Anybody have a rifle malfunction that made them say what!

[Triggerhead Ed]

Don't load a 300 Blackout in a 223/5.56 gun
It will chamber and Fire and
Explode
.308 will not go down .223 barrel
When you shoot subsonic and don't see a hole in the target
CHECK the barrel
The next shot was a disaster
The 6x45 blew the gas block and barrel
If you shoot a revolver and have a hang fire during the speed Plate Match
Stop shooting
The hang fire went off down the side of the barrel could have been worse if it was lined up with frame
Be SAFE and Think when having Fun my Friends

 

[MudRunner2005]

Don't load a 300 Blackout in a 223/5.56 gun
It will chamber and Fire and
Explode
.308 will not go down .223 barrel
When you shoot subsonic and don't see a hole in the target
CHECK the barrel
The next shot was a disaster
The 6x45 blew the gas block and barrel
If you shoot a revolver and have a hang fire during the speed Plate Match
Stop shooting
The hang fire went off down the side of the barrel could have been worse if it was lined up with frame
Be SAFE and Think when having Fun my Friends

Found this video on youtube last year, and this post reminded me of it...

 

[luv long range]

Did a .308 in a 7.5x55 Swiss. Shrapnel from the blown out primer came out of the back of the bolt. Casing got stuck and had to be tapped out.

 

[Frog4aday]

This is 'so obvious' these days, which is why I share it because it happened 36 years ago (yes, before Al Gore invented internet )

I had a Ruger 10/22 that would stove pipe jam on me far too often. I took it to a gunsmith in Olympia, WA, (don't think he really deserved that title in retrospect.) He couldn't find anything wrong, but felt there was a bit of 'proud wood' near the ejection port that MIGHT be the issue so he removed that and touched up the stock. It did LOOK better, but the problem remained. Fast forward eight years and the problem is still with me and I'm just 'done' with it. I took it to Charley Robertson at Score High Gunsmithing (Albuquerque, NM) and he figured it out in, oh, about half a second. Needed a new extractor.

Nowadays you can buy all the 10-22 parts you want online, at midnight, in your underwear. You can google 'stovepipe jam' for 10/22 and get beaucoup hits from youtube videos to forum discussion and more. "Strangers" will help you figure out the problem AND fix the problem. It's so much easier. The good old days weren't ALL good.

I'm going to send props to Charley Robertson (Score High Gunsmith) here. The man has done quite a bit of gunsmithing work for me over the years and he is the real deal. Meticulous. Detail oriented. Honest. High quality work EVERY TIME. I totally trust his judgement. It's like finding that great mechanic for your car! You finally know the job will get done right, at a fair price, and be on time and on budget. I have no idea how much longer he'll keep 'smithing, but if you are in the area, he's the man to see, especially for rifle work (which I think is all he wants to do these days, really.)

 

[Locknload]

Old saying: There are only two types of people, those that have and those that will.

Spent the work day at the range preparing for a match the next day, discovered no ammo loaded upon arrival at the house. it is well after dark, I am tired and in a rush. I prep 100 pieces of 7tcu brass and reach up on the shelf, get the powder, run the powder throw, scale combo to throw 15grmof R#7 And start loading 168gr RCBS silhouette bullets for the XP 100. Get to range next morning, set up the range and go to the sight in line, first target, boom, target is still standing, smoke pouring out of the back of the bolt. The bolt handle is frozen in place, what was that....

At the time I did not have a floor mounted barrel vice so took the Sinclair built gun to my buddy's shop. We had to pull the barrel out, then turn the remainder of the case out of the bolt face, drill the ejector and spring out (they were welded together), and replace the extractor. Checked for out of spec expansion, all was good, so put her back together. I could not figure out what happened. But decided to pull all 99 rounds down, creating a small pile of powder after about 10 rounds. So sitting in my chair I just reached up and picked up the powder can and sat it on the bench in front of me, there it was, AA#7 not R#7. Checked shape and color, sure enough, I had switched them.

If you shoot cast and use Reloader #7 and reload small capacity pistol cartridges like the 9mm with AA #7 do not put the two powder cans on the same shelf and never ever next to each other. This may create the infamous #7 disaster. I was just very lucky that the 7tcu was a small capacity case in a stout Remington bolt action.
Ed

 

[WildBillG]

Ed your Remmington stood up better then my Tikka did it is done. Glad to hear your were not hurt.

 

[Locknload]

Yep, a fellow wrote in to another forum and could not figure out what happened to his 94 Win, it came apart like a 2 bit watch. When he said #7 and cast I knew instantly what took his pre war family treasure....
Ed

 

[dgr416]

Marlin 54 cal muzzleloader that was totally dangerous .It would hang fire up to 2 mins the bolt with finally let go .I got hit in the middle of the chest with it going off .It almost broke my sternum .

 

[pgothro]

So not a rifle but in 2006 I went hog hunting in TX. Using my S&W 29 at 75 yds I held too high w/open sights and hit him high over the spine so now a wounded big hog. Well we chased him down to water, that had big gators and we were filming and wanted a charge. Well at 15 yds he came I dropped the hammer and it went click I said " ****" but the guy by me took him out with a shot from his 10/44 Ruger. All on tape forever

 

[alnpar]

I cleaned my 17 HMR after shooting a match! A month later went to shoot it. First shot BAM!!! My wrist was bleeding from the Blown out Plastic Mag. Dented bullets laying here there and everywhere on the ground. A couple of spots on my forehead above my glasses. And now my nice wooden stock is cracked in two places.
Long story short, when I got home I had to Bang and bang on a wooden dowel to get what was in the barrel out. TWO object came out. The Bullet inside of itself, and a metal looking object. My only guess is the tip of the cleaning rod came unscrewed. I guess I got lucky as it could have been a lot worse.

 

[J Brady]

Hey WildBillG, My Ruger #1 has been sitting in the gun cradle for two weeks. I took it apart and can't get it back together. I have looked at numerous videos and
can't get the pin in that holds everything together. It will go about 3/4 through and seems to be off center. Guess it's headed to the gunsmith. Also, to get the firing pin spring out you need to cock the rifle and place a small pin in the hole in the metal piece inside the spring

 

[fta0303]

MudRunner2005 I saw some of the arguments and sorry I didn't get involved. Pretty much tired of all the drama. I trained civilians and police in another life. And I feel bad for the people in the law suit with Remington. But the cold hard facts are this. A safety rule was broken, even if it was by accident. Muzzle discipline was broken, never ever point your weapon at something you're not willing to destroy. It's a very hard rule.

The most important rule. My FAther's 300 Wby Mk 5 fired as he was cycling the bolt - twice. That old habit of muzzle awareness prevented something much worse than a scare.

 

[P7M13]

It's easy to forget, we're putting our faces right next to an explosive device.

 

[Marplot]

Not my malfunction, but SOMEBODY! 1816/1822 Musket

I bought this as a piece of History and the story that went with it. I paid $175 shipped and worth it to me! Call me a hopeless romantic. It hangs in my living room with the story attached.

From what I've researched, this is a Model 1816 I doubt the hammer is original to the conversion, as it seems homemade. Somebody made a Shotgun out of this gun and used it up. The stock is badly cracked and repaired with nails, a testament to the will somebody had to keep this thing together, and hopefully they got good use out it. This is a neat relic of American History. Probably converted by hand either in this person's own shop, or by a local smith. Beaten to absolute hell and back and repaired to keep it functional. Probably so they could harvest wild game so their family could eat. This is a gun of necessity. Not some safe-queen like so many of us have today, with our multiple firearms. It must have been a one-gun for a frontier family.

Something they probably cursed because it "never worked quite right", but that they relied on to keep their family safe and fed. Maybe nailed it back together because they had a misfire on a big fat racoon and swung it against a tree in frustration because they couldn't feed their family that night. This is pure American ingenuity and "get stuff done with what you got" spirit at it's finest. Call me a hopeless romantic, but this is the most beautiful rifle I've seen.