Re: Case exploded today !!!
My money's not on overcharging or any pressure issues related to charge increments.
The only time I ever witnessed a pressure excursion that resulted in case damage and subsequent firearm problems, the greatest likelihood was that the case neck was too long and had gotten pinched in the throat. The resulting pressure spike unleashed hell, yet the same likelihood was that the weights were good and a check weighing of the loaded cartridge would not have caught the problem. All those pictures of the cartidge base are nice, but it's the other end of the case that I'd like to be looking at.
When you think about it, how much of an overcharge would be required to cause such damage? I seriously doubt that much would actually fit inside such a case.
Also, any time I see a pressure excursion like that, I think it's crucial to magnaflux or just go ahead and replace the bolt. Locking lugs are designed not to fail under normal usage, but overpressure is one of those things that doesn't fail right away even after a monumental pressure insult. It's down the road, using a perfectly good round, that the sucker imbeds itself in your forehead. Metal fatigue is like that.
Greg
My money's not on overcharging or any pressure issues related to charge increments.
The only time I ever witnessed a pressure excursion that resulted in case damage and subsequent firearm problems, the greatest likelihood was that the case neck was too long and had gotten pinched in the throat. The resulting pressure spike unleashed hell, yet the same likelihood was that the weights were good and a check weighing of the loaded cartridge would not have caught the problem. All those pictures of the cartidge base are nice, but it's the other end of the case that I'd like to be looking at.
When you think about it, how much of an overcharge would be required to cause such damage? I seriously doubt that much would actually fit inside such a case.
Also, any time I see a pressure excursion like that, I think it's crucial to magnaflux or just go ahead and replace the bolt. Locking lugs are designed not to fail under normal usage, but overpressure is one of those things that doesn't fail right away even after a monumental pressure insult. It's down the road, using a perfectly good round, that the sucker imbeds itself in your forehead. Metal fatigue is like that.
Greg
