A Ruger Old Army gets all blowed up...

[tac]

somewhere here in UK - I'm trying to find more details. The usual thing, it would appear at first glance, of loading nitro into a BP gun...but a loose-loading BP gun? And nitro? I'm not convinced that it hasn't been staged for some reason.

Anyhow, here is the pic - with the serial number photo-shopped...



But here's the spooky thing - THIS is MY own ROA....



I'm not zackly calling BS on this one, but I amp't happy about it.

tac

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[Medic!]

Looks like a chain fire?

 

[tac]

No BP chainfire, Sir, but ~30gr of one or other nitro powder. According to the dealer who posted this on FB, the 'every experienced shooter inadvertently used the same load as he usually does for BP, only with nitro.' I'm calling BS on that. How the **** do you have a can of nitro powder on the bench when you are shooting BP?

tac

PS - dijja notice that it's only SIX serial numbers away from my own ROA?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

To my eye it looks it was "Shot" with a load of smokeless powder...
I understand that Ruger makes some strong guns that can handle a "heavy load"...that said never ever load smokeless powder into any blackpowder firearm.

But then what do I know...We need someone around here who knows something 'bout those old timey blackpowder guns...
Andy

 

[Medic!]

I've seen some pretty bad mistakes before.
Like shooting seven rounds into the back of a squib........... And it was a six shooter!

 

[mobil890]

I think I can fix that

 

[Argonaut]

A good test of Ruger warranty..........that is really ugly. Has to have been a set up deal. That revolver is built like a tank.

 

[etrain16]

Yeesh. Any report of injuries? Hopefully not.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

It popped a strappie!

 

[Captain O]

DAYUM!

 

[Alexx1401]

I would say it was most likely done for effect. Like in a vice with the thing loaded with smokeless. If some poor guy really did somehow grab a can of smokeless and load it with that hopefully he learned without losing any body parts.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

I've seen some pretty bad mistakes before.
Like shooting seven rounds into the back of a squib........... And it was a six shooter!

View attachment 428135

lol. "DAMMIT THESE SIGHTS ARE WAAAAYY OFF!!!"

 

[Medic!]

lol. "DAMMIT THESE SIGHTS ARE WAAAAYY OFF!!!"

Sure.... There is that.
But what gets me, is that at some point he stopped. Reloaded. And began to fire again.

 

[tac]

To my eye it looks it was "Shot" with a load of smokeless powder...
I understand that Ruger makes some strong guns that can handle a "heavy load"...that said never ever load smokeless powder into any blackpowder firearm.

As I noted in my resplone, the dealer [actually a highly regarded gunsmith in Southern England] actually said that was exactly the case.

Me, I'm still trying to figure out how that can happen with a loose loader......

tac

 

[tac]

Yeesh. Any report of injuries? Hopefully not.

A slight cut was reported.

Anyhow, I've been banned by the FB poster, who has deleted my posts, and I've been publicly 'shamed' by a mod on the forum on which the original details appeared. All details, except the telling-off have now disappeared from the forum for daring to suggest that it might have been somehow 'managed' for effect, and since handguns here in UK are so darned hard to get hold of anyhow, it's pretty much certain that this was load mismanagement, albeit on a potentially lethal scale.

But I STILL don't understand how you can mix up BP and nitro on the firing point..... anybody here ever done it? Me, I just don't ever take nitro propellant to the range - why on earth should I? I don't reload metallic cartridges on the firing point.

tac, banned and castigated.

 

[xtratoy]

If I recall correctly, the Old Army was tested by Ruger with a charge of 30 grains of Unique. Not recommended, but tested to check it's strength. What exactly is Nitro powder? A generic term or an actual powder?

 

[RVTECH]

Me, I'm still trying to figure out how that can happen with a loose loader......

While there in no doubt it was most likely due to a charge of smokeless powder - it was possibly intentionally done by someone simply trying a very dangerous experiment - and out of BP. In all my years of shooting BP I have heard of more than a few who have 'tried' smokeless powder - with varying results......

 

[etrain16]

A slight cut was reported.

Anyhow, I've been banned by the FB poster, who has deleted my posts, and I've been publicly 'shamed' by a mod on the forum on which the original details appeared. All details, except the telling-off have now disappeared from the forum for daring to suggest that it might have been somehow 'managed' for effect, and since handguns here in UK are so darned hard to get hold of anyhow, it's pretty much certain that this was load mismanagement, albeit on a potentially lethal scale.

But I STILL don't understand how you can mix up BP and nitro on the firing point..... anybody here ever done it? Me, I just don't ever take nitro propellant to the range - why on earth should I? I don't reload metallic cartridges on the firing point.

tac, banned and castigated.

Wow, sounds like some overly sensitive folks that run that page. Amazing how often a difference of opinion or different point of view is censored rather than openly discussed. Too much of that going around, all over the world, these days.

 

[Medic!]

So do black powder handguns need to be a certain length like center fire handguns over there?
In other words do they have strange extenders on them?

If not I'd like to see more pictures of your Ruger.

 

[wired]

My understanding is that it is somewhat common , as in a few people do it , in Britain to use smokeless powder in those guns and that it isnt seen as something that is incredibly stupid like it is here. By looking at that picture I beg to differ.

Good luck with a warranty claim from Ruger. They fully do not support those any more.