doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Anyone know the story behind this?

If I remember correctly it was either leaded free machining steel, 12L14 I believe, or it might have been LaSalle 1144 Stressproof steel. At any rate it appeared to have adequate strength and was easy to machine and finish but the steel lacked "hoop strength" resulting in barrel failure even at black powder pressures.

Jerry Liles

I have burned no less that 48 pounds of H108. It is a surplus magnum pistol powder comparable to AA#9. In fact some use it as a direct replacement. I've used it primarily in my 32-40 High Wall and 32-40 Ruger #1 Schutzen rifles. I am currently using it in my 30-06 MBA gun. I've also used it in my 45-70 Sharps with heavy cast bullets.My opinion is that 31 grains of H-108 is not the culprit as I have used near that load without even a flattened primer. Of course that's just my opinion.

Never saw a catastrophic failure of a Highwall that included failure of the reciever before. I guess this is one of those "never say never" experiences....

For another wake up, go to the 24 hour campfire site and look at the Savage In line that blew. Graphic photos included of the shooters left hand, or what is left of it. The gent may never shoot again.

Couple of questions from this dumb 'ol redneck:

1. Why use a powder that could be double charged? Instant receipe for disaster. Use a load combination that nearly fills the case, or fills it. I shoot a 50-110 in a modern receiver, and my loads are selected to give moderate pressure with a full case. I know, it is not a 32-40, but cannot a load be selected for the 32-40 that gives nearly a case full?

2. In the case of the Savage blowup, why a front loader using smokeless?? Most folks have no clue of the potentional dangers involved, from a bullet not seated to compress the powder, SEE, double charges, et all.

Like I said, I don't understand designing in a disaster. Keep it simple to reduce screw ups.

Yeah, it is called blackpowder. Been around awhile. Still works as recommended.

Brent
PS. Word has it that the barrel on the above was, indeed, an original. A very early one at that. Perhaps closer to cast iron.

Thanks Ken, I use AA#9 in my schuetzen rifles ever since I started getting non-uniform lots of 4227.
I don't know what the steel is in the early high-walls but it seems very soft compared to modern barrels. After my double charging incident I got into the habit of always looking at the primer before throwing a charge. If I'm at the range and someone comes over I stop, turn my case upside-down and do nothing until they leave.

In my experience the powders that you can't double charge with in a 32-40 don't get the job done to my satisfaction.

Mike,

I agree with that. Prior to using H108 I used #9 and 2400.
I never had much luck with 4227. But of course my competitors did

I had one layman powder measure set for 4227 that the adjustment had not been moved for a least a decade. When I ran out of DuPont 4227 and bought the new stuff everything went haywire. I had to keep playing with the load for every lot so gave it up and have been very happy with AA #9.

I've seen a few old Winchesters where the frame have peeled back like a banana, all were due to double charge of a fast burning powder. Looking at the pics; my guess is, that is what happened here. From the way the barrel is fractured, looks like a detonation.

The barrel steel also has me curious, it looks fractured, very little bulging or stretching. Generally you don't see that with Winchester barrels, or barrels made of proper barrel steels such as 12L14 or 4140. I don't know of anyone using Stressproof 1144 for barrels.

Mike Hunter
Hunter Restorations

There is nothing proper about 12L14 at all when it comes to barrels.
Brent