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Old 01-05-2010, 08:36 PM
jugchoke jugchoke is offline
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It was a Mod 11. An old, light trap load, from 20/25 years back. The gun had been used the previous day and performed fine. First rooster, first shot of the next day, and this happens. No "20 gauge shell down the tube".

And it WAS NOT "out of battery"! Nothing went "off" in the magazine, (although the shells there were "flattened"), or on the carrier.

All per the actual shooter.

Either an accidental overload from way back in his younger days, or some sort of substantial obstruction, (not too close up or too far out from the shell in the chamber), from the previous days last shot.

There have been numerous "tests" of 20 gauge shells inserted in 12 gauge Rem. 870's, H & R single shots and Benellis, (7 in a row there), with no damage to the guns. Not saying to try such, or that in some cases, it wouldn't happen. (Most if not all the 20 gauge shells never went off, just were expelled out the muzzle, and generated lots of recoil.) But that 20 gauge would of course be "up tight" or at least very close to the end of the chambered 12 gauge. It would likely do much more damage if it was 6 inches or a foot farther down the bore, when the chambered round is fired.

Somewhere close to where this barrel was completely blown in two, with no damage farther forwards and then apparently split backwards from that point.

The shooter said it was apparently those pieces that got his hand and damaged it beyond saving.

Bad deal. I think I was very lucky, oh so many years ago, when I first started messing with loads, back about 1949. I did some very stupid things as a kid, but got away with such.
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