainig in the cylinder.

Might be an indication of sloppy loading practices.

Pete

Click to expand...

Pete,
Don't look in my ammo can then. You'd see a lot more than three different head stamps.
Not sloppy practices just a lot of brass from here and there.
I have tons of range brass, once fired brass bought from here and there and most of it goes in one big miscellaneous bag. For general plinking or practice it works just find.
When loaded to moderate levels it doesn't matter, but once up to max you should segregate the cases at the least.


As for the OP I'm betting on a double charge of fast powder. Poor gun.
I sometimes wonder about peoples ability to comprehend the English language.

Joe

I am also interested to see what is in those remaining cartridges.

Wonder if he doubled a fast powder....
Or just put too much of a slower one...

Let us know if you what you find out. The curiosity bug is strong in this one. Glad everyone is OK.

I_Like_Pie said:

I am also interested to see what is in those remaining cartridges.

Wonder if he doubled a fast powder....
Or just put too much of a slower one...

Let us know if you what you find out. The curiosity bug is strong in this one. Glad everyone is OK.

Click to expand...

Dissecting the remaining cases is on the "to do" list. We'll be looking at consistency of charges, etc. One case has a cracked mouth so we can presume that the mixed cases also are of mixed # of firings so we have one possible contributing factor.

Ouch.

So no idea of brand of powder used yet. You would have thought he'd told you that info to get you started on analysis! "I was only using 50g of 'x' powder under the 240g bullet..." .

Don't look in my ammo can then. You'd see a lot more than three different head stamps.

Click to expand...

Me too.

Forgot to add... That is definitely a 'sign' of overpressure that you can't ... errr... overlook .

98Redline said:

In Dr. House's words: "Everybody Lies"

Looks like a classic symptom of a double shot of a fast powder. The fact that the top strap actually held together and the cylinder didn't completely come out of the gun is a testament to the strength of the Ruger design. Most of the S&W guns I have seen that have befallen a similar fate had a completely missing top strap and a convertible cylinder. (Convertible as in as in a removed top not multi caliber)

Click to expand...

There certainly is some missing information, and by looking at what is hidden inside the other cases we may have that "AH HA!" House moment. I have personally only seen one other badly bent Super Blackhawk (non fluted cylinder), but seen a few "convertible" cylinders of various other makes!

Rclark said:

Ouch.

So no idea of brand of powder used yet. You would have thought he'd told you that info to get you started on analysis! "I was only using 50g of 'x' powder under the 240g bullet..." .

Don't look in my ammo can then. You'd see a lot more than three different head stamps.

Click to expand...

Me too.

Click to expand...

No idea yet-he did leave out the powder details, but he is a regular customer and we should be able to get more info. We did get that he was using a 240g bullet. He had already tried to remove the cylinder pin and cylinder w/ vise grips on the head of the pin and hitting the grips with a hammer, to no avail. It took some assertive hammer strokes to drive the cylinder pin out with a punch from behind the recoil shield! Here's a pic of the pin- pretty good offset in it now!

[/img]

That's how a feller I knew blew up his 45 colt auto double load, while drinking and loading.

And guy's like this one in your post are why we all have this big ugly warning on the side of our six gun barrels.

I have to wonder if there wasn't a barrel obstruction,, even though the barrel is now clear.

Glad no one got hurt that's the main thng!

Poor SBH damn that must really piss him off a perfectly good gun. I'll be interested on the cause could be a squib stuck bullet may never know now, ps

I would think that a squib or stuck bullet would have left some pretty obvious proof of it's existence (bulged barrel, still in the barrel, etc..)

It if was jammed in the forcing cone then I suspect that the cylinder would not have rotated at all.