Bulldog Blow up

[John R]

Glad you were not hurt.
NOW, I have to ask, "Did that round hit the target"?

 

[Geronimo Jim]

I ask about which machine the ammo was loaded on not to put
blame on the machine. I have been a cowboy shooter for
15 years and have seen several blown guns. Every one was on
a Dillon 550. Not a 650 not a 1050. Don't get me wrong, I love
Dillon! I have a 550 and a two 650's in my basement. The 550
does not have auto index. When you stop or get distracted, it
is easy to not index and pull the handle. MY POINT IS TO SIMPLY
CAUTION ANYONE WITH A 550 TO BE VERY CAREFUL. I was
standing next to a shooter when the top two chambers and top strap
went north. He had to go to hospital for stitches. Sad part was
it was a second gen Colt that he bought new in the late 50's. He
had taken deer, mountain lion, bobcat, any many other's. Gun gone..
irreplaceable. BTW..it was a 45 colt loaded on 550. No doubt a
double charge of fast powder.

 

[JaPes]

Hopefully you didn't get badly hurt!

Top strap and top of the cylinder blew upwards into the foam of the shooting lane. The ballistic lane dividers kept the bits that blew sideways from injuring anyone else. I got a small cut on my knuckle that looked worse than it was. Safety glasses caught any small bits that peppered my face.

I got lucky.

 

[federali]

Dillon 550B

I too use the Dillon 550B for my handgun ammo. After once becoming distracted with a priming problem and throwing a double charge which I caught at the next station, I now go through the trouble of looking into each case as it leaves the charging station. If there's a primer seating problem, I pull the retainer pin and remove the primed case from the charging station until everything is working correctly.

 

[David R]

Guns don't kill people.
Presses don't blow up guns.

I pulled some of the bullets. I found one with a gas check and 9.5 grains of powder that did not look like Unique, it was finer. No idea. We used the standard unique, bullseye and 2400, sometimes WW231.

Easy on the internet diagnosis please.

David

 

[steamloco76]

First, I'm glad you were not seriously injured. Wearing safety glasses and holding the revolver properly go a long way.

The fragmented revolver shows Charter Arms has a good design much like S&W. The parts blew upward and to the sides not directly back at the shooter. I too would purchase another Bulldog.

I've been reloading since the early 1980's on single stage presses only. I used to use 50 round loading blocks, charging 50 cases, then inspecting each with a flashlight. Now I throw the charges as I assemble the round. Sequence- take expanded case throw charge- look into case to observe powder level- seat bullet and crimp. I weigh every 10th charge and if any I throw look the least bit off I weigh them. No system will ever be 100% foolproof. I trust my ammunition for my wife and I to shoot. I will NOT shoot anyone else reloads in my guns-period. I also will not give anyone my reloads to shoot in their guns.

Stay safe and keep shooting.

 

[silentflyer]

Saw a 29 blow up once from a over charge of Bullseye not sure if it was a double or triple or what, but after that my powders are Unique,2400 and 296/H110 and nothing else. All cases are checked with a visual with a flashlight. I am a guy who makes mistakes once in a while, but never with a double charge.

 

[Alpo]

Guns don't kill people.
Presses don't blow up guns.

I pulled some of the bullets. I found one with a gas check and 9.5 grains of powder that did not look like Unique, it was finer. No idea. We used the standard unique, bullseye and 2400, sometimes WW231.

Easy on the internet diagnosis please.

David

David, there was a recall, a couple of years ago. Some Unique cans were filled with Bullseye. That'll damn sure give you a uh-oh.

I wrote 'em and told 'em that the lot number on my can was smeared and unreadable, but the powder LOOKED like Unique. They said if it looked like it, it was.

 

[M E Morrison]

Top strap and top of the cylinder blew upwards into the foam of the shooting lane. The ballistic lane dividers kept the bits that blew sideways from injuring anyone else. I got a small cut on my knuckle that looked worse than it was. Safety glasses caught any small bits that peppered my face.

I got lucky.

I have seen safty glass that were ruined by one thing or another - all I can say is thank God they were being worn!!!

 

[ironhead7544]

Makes Trail Boss look good for light loads. The problem is that it is hard to find now.

With a progressive, it is possible to load two light cast bullets in a big case. I heard about this happening with the 44-40. The bullet lube can build up and hold the bullet in the die. Then the next one will seat over it. If it is not noticed, the gun could blow up. I checked my 200 gr cast RNFP and found I could get 2 in a 44 Magnum case but not in a 44 Special case.

A lot of people use the lighter cast bullets in the 45 Colt. I dont think this could happen with the standard 250 gr bullets.

 

[chaparrito]

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.

double ditto. I do exactly the same thing. Nobody ever hears me brag about how many rounds I can do in an hour. I have caught 2 or 3 doubles in the two years I've been reloading. Had one mysterious undercharge that lodged a bullet in the bbl of my 1911, but that one was made up when there was a bunch of family around and I was distracted. From then on, no people, no music, no cats, "grouchy person making ammunition" sign, strictly a solo activity.

Very glad you weren't hurt.

 

[linde]

I ask about which machine the ammo was loaded on . . . have seen several blown guns . . . every one was on a Dillon 550. The 550 does not have auto index. When you stop or get distracted, it is easy to not index and pull the handle. MY POINT IS TO SIMPLY CAUTION ANYONE WITH A 550 TO BE VERY CAREFUL.

An excellent point. I also have a Dillon 550 and make it a practice to clear all stages any time I stop for any reason. I simply stop adding empty cases in stage one and continue indexing until the last empty case completes all remaining stages.

Russ

 

[RussellD]

"Loaded on a Dillon 550?"


Probably loaded by some old coot using a single stage who forgot to take heart pills and wear reading glasses


Doesn't take much killing to do a charter arms in anyhow.

 

[Simmer down]

The break is interesting. The cylinder split like a wedge was used and it just separated with the grain.

 

[Otreb]

That sucks, stuff happens as you said.
Hopefully CA will hook you up with another bulldog.
Must have been the "Skeeter Load" (underwear version).
I hope it gets sorted out.

 

[David R]

Called Charter today. Talked to Donna, very nice girl. She is sending a shipping label. Not much else discussed. She was surprised it was a bulldog.

The first thing she said was we will send you a new one. She asked how old it was, I told her it blew on the first day. This helped get the free shipping label.

I was my usual self, joking and in a good mood. I know this helps.

David

 

[Alpo]

I wonder if, in a case like this, they would wait until the broken one arrives, stamp a new frame with the same SN, build you the gun and then ship it back - same SN means same gun, which is already "your gun", so no "transfer" so no dealer/4473/call-in? Or if they send you an "already made" gun, which means a new SN, and going through a dealer, and (depending on your state) registration hassle?

 

[David R]

We will find out. I don't think they can make 2 with the same serial number.

Stay tuned. [emoji2]

 

[shawn mccarver]

Charter Arms makes very fine revolvers, and as stated, "stuff happens."

 

[David R]

M E Morrison, I have said all my life, I am blessed with poor vision. I wear glasses all my awake hours. I could not count the times they saved me from odd things.

These had 260 grain home cast bullets, Just a small amount sticking out of the case. Two would never fit.

David

Wile we wait for Charter:



This has happened to me once before with a rifle. I was shooting a remington 700 VL in 22-250 with 55 grain V max with WW748 and with home cast 55 grain gas checked bullets with WW296.

I thought I was firing a factory Winchester 50 grain hp.

I ended up with 296 instead of 748. behind a 55gr bullet. Not knowing it, I fired one round over the chrony It said 4100 fps. I was sprayed in the face with powder. The bolt would not open. I used a block of wood and a hammer on the bolt handle, It broke off.

At the time I thought I had fired a Winchester 50 HP. So I called them first. They said send the rifle and ammo. Then I called Remington. They said send the gun. It was only a couple months old. Remington is 150 miles from here.

I sent the gun to remington. Once they had it, I figured out what I did by pulling down the remaining rounds. I compared powders and realized how I did what I did. I wrote a letter to remington explaining what I did. I also told them to feel free to use my letter as an example.

The gun got a new bolt, barrel and trigger group. All done just before christmas and on the bill it said no charge due to good will. Must have been over 10 years ago.

I sometimes shoot that rifle in 100 yard and 200 yard rifle matches.

Not quite off topic...

David

This is when I learned to keep only one can of powder on the bench.

Here is the target i shot with the cast bullets.

I quit shooting cast out of that gun once I got it back. It shoots jacketed great.
300 yards, 14 shots, 5.5" group. 55 gr cast of pure linotype, gas check max load of SR4759. 2750 fps.