Damfino
Gold $$ Contributor
So I'm at my conveniently located public shooting range. It has a 50 and a 200 yard range. I'm on the 200 yard range trying to manage my expectations with a couple of young guys several benches down on my right sighting in their hunting rifles. Things seem to going well and during a lull they ask me if I would mind if they shoot a pistol they had. Unless it's a safety issue I usually try to have a live and let live attitude, sooo they quickly set up a target about 15 yards down range. They start shooting what looks to be a 9mm. I'm not paying that much attention but after a few shots one sounds very different, instead of a pop it's more like a "crump." I look over and the pistol appears to be locked open. After several minutes of struggling with it they look over at me, apparently being older makes me a firearms expert. At this point I certainly didn't want to disappoint. The young man hands me the Sig 320 that is locked open with what appears to be a piece of brass jammed in the chamber. I had flashlight and made sure it wasn't a loaded round then with a drop rod and a few "gentle but firm" taps the brass pops out and after disassembly the gun appears to be intact, with no barrel bulge, or any visible damage.
I looked at the piece of brass (pictured) and the rounds he had left. I asked the owner if these were factory ammunition or reloads? He said that he didn't know as someone had given him this ammunition. I advised against further shooting with the loads he had and suggested he have a qualified gunsmith check it out before shooting it again.
I tried to take pictures that might explain what happened because I can only guess. It looks like a piece of brass was in the barrel/chamber when the last round went off because it appears to me that one piece of brass is lodged inside another piece??? Sorry so long and worse yet I'm not sure there is enough information for this mystery to be solved, but I would be interested in any thoughts or explanations as to what happened.

I looked at the piece of brass (pictured) and the rounds he had left. I asked the owner if these were factory ammunition or reloads? He said that he didn't know as someone had given him this ammunition. I advised against further shooting with the loads he had and suggested he have a qualified gunsmith check it out before shooting it again.
I tried to take pictures that might explain what happened because I can only guess. It looks like a piece of brass was in the barrel/chamber when the last round went off because it appears to me that one piece of brass is lodged inside another piece??? Sorry so long and worse yet I'm not sure there is enough information for this mystery to be solved, but I would be interested in any thoughts or explanations as to what happened.



