Ruger Strength...

[jp zanoya]

I once blew the cylinder on a Blackhawk. I was using handloads and apparently had a double charge of Clays (.45 Colt).
The topstrap bulged, but held and miraculously no one was injured--my buddy was in the booth next to mine and a chunk of the cylinder lodged in the partition between us...

 

[Alpo]

That's another impressive pic...I've seen lots of kabooms' where the topstrap didn't make it...

Here's another version of some abuse....

What's amazing is it was the fifth bullet before the barrel bulged....

giz

Back in '85 I taught my brother-in-law how to reload. He then taught his wife. Either he didn't pay attention to me, or she didn't pay attention to him. She came and asked me for some help, one day. Said she had a bullet stuck in the barrel. I used a steel M16 cleaning rod and a 12-ounce ball peen hammer. She held the gun upright on the work bench and I tapped it out. Actually, I tapped them out. Six jacketed slugs. Ruger Blackhawk 357. They kept the gun for several more years. Shot it a lot. Far as I could tell there was no damage. I suggested she might want to think about putting powder in the cases, next time.