Sobering Photograph

[Ronin]

Here's something I hope I never see in reality.

 

Thompson Centre Encore, with rebarrelled tube, chamber is .300 Rem Ultra Mag, the rifle has fired the tenth of ten shots in the new tube, the shooter survived, but was very, very lucky to be on this earth.

 

 

 

 

Don't know if it was the barrel, the load, or and obstruction (unlikely as its split from chamber forwards)

 

Again unsure if the Thompson reciever is strong enough to withstand RUM pressures

 

 

I bet this lads wrist is sore, look at the watch!

 

 

Lucky Boy

[6mmBR]

Bl**dy hell, thats opened up like a bannana

As you say one lucky guy.

I pressume that was in the US?

Dave

[charly hunter]

Scary!!!

[Ronin]

It was in the US and it was a barrel manufactured by a company not readilly known in the UK (well as far as I know anyway)

 

The rifle is not a standard TC.

[Scotch_egg]

WOW! Please can you let me know the barrel make. Bullberry, Bellm, Match grade machine?

 

I've got the encore and was planning on a custom barrel in the future!

[craigyboy]

do you think if the US had a proofing system it would prevent things like this? Thats some scary stuff there, I heard of a guy loading a 300 win mag and he accidently put the wrong powder in the measure a far faster burning one at that, ended with similar results, I suppose if something like that happens no amount of proofing will stop the rifle from spitting its guts out.

[Ronin]

The barrel was fitted by a company who specialises in TC Encores, that companies wares are not available here.

 

If you search the "tinterweb" you'll find the maker, as the cause of the burst has yet to be determined, I'd rather not say who it was just in case it gets the site into trouble or into a legal argument.

 

Its one incident anyway, so not a pattern or "problem".

 

It could be a variety of causes, which have been muted on some US sites. Too deep fluting, too heavy a reload, too big a cartridge for the action have all been thrown into the fire.

 

 

Interesting, I wonder if it would have happened if the US had a proof system like our own - discuss anyone?

[Ratwhiskers]

Andy.

 

l saw this + a few other pictures of the rifle on Accuratereloading.com and according to info give it was a "light mountain" pattern barrel and was deeply fluted. So given the capacity of the RUM there's probably no wonder the poor thin gaspipe wheezed....

lt looks like it split at the breach due to the TC locking face being like a shotgun's so all the force of the blast blew forward and away from the shooter... The lucky bugger!!!

[Guest 308Panther]

Wow....

I guess that will settle the fluted barrel argument.

No matter the depth of the cut.

I dont see many pro's for fluting now.

 

308Panther

[Guest Dave 101]

Thats the third fluted barrel I have seen on the web in that condition , an inherent problem maybe , a built in weakness , maybe a thick walled tube would withstand the increased preasure , with just a bulge ? Dave

[Guest 308Panther]

I am by no means a metalurigist...or a barrel maker

but I would understand the workins to be something

on the lines of this....

 

As the pressures build and the bullet travels down the

barrel...There are harmonic vibrations and along with

the vibrations the barrel will expand slightly or a balloon

effect till the bullet clears the muzzel...

Now where the fluting is cut creates a thinner spot...

When you have thinner metal next to thicker metal

and then add in vibration and pressure sooner or later it will

work harden and crack....

 

Kinda along the lines of cutting window glass....

I know they are two completely differant types of media

and the characteristics are completely differant.

But...if you were to think of the fluting as the scoring in the surface

its makes sense to me that its only a matter of time before it breaks.

 

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

308Panther