Old St Louis Bench Rest Question

[MadDog3355]

Do any of you guys remember the story that happened 30 or 40 years ago in St Louis at a bench rest competition possibly at the super shoot. Story goes something like this, wife had a misfire or a fail to chamber and the husband removed the bolt and went to tapping the cartridge out and it went off and launched the cleaning rod out of his hand. Everyone went to laughing because they thought no one got hurt then his wife found out she had been hit in the chest and died pretty quickly.

I have heard the story several times throughout the years but it doesn’t seem plausible but I know it happened somehow.

 

[Mulligan]

Powder was the early H322, a very nervous single base, very short cut powder. The bolt was taken out, leaving the stuck case. A case stuck in a BR chamber is indeed a very tight situation. It happens when the necks are not turned enough. These actions are extremely strong and will chamber about anything close to spec into the gun with ease. An experienced person with that particular action will feel only a very slight difference. That was noted in this situation, and the action opened and stripped from the case remaining. Tapping from the muzzle with an iron rod made the case fly off as the projectile, killing his wife balancing the gun on the bags during the ram job. Tight neck guns with strong actions are for the very alert only. I doubt a standard 700 action would have closed on that round without some undue effort. A SEE waiting to happen. ... felix

The primer was not even effected by the explosion.

Stuck live cartridge - Page 2

A friend asked my help in clearing his bolt action .30-06. He doesn't have the money for a smith. I once had a stuck live round. I suggested he take a rod and tap the bullet down into the case. Then, pour oil into the barrel so it may disable the powder and primer. On mine, I left it that...

castboolits.gunloads.com

Several references to the incident in this thread.
I too have heard the stories and yet I have absolutely zero idea if it is even plausible?
CW

 

[MadDog3355]

Mulligan, thanks for sharing that information. After reading the link you posted it looks like it has happened a few times.

 

[Mulligan]

Mulligan, thanks for sharing that information. After reading the link you posted it looks like it has happened a few times.

I am not sure if those were all references to the same incident or if they were in fact different incidents?

Maybe, one of the short-range crowd who has had a few more summers on this planet could share what they know.
CW

 

[LHSmith]

This or a similar incident happened in NY or PA the day prior to an IBS Benchrest School Event. Somewhere around 2005. IIRC the man was killed by the rod from the muzzle end. I remember at least one thread about it on BRC.
Another incident that I recall is a well known BR competitor lost eye sight in one eye from an incident using a drop rod -the 6" brass 1/4" dia. stub used to dislodge stuck bullets- (forgot to remove it from the barrel).
I keep these incidents fresh in my mind because what started as an seemingly innocuous attempt to fix a minor problem turned into tragedy.

 

[divingin]

I've heard of people using an adaptor clamped over the muzzle to pump grease into the bore and hydraulically press out a stuck cartridge. Not exactly something you can do at the range and expect to continue your string though.

 

[LHSmith]

I searched BRC for fatal incidents from stuck rounds. I found that the St. Louis incident resulted from the shooter not removing the cleaning rod from the bore after having a stuck case. I can't find mention of the Pa/NY incident but from what I recall it was no where as described in the cast bullets thread. IIRC somehow the primer got struck, not due to powder compression. The incident did involve a man with his wife. If "felix" was a member here he would certainly be on my ignore list which is reserved especially for the ignorant.