I am OK

[trodrig]

Holy Crap! Glad you're ok Jamie!

[whistlepig]

Glad you are ok...... that one is in the lead for the drastic failure award.

From the pics, it looks like the firing pin is in place, but pulled/pushed partway back. Do you remember if it was like this in the immediate post blast or did it move as the remains were being inspected? This smacks of obstructed bore. The only one like this I have seen before was the result of an obstructed bore (squib load) between the gas port and the muzzle. All of the gas came racing back down the gas tube and split the upper in an VERY similar way. That shooter had a split gas tube as well and a slight, but identifiable barrell bulge just forward of the front sight base. If the firing pin was pushed back, I can only wonder if there is case failure with gas escaping there as well, but I would imagine that there would be more firing pin damage. Please keep us up to date as you salvage and inspect the carcass.

Once again, glad you are ok.

[ChristianHE]

I am glad you were not injured badly. Bizarre. Looks like the next round fired or cooked off in the magazine. When you get the bolt out of there you'll know more.

[bigbrowndog]

I do think you need to change the topic title,.....I am OK?????? thats a stretch!!! maybe "I am no worse off"

Jamie i think you gun detonated while in battery, otherwise how would your bolt have been locked into the barrel extension, now all the extra gas/pressure probably came down thru your gas key and caused the magazine/ammo deformation. It definetly looks like an over-pressurization from the chamber/barrel area.

glad to hear you're "no worse off"

Trapr

[jar]

Glad you're OK. Barrel obstruction seems like the only thing that could possibly cause that much damage, since you obviously can't fit a double charge in a 223 case.

[AlamoShooter]

no brass of any amount on the table I was shooting from. some carbon dented into the table and one very small pice of brass. I think if a round "cooked off" in the mag I would find some brass parts some place -No-. still did not find the left side of the upper. the lower may be OK after I used chanel lockes to squezz the mag back in to positon so that I could push it out of the lower. The Gass tube and gass block are fine and I will reuse both. so ???? The barrel looks near new from the nut forward.

Teh fireing pin is locked in place with a bend in it.

One Theory presents was - " the round just before the boom may have cracked the barrel extention, the next round could not chamber completly with the cracked extention so it fired out of batter in the positon the bolt is in now. letting most of the gas come back "

The Jp barrel is small out to the gas block = and it feels just fine on the outside.

I tought how thanfull I was that it did not come apart more so I have a short video I did thanking Erik at Loki for his billet recivers . This is just after I picked up my stuff and was about to drive home, me dark marks on my face stung like heck

[Shadowrider]

I just don't see how one or even more cooking off in the mag could generate enough pressure to cause THAT MUCH damage. Rounds cooking off in a fire or something just don't pose much of a threat. No chamber and breech to support the case. What does your buffer and tube look like? Because your BC got hit really hard. I wonder if a 6x or 7x grain bullet got mixed in with what you were loading.

Out of curiosity what weight bullet were you shooting? I run BLC(2) with 55's.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Shadowrider

[pyrrhic3gun]

I see the bolt split down the ejector hole. If it split through to the firing pin bore hole it could release a lot of pressure through the extractor cut (along with the pressure coming through the splits in the extension?) blowing up the carrier. Maybe. My first inclination is to ask what kind of bullets and what OAL. Maybe a "too-long" bullet got jammed in the lands? That is a first class paperweight!

[Dan Sierpina]

Jamie,

Glad to hear you're okay! You didn't run out of BLC2 and subustitute Bullseye or something did you? Detonation is a real thing, and it could have happened here.

[-JQ-]

Glad to hear you're OK. I guess no modeling future for you :-)

I can't offer any thoughts on the failure however...

Glad to hear your optics are fine too

[AlamoShooter]

went to range yesterday to put my scope on my back-up gun - It felt like getting back on an Angry Hoarse- my eyes flinched down on most of the shots.

The Fault falls on Me

All this mental searching kept me up at night.

It must have been a powder contamination, I pulled 150 rounds that I loaded from a new 8bl and during the powder switch and reset to change from loading 69 gr bullets with Varget and thin setting up to load 55s with BLC2 I remember grabbing a small glass jar of "powder" and dumping it into the hopper. The only thing I have in my stock that looks like BLC2 is HS6 that I loaded months ago. that glass jar must of had hs6 and not BLC2

I dumped out all the 8 bls of powder into a glass pan and it looks consistent , all the rounds I pulled look consistent.

I don't have even one loaded round reaming that has a 55 gr bullet in it.

Fresh start order new parts. pay the price

[Dan Sierpina]

It must have been a powder contamination, I pulled 150 rounds that I loaded from a new 8bl and during the powder switch and reset to change from loading 69 gr bullets with Varget and thin setting up to load 55s with BLC2 I remember grabbing a small glass jar of "powder" and dumping it into the hopper. The only thing I have in my stock that looks like BLC2 is HS6 that I loaded months ago. that glass jar must of had hs6 and not BLC2

Jamie,

I was joking when I posted earlier, about the pistol powder.

[outerlimits]

so we're talking 25 or so grains of hs6?

[Jesse Tischauser]

Damn! That ain't fun at all. Glad your as good as u used to be.

[shooterready]

went to range yesterday to put my scope on my back-up gun - It felt like getting back on an Angry Hoarse- my eyes flinched down on most of the shots.

The Fault falls on Me

All this mental searching kept me up at night.

It must have been a powder contamination, I pulled 150 rounds that I loaded from a new 8bl and during the powder switch and reset to change from loading 69 gr bullets with Varget and thin setting up to load 55s with BLC2 I remember grabbing a small glass jar of "powder" and dumping it into the hopper. The only thing I have in my stock that looks like BLC2 is HS6 that I loaded months ago. that glass jar must of had hs6 and not BLC2

I dumped out all the 8 bls of powder into a glass pan and it looks consistent , all the rounds I pulled look consistent.

I don't have even one loaded round reaming that has a 55 gr bullet in it.

Fresh start order new parts. pay the price

Jamie, this seems to be the plausable explanation. HS6 in that amount = well you know...

Glad you're OK. What a lesson!!!

Stay safe.

[shooterready]

BTW, I use original 1 lb. containers and refill them from 8 pounders. I ensure the labeling is intact on all containers during all transfering and filling of my powder drop. A well organized bench goes a long way.

Not implying that you don't do this, just hammering home the importance for everyone of a well organized system when reloading multiple calibers, etc.

[AlamoShooter]

so we're talking 25 or so grains of hs6?

NO not strait, I remember that night four weeks back that I decided to get a head start on loading for shoots after I was to get home from SMM3G.

I was ready to refill the completely empty hopper and dumped in 3/4 full, I looked at the shot-glass amount of powder that had been on the shelf, I looked in it and mentally said its BLC2 so dumped it in on top of the 3/4 full hopper. 'It looked off just a bit" so I pulled the hopper and tilted it to the side to see if the small amount was infact off. ???? not sure // nor sure so I tilted it in to a 1bl container , I could not see any thing off, but by thin it was mixed in . I said dang mentally saying this set of loads is just for training dumped it back in the hopper and forgot about it until ....Yesterday

That night 4 weeks ago I have not loaded senc, so the hopper was still 1/2 full 100 rounds were boxed up after casechecking and marking each round with my red ring. 75 or so was in the loading bin.

Saturday mooring I grabbed 60 rounds from the bin for practice that were not marked or case checked.

The crono work was using my match loads and the boom was after I switch to the practice loads.

After the Booom

Saturday night I pulled 50 rounds looking at all the powder for discrepancy dumped the remains powder from that night back in to the 8bl container thinking my loads were OK.

Sunday proved me wrong about what OK means.

Edited April 2, 2012 by AlamoShooter

[BlueOvalBruin]

So, how did the 25gr of HS6 work the comp?

[RiggerJJ]

Jamie,

Ask Carrol Pilant about pistol powder in a rifle...his "trophy" is on the wall in his office.

glad you got away with just your pride getting a little damaged!

JJ

[AlamoShooter]

so we're talking 25 or so grains of hs6?

This is just a guess But its the only odd thing I can remember from 4 weeks ago

I don't know for sure that it was HS6 and IF it was thin less than 100 grain got mixed in to the full hopper with near a 1/2 pound in it. I do remember tilting the powder over and dumping it out of the powder hopper slow to see if the shot glass amount was the same as BLC2 it looked the same but with possible a tint off , So I dumped it back in again, and it was all mixed up by that time.

Pulling all the rounds from that load session, I can not find any rounds that look different.

I am just going to throw out all the powder.

This has got my pride sunk into a deep crevasse.

So I poured out a pound of BLC2 in a cooking tray and thin put in a shot glass amount of HS6 on top with Linda watching, we could see a difference. next I tilted the tray left and right and the HS6 disappeared into the mix. next I looked at the glass pan that held 150 rounds of pulled rifle load powder and I could see some extra round flat flakes like the test batch.

So It looks Like I proved that "I am a screw up"

Twice

Edited April 3, 2012 by AlamoShooter

[AlamoShooter]

7bl of BLC2 is now spread out over my yard.

I really liked that gun ...I wonder how long my flinch will last?

[slowsure]

Dang Jamie! You could "mess up" an anvil with a feather duster son! Just kiddin. What shade of brown was you your shorts after that "event"?

Very glad your pride only was injured.

Do you think the bolt lugs on either side of the extractor slot could have sheared? Locking up and splitting the extension? I haven't seen a split extension by itself, usually one side or the other of the extractor bolt lug fails. Or you loaded the wrong powder?

Either way scary stuff!

[RGinIdaho]

Glad you're okay.

This isn't meant to preach or belittle or second guess but I can't help but notice;

1. Storing powder in the hopper instead of the original container...

2. Storing powder in a glass jar or shot glass...

The first is unbelievably common but still hazardous. The second is really out on a limb.

Both of those violate one of the most basic safety rules for handling of powders. It is generally considered to be a hazardous practice with any chemical.

It's a good lesson for all of us. It could happen to any one of us if we are not diligent when it comes to following safety rules.

Again, glad you are okay.

[Bryan 45]

Jamie, you sharing your experience here may very well save someone else from having to replace a rifle at least, and having to get fitted for a glass eye at the best.

Thank you.

[sparks1]

Jamie, you sharing your experience here may very well save someone else from having to replace a rifle at least, and having to get fitted for a glass eye at the best.

Thank you.

+1 on this. I have high regard for a man willing to put his mistake up for public perusal. You are aces in my book.

Thank you