A note to all you Gun Nuts: The photo below (and three more, which you can see by clicking here) came into my inbox attached to the following caption:

"For those of you who load your own ammunition...
 
A guy came into our department the other day to ask a favor. He had a Smith & Wesson Model 629 that he wanted to dispose of after a mishap at the range. He said there was a loud bang when he tested his new load and the gun smacked him in the forehead, leaving a nice gash. When the tweety birds cleared, this is what he saw..."

Rather than comment on these photos myself, I decided they were serious enough that they deserved something intelligent said about them, so I sent them to my friend and ace pistolsmith John Blauvelt. Here's what he had to say.  --David Petzal

Begin forwarded message:
From: JC Blauvelt
Date: October 30, 2009 8:09:43 PM EST
To: Dave Petzal

Subject: BANG

Dave, Well you asked for it. I hope you find this useful. Thank you for the opportunity.

A graphic reminder of the art of home pressure testing. What I see here is typical of a vastly over-pressure round fired in a revolver. The in-line round of ammunition blew out the top of the cylinder, both adjoining chambers, and removed the top strap.  Most of the destroyed revolvers I have seen usually have the top strap of the frame still attached at the front, above the barrel, and it is peeled forward. The weakest point of an adjustable sight revolver frame is the back end of the top strap were the rear sight cut is. In this revolver the whole top strap is gone and most of both adjoining chambers. This points to a very strong pressure spike. How did it happen? One clue is the reloader’s quote that he was “testing his new load.” So, it is most likely the reloader's fault. He was either trying to make a “Super Magnum” load beyond the recommended loads or used the wrong powder - i.e.  grabbed a can of 231 instead of 296 or possibly changed powders and forgot to change the settings on the powder measure. A barrel obstruction from a squib round? I do not believe so. I do not see any indication of a bulge in the barrel. Unless it was a bullet from a squib round stuck just forward of the back end of the barrel.  In any case, these are sobering photos. Look at the amount of shrapnel that let loose. It could have caused grave injuries to the shooter and/or bystanders on either side of him. An expensive lesson learned, and fortunately no one was injured.

For all the millions of rounds of ammunition reloaded each year, it is rare to see this happen. That's why it makes news when it does. Always remember to check, double check, then check one more time that the recipe you are using is correct, wear your safety glasses, and ear protection.  Also, in this guy’s case, he likely needed a half of a bottle of aspirin for his headache. 

JC Blauvelt Gunsmith, Inc.
www.JCBgunsmith.com

Robert Ruark, writing in his journal about some particularly good African trophy that he had hammered, noted that it was “…collected, but not earned.” He believed, as many hunters do, that there should be a certain amount of work you put into bagging an animal or else you don’t really deserve it. This is a nice sentiment, but of course it is nonsense. You expect to have to work, and if you do work very hard and get something good as a result it is more rewarding, but that’s as far as it goes. Despite our touching belief that hunting is a matter of skill and perseverance, a lot of it is sheer dumb luck.

I killed a 6x6 elk on my second elk hunt, in 1972. In 1977 I got another, an absolute monster. Then I hunted from 1978 through 1993, working my tail off, freezing, walking my legs down to the nub, and did not kill an elk. Either they were not there, or not big enough, or in a spot where I couldn’t get them out—it was always something. Then from 1994 until 2002 I killed a bull nearly every year, all on easy hunts. Whenever I raised my rifle there seemed to be an elk in front of it. Perhaps you earn them on one hunt and collect them on another.

One thing I do know—the worst thing that can happen to a beginning nimrod is to take a fine trophy the first time out. That can ruin you for life.

This past summer, a geezer friend of mine was railing at the current generation of hunters who roost in trees like so many spavined turkeys and rarely walk anywhere.

“They haven’t sweated up ridges like you and I have,” he snarled.

Sometimes, you gotta walk uphill, and if you haven’t done much of it, here are some tips from someone who has done a lot it and hated every yard.

*Pay careful attention to how much weight you’re packing, both on your carcass and in your pack. Your boots are especially important. A pair of heavy boots will weigh you down worse than would our current Secretary of State in your backpack.

*Before you start, take off your hat, your gloves, and whatever you wear around your neck. Open your coat. If you have a vest or a down shirt  under the coat, put it in your pack. It will do you no good to get all the way to the top and then freeze in your own sweat.

*The way to climb is with a catatonic plod. If you have to stop and catch your breath every few minutes you’re going too fast.

*If you are 60 or older, do not hunt with people who are younger. No matter what kind of shape you are in you are not going to match strides with someone who is 20 years younger. Go with geezers only.

*If you do go hunting with people who are younger and fitter than you, don’t expect sympathy and don’t expect them to slow down for your benefit.

*Don’t look up, ever. Keep your eyes on the trail right in front of you.

In 1987, Don Allen a retired airline pilot from Sturgis, South Dakota, and his wife Norma, founded Dakota Arms, a company that produced high-grade hunting rifles based on a design worked up by him and ace metal man Pete Grisel. The Dakota Model 76, the company’s basic model, was an immediate success, and was soon joined by other variations.

In 2003 Don Allen died, and not long thereafter Norma sold the company. The new owner brought other lines under the Dakota roof: Miller Arms (single-shot rifles), Dan Walter (aluminum cases) and Nesika Bay Precision (rifles and actions). But for whatever reasons it all went wrong, and this past summer Dakota was about a week away from closing its doors forever.

Enter Remington Arms, which bought the enterprise and is now engaged in bringing Dakota back. The man in charge of this is Carlos Martinez who, a year ago, was given control of the Remington Custom Shop and told to breathe new life into it. He did, in spades, but now he has a more difficult job.

Dakota has always built beautiful rifles (even the plain ones) but from my own experience, which is pretty extensive, they have been plagued with quality-control problems and have not been as accurate they should be.

We will see what Mr. Martinez can do. In the meanwhile, Dakota is on sound financial footing once again. If you have a rifle on order you will get it. If you want to order one, you will get it. I wish them well. Don Allen was one of the all-time nice guys in the business, and his creation is worth keeping alive.