Cartridge Explosion?

[gunslinger762]

Last year me and my buddy were at the range shooting and I had a dud. This is a 308 mind you, and we started talking about dud explosions and possibilities. He said he heard one story from another person that he knew that this happened too. Anyone ever heard of a dud firing after ejection or anything like that?

 

[38special]

These questions are best asked in a different forum

 

[Broom_jm]

I've shot a lot and known a lot of shooters. I've never heard of this happening. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's certainly very rare.

 

[snapping turtle]

Once as a kid the local lake owner wanted turtles and muskrats gone from his lake and allowed us to use an old row boat. We set turtle traps and took the old stevens single shot 22 with us, we left 15 rounds or so on the boat at the end of the day in the plastic box open.(hey we were kids) came back the next evening and it had rained and the box had water in it.

About 45 minutes into checking the traps for turtles a muskrat swam by and i grabed the gun and loaded a wet round. I clicked off the safety and aimed and fired. Nothing happend for a good bit of time 15 seconds or so and then the round went off. It was enough time for me to unshoulder the rifle and I almost racked the bolt back.

So a delayed fire do to water can happen in rimfire rounds. It happened to me once. never seen anything like that again but I have never chambered a wet round again.

 

[BogWalker]

Yeah I've heard of it with hang-fires. Doesn't go off immediately, fellow goes to rack the bolt, cartridge goes off. Because bolt is open there is no chamber to support it and the locking lugs aren't engaged. Best scenario the case wall blows out spraying your hand with brass, powder, and maybe taking a finger or two. Worst case bolt flies into your forehead.

 

[johntheplinker]

Yep, it happens. That's why when you have a round that doesn't go off you wait 30 seconds with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction before opening the bolt.
There was a bunch of old 303 British ammo that was imported a few years ago that was infamous for hangfires. IIRC there were a few incidents where the shooter had ejected a thought-to-be dud round only to have it go off.

 

[Hkindiana]

Years ago i purchased some 8mm Mauser ammo that had LOTS of hang fires. You would pull the trigger, and 3-4 seconds later, it would go off. I had one round that didn't go off. I counted to twenty and ejected the round. Then, like an idiot, I reached down to pick up the round, and it exploded. My hand was all chewed up. I had gunpowder embedded in my fingers for years. It was like a poor mans tattoo. I'm just glad Thst none of the brass fragments made it to my face,

 

[gunslinger762]

wow, very interesting to all who replied... Im wondering, maybe older ammo exposed to more time and moisture? And new ammo also exposed to moisture?

 

[BogWalker]

wow, very interesting to all who replied... Im wondering, maybe older ammo exposed to more time and moisture? And new ammo also exposed to moisture?

Moisture can do it, but sometimes it just seems like the rounds break down chemically. Hang fires are caused by the primer and not the powder in most age-related cases.

 

[BigMoose]

Old 22LR carts are famous for it

 

[6mm Shoot]

Your reloading manuals will tell you to not remove a dud for at least thirty seconds. I have never seen one go off or know of any one that has had one go off.

After a dud I give it a couple of extra seconds then take it out and check the barrel just in case. With what I have read above I will allow the thirty seconds or more before removing a dud in the future. I really like my fingers. They are so helpful.