A good reason for safety glasses?

[Garycw]

This is my uncle's 357 that he fired and had a little surprise ....
Has this or similar ever happened to anyone ?

 

[feets]

Another Smiff bites the dust.

I hope he fared better than the gun.

 

[alex0535]

Your uncle ok?

Any idea on what caused this catastrophic failure?

 

[s4s4u]

Looks like an overdose of Unique, or similar propellant.

 

[g.willikers]

A fellow who was standing right next to me at the range had his Colt do that.
It blew the top of the cylinder and frame straight up through the roof.
Fortunately no one got hit by anything.
Mighty scary, though.
He was using his own reloads, the very ones he was trying to sell to others.
Probably put a dent in his sales.

 

[AID_Admin]

Wow! Perhaps I should reconsider buying reloaded ammo. Suddenly saving money doesn't sound so attractive... I hope your uncle did not get hurt...!

 

[Garycw]

He didn't get hurt, but has that pistol hanging over the fireplace as a reminder. He's told me the story before although I can't remember all the pitiful arms. He does alot of reloading of different calibers up to 50BMG. In not sure if it was a reload or not but ill ask him next time we talk. He was very lucky.

 

[oldgunsmith]

I have a S&W mod. 36, a Colt Police Positive, and a Super Blackhawk that are all blown about like that, and photos of several others I've taken over the years. I use them as classroom examples of what can happen if enough things go wrong. Good reason to stand behind the shooter rather than beside him. On the range, I don't want any closer to the next shooter than I have to be.

 

[csmsss]

The topstrap of that revolver just might have saved his life. Looks like an overcharge to me - but not just an overcharge - more like a triple charge with a very fast pistol powder like Unique or Bullseye.