Real damage

[John Sabato]

More than likely IMHO it would have been a double-charged handload...that was already too hot to begin with.

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

More than likely IMHO it would have been a double-charged handload...that was already too hot to begin with.

Just out of curiosity, John, do you reload???

(Not being disparaging; I just don't recall you ever mentioning reloading).

[John Sabato]

Originally Posted by sheepherder

Just out of curiosity, John, do you reload???

(Not being disparaging; I just don't recall you ever mentioning reloading).

I have all the equipment and got started reloading back in the late 1960's. I own an original RCBS A-2 press, and dies for every caliber I own... but I haven't reloaded anything for a couple of decades... never have time to do much shooting, but when I do get to do some shooting, I enjoy every bit as much as back then.

My comment was based on the number of pistols I saw back when I was gunsmithing that were the result of careless powder charges by both amateur and very experienced reloaders.

Thank goodness I never actually witnessed the accidents... only the aftermath. Seeing a S&W .357 magnum with the top half of the cylinder and top strap missing was as close as I ever want to get to that kind of accident... The shooter escaped with only minor injuries. I also saw a modern Colt .45 SAA in the same condition... SCARY stuff...

In the photos that started this thread I find it amazing that the "ears" of the receiver fork were damaged by the stress and NOT the toggle... I would not have expected the toggle to survive such a detonation.

[rhuff]

Originally Posted by John Sabato

More than likely IMHO it would have been a double-charged handload...that was already too hot to begin with.

I agree with you John. I have seen these kind of mishaps(not on lugers) when the loader is using a very fast powder like Titegroup that has a very low loft, and even a max charge is a very small amount of powder in the case. It is easy to double or even triple the charge on some cases and have no overflow of powder. Fast powders don't play well when this occurs.

Also, it could be just a flaw in the forks from years of shooting hot loads, and finally just "gave up". I am not sure that I want to see the shooters face, as it may well have taken the brunt of the toggle train coming back. A bad scenario all the way around.