Captain Clark Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Yup, my face looked like a dart board this morning after some practice with a .32 pocket pistol which apparently instantly transformed into a lead shredder! I wasn't convinced the 1st time around as who hasn't been hit by lead splatter, so of course I had to load up another cylinder full and get myself even more damage! The little gun was a recent acquisition for side matches, but the barrel experienced a catastrophic failure when it decided to split at the forcing cone and self destruct less than 10 rounds this morning. Remember cowboys, ALWAYS wear your safety gear, no matter the weather or whatnot! It was hot {96}, and I was miles from the house in the desert, but was able to come back in one piece... {with a few leaky holes in and around my face, ears and one pair of glasses dinged up} ! My hands survived with no damage, luckily I had on Kevlar cut proof gloves from my working days! The other take away from this episode relates to your fellow shooters at our matches. Always check and verify these older firearms are reliable and safe for you the shooter and others standing nearby like TO's and scorekeepers. Somebody is going to ask was the pistol checked over? Yes it was fine, but failed with no warning! Bolt notches, pawl, latch and overall timing was / is good, yet the forcing cone split. I guess I was living right today! So, what have you blown up and walked away from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Three Foot Johnson Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 I was spotting for another shooter last month, and had a nearly complete .45 Colt bullet come straight back off a target and smash into the right lens of my Wiley-X shooting glasses. The plastic distorted and absorbed the impact, the nose piece broke, and I had a shiner and the right side of my face was a bit swollen for a few days. The glasses were toast, but a mere $80 or so sure beats being called One-eyed J Bar for the rest of my days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted August 7, 2017 Share Posted August 7, 2017 Wow, glad you both are okay now. I am happy you both only got the damage that you got and no worse. I have been hit and cut by lead but the worst I got nailed was a 00 Buck shot round ricocheted off a Lexan window we were testing for bullet resistance and came back and hit me in the face lodging itself under the skin at the front of my left cheek bone. I was smiling so the scar is actually in the top part of my mustache line on my face. Had I not been smiling at the time the scar would be on my cheek. The reason I was smiling was I was standing there shaking my head and smiling saying "This is a bad idea". I was right. I will say a 00 Buck shot coming straight back and hitting feels like what I would imagine a solid right hook from Mile Tyson might have felt like. RANG my bell! It also fractured my cheek bone. I did have a .22 magnum revolver blow up in my hand once. That stung like crazy. Burnt my hand but no other damage. Cured of shooting cheap firearms. I am glad you're okay, Capt. Honestly, perhaps shooting alone might be something to rethink as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 In 1962, I was shooting beside an old time shooter, at the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, when his .45 Webley decided to self-destruct. Three chambers blown off and the top strap bulged upward. I caught a bit of the steel from the blown chambers and a little brass. The OTS was helped off holding his wrist and taken to the hospital. I never did find out what he had loaded, but was told he was using salvaged cordite strips from an artillery shell. Not something one forgets in a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 4 minutes ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said: In 1962, I was shooting beside an old time shooter, at the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, when his .45 Webley decided to self-destruct. Three chambers blown off and the top strap bulged upward. I caught a bit of the steel from the blown chambers and a little brass. The OTS was helped off holding his wrist and taken to the hospital. I never did find out what he had loaded, but was told he was using salvaged cordite strips from an artillery shell. Not something one forgets in a hurry. Whadda maroon! Captain Clark J-Bar Im glad you're both okay. I've been hit in the eye (the lens of my safety glasses) by a ricochet while standing about 40' behind/from a two man timed shoot-off. i was also similarly hit in the cheek sometime later by another ricocheted .38 slug. In a still earlier event, while I was acting as a spotter, I took another .38 slug above my heart. I thought I'd been shot straight on....found a big bruise on my chest above my breast, just to the left of my sternum. The deformed slug fell and hit my boot, I picked it up and I still have that one in my little change dish. I don't consider any of the above incidents a big deal. Some years ago, though, the wife of one of our cowboys was standing about 60' back (at least) from the firing line talking to other ladies and reflexively put her shooting glasses back on. A couple seconds later, she was hit in the temple by a large caliber ricochet. She went right down, but there was a nurse with her there who cared for her. The whole side of her head and face were swollen and bruised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Rich Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 Blew up a round in the open port of a 1911. 30gs of Black MZ. My hand was over the port at the time and although there was no mag in it the grips were still split. Stung a bit, I was a little shaky shooting the next stage. kR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 Quote The little gun was a recent acquisition for side matches, but the barrel experienced a catastrophic failure when it decided to split at the forcing cone and self destruct less than 10 rounds this morning This happened because the revolver cylinder was not indexing correctly and the bullet out of the cylinder was hitting the side of the forcing cone Recommendation? Always check the correct indexing of any revolver, old or new. If the index cannot be corrected - the revolver is not safe to shoot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too Tall Bob Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 1 hour ago, Kid Rich said: Blew up a round in the open port of a 1911. 30gs of Black MZ. My hand was over the port at the time and although there was no mag in it the grips were still split. Stung a bit, I was a little shaky shooting the next stage. kR Only YOU would shoot black powder sub in a 1911 - no wonder you keep those goggles on yer tophat!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seamus McGillicuddy Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 3 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said: In 1962, I was shooting beside an old time shooter, at the Connaught Ranges near Ottawa, when his .45 Webley decided to self-destruct. Three chambers blown off and the top strap bulged upward. I caught a bit of the steel from the blown chambers and a little brass. The OTS was helped off holding his wrist and taken to the hospital. I never did find out what he had loaded, but was told he was using salvaged cordite strips from an artillery shell. Not something one forgets in a hurry. .45 Webley's are just plain a bad idea. Either leave them in original .455 caliber or if they are shaved for .45 ACP load them with .45 Autorim. Seamus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Clark Posted August 8, 2017 Author Share Posted August 8, 2017 2 hours ago, John Boy said: This happened because the revolver cylinder was not indexing correctly and the bullet out of the cylinder was hitting the side of the forcing cone Recommendation? Always check the correct indexing of any revolver, old or new. If the index cannot be corrected - the revolver is not safe to shoot Thanks JB, the gun was and is indexing fine, just the bottom of the forcing cone at the 6 o'clock split open and I too thought the same as you on 1st take except the primers strikes were all dead center on all rounds that came out of the gun. The last time I looked, the primer has to be lined up with the firing pin to go bang! I guess these old Iver Johnsons last only so long! As I mentioned the bolt and notches are sharp and lock well, just appears to be metal fatigue for this one as the forcing cone was very thin in this area due to the cut out to clear the cylinder shaft! I guess it could have been something worse.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mustang Gregg Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I had a '91 Mauser fire with the bolt almost open (out of battery). It blew the bolt aft which apparently went between my torso and my right arm. It mostly destroyed my right thumb IP & MP joint. It was hanging by the meat on the palm side. But God was with me and I was able to get me back to civilization and a doc that fixed me up with cadaver parts. Mustang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 And people think we're having fun doing this!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Boy Posted August 8, 2017 Share Posted August 8, 2017 I have a pair of '58 NMA's that used to spit lead every time I pulled the trigger with 454 bullets. Indexing was perfect. Cut the forcing cone 11 degrees and the issue went away Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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