Squib round shoots through magazine of competitive shooter's rifle - GIF and video

[olderdan]

Had a bad experience in my pistol shooting days with a BRNO target revolver,

a superb gun. A club member was handing out some 38 special rounds he had been given, I took six. These were target wad cutter loads that we all used and rolled our own. At the fourth shot my revolver exploded and split the chamber and recoiled more than my Blackhawk 357 magnum, I had a ringing in my ears for a few hours despite using ear defenders but otherwise unharmed. Obviously someone had double charged this round. On closer inspection apart from the split chamber it had bent the top frame upwards and turned the cylinder pin into a mini crankshaft, it still had two live rounds loaded. Our local gunsmith declared it scrap but as I love a challenge I decided to try and repair it. First task to was remove the cylinder, and as it was scrap I managed to hacksaw though the front boss and pin, slide it forward and saw the other end of the pin, with sigh of relief the cylinder was now out and unloaded. Careful use of a fly-press got the frame straight again. I now had to make a new cylinder and the metallurgist at work recommended a chrome moly steel called 552 unhardened. To cut a long story short I managed to make a new cylinder on my lathe after making a faceplate fixture

which I still have,
unfluted as I had no mill and it was proofed and stamped at Birmingham Proof House. The gun performed as well as ever and was sold a few years later as thanks to the IRAs activities we lost access to our military shooting range. Just small bore shooting after that but not so much fun. This was about 45 years ago so no photos as we did not record everything back then. As it is the only one with a plain cylinder it would be amazing to hear of someone who now owns it.

[NeiljohnUK]

As it is the only one with a plain cylinder it would be amazing to hear of someone who now owns it.

Probably cut up and/or melted down like mine were in 1997, I actually saw one of mine (a very distinctive Colt 1911 {yes just 1911 not a later A1}) being cut in a huge hydraulic shear then being thrown into the furnace for casting into manhole covers on our local BBC news.

[Jon]

Not exactly sure what we have here; possibly a squib or maybe some other malfunction that led to a delayed discharge.

[Hoosiersmoker]

I don't think the gun he was holding actually fired. Watch where it was aiming when he laid it down. It was quite a bit off to the left of that bottle yet the bottle exploded and the gun stayed on the table he laid it on. It would have flown into or past him. It appears someone with him was playing a very dangerous prank on him. Either that or he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. Maybe he's an alcoholic, that was a bottle of vodka and wifey showed up packin' heat!

[Loose Ctrl]

The bottle on the table was shot from his left flank. I'm sure he later discovered he had glass in him.

[Ralphxyz]

Well I learned at an early age if one has a miss fire to immediately open the bolt. Don't just lay the gun down and consider it safe.

Ralph

[VinnieL]

Well actually I was taught on the target range to continue to hold the rifle on target for a period of time and after a few minutes, open the bolt and remove the cartridge. Opening the bolt immediately could result in an explosion with shrapnel and powder burns.
In law enforcement with a semiautomatic when experiencing a misfire the procedure is to tap the bottom of the magazine, rack the slide and attempt to fire again. It is known as "Tap, Rack, Boom."

[Loose Ctrl]

I learned both of your techniques.

[Ralphxyz]

Whatever, you should not just lay the gun down and leave it for the next guy as the shooter was attempting to do!!

Ralph

[Moldyjim]

Yeah, going frame by frame. his gun didn't move before the bottle exploded, his foot caught the table and knocked it over.
Whoever shot the bottle of water(?) is the asshole.
I hope he wasn't hurt, just scared.