came close to blowing my gun UP!

[lpreddick]

do not do the following...i have been using a product called super grex shot buffer by winchester instead of cow to fireform brass and it works great...cow will leave a crusty piece on the inside of the shoulder and is a royal pita to get out. found out that the blackpowder cartridge folks use shot buffer to fill the empty space in old blackpowder cartridges using smokeless powder. i have a load in a 22 BRX that left a lot of emptiness, so i reduced a safe charge by 1 gr and filled the case with the shot buffer. BLAM!!!!! locked the bolt and i got a slight sandblasting to my face! finally got the bolt open and the case was "welded" to the boltface. i remove all my ejectors, so the brass was flowed into the ejector opening by 2 mm. the stiller extractor was broken in half. the 22 BRX case was compressed into the boltface, but did not separate. this stiller predator action is extremely strong so i can still see and hear and my face is intact. i will not try this again. my only other near disaster was when i inadvertently mixed ball and stick powder and blew a few primers.

 

[jonbearman]

I am certainly glad you are alright.Maybe it would be better to get the hydraulic dies to form your cases most of the way and then fireform.You will have to call hornady and talk with a tech about them making you one.It works with water pressure so nothing will foul your cases ever.

 

[lpreddick]

just to be clear...this accident happened with a loaded case NOT while fireforming. the use of shot buffer instead of cow has worked safely to fireform cases. i used the shot buffer to fill empty space in a loaded case with a safe charge, but i reduced the charge by one grain "to be safe". the added shot buffer allowed a tremendous increase in pressure. how this works i can't fathom a reason and have no intention of finding out.

 

[mr45man]

Black powder cartridges are mostly straight wall.
Sounds like the shot buffer could not get out of its own way
in the shoulder/neck forming a nice plug.
Glad your allright.
John H.

 

[dmickey]

I tried one of the shot buffers in a rifle once. All it did was to leave a layer of plastic in the barrel. Did not do any harm to the rifle or group. However when I broke for lunch and came back the plastic had apparently hardened. The rifle then shot about two inches left and about four inches high! Brushed the barrel out with one of the old patches when they made them with remay and all plastic was removed and the rifle's groups went back to normal. Anyone want about ten pounds of shot buffer?? ;D