It is a test , I always ware safety glasses, just last summer my .22-3000 let go and I got a face full of hot gas and brass, as you know not fun.

IF we believe that the 1903 was designed to withstand a major gas escape then the next question we must ask is how can the pressure rise enough to wreck an action.

I can only see two ways, the cartridge generated a lot more pressure because of wrong or more powder then it should have. The second reason is that the bullet does not move down the bore freely or at all. Any other reasons that would make it have more pressure?

MP Sadly Deceased as of 2/17/2014