My SP101 357 was replaced by the ammunition company the other day after it blew up in my hand back in December, I wasn't hurt just a little shook up. The stainless steel cylinder was actually cut in half and the entire gun was ruined. The range guys and I searched for the other half of the cylinder but we we unable to find it. It may have blown up into little pieces or got lost up in the rafters above. Thank god the cylinder went up toward the ceiling like it was designed to do. I was using Home defense JHP 357 loads. We found several unspent bullets that were dented with tips that had fallen off. I had shot five rounds successfully, then I reloaded. The first shot after the reload the gun blew up. I was still holding it after it blew, this was a very weird and surreal feeling. I was sort of in shock and thought I might have been hurt. I had checked all around my body to see if I had been hit. I have chosen not to mention the brand of ammo as I believe an investigation is still ongoing. I am so happy I got the gun replaced by the ammo company the other day. As you can imagine I haved been going through withdrawls the last couple weeks not being able to shoot. Just thought I would share this experience with you. I still Love my SP101. This is a great gun!
SP101 experience
- Thread starter customf1
- Start date
recumbent
Buckeye
Nakagawa said:
It was replaced by the ammunition company according to his post so it had to be ammo problem.
hapjack12
Bearcat
This may not be true but I heard about another gun blowup due to Chinese ammo. I wonder if they (the ammo co.) had used China to make some of their ammo.
surveyor47
Single-Sixer
Well this is one for the guys who claim that it is impossible to blow up a Ruger....... :roll: :roll: :shock: :twisted:
gunman42782
Hunter
surveyor47 said:
I seen a guy blow up a brand new Ruger Redhawk .44 with the first shot. Of course, he was using handloads, but swears it was not his fault! I find this very hard to believe, as every gun gets proof loads before it leaves the factory.
surveyor47
Single-Sixer
gunman42782 said:
Well believe it or not, handloaders have been blowing up Blackhawks since just about day 1, way back in the 1950s. One of the first thing I was taught by my rifle/pistol instructor in the early 70s was that a double charge of a fast burning powder will do the trick and he showed us the pictures of a blown up Blackhawk. Another thing that can happen (at least in a Dillon press) is that grease can build up in the seating die and hold a bullet at top. When you seat the next, the first bullet gets seated as well, placing 2 bullets over a normal powder charge. This has happened to me and I caught the problem - and junked the entire lot. The powder companies dont spend all that money on ballistic laboratories that provide data to handloaders for nothing.
Yes, you can blow up a Ruger, hurt yourself and others.
5of7
Hunter
My thought is that since the ammo co. assumed responsibility for the blow up, they probably have had other problems with the lot of ammo that the shooter was using.
It would be difficult to determine, after the fact, whether it was ammo or some manufacturing flaw in the gun.
Speculation, of course.
It would be difficult to determine, after the fact, whether it was ammo or some manufacturing flaw in the gun.
Speculation, of course.
They sent me a new gun but they can't explain to me what happened thats all I know. The ammo company has nothing to say. My Gun dealer says when this sort of thing happens the ammo company usually make good on the gun and the ammo. My dealer suspects there was a double load in one of the rounds that caused it to blow but there is no way to really prove this.
Mr. Sasquatch
Bearcat
How did you convince the ammo company that it was their fault? They could've blamed it on Ruger's manufacturing erro,r or material fault. Such ping-pong could've gone for awhile with either side blaming the other, and you being stuck in the middle with no gun.
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
Just for our own curiosity I think we would like to know exactly what happened to the gun and the ammo after the incident and exactly which company said what, and which company did what.
What do you think happened?
Having something like this happen with factory ammo is very rare. :shock: :shock:
...Jimbo
What do you think happened?
Having something like this happen with factory ammo is very rare. :shock: :shock:
...Jimbo
Tony_The_Liger
Bearcat
+1 Jimbo.
surveyor47
Single-Sixer
Over the years, I have had far more trouble with factory ammo than reloads- and I shoot very little factory ammo. When steel shot first came out, a 12 gauge round squibbed and the wad stuck in the barrel. You would not think that a major problem, but steel wads are unbelievably tough. I also had a 9mm case detonate in the chamber of a CZ75. Factory said that the gun was ok. On another occasion, I had a 500 round box of 22s that had improper lubrication and leaded the hell out of my pistol- actually filling it (my son was shooting it). The barrel cleaned up, but never shot right again. I ended up replacing the barrel.
Tony_The_Liger
Bearcat
Please tell us which ammo it was, so I know not to buy it! It's not slander when it actually happened, endangered your life, and they admitted it by replacing your firearm. Stop being such a tease :wink: I have a family so... you could do me a favor and pm me the ammo type. Thanks.
"Over the years, I have had far more trouble with factory ammo than reloads-" (surveyor47)
10-4 on that
......one of the most consistent factory ammo is Mag-Tech and Federal ... most inconsistent is Remington ,I don't use cheapo Chinese
that's my experience others may vary
But i feel you should tell what ammo ...may save a fellows life , hand ,eyesight ..Imagine if you wasn't using a double tuff Ruger
10-4 on that
......one of the most consistent factory ammo is Mag-Tech and Federal ... most inconsistent is Remington ,I don't use cheapo Chinese
that's my experience others may vary
But i feel you should tell what ammo ...may save a fellows life , hand ,eyesight ..Imagine if you wasn't using a double tuff Ruger
Boge
Single-Sixer
People, although extremely rare there is not ONE ammo company in existence that has not had a bad round "kaboom" a gun. Not one. There is no use to boycott any of the big makers as when you load a gazillion rounds per years stuff happens. It's the Law of Averages.
This is however more apt to happen IMO with a company that loads "remanufactured" ammo and not new as they usually don't have the money, manpower or eqpmt. to give top shelf QC.
OP, glad to see you're alright.
Your chances of being struck by lightning in any given year are about one in 650,000. Your odds of being struck once in an 80-year lifetime are much higher, but still only about one in 3,000. The risk of being hit by lightning twice in your life is about one in nine million. Feel better? :lol: :wink:
This is however more apt to happen IMO with a company that loads "remanufactured" ammo and not new as they usually don't have the money, manpower or eqpmt. to give top shelf QC.
OP, glad to see you're alright.
Your chances of being struck by lightning in any given year are about one in 650,000. Your odds of being struck once in an 80-year lifetime are much higher, but still only about one in 3,000. The risk of being hit by lightning twice in your life is about one in nine million. Feel better? :lol: :wink:
surveyor47
Single-Sixer
Boge,
I have to disagree with you. I have re-loaded well over 100,000 rounds in my adult life time and I have had exactly 3 rounds cause a malfunction overthat period of time. I did lose a good S&W19 to the combination of Blue Dot and 125 grain JHP 357, which 20 years later had warning issued over. Too late for my gun. But overall, I have had very very few problems with my reloads. I fire very very little factory ammunition.
In stark contrast, I have had relatively frequent malfunctions with factory ammo, which I detailed earlier in this thread. Given the fact that I dont shoot factory ammo very often my experience does not line up with your statement that the chances are similar to the chances of being struck by lightning. My factory ammo is almost exclusively manufactured by Remington or Winchester, except self defense ammo, which is manufactured by Speer or Federal. I have never experinced a malfunction with Speer or Federal, but I have with both Remington and Winchester. I frankly consider my handloads, made up from Remington and Winchester components superior to Remington and Winchester factory ammo. They make good components, but seem to fall down during assembly.
I have to disagree with you. I have re-loaded well over 100,000 rounds in my adult life time and I have had exactly 3 rounds cause a malfunction overthat period of time. I did lose a good S&W19 to the combination of Blue Dot and 125 grain JHP 357, which 20 years later had warning issued over. Too late for my gun. But overall, I have had very very few problems with my reloads. I fire very very little factory ammunition.
In stark contrast, I have had relatively frequent malfunctions with factory ammo, which I detailed earlier in this thread. Given the fact that I dont shoot factory ammo very often my experience does not line up with your statement that the chances are similar to the chances of being struck by lightning. My factory ammo is almost exclusively manufactured by Remington or Winchester, except self defense ammo, which is manufactured by Speer or Federal. I have never experinced a malfunction with Speer or Federal, but I have with both Remington and Winchester. I frankly consider my handloads, made up from Remington and Winchester components superior to Remington and Winchester factory ammo. They make good components, but seem to fall down during assembly.
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
It seems to me that our fairly new member customf1 didn't want to make a big deal about what happened. I bet he gave the ammo and gun to the range/store and had them ship it to Horna... (ooops), the ammo manufacturer and got a new gun and ammo for his trouble. Good for him. I am sure Ruger would have been glad to replace the gun as well.customf1 said:
This kink of situation would be un-nerving to say the least. At least there is no doubt about what happened. (factory overcharge) :shock: :shock:
...Jimbo
VAdoublegunner
Single-Sixer
Well, good on the ammo company for replacing your SP101 and glad it wasn't more serious for you!
Athough many would like to know which factory ammo it was, I can only speculate that one of the conditions for your replacement may have been ensuring confidentiality for the particular manufacturer.
If it is a major ammo manufacturer and they think they have a lot issue rather than an isolated incident, I imagine we will be seeing a recall or warning notice soon enough.
Athough many would like to know which factory ammo it was, I can only speculate that one of the conditions for your replacement may have been ensuring confidentiality for the particular manufacturer.
If it is a major ammo manufacturer and they think they have a lot issue rather than an isolated incident, I imagine we will be seeing a recall or warning notice soon enough.
I guess I'm skeptical as well.
This sort of thing is rare at best. If your gun dealer has seen it often enough to have experience about what the company's response is, that's very questionable.
This sort of thing is rare at best. If your gun dealer has seen it often enough to have experience about what the company's response is, that's very questionable.
Bucks Owin
Hunter
Interesting story...Glad you came out OK!
They replaced your gun ...would have they replaced your hand ???
I see no reason in this post ...If the Ammo company is not mentioned ..for safety reasons...it should be
Sounds like a Toyota thing.....Mums the word . till someone is killed ....
this post should be deleted
I see no reason in this post ...If the Ammo company is not mentioned ..for safety reasons...it should be
Sounds like a Toyota thing.....Mums the word . till someone is killed ....
this post should be deleted
RugerSP101
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 146
HOLY HELL !customf1 said:
Yup, you just convinced me that my reloads are ALL Im ever going to shoot from now on
Ive read other stories about factory loads being double charged and blowing up a gun here and there.
I certainly am not willing to risk my hand or eyes because a machine puts twice as much powder in.
Happy you werent hurt and you got your gun replaced !
RugerSP101
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 146
I can believe it.surveyor47 said:
I just started reloading last year but I am VERY careful to check and REcheck EVERY casing to be sure the load is right.
I use Unique powder so its pretty bulky anyway and would make it pretty hard to miss a double charge when I eyeball it before seating the bullet.
I'll take MY discernment over a machines any day
Jimbo357mag
Hawkeye
The other side of the coin is; if you do damage a gun because of ammo you loaded the first thing the manufacturer is going to ask you is "were you using handloaded ammo?" If the answer is yes I doubt they are going to give you any kind of break on the repair. This time because it was factory ammo he gets a new gun no questions asked. :shock: :shock:
...Jimbo
...Jimbo
RugerSP101
Single-Sixer
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2008
- Messages
- 146
yeahJimbo357mag said:
I didnt know CCI mag primers were so tough so my first batch of reloads didnt all fire the first time. So I thought there was a problem with the SP101 and called Ruger to schedule some bench time to figure it out.
The first thing she asked me about was reloads
I dodged the question and never did give her any information about me or the gun, thank goodness.
No CCW in Illinois
Bearcat
Did the ammo company ask for the rest of the ammo back? Did the ammo dealer say anything about a recall on this lot number of ammo? Is there a chance other shooters might have the same problem with this lot of ammo>
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