Anyone have a catastrophic Failure on a Sp101 like this?

[jstanfield103]

I think you have graciously done everything the correct way. Good luck on the efforts to get the gun replaced, I am sure you will. Both companies are respectful companies with good reputations. It would be my guess that Federal will replace the gun looks like an over charge.

 

[Analogkid]

Federal got ammo Monday and is sending it off for testing.

We had a hangup on shipping the Sp101 until dealer knew where to ship it to. Ruger came back and offered to foot the bill without asking. Dealer is supposedly to speak to them today if they call him.

That's all I got.

 

[Laserbait]

I am reminded of Mr. Quinn's review of the SP101 in 327 Fed Magnum:

Using Winchester 571 was a mistake. It is an excellent powder, but not at all suited for my purposes here. I screwed up, and found out that the Ruger SP101 is even a lot stronger than I had previously believed. Brass flows at 75,000 psi, and I exceeded that. I would have badly wrecked a lesser gun.

http://gunblast.com/Ruger-SP101-327.htm

Most importantly, I'm glad you're OK. I think the SP101 had a lot to do with that! :wink:

 

[Kyhunt]

Wow. Thank god your okay. That is a bummer on the gun.

 

[Viking Queen]

Any news yet from either Ruger or Federal? Just curious......

Viking Queen

 

[Analogkid]

Yep just getting ready to post about it.

Ruger called me at 6:30 this morning and told me they would be replace the revolver.

I asked what their findings where and the customer service Rep states she did not have that info for me. Only thing she knew was that the tech said the Gun was not repairable and to send a replacement at no charge.

Federal then called me later today and stated they found no fault in the remaining ammo.


I kind of wussed out and have since sold the rest of my federal ammo of this same type (different lot#) to a reloader friend of mine As components only. I sold it for a loss.

He has taken some of it down and noted that the powder looks to be either h110 or Winchester 296 or a commercial variant of something exactly like it. He says the two are the same powder and he wonders if it was a undercharged round. The cases could not be double charged because of the volume of powder. They could be overcharged but not double charged. With a over charge he thinks the Ruger would have handled it fine. But he has seen instances of significantly undercharged rounds causing massive pressure spikes when using this powder.

I'll take his word for it. He's been reloading for over 40 years. I do see several cautions on the net about undercharging this powder. I have a pic of the two powders side by side one pulled from the factory Federal cartridge and one of his reloaded .357 mag cartridges.

I'll try to post it here in a bit.

So to sum up.
Ruger is replacing the Gun at no charge and did not claim fault either way.

Federal has stated nothing was wrong with the remaining ammo.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

Factory's don't use canister powders . They buy very large amounts of powders that are "similar" but not the same as the canister powders that are sold to you and me. They have the test equipment needed to adjust the charge to get the velocity/pressure they seek for the particular load,thus keeping velocities close from lot to lot of ammo they produce.
A reduced charge of these slow powders can cause all kinds of problems,hang fires,incomplete burn,stuck bullets and more.
I am glad that Ruger is going to replace it for you although it is no surprise,
Ruger= Good people!

 

[Analogkid]

Factory federal load on left 16.5g His reloaded h110 powder from a pulled cartridge at right16.7g. Powder is similar as shown and even under pocket microscope. Not saying the same but pretty close if not identical.

 

[Viking Queen]

Very interesting. Thank you for the update.

Ruger.....I would expect them to replace your revolver, based on their history. Too bad Federal didn't own up to the possibility of there being an error on their part.

Let us know how you like your gun, when you get it.

Viking Queen

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Yes, thanks for the update. Got me scratching my head about the powder.

 

[jimd441]

The outcome is no surprise to me. Federal found nothing to implicate their ammo and reported as such. Ruger found nothing to implicate their gun but gave you a new one.

Jim

 

[powder smoke]

No more Federal ammo for me sucks when that happens. ps

 

[Kevin]

I would not hesistate to use Federal Ammo. Just because of this one instance doesn't mean the whole of what they produce is bad. It couldn't be. I'm glad they replaced the gun.

 

[Prescut]

The thing that bothers me is that the rest of us are still at the mercy of these companies. The OP wasn't hurt in the explosion, so no big deal huh? It's only one in a million.

What does it take for the companies to make a statement about what happened. If they don't know and do not intend to pursue, they need to state that. Once the evidence goes to these guys and they disavow, the chance of ever finding out is
close to zero.

So the OP has a new gun and all is not right. He seems like a really nice, fair, family man.
There will be more explosions until somebody cares more about the next guy, than themselves. It will also require that they have enough money to hand the evidence over to a testing lab without an inherent self-interest conflict. There are many examples where companies have paid off complaints and suits and kept selling bad products.

I love Ruger. Hell, I live in Prescott where they make them. I have dozens. But for several of you to give Ruger a pass is inconsistent with logic and reason. I wish they would comment on their findings rather than not repairable.

I don't believe in a lawsuits; they suck for everybody. I do believe it's all of our responsibility to find the facts for the next guy. Damn, I wish you had found those shells.

 

[Chuck 100 yd]

We are playing with high pressures when we fire any gun. One must have a certain amount of faith in the equipment and the loads and the people that make them or we would be better off switching to knitting as a hobby.

I doubt if Federal will ever be able to nail down EXACTLY happened in the OP's case but I assure you they will not just brush it under the rug. Federal loads millions of rounds daily and unless there are more similar ka-booms with that loading, they do have very little evidence to make a definite conclusion.
I continue to buy and use both Ruger and Federal products.

 

[George]

I don't know. There is something more to this then we see.. Glad Ruger is replacing the gun.. Let me ask could a squib round in the end of that gun barrel almost making it out cause this. I ask because that gun has such a heavy barrel that I wonder if there would be any bulge in it if things were just right.. I could see that kind of failure in the case of a squib that all but made it out of the barrel.. Just a thought..I to think Federal would have found some issues in that batch not just what you sent back if there was one and pulled tons of it just to save there asses.. If I hear a odd report something that's off I check my barrel.. I have see a few who did not.. Some where catastrophic failures and others that were not any more then a novice shooter that never knew what happened..They just keep shooting. After checking out there gun all looks fine! With the right power for that cal. and charge it can't be double charged, really not enough room too. If it was federals fault they would have found more in there batches ####! Now a low powered charge I could see in that round.. Just a thought on my part that with a squib could cause this issue.. Well good luck with you next gun.. I don't think you have to worry about it at all.. Ruger makes a darn good gun and does stand behind then better then most. Your thoughts? George

 

[Analogkid]

There isn't anything more to it than what you see. There was no squib. I was firing single action only with a fresh reactive target 20 feet from me. Three rounds hit the target and the 4th did this. I still have this target at my Fathers farm.
The bore was checked at 15 points with a cmm and with a mit dbg. It was within spec all the way to the forcing cone.


What you see is what you get. The forth round had something extremely wrong with it one way or another and it in itself blew the gun up.

 

[eveled]

Glad you are getting a new gun, I don't think for a second it is Rugers fault, but they are a standup company. Thanks for keeping us in the loop, it has been an interesting thread.

 

[jstanfield103]

Well I am glad Ruger is replacing it for you. Now that is a company I like to do business with and all most all of my handguns are Ruger.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I agree that a very light charge could have done it. Hodgdon warns about that kind of thing. It is a very rare occurrence though.

I wonder if a double charge is possible with automated machinery? Perhaps a very, very compressed load.

I wonder what Federal would have said if they found another defective load in that batch? :?