Bulldog Blow up

[Alpo]

I do the same thing. Fifty at a time, and visual with a flashlight before seating a bullet.

The thought, "not IF but WHEN" a double charge would make me stop reloading.

 

[lethe]

That's a bummer. At least you came out of it unscathed.

 

[mrrick]

Always check with a flashlight!

 

[beagleye]

Whenever I see one of these pictures I wonder about those Rhinoceros revolvers, do they ever blow up? That seems like possibly a bummer for your hand.

 

[JaPes]

What did that used to be?

It used to be a Taurus M66.

I overcharged a round a couple years ago. It was a wake up call.

 

[pawncop]

Allow me to add my thoughts that you were not injured.
FWIW
Back in the day when I reloaded I would throw the powder, inspect the case and seat the bullet.

 

[arjay]

I switched to pawncop's method a few years ago after loading a pair of squibs while batch loading.Its just too easy to look at 50 cases and not really see.

 

[Malpasowildlifer]

ouch.......

 

[LVSteve]

Laundry call...

 

[zelda]

Dad does his one at a time. Load powder, insert bullet, then seat/crimp

 

[VictorLouis]

I don't know that I've ever seen a blown Smith with the entire top-strap MIA as with these two. Normally a single break near the flash gap, with the top-strap left bowed-out or banana peeled. I guess that's the result of a forged, vs. cast, frame process.

 

[6518John]

Laundry call...

Amen to that! I have seen this happen one time--I was 5 or 6 years old--and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of those old Iver Johnson, owl head, break-tops you see at the gun shows for a hundred and fifty bucks. I seem to remember it was 38 S&W and my dads friend got off a page in his manual and loaded 38 SPECIAL. BOOM!! Dads friend later said "man there have to be easier ways to field-strip."

That and being at the gunsmith's with my dad and a weekend commando (400 pounds and dressed in head-to-toe camo--my dad whispered to me, "son I bet his under-britches are camo too") bringing in his cocked and locked 1911, popping the clip, then waving it around complaining to the gun smith, who kept trying to interrupt the guy and ask "let's rack that slide and lock it back." Everyone knows where this is going, and I wonder if the hole in the wall is still there? I was 7 or 8 and remember that like it was yesterday too, along with the gun smith throwing the guy out. He was a small man, but got excellent lift when the big fellow went out the door thrown by his collar and seat of his pants.

 

[Alpo]

I don't know that I've ever seen a blown Smith with the entire top-strap MIA as with these two. Normally a single break near the flash gap, with the top-strap left bowed-out or banana peeled. I guess that's the result of a forged, vs. cast, frame process.

Here you go. I doubt all these pix will be Smiths, but some are.

https://www.google.com/search?q=blo...DcyeNpKfgagP&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1024&bih=638

 

[Old cop]

I'm all thumbs w/two left feet so I buy factory stuff, even though it costs more. Glad no one was hurt.

 

[M E Morrison]

It used to be a Taurus M66.

I overcharged a round a couple years ago. It was a wake up call.

Hopefully you didn't get badly hurt!

 

[italiansport]

I've not yet thrown a double load, but early on I threw a couple of no-loads. What I do now is charge the cases by the fifties, and with all fifty cases in the loading block, inspect them with a flashlight, up one row and down the next. They need to look all the same. Then I place the bullets, if that's practical, or seat bullets from the loading block, without interruption.

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE

That's exactly the same procedure I've used for years without a problem.
Jim

 

[gen3guy]

I just bought one of these because I like the concept. I have to admit that the diminutive appearance of this revolver causes concern. I shot about 40 factory loads the other day with no problems. This included some CCI aluminum case and some Winchester 200 Gr. Silvertips. I do reload this caliber. My only other .44 is a Super Blackhawk so hot .44 Special loads never concerned me. My standard load is 7 grains of Unique behind a 240 grain LSWC. I will have to rethink that for the Bulldog.

 

[David R]

I don't know that I've ever seen a blown Smith with the entire top-strap MIA as with these two. Normally a single break near the flash gap, with the top-strap left bowed-out or banana peeled. I guess that's the result of a forged, vs. cast, frame process.

I was thinking the same thing. Most pictures I have seen are carbon steel guns with the top strap bent.

I think the difference is Stainless and Carbon steel.

The stainless just sheared where the steel bends. The frame does not seem to be bent like a top break, it just blew straight up.

For the rest. It seems everyone I show it to wants to blame some one. They ask if Charter will stand behind it. If I don't tell them I used reloads. No I will not even try that.

One here asked if it was loaded on a specific brand of machine. No, I will not blame any machine or even entertain the thought. I don't know what happened any more than I told in my first post.

I pulled the trigger, it went boom with no more recoil or anything else than the last shot. I do not know if the bullet hit the paper or not. A piece of the cylinder was down range, the two cases either side of this one were empty and the bottom two were still there, I took a plastic hammer and whacked the cylinder to get those rounds out. They are the ones I pulled already and weighed the charge. 6 grains of powder. Even if it was bullseye it would not have blown up the gun.

I do have a Super Redhawk in 44 mag, I don't know if it would have contained this round or not. I am still going to pull the rest of the box full for the brass.

I am looking forward to the salesmans face when I bring it back.

David

 

[Vulcan Bob]

Egad's, cant say I've ever seen a blown Bull Dog before! Glad to hear you came through such a dramatic event unscathed. Cant say I've blown one up yet but came close with a charge and a half of Trail Boss that must have been compressed in a .38 Special case with a 158gr LSWC on top. It was a case of being distracted after charging the case's, came back and must have thought I had checked the powder levels as usual, and not knowing how Trail Boss likes to "bridge" in my drum type powder measure and did not double check. The manufacturer of Trail Boss cautions against compressing it and breaking up those little "doughnut flakes" as that will dramatically increase the burn rate leading to potentially high pressures. Man, that thing felt like a max .357 Mag load when it went off in the model ten I was shooting. The gun appeared to be ok afterwards and shoots just fine. I got lucky!

 

[federali]

A Double Load?

Unless I misunderstood, even a double load of Unique wouldn't come close to filling the case. A compressed load of Unique would have been a hand grenade.