How I learned some years ago the danger of re-loading while watching TV. A double charge of Unique, and kiss your nice old M&P goodbye !! ..Thankfully no injuries.

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A little Flitz and a coat of Ren/wax will clean that right up.

Glad no one was hurt. But this type of 'malfunction' does not usually result in injury especially with proper glasses and no one else standing too close.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I bet that was a surprise.

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Made it, Ma! Top of the world!

A new cylinder and a couple of whacks with a ball peen hammer and you're back in business.

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James Redfield
LM #497

That’ll buff right out

I am gonna go and give mine a hug right now.

About 35 years ago my LGS had one on display very similar condition. The placard with it explained the "new" handloader using a Lee kit read the directions of 3 grains of bullseye, and he put three "scoops" of bullseye in the case. If I recall correctly they left it on display for a couple years as a reminder to handloaders (new or old) to be careful.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Tragic. You have my condolences on your loss.

Reckon that load would kill an N frame?

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On the whistle draw and fire 6

… sad.
Hopefully no-one injured.

that will buff out. start with 60 grit. I hope that's hanging over your reloading bench. I've got a few "aw shucks" sitting on mine to remind me. lee

The Wiley E. Coyote Commemorative Reloading Model !

Seen a few of those, not in my hand but in the hands of the recruit standing next to me who did not hear me yell "CEASE FIRE!". I can tell you (as you know, Sir!) that it does not do a man's underwear much good when that happens!!!!

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So long ... Ken

It's a generous act to share one's own mistake to help others avoid it, takes humility, thanks.

Glad you escaped harm. Looks real scary.

I have had a few discussions on another forum about I will not buy or shoot someone else's reloads but others find it just fine. I do not say it to be offensive, just that well... things happen.

Nice grips!

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Bob P.

Elmer Keith would have had his one armed gunsmith replace the cylinder and weld in a new topstrap.

I know you jest. But, for anyone who would consider doing this.

Might need a few end shake shims too. But, even if one were to press the top strap back into alignment, it would still be longer than original (as it stretched to bow up) and I doubt lower frame stretched much so frame window would be out of square and I think barrel would tilt down. All that is in addition to the loss of tensile strength cause by the stretching and bowing of the top strap being cold worked.

Wow! I am happy that you were not hurt in the incident. What a shame for it to happen to such a nice old gal. This is the exact reason I refuse to use a powder measure to do my reloads, it takes a lot longer to use dippers but I am confident of no double charges. I even always use a flashlight to check all the cases before moving to next stage to check for any missed cases.

More commonly referred to as a KABOOM!
Sad to see, but glad you are okay.

Very glad to hear you are ok, but I have to admit to shedding a tear, or two, for that beautiful M&P.

A good rule in reloading is to weigh the individual rounds when complete. Any that are more than a few ticks away from the average weight should be set aside. The loss of one or two reloaded rounds to be on the safe side more than outweighs the cost of a new revolver.

I too do not trust others reloads. Too many times on the trap field someone on the line either got a "poof" or a "BOOM" and we knew that a load had been either missed or doubled.

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James Redfield
LM #497

Oh snap! Glad you are OK.

I generally use a Little Dandy to drop powder. However, I ALWAYS go back and use a flashlight to check the powder level in each and every cartridge case.

There are only about three people that I trust enough to shoot their handloads. I've known all three of them since 1972-1973.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I am unimpressed with such a wimpy overload. MY K frame overload blew the top strap completely off.

Glad there were no injuries - but as you are aware, that piece with that very expensive "modification" became an instant "safe queen" - way too customized to fire any more. BUT... if you really want to get it "right" for a "one gun display" at the next SWCA Symposium, you really should add a humpback hammer to go with that humpback frame...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

Calibers with oversized cases (like the 38 Special) scare me. So easy to double charge. I like it when the load won't allow two charges fitting in the case.

Only once in 42 years of reloading. Using a bench mounted powder measure a coarse powder stuck in the funnel and only half the charge was dumped. Of course the next case got 1.5 charge. It was a Ruger #1 in 243W and I happened to be shooting over a chronograph when the overloaded round came up. It was like a sunburst at the muzzle when it fired. Case had to be pounded out with a steel rod. (Yes, I bring them with me to the range.) That load was supposed to go 2500 FPS but that one clocked 3400. Gunsmith said no damage to the rifle.

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No life story has happy end.

I have always been very careful to visually inspect all charged cases (rifle and handgun) for consistent powder levels before seating bullets, either in bright sunlight or with a flashlight. And I do that twice just to be sure. So far I have never had a double charge. Also prevents undercharged or uncharged cases.

I don't use Bullseye powder for all the reasons stated above. Too easy to not be able to discern a double charge. Especially with very mild charges.

In fact many Kabooms have been traced to a mild load of Bullseye with a correct powder charge. The powder charge is so small that the powder lays out flat exposing the primer flash hole.

So instead of combustion starting at the back of the charge, the entire surface of the charge ignites. And Bullseye being such a fast burning powder, a proper controlled combustion becomes an explosion with the same result as the OP's experience! There's a term for this occurrence that escapes me at the moment.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I think the word your looking for is detonation. I have read some about it. Some claiming it does happen and others claiming it does not. Seams possible to me. Powders like Bullseye are very fast. Smokeless powder is progressive in that the more pressure it is under the higher the combustion rate.. Massive initial ignition leads to a very high initial pressure, leading to a much higher combustion rate. Boom.

Glad you came through the experience intact.
When I first got my progressive reloaded I “thought” I was being careful, diligent and safe. The first batch I loaded were 38’s. Out of the first group of 50 I had about 15 squib loads. Apparently my novice status had not yet taught me that every time I raise and lower the handle something happens. The entire lot of 500 were taken apart and then run through again with a very careful examination of the case when it came from the charging station.
I was very lucky that the mistake did not run the other direction.

Thank you, yes that's the word.

I recall reading that it was duplicated in a lab test.

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Jim
S&WCA #819

I see a lot of BOOM and KABOOM referenced in these replies, but as I recall it was just a PHFFFFFT and a cloud of white smoke obscuring my entire field of view over the gun. There was no real sound other than PHFFFFFFFT.

May I ask if the bullet exited the barrel, was stuck in the bore, was discovered at some other location or was nowhere to be found?

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On the whistle draw and fire 6

The PHFFFFFFFFFFFT was probably coming from your "personal barrel" right after the KABOOM. Actually the PHFFFFT may have been the powder in the 2 side rounds burning off with no containment after the top one let go and ruptured them and the cases in them. One can understand how the mind could have a problem retaining what just happened in an event like this.

Don't see how there could not have been some kind of BOOM

There was no bullet in the barrel or any of the rounds lying around in the gravel pit where I was shooting (that I noticed). I wasn't really into any "forensics" at the moment. I can say for sure that there was no BOOM and no recoil that I perceived when it blew. I remember my first thought being that there was no "gunshot" sound and no recoil just as if I had a light primer strike failure to fire. My first notice of something being really odd was the white smoke obscuring my sights and target . When it quickly cleared and I could see my gun again, what I noticed first was that I could not get the front sight down in the rear sight. Say what you will ...."NO BOOM" for me. That's my story and I'm sticking to it

The one I observed when a friend's Colt SAA went kaput was not loud either. What I noticed before realizing what happened was the bullet hitting the dirt about 12' from the muzzle.

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Jim
S&WCA #819