How badly would...

[RonDeer10mm]

you be injured If you had a hangfire with a 10mm,357 mag,44 mag or any other powerful handgun round and you had the round in your hand or near you if it went off? I'm just curious how bad it would be.

 

[rcmodel]

You would suffer some injury's from the primer blowing out at high velocity, flash burns, and probably the case rupturing into fragments like these.

The bullet itself would no hurt you, other then a slight bruise maybe.



With that said, hang-fires out of the gun are so uncommon with modern ammo as to be almost unheard of.

rc

 

[JRH6856]

You would suffer some injury's from the primer blowing out at high velocity

Richard Lee measured the velocity of a primer being blown from a case while depriming a live primer with a Lee Loader at 1400+fps. A live round going off out of chamber would probably push it a lot faster.

 

[mljdeckard]

I have never had one.

 

[56hawk]

The only one I have ever seen was at a USPSA competition where a guy was unloading his gun to show clear. When he pulled the slide back the round shifted enough so that the primer hit the ejector and went off. The guy holding the gun was fine, but the range officer was reaching out to catch the ejecting round and got some brass fragments in his arm. Nothing major, but he went to the hospital just to be on the safe side.

Anyway this has been tested quite a few different times including on Mythbusters, and pretty much everyone agrees that you are pretty unlikely to be seriously hurt.

 

[rcmodel]

But Mythbusters didn't try setting one off while holding it in their hand like the OP ask about.

I'm here to tell you if that happens, you will be going to the ER for treatment.

rc

 

[56hawk]

But Mythbusters didn't try setting one off while holding it in their hand like the OP ask about.

Do you know anyone who has?

By the way, the original question was, "you had the round in your hand or near you if it went off?".

 

[JRH6856]

I've seen the results of an M80 exploding while being held. It was pretty bad, but black powder in a paper tube isn't the same as smokeless propellant in a brass case.

 

[jad0110]

Well, if you close your hand around it, I think it is safe to say you'll probably loose some fingers. Open handed? Not sure that you'll lose anything, but you'll likely need some stitches and some fresh britches.

 

[M-Cameron]

well this is the result of a 50BMG exploding in someones hand, WARNING, VERY GRAPHIC

and even as bad as that is....the damage is relativity localized.

so even if a 10mm or magnum load exploded in your hand....it would hurt......but i honestly dont think youd suffer tooo much damage...some burns, maybe some shrapnel..... i doubt youd lose any fingers......

 

[MCgunner]

I've had hangfires, didn't give me enough time to open the bolt. It was with 50 year old 8x57 that had been sitting in a damp Israeli arsenal somewhere before sold for cheap. I've had 'em dud, but never go off after a second had gone by. Never had one to hang a few seconds and go bang. I always allowed the 30 seconds, though. I have a rimfire dud now and then, nature of the beast. Never had one hangfire, just dud.

 

[forindooruseonly]

This is my dad's story. Reloading .45 ACP one night, a loaded cartridge fell off the bench and the primer struck the corner of a loading press laying on the floor. It detonated. The bullet struck his inner thigh, leaving a large bruise. The case rupture, spraying bits of brass about the room. Several pieces imbedded themselves in the skin on his leg, but a large raggedy piece penetrated his foot and had to be surgically removed. I was a kid when it happened, and I was surprised at the amount of blood that could come out of a little hole.

The bullet might be dangerous if it hit you in the head, but the brass can get nasty. In your closed hand, you'll probably lose some fingers and nerves, as well as having a permanent conversation starter when people see it. In an open palm, the prognosis would be better. But still ugly.

I'd be more worried about my eyes.

 

[mljdeckard]

^^Add this to the reasons we should wear safety glasses when handloading.