Lee Loader

This is what happens when you fire a 44 Mag in a 45 Long Colt, it happened I think about 10 years ago. I rotated the cylinder 90 degrees to show the damage better.

Factory ammo was being used, new box of 45 long colt. Apparently there was a 44 mag cartridge in the box. Our best guess was the cartridges got accidentally switched in the sporting goods store. I was told by the owner that they never found a piece of the metal that is missing. Nobody standing around got hit with anything. Even the guy firing it did not get hurt. The case head was still in the battery position, that is how they know for a fact that it was a 44 mag case. Case on left is 44 mag, right is 45 long colt.

Wow it shows even factory ammo should have a once over to be safe. Just like military ammo. I use to shoot tons of federal XM855 still had to check each before inserting into mag.. As some the brass would be folded over at the neck. Bullets would be crooked, case shoulders smashed. Always can rely on yourself so if mistake happens yourself is to blame. Glad all were unharmed with this one.

Holy Crapola that is nasty. Amazing no one got hurt. Also this is a HEADS UP for those shooting OTC ammo. I can see it happening in LGS where people examine the boxes. So thanks for posting this information as it's another GOOD reminder of staying focused, paying attention..

Man that'll ruin a sweet old model RBH. It seems like a 44 would vent enough to not do that. 452 groove vs 429 bullet. The case probably split owing to the Dia differences between the cases. BlackHawk loads run the Colts upto 25000psi and the frame is the same as the 44. I don't know what the top pressures arev forth 44and I expect that tolerance stacking could be at the core of the failure.

I read an article several years ago about the goings on at some of the corporate shoots for the gun writers. The writer's editor was along and was having his go with a 44.the writer noted that the target was dismal, the editor says yeah and this is the 2nd cylinder that all the cases are split. Turns out he had shot about 18 rounds of 41 mag through a 44.

It's good to know the egos were the only thing hurt.

Wow, amazing nobody got hurt! I wouldn't expect a wrong round in a box of factory ammo, too. Thanks for the report!

That is really surprising. The Ruger Blackhawk cylinder will take 44 magnum pressure without blowing out. John linebaugh tested them to destruction and said that it took 60kpsi to destroy one.

When you take into consideration that the brass would swell to 45 colt case capacity(fireforming) and the fact that the .429-.430" bullet would have plenty of room in the bore the "over pressure" situation should not occur.

Something just doesn't add up in this story.

ljnowel wrote:That is really surprising. The Ruger Blackhawk cylinder will take 44 magnum pressure without blowing out. John linebaugh tested them to destruction and said that it took 60kpsi to destroy one.

When you take into consideration that the brass would swell to 45 colt case capacity(fireforming) and the fact that the .429-.430" bullet would have plenty of room in the bore the "over pressure" situation should not occur.

Something just doesn't add up in this story.

Don't know John linebaugh, maybe he should have tested a few more.

Steve wrote:

ljnowel wrote:That is really surprising. The Ruger Blackhawk cylinder will take 44 magnum pressure without blowing out. John linebaugh tested them to destruction and said that it took 60kpsi to destroy one.

When you take into consideration that the brass would swell to 45 colt case capacity(fireforming) and the fact that the .429-.430" bullet would have plenty of room in the bore the "over pressure" situation should not occur.

Something just doesn't add up in this story.

Don't know John linebaugh, maybe he should have tested a few more.

Maybe you should read up on john linebaugh and the 45 colt.

I really can't believe that a standard pressure 44 blew it up, for all the reasons listed above.

I've been pondering this issue since it was posted and trying to wrap my little half bald redneck head around it .....

Thinking here.....

As soon as the primer lights, within milliseconds it begins powder ignition...

Then, upon ignition, pressure instantly builds up in the brass case to release the bullet and send it on it's merry way .... while powder is still igniting through the normal spike in peak pressure (normally after the bullet has completely left the case ...

My understanding is that the reason brass is made to "fit" the chamber, is to reduce the amount of expansion in the case (as well as maintaining the shape of the brass) so as to control the pressure curve part of the equation... i.e., make sure proper ignition and amount of powder burn has been accomplished to clear the bullet from the case mouth before the peak pressure has been hit ....

Now, if I'm thinking with all 6 cylinders (yeah, I drive 6 bangers), if there's a bunch of cylinder slop - which there would be if a .44 round was flopping around in a .45 cylinder - a whole lot of brass expansion is going to disrupt the normal pressure cycle/powder burn, and the pressure spike might just take place before the bullet clears the brass

kaboom....

then, just to clarify .... I'm still just a redneck, dirt surveyor and not a ballistician .... nor a ballerina


jd

mr surveyor wrote:I've been pondering this issue since it was posted and trying to wrap my little half bald redneck head around it .....

Thinking here.....

As soon as the primer lights, within milliseconds it begins powder ignition...

Then, upon ignition, pressure instantly builds up in the brass case to release the bullet and send it on it's merry way .... while powder is still igniting through the normal spike in peak pressure (normally after the bullet has completely left the case ...

My understanding is that the reason brass is made to "fit" the chamber, is to reduce the amount of expansion in the case (as well as maintaining the shape of the brass) so as to control the pressure curve part of the equation... i.e., make sure proper ignition and amount of powder burn has been accomplished to clear the bullet from the case mouth before the peak pressure has been hit ....

Now, if I'm thinking with all 6 cylinders (yeah, I drive 6 bangers), if there's a bunch of cylinder slop - which there would be if a .44 round was flopping around in a .45 cylinder - a whole lot of brass expansion is going to disrupt the normal pressure cycle/powder burn, and the pressure spike might just take place before the bullet clears the brass

kaboom....

then, just to clarify .... I'm still just a redneck, dirt surveyor and not a ballistician .... nor a ballerina


jd

Nope, that's not how it works.

Think of this, how many times have you seen a picture on the net of a 40 fired in a 45? It's all swelled up at the end. Because the bullet is smaller than the vote and the brass has room to expand the pressure doesn't build, it vents.

Normally as the pressure starts to build the case expands to the chamber. When the chamber is so much bigger the brass continues to expand until it hits chamber walls or it splits. If it splits the pressure vents and it never makes it's peak pressure.

When the bullet leaves the case and has so much daylight around it in the bore pressure isn't going to build up there either.

When you consider those points it makes it very unlikely that this was caused by a 44 mag in a Ruger Blackhawk. Add into that the fact that the Blackhawk cylinder can handle those kinds of pressure it really doesn't make sense.