1903-A3 BLOWN UP

[Red River Rudy, SASS #8490 LIFE]

I had a really nice A3 until about three hours ago.  Was shooting some cast bullet loads a friend had loaded.  This friend had been loading these cast bullet loads for 30-06 for many years and I trusted his expertise.  I had shot a couple of rounds a few hours before and was pleased at the grouping. I adjusted the sights for the slower cast bullet and went to the shooting table.  At the pull of the trigger, a loud boom, debris back in the face, hands numb, drops of blood on the shooting table.  I touched my face and came away with blood so I said, "Self, this aint good!".  Turns out my hair and eyebrows were singed, and I had a few cuts on my face but nothing bad.  Scared the water out of me, almost!  Cracked the stock at the wrist and in front of the magazine floor plate.  Blew the floor plate and follower out on the table.  The winged safety is now backed out past the bolt.  And of course, the bolt will not open.  It is a 1903-A3 wall hanger now.  Now, the fantastic thing that happened was that I did not take the time to put on shooting glasses.  Jesus intervened and kept my eyes protected.  I have learned a valuable lesson.  I very seldom shoot anything without safety glasses and almost really messed up.  Thank you again Jesus!  I still made a trip tp Doc in the Box to make sure that there was not damage anywhere and still got my eyes washed out.

[Rip Snorter]

Lucky Man!  You gotta have some serious credit "Up There"!

[Red River Rudy, SASS #8490 LIFE]

Rip, I really do have Him watching over me!

[Cowtown Scout, SASS #53540 L]

You are indeed Very Lucky!!!  - never shoot without glasses and shooting someone else’s reloads are always a gamble 

[Sedalia Dave]

Glad you are OK.

 

Do you know what the powder, charge weight and bullet weight the rounds were supposed to be?

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Glad you are okay!  Sorry about the rifle.

Do you know when it was made?

 

Some of the early guns did not have consistent heat treating and would fail like yours.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

35 minutes ago, Red River Rudy, SASS #8490 LIFE said:

Rip, I really do have Him watching over me!

He was looking out for me today too.  As I stopped at my RV park office the electric brakes on my travel trailer failed.  I carefully parked the trailer and made a service call.  Had this happened on our trip to CO State I might have been a trail marker.  No brakes on the San Juan Skyway is a scary thought.

[Sedalia Dave]

1 minute ago, Marauder SASS #13056 said:

Glad you are okay!  Sorry about the rifle.

Do you know when it was made?

 

Some of the early guns did not have consistent heat treating and would fail like yours.

 

That only pertained to the early M1903  made by Springfield Armory with serial numbers below 800,000 or Rock Island Arsenal rifles below serial # below 285,507.

 

AFAIK the 1903-A3 receivers did not have this issue.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

1 hour ago, Marauder SASS #13056 said:

Glad you are okay!  Sorry about the rifle.

Do you know when it was made?

 

Some of the early guns did not have consistent heat treating and would fail like yours.

03-A3. WWII production.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

1 hour ago, Red River Rudy, SASS #8490 LIFE said:

I had a really nice A3 until about three hours ago.  Was shooting some cast bullet loads a friend had loaded.  This friend had been loading these cast bullet loads for 30-06 for many years and I trusted his expertise.  I had shot a couple of rounds a few hours before and was pleased at the grouping. I adjusted the sights for the slower cast bullet and went to the shooting table.  At the pull of the trigger, a loud boom, debris back in the face, hands numb, drops of blood on the shooting table.  I touched my face and came away with blood so I said, "Self, this aint good!".  Turns out my hair and eyebrows were singed, and I had a few cuts on my face but nothing bad.  Scared the water out of me, almost!  Cracked the stock at the wrist and in front of the magazine floor plate.  Blew the floor plate and follower out on the table.  The winged safety is now backed out past the bolt.  And of course, the bolt will not open.  It is a 1903-A3 wall hanger now.  Now, the fantastic thing that happened was that I did not take the time to put on shooting glasses.  Jesus intervened and kept my eyes protected.  I have learned a valuable lesson.  I very seldom shoot anything without safety glasses and almost really messed up.  Thank you again Jesus!  I still made a trip tp Doc in the Box to make sure that there was not damage anywhere and still got my eyes washed out.

Glad you’re okay. 

[Rev Willy Dunkum, SASS # 61027]

Wow scarey wake up call!  I never trust anyone elses reloads anymore.  I've seen too many close calls because of it. 

[watab kid]

10 minutes ago, Rev Willy Dunkum, SASS # 61027 said:

Wow scarey wake up call!  I never trust anyone elses reloads anymore.  I've seen too many close calls because of it. 

 

dittos this , glad your OK 

[Horace Patootie, SASS #35798]

2 hours ago, Rip Snorter said:

Lucky Man!  You gotta have some serious credit "Up There"!

Either that or God is just not ready for you yet   Seriously, I'm glad you are OK.  That could have been "eternal".

[Rip Snorter]

By the time it was the 1903 A3 they had it figured out. I doubt the rifle was at fault.

[Marauder SASS #13056]

Yp, after WW 1, they got better at hardening and continued to improve into the 30's.

[Uriah, SASS # 53822]

13 hours ago, Sedalia Dave said:

Glad you are OK.

 

Do you know what the powder, charge weight and bullet weight the rounds were supposed to be?

Would also like to know.

 

I load cast bullets for the 30-06, 30-40.

Acc 5744, SR 4759, cause it fills the case some, and I can see double charge.

 

Uriah

Edited April 9 by Uriah, SASS # 53822
Edit

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

Glad all that was lost was a vintage rifle!

 

Don't forget the possibility of a squib round (last shot of the earlier shooting string) leaving slug in throat of barrel.    Cast bullet shooters always need to be sure the lighter rounds with cast slugs ALWAYS clear the barrel.   Listen when shooting, or count rounds on target.  

 

Most cast bullet loaders are not loading a "slow" rifle powder, but if he did, that could be a possible cause of a rare Secondary Explosion Event (SEE).  For 30-06 cast loads - never need a powder slower than 3031.   good luck, GJ

[Frontier Lone Rider]

48 minutes ago, Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 said:

Don't forget the possibility of a squib round (last shot of the earlier shooting string) leaving slug in throat of barrel.    

 

Most cast bullet loaders are not loading a "slow" rifle powder, but if he did, that could be a possible cause of a rare Secondary Explosion Event (SEE). 

For 30-06 cast loads - never need a powder slower than 3031.   good luck, GJ

I use 3031 and 4895.

 

I have an 8mm Mauser and a 1903 A3 for BAMM.  I specifically would only buy a 1903 A3 because of the lack of consistent hardening of the 1903 Bolt.

Edited April 9 by Frontier Lone Rider

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

I don't shoot ANYONE'S reloads but my own, I just don't trust anyone else. There are too many variables with case sizing, bullet seating and rifle headspacing and I make mine to fit the rifle I am reloading for. 

 

I don't remember any issues with the 03A3 on heat treat, it was a specific to the 03 early production models. Springfield Armory below 800,00 serial number and Rock Island below 286,507. They has single heat treatment and the metal in the action was brittle. My Dad had one that he sporterized and sent it Pachmayer and they reheat treated it in about 1946. He shot it until he passed away in 2012....I have it now.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

1 hour ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

I don't shoot ANYONE'S reloads but my own, I just don't trust anyone else. There are too many variables with case sizing, bullet seating and rifle headspacing and I make mine to fit the rifle I am reloading for. 

 

I don't remember any issues with the 03A3 on heat treat, it was a specific to the 03 early production models. Springfield Armory below 800,00 serial number and Rock Island below 286,507. They has single heat treatment and the metal in the action was brittle. My Dad had one that he sporterized and sent it Pachmayer and they reheat treated it in about 1946. He shot it until he passed away in 2012....I have it now.

THIS

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

2 hours ago, Frontier Lone Rider said:

For 30-06 cast loads - never need a powder slower than 3031.

These are Lyman's recommended loads from the Cast Bullet Handbook, not just my general guidelines.   GJ

[H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619]

If you don't want to trust other people's reloads, that's fine.   But don't fall into the trap of thinking your own are perfect.  A few years ago, two of my revolvers were blown up by reloads that were reloaded by ME.   To make a long story short, I obviously made, at least two, mistakes.   This was three years ago.  I just finished breaking down all 5000 rounds I had loaded at that time.   

I will never use Win231 for .45 Colt again.   Now, the fault is mine, and not the powder, but going forward, I will be using powders (I am so glad Trailboss is back) that are impossible to overcharge things with because a double charge would overflow the case, or at least be so full that it is clearly an overcharge.

Perhaps I am being over cautious, and it was my own error that caused the problem, but anything I can do to prevent potential problems, I will do.  

And always pay attention to what you are doing.  

[watab kid]

its always sad to see a vintage rifle get damaged as well , i value above any collectible but it is sad to loose the collectible 

[Cpt Dan Blodgett, SASS #75655]

routinely shoot gallery loads with cast bullets with 10 to 12 grains A2 for something around 1200 1400 fps 210 grain gas checked. for 300 yards same bullet and published varget data. From my Krag K31 and 03 Springfield