I bought some factory maximum ammo at a gun store that was severely over pressure specs. Now, I have a stuck brass case in my DW 40 cylinder. I tried punching it out and after much effort, I succeeded in pushing the last 1/4″ of the brass out. It tore the brass wall apart at that point. I wouldn't have believed that was possible. Now, there is no bottom to the brass case. It looks like a liner to the cylinder.
Can I use a tap and die set to pull it out? It seems like it would eat into the soft brass and get a little at a time. Or does it need a .357 reamer at the blacksmith?
Followup:
OK, guys, several weeks and several different techniques and the stuck case is out. I finally worked with an old gunsmith who soaked it in kroil and then made a punch that was curved like the inside of the cylinder hole. He was barely able to tap a little on the end of the case each hit. A small amount of the case would bend and then snap off and fall through. After hundreds of taps, bends, and snaps; the case was out. It was blown so hard against the walls that there were lines on the brass case from the manufacturing lines on the cylinder walls.
Discovered the following:
each of the cylinder holes are tapered toward the chamber. Shells will not push in from that end.
hole 1 - .3825 - .381 taper
hole 2 - .380 - .380
.381 - .381
hole 3 - .381+ - .381
hole 4 - .382 - .381 taper
.381 - .381
hole 5 - .382 - .381 taper
hole 6 - .394 - .393 bulge and taper
.397
.402
The cylinder rubs on the top strap when hole 6 is at the top. It is possible to manually push past it, but a hammer pull will not do it.
The Dan Wesson may be stronger than the Tank (Ruger Blackhawk). My Ruger blew completely apart with the topstrap breaking away at the back sight (which disappeared). The case in the Ruger was ruptured all along the side from one end to the other; which is what blew the topstrap off. The Dan Wesson 40 only bulged the cylinder with the same ammo.
The way it happened:
After shooting one round in my brand new to me DW 40, I could not turn the cylinder. I didn't think too much about it. I thought it was another high primer, which I have gotten several of and reported on this forum. I didn't notice anything different in the shot. I put the DW down with my tools for later maintenance and kept shooting.
It was several hours later when I picked up the Ruger Max and shot one round. It exploded. There was no doubt that the ammo was the problem. I first looked and thought Oh my Gawd, that dreaded flame cutting on the topstrap. Nope it broke on the other end. So much for topstrap flame cutting problems. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach and walked over to the Dan Wesson 40. I still had to look for a problem, but after trying to turn the cylinder, I knew it was there. Same bad ammo, two guns gone. One blew apart and one just bulged.
This is now beyond my skills and experience. The DW barrel looks fine. The frame looks fine. That is using eyeballs and no measuring tools. I think I need an excellent gunsmith who has seen some blown revolvers and can say whether it's worth attempting. I could just resell the parts minus the cylinder with a full story of events. I might get back half my cash. I just really hate to see a beautiful old Dan Wesson 40 SuperMag go to the dumpster. The frame is in my favorite finish, bubba plum purple. I got one shot before I killed her. No matter what happened, I still feel like crap.
Now, on to a big issue - The ammo.
I really try to be a good team member, but in this instance I have been walking a fine line.
I spoke with the owner of the ammo company on the phone and he immediately admitted that it was the ammo. He said they had problems with the maximum ammo before this. He told me to replace the two sixguns and send him the invoices which he would pay. He never asked for a sample round. He never asked for pics. He never asked if anyone was hurt. He never asked where I bought the ammo. He knew it was his mistakes that caused the accident.
He was not happy about me asking for two guns. I told him the story and asked him what I did wrong. He said you did nothing wrong, we know it's the ammo.
Two weeks later, I remembered he had not asked for my address so I emailed him my address. I wrote what a pleasure it was dealing with an owner who stood up and did the right thing. I was effusive in my praise. I told him I was willing to take what I had into the guns, and not their replacement value. I had searched for months and got two sweet deals. I figured the Ruger Max was $1000 replacement and the Dan Wesson 40 was $1200. Instead, I offered to resolve the entire matter permanently for $1500.
THE RESPONSE I GOT BACK WAS ALL IN CAPS. So, yes, now he was angry. He wrote, "I hate paying for other people's stupidity". He wrote he would pay me when he had "EXTRA MONEY" in his account. Don't bother him. I wondered who this guy really was.
I have since found his writings on Indiana Gun Owners Organization ingo.com. He is one angry, aggressive, belligerent guy. He has more than a few other people very upset with him.
I am a small business man myself. I would hate for someone to malign me unfairly. I think this guy and his staff just made a mistake. It happens. His company appears to be medium successful and sells nationally. I believe he does all the reloads for the big police departments in Indiana. His responses to customers have been very aggressive, blaming them each time.
I took the ammo back to the gun store that sold it to me.
They said they had not been contacted about bad ammo. They are tracing where they got it now. The gun store has called the manufacturer twice to get a refund themselves on the ammo and see why he hasn't issued a recall on that bad ammo.
I have not said anything before this about him or his company, although many of you here and other forums have asked. I have tried to calm down and let go of the paranoia of shooting that inevitably follows an event when you could have been killed or wounded. I am 70 miles from a city out in the desert canyons camping solo for weeks at a time. My family has now had their intervention and asked me to stop shooting those high pressure rounds like the 357 max and the 44 mag. They also don't want me in the backcountry alone anymore. That aint happening. It's just one more piece of fallout from a dangerous hobby that I don't need.
So am I just a big Cry Baby trying to gouge a vendor? Or should I hand this to an attorney and try to find out if he is engaged in dangerous, negligent business practices. Saying his company name on a forum is sure to get him pizzed off again. Even if he somehow gets "EXTRA MONEY" in his account, I don't think I will ever see it. He has absolutely refused to even talk about an estimated date for payment.
Attorney retainer is $5000 and is not retrievable in the suit. If someone gets killed from this ammo, and I have done nothing, I will feel like scum the rest of my life. SO
PRECISION CARTRIDGE out of Indiana. I see lots of people selling their ammo. I read good reviews as well as bad. There are other stories of blown up guns. I had to guarantee the owner I will not be using his ammo ever again for him to talk to me. I have asked lots of folks now about Precision Cartridge and several have said they know the company name and have shot lots of their ammo.
Whew, enuf!
trying to do the right thing,
Prescut
Can I use a tap and die set to pull it out? It seems like it would eat into the soft brass and get a little at a time. Or does it need a .357 reamer at the blacksmith?
Followup:
OK, guys, several weeks and several different techniques and the stuck case is out. I finally worked with an old gunsmith who soaked it in kroil and then made a punch that was curved like the inside of the cylinder hole. He was barely able to tap a little on the end of the case each hit. A small amount of the case would bend and then snap off and fall through. After hundreds of taps, bends, and snaps; the case was out. It was blown so hard against the walls that there were lines on the brass case from the manufacturing lines on the cylinder walls.
Discovered the following:
each of the cylinder holes are tapered toward the chamber. Shells will not push in from that end.
hole 1 - .3825 - .381 taper
hole 2 - .380 - .380
.381 - .381
hole 3 - .381+ - .381
hole 4 - .382 - .381 taper
.381 - .381
hole 5 - .382 - .381 taper
hole 6 - .394 - .393 bulge and taper
.397
.402
The cylinder rubs on the top strap when hole 6 is at the top. It is possible to manually push past it, but a hammer pull will not do it.
The Dan Wesson may be stronger than the Tank (Ruger Blackhawk). My Ruger blew completely apart with the topstrap breaking away at the back sight (which disappeared). The case in the Ruger was ruptured all along the side from one end to the other; which is what blew the topstrap off. The Dan Wesson 40 only bulged the cylinder with the same ammo.
The way it happened:
After shooting one round in my brand new to me DW 40, I could not turn the cylinder. I didn't think too much about it. I thought it was another high primer, which I have gotten several of and reported on this forum. I didn't notice anything different in the shot. I put the DW down with my tools for later maintenance and kept shooting.
It was several hours later when I picked up the Ruger Max and shot one round. It exploded. There was no doubt that the ammo was the problem. I first looked and thought Oh my Gawd, that dreaded flame cutting on the topstrap. Nope it broke on the other end. So much for topstrap flame cutting problems. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach and walked over to the Dan Wesson 40. I still had to look for a problem, but after trying to turn the cylinder, I knew it was there. Same bad ammo, two guns gone. One blew apart and one just bulged.
This is now beyond my skills and experience. The DW barrel looks fine. The frame looks fine. That is using eyeballs and no measuring tools. I think I need an excellent gunsmith who has seen some blown revolvers and can say whether it's worth attempting. I could just resell the parts minus the cylinder with a full story of events. I might get back half my cash. I just really hate to see a beautiful old Dan Wesson 40 SuperMag go to the dumpster. The frame is in my favorite finish, bubba plum purple. I got one shot before I killed her. No matter what happened, I still feel like crap.
Now, on to a big issue - The ammo.
I really try to be a good team member, but in this instance I have been walking a fine line.
I spoke with the owner of the ammo company on the phone and he immediately admitted that it was the ammo. He said they had problems with the maximum ammo before this. He told me to replace the two sixguns and send him the invoices which he would pay. He never asked for a sample round. He never asked for pics. He never asked if anyone was hurt. He never asked where I bought the ammo. He knew it was his mistakes that caused the accident.
He was not happy about me asking for two guns. I told him the story and asked him what I did wrong. He said you did nothing wrong, we know it's the ammo.
Two weeks later, I remembered he had not asked for my address so I emailed him my address. I wrote what a pleasure it was dealing with an owner who stood up and did the right thing. I was effusive in my praise. I told him I was willing to take what I had into the guns, and not their replacement value. I had searched for months and got two sweet deals. I figured the Ruger Max was $1000 replacement and the Dan Wesson 40 was $1200. Instead, I offered to resolve the entire matter permanently for $1500.
THE RESPONSE I GOT BACK WAS ALL IN CAPS. So, yes, now he was angry. He wrote, "I hate paying for other people's stupidity". He wrote he would pay me when he had "EXTRA MONEY" in his account. Don't bother him. I wondered who this guy really was.
I have since found his writings on Indiana Gun Owners Organization ingo.com. He is one angry, aggressive, belligerent guy. He has more than a few other people very upset with him.
I am a small business man myself. I would hate for someone to malign me unfairly. I think this guy and his staff just made a mistake. It happens. His company appears to be medium successful and sells nationally. I believe he does all the reloads for the big police departments in Indiana. His responses to customers have been very aggressive, blaming them each time.
I took the ammo back to the gun store that sold it to me.
They said they had not been contacted about bad ammo. They are tracing where they got it now. The gun store has called the manufacturer twice to get a refund themselves on the ammo and see why he hasn't issued a recall on that bad ammo.
I have not said anything before this about him or his company, although many of you here and other forums have asked. I have tried to calm down and let go of the paranoia of shooting that inevitably follows an event when you could have been killed or wounded. I am 70 miles from a city out in the desert canyons camping solo for weeks at a time. My family has now had their intervention and asked me to stop shooting those high pressure rounds like the 357 max and the 44 mag. They also don't want me in the backcountry alone anymore. That aint happening. It's just one more piece of fallout from a dangerous hobby that I don't need.
So am I just a big Cry Baby trying to gouge a vendor? Or should I hand this to an attorney and try to find out if he is engaged in dangerous, negligent business practices. Saying his company name on a forum is sure to get him pizzed off again. Even if he somehow gets "EXTRA MONEY" in his account, I don't think I will ever see it. He has absolutely refused to even talk about an estimated date for payment.
Attorney retainer is $5000 and is not retrievable in the suit. If someone gets killed from this ammo, and I have done nothing, I will feel like scum the rest of my life. SO
PRECISION CARTRIDGE out of Indiana. I see lots of people selling their ammo. I read good reviews as well as bad. There are other stories of blown up guns. I had to guarantee the owner I will not be using his ammo ever again for him to talk to me. I have asked lots of folks now about Precision Cartridge and several have said they know the company name and have shot lots of their ammo.
Whew, enuf!
trying to do the right thing,
Prescut
