Go Back  HuntingNet.com Forums > Firearms Forum > Black Powder
 BP guns blowing up? >

BP guns blowing up?

Black Powder Ask opinions of other hunters on new technology, gear, and the methods of blackpowder hunting.

BP guns blowing up?

Old 02-08-2005, 03:49 PM
  #1  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 175
Default BP guns blowing up?

What causes ones gun to explodeor blow up?I heard on the radio the day after New Years someone was carrying on a tradition and firing a blackpowder gun and it exploded and killed him.I was just wandering what causes this to happen.
eddie_v21 is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 04:06 PM
  #2  
bigcountry
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

Could be a number of things. Only seen shotguns blow up in my life. I bet its just plain ole metal fatigue. Being shot, carried, cold, hot. I would say half of the explosions are objects in the end of the barrel. I would hate to know the real number of double charges that have went off. But these are guess's.
 
Old 02-08-2005, 04:54 PM
  #3  
Boone & Crockett
 
sabotloader's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Idaho
Posts: 11,703
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

eddie_v21 ,

Unfortnately ML's are blowing up more than they should - all brands of em.... Most often because of operator error - either knowingly or unknowingly... To many people that have never used ML's before are picking them up and begining to shoot with out any kind of education or training in the correct operation of the gun.

To many centerfire people are buying inlines and trying to get them operate like a centerfire - creating magnum loads shooting magnum bullets... I think shooting a ML is an art, one that you need to perfect, and one that you need to be able to read the clues as you shoot and learn... Instead of shooting full loads right off the bat, work your way up, learn how your gun performs and stay within the capabilities of your gun.

It really does not take much to cross the line between safe operation and unsafe operation of a muzzleloader... While the business end of the ML is often pointed down range - what may be the most dangerous part of the ML is most often next to your face when you pull the trigger.

Practice safe muzzleloading - all the time...
sabotloader is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 07:20 PM
  #4  
Dominant Buck
 
cayugad's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

I think sabotloader has hit on a real good point. Many people getting into the black powder sport have no idea of what they are doing. When I first started shooting black powder rifles, we used to think 90 grains of powder was a really hot load. We shot roundball for the most part and what ever we hunted we still mananged to take down.

I remember the first add in a hunting magazine when I saw the rifle able to shoot 150 grains of powder. A friend and I talked about that for some time. We could not dream of a .50 caliber rifle able to shoot 150 grains of powder.

There are now a lot of people with rifles that have pushed these rifles to the limit, by people that do not know they are even doing it. My first inline.. a CVA Staghorn Magnum. Read the instructions and it is only magnum with 3 - 50 grain pyrodex RS pellets. If one were to load 3 Triple Se7en pellets or heaven forbid 150 grains of loose Triple Se7en or Pyrodex RS, you have just entered a danger zone with that rifle. Now put a big heavy conical on top of that load and you have increased the barrel pressures to possible unsafe limits.

It is shocking how many people who get muzzleloaders do not read the manual that comes with the rifle. How often have you seen posts of people with a new rifle asking for advise on how to operate the rifle.

There is also the issue of improperly tested barrels. I say improper because I am not saying they are unsafe. They are tested, just not to the same limits that other gun makers test theirs. If you load them in a responsible manner they are fine, in my opinion. Yet we read of people people blowing CVA's, Winchester and now you talk about a Traditions rifle. The Savage rifle incident I have not formed an opinion on the cause but one did blow up. I will leave that as it stands...

I can not stress enough. Read your owners manual. Learn all the things about muzzleloaders you can. And do not push these rifles more then what the manufacture says to.

Like sabotloader pointed out, the most dangerous part is right next to your face. Lets face it people... load that thing wrong and you have just made a pipe bomb. Take care and be safe out there.
cayugad is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 07:52 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: marion co. ky USA
Posts: 182
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

ORIGINAL: cayugad

I can not stress enough. Read your owners manual. Learn all the things about muzzleloaders you can.
I agree. and dont skip over the parts you think you already know,READ IT ALL!!!
RAKTRAKR is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 08:46 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Snohomish, Washington
Posts: 53
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

I agree I am new to M/L. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on. I shot my Knight Wolverine with 100 grains of Pyrodex, and although the manufacturer says it can shoot 150. I ain't trying it, I can't even imagine what you would shoot using that much powder. 100 grains seemed like a pretty hot load to me, and I am sure I could take any deer, or elk with 100 grains or less.
KenL is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 09:48 PM
  #7  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,236
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

Are you telling me that every time I shoot my Traditions PA Pellet flintlock loaded with 75 gr of 777 and a 295 gr Powerbelt I am taking my life in my hands? ....Just wondering..... By the way, I have NO desire to load 150 grains of anything in this gun, before or after hearing about these events. I am sure there are some who would try it though.
livbucks is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 11:19 PM
  #8  
Nontypical Buck
 
Briman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Body in SE WI, mind in U.P.
Posts: 4,781
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

As long as you have people who think that they can take up muzzleloading for the extended hunting season and expect that they can get their ML to shoot like their .270 with minimum effort and minimum knowledge of what they are doing, MLs will continue to go Kaboom.

I know people like this. They buy a muzzleloader, look at the loading chart. and proceed to start with 150 gr of pyrodex with a heavy slug right off the bat. They shoot 3 or 4 shots to sight in and are ready to hunt. Darwin would be proud.
Briman is offline  
Old 02-08-2005, 11:24 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location:
Posts: 135
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

With 75 grains you shouldn't have a problem. This is the website that article came from and it is just one of the reasons I would buy a product manufactured from BPI.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2h.muzzleloader.htm

BPI is the company that manufactures CVA, Traditions, New Frontier and Winchester Black power guns. I also don't like there trigger pulls but thats another issue. BPI use an extruded process to form there barrells where as pretty much every other manufacturer uses a milled process.


Directly from the CVA website FAQ

Where and how are CVA barrels manufactured?

Answer: All CVA rifle, shotgun, and pistol barrels are manufactured in Spain. They are made using a cold-draw process that creates rifling, finished bore diameter, and outside dimensions in a single operation. Following the cold-draw process, the barrels are stress relieved. This process provides a smooth, concentric, accurate barrel that is free of inherent defects found in barrels made using a multi-operation process.


Here is a quote directly from Knight's web site on there barrels

Knight Rifles offers Green Mountain Rifle Barrels
- Green Mountain represents the gold standard in rifle barrel manufacturing, which is why we feature them on every Knight rifle we produce. The competition simply can't match the precise tolerances and specifications (within one ten-thousandth of an inch) assured by the Green Mountain milling process.

NEF and Thompsons also use a milled process using rifled steel. BPI is only manufacture I know using a extruded cold steel drawing process.

I hope this explains the differences in the barrels and some peoples concerns.
Rwalter63 is offline  
Old 02-09-2005, 03:02 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location:
Posts: 427
Default RE: BP guns blowing up?

I have been shooting 150 grains of pyrodex pellets with 245 grain powerbelt aerotips through my TC Omega and haven't had any problems.I read the owners manual and feel it is a safe load.The reason that I shoot this heavier load is that I hunt the edge of an open field and want to have enough killing power if I take a 200 yard shot.I don't feel confident that 100 grains of pyrodex is enough.
mdrbowler99 is offline  

Quick Reply: BP guns blowing up?


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.