Ruger Hawkeye catastrophic failure......

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It is one thing to make a mistake where nobody gets hurt. Its another to make a mistake where a $25 can of powder could potentially maim or kill someone. The problem needs to be fixed whether or not hodgdon caused it. I was in no way trying to tell him to go after hodgdon for millions and bankrupt the company. I'm suggesting that he may have a case if he decides to seek compensation. I personally believe that if something I do hurts someone or damages their property I should pay to have it fixed if I can. Letting people charge you money to blow up your gun and your hand and then doing nothing about it because you like the company is okay for you, but I personally hope that someone does something to make them improve the seal on their powder cans so that it doesn't happen to me. I can't tell you how many times I have seen people open up powder cans at the store to see what the powder looked like. Those seals come right off with the lid. If every single 50 cent yogurt container comes with an air tight seal that wraps around the lip then how hard or expensive can it be to put one on a $25 can of powder? I admit that the world would be better without so much litigation but in cases where it would cost the company very little money to help prevent potentially disasterous consequences of using their powder, they should have the responsibility to make it right if something does go wrong. I know there is a hate for lawyers among many here but in reality most lawyers do a lot of good.
Where you are coming from is part of the problem with lawyers. Lawyers want to stir up litigation for a percentage.
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Someone might say the same about gun owners. "Where you are coming from is part of the problem with gun owners. Gun owners want to go on rampages and mass murder for attention." Though my statment is true for a very select few of crazy gun owners, it is stupid to think that gun owners want to go on rampages. Just as it is stupid to think that lawyers stir up litigation to get a percentage. I will admit that a I and a bunch of my classmates are stirring up litigation. Would you like to read about it? We are responsible for both the law suit and the push to pass House Bill 222. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=438263&page=2 Some of us have been working on house bill 222 since before we finished our undergrad degree. Some of us just want a better world to live in. Heck if I was in it just for the money I wouldn't have chosen Idaho as my law school.
 
Send it to Ruger, with the story

Phrase it such that you're not assigning blame to them.

Just ask them if they have had any history of weakness in this run of guns. Maybe they have, but not enough to recall yet? The worst they can do is say it was your fault, and they warned you not to shoot reloads in the manual and refuse to do anything.

But they might just keep the rifle for research purposes and send you a new oen, along with a note not to shoot reloads in it this time.

It seems like your powder charge and bullet were appropriate. I doubt it was overpressure.

The more likely cause to me is weak brass. If it had been resized a couple times, it could have gotten weak at the base, causing this case rupture.

Was it new brass?

If not, were you neck sizing or full-length resizing it? Full-length resizing can really weaken the brass at the base after a reload or two.

Best of luck, let us know what Ruger does.
 
How was your seating depth? I can't imagine a 40 grain bullet being seated out to the lands but is there a chance that the bullet was already in the rifling before the trigger was pulled? That could create some pressure issues.
 
HiBc, Bruce Hodgdon came to our house, seems he had two, what seemed to be, related problems, so he started with my older brother. He received the call one afternoon, the next morning he was sitting in front of the house, 300 + miles away. His next stop was going to be 1,400 miles away if the two problems were related.

Mr Hodgdon left nothing unturned when he eliminated each piece of equipment as being a contributor then went to the components, the last component he checked was the powder, his first question was "Where did you get the powder"? The answer was Sisk Bullets.

Sisk and Hodgdon were friends but business was first , my brother and Mr Hodgdon went to see Mr Sisk, business first, Mr Hodgdon ask Mr Sisk if he could verify my brother's purchase of the powder and of course the answer was yes. Mr Hodgdon then ask Mr Sisk what he could tell him about the chain of custody, Mr Sisk said the powder was sold to a reloader and returned when the reloader changed his mind, Mr Hodgdon then ask Mr Sisk about the policy on powder, Mr Sisk answered with "Powder goes one way, it goes out, it does not return" Mr Hogdgon explained to Mr Sisk the reloader that returned the powder used half of it and for what ever reason refilled the container with pistol powder. The 270 Model 70 Winchester was checked and was found to be safe, The rifle was shooting 10 ft high at 100 yards, not explained to me to this day is why my brother shot it 4 times, hammered the bolt open every time before calling the bullet company, the primer manufacture, the case manufacture and the powder company, Bruce Hodgdon was the only person that took an interest, he did not go to California because the powder involved there did not come from Sisk Bullets.

This was before the Internet, of the failures I know of that happened to people I know were/are honest, they all know what went wrong, and were forgiven for their mistakes, a side note, of the failures I am familiar with or failures I have been aware of most are explained to me as having happened to the dumbest and loudest as in "I am going to sue the gun company" I am going to sue the ammo manufacture" etc., etc.. The one example of 'loud and dumb' a man took himself too serious about his knowledge of guns and went to the range to zero a friends rifle, He purchased a box of 308 Winchester then went to the range. The first round locked the rifle, bolt would not move. The shooter took the rifle to a smith in central north Texas, the smith listened to 'loud and dumb' for over two hours while determining what went wrong. The case head was flattened to the point there was little information to be gained as to identification BUT it was determined the shooter purchased 308 Winchester ammo for a 25/06, the smith informed the shooter when purchasing ammo check the barrel for information regarding chamber identification AND while suing every body involved tell them to call me for a report.

There was speculation as to how long the bullet was when it left the barrel, my guess was the bullet saved the gun and the person shooting it, I believe the jacket was stripped from the bullet when it hit the rifling and the jacket came out behind the lead, the curious and analytic mind would have walked the range in an attempt to find parts and or fragments.

F. Guffey
 
That story illustrates exactly why powder companies should use a better form of sealing the can. The way these cans are now you would never know if it was opened or not.
 
Loads were seated to 2.250". Load was taken from the Hodgdon 2010 annual manual page 74.

I have no intention of filing a lawsuit, Hodgdon is looking into it and I sincerely believe they will "look hard".

Ruger is not to blame at all, I will buy another Ruger in a heartbeat!!! I'm hoping it is repairable, but even if it isn't, it held together, and I suffered very minor injuries.

Don't get me wrong I think lawyers are necessary sometimes and have nothing against someone filing a well founded suit. Right now I am going to wait and see what happens, I still believe in integrity and good old fashioned honor, and I think most other people do too.

I also want to state that even in the midst of this mystery I still think Hodgdon makes excellent powder, I have used it for years and plan on using for years to come. Sometimes $@#! happens, not intended but it does. IF repeat IF the powder is found to be "abnormal" thats where the honor and integrity come in on their part.
 
I too use hodgdon powders and like them just fine. I totally understand not wanting to file a suit as lawyers are a pain in the ---. I personally would only sue someone if they did some pretty signifigant damage to my body or my family. Also, my guess is that Ruger and Hodgdon together will make it right.
 
Hodgdon has a sample of the powder (and has already tested some).

Ruger should get the rifle tomorrow.

Anything further will have to come from Cornbush. Sorry.
 
hate to be the negative one here but my guess is an over charge. It can happen to the best of us. If it were that batch of powder that was off in burning rate the first shot would have at least had some very hard extraction and or a blown primer if the second one did what it did. No way two rounds are loaded exactly the same and one is fine and the other blows up. The ONLY thing that can cause this is to much powder or the wrong powder and like i said if it were the wrong powder why was the first shot fine.
 
Lloyd, as I understood his story he first fired a factory loaded round. Then he fired the handload. Two different loads.

Actually after re reading it, I am unclear as to what the first round was.
 
We already discussed overcharge.With a 40 gr bullet the case will not hold enough 335 .Look at Hogdon data.Max load is is at a low pressure.This often means they ran out of case capacity.Regardless howit got there,an inappropriate powder was in the case,likely a fast pistol or shotgun powder.
 
hate to be the negative one here but my guess is an over charge.
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Please go back, and read the thread.

You cannot fit enough H335 in a .223 Rem, to reach maximum cartridge pressure - let alone, the ridiculous pressure seen here.
 
1. Thank god that Cornbush still has his eye sight. No matter what economic circumstances a rifle can be replaced, but your eye sight can not.
2. I hate lawyers- always looking for someone else to blame.
3.After reading both Ruger & Hodgdon safety data I believe ultimate responsibility lies with the manufacturer of the cartridge - ie- the reloader.
Ruger specifically warns that they will not be held liable for any damage or injury caused by reloaded ammunition.
Hodgdon advises a visual check should be carried out on powder prior to using. A visual check prior to use would have confirmed that the powder was contaminated - H335 should be extruded long grain powder, not a blend of long grain & spherical.
I hope you eventually find how this powder became contaminated, but in the meantime it serves as a lesson for all reloaders to thorougherly check all components prior to reloading.
I personally know of several instances where reloads have gone wrong. Most involved stuck cases, one involved a stuck projectile, one involved a cylinder exploding & the worst happened to a mate - Sarge Jones, who lost his right eye, in a similar occurrance to Cornbush. All incidents were caused by the reloader, & all these reloaders were experienced.
 
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Just glad he was not hurt after that ordeal. Gets ones attention and we start wondering about some tampering of the powder before he bought it. I have had no problems with Hodgdon Powders in the past and have over 30 pounds of various types of their powder on hand. Let us know what the outcome is.
 
2. I hate lawyers- always looking for someone else to blame.
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Maybe you should say you hate SOME lawyers. Cause me and my buddies are working our butts off so that the government will give all of us some of our 2nd amendment rights back. We have put HUNDREDS of hours each in researching ways to win our rights back. I'm sure that if you met me you would like me. I'm probably just like you.
 
Be glad that you were shooting an excellant well made and safe rifle. I read on one of the rife only forums that either Moseburg or one of the manufacturers new to hi power bolt action rifles attach the bolt lugs with a small pin. The discussion was about a man who got a bolt thru the side of his head, but lived.

The point is to check your gun and make sure that it's safe to shoot.

I bought two cans of IMR 4895 at a gun show a few years back. One can had been opened, the other sealed. The can that had been opened was mixed with about half pistol powder.

You have to double check, and take nothing for granted. Glad that you were not injured or worse. Good Luck with the aftermath. Eagle
 
This incident makes me glad that most of my bolt-action rifles are Rugers. :) Please keep us up-dated as to how this case (no pun intended) developes.
 
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