Not trying to antagonize, but wouldn't we be hearing about guys getting killed by old guns with FACTORY ammo all the time if there were such a monumental risk as you seem to put it?
Where is the database for Police shootings? You know there has been a lot of fuss about Police shootings, and it turns out there is not a Federal Database of Police shootings, so no one can answer just how many people are shot by Cops. Neither is there a database of Cop killings. The lack of a database allows some groups to claim that Cops don’t shoot people, but Cops are being shot all the time. But other groups claim that Cops shoot people all the time, but that people don’t shoot Cops. So which is it?
You know, until I watched Alaskan Aircraft Investigations, I had no idea that many private aircraft were crashing. I am not going to try to find the NTSB database, but, no one ever told me about these planes crashing. And many of them are due to pilots doing stupid stuff, such as a pilot buzzing a wedding party in a pasture, but hitting the forest beyond. Imagine getting married and seeing your Dad die on the same day!
It would be nice if laws were passed, billions spent, so that all firearm misfires, accidents, blowups, were reported to me, but, this is not happening. There is no database out there on firearm blowups, the only blowups reported on the web are incidental, and hotly debated. Since reports are not conducted by trained investigators, the causes become highly speculative.
Slamfire, you seem to be talking out of both sides of your mouth right now. Unless I'm an idiot, which is possible. So either you can "never prove any gun is sound or safe and no old gun should ever be fired" or "manufacturers know there's lots of old guns lying around and take that into consideration." Which is it?
As for Corporations, they take calculated risks all the time. The tobacco companies knew their products killed people, but they calculated the risk of lawsuits, and the cost, and came to the conclusion that the profits from sales would exceed the cost from lawsuits. And so it has been. Corporations also regularly violate laws where the fine is less than the profit from the illegal behavior. Corporate decisions are based on profit, and obviously, ammunition companies believe that they will make more money selling ammunition, even though there is a risk that their ammunition will blow up some antique.
You did the prudent thing by taking it to a gunsmith and having it examined, but you should have gotten his written opinion on the safety of the weapon. If nothing happens, then nothing happens. But if something happens, you will carry all the liability for subsequent events. I am of the opinion that you cannot prove any antique is sound, and therefore shooting antiques is a calculated risk, which sometimes, people lose.
You can check out these reports of old rifles blowing up and hurting people:
Catastrophic Failure - Swedish Mauser m/1896
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?106437-Catastrophic-Failure-Swedish-Mauser-m-1896
I don't remember if I ever posted these photos in this forum but with the other topic of the Spanish 1916 catastrophic failure
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=34549 coming up I thought it might be a good idea to have this as a separate subject.
The difference between the Spanish 1916 failure and this Swedish Mauser is we know exactly what caused the Swede to come apart. It was a double charge of fast pistol powder. The rifle resides in the UK so these photos were obtained for me by another very knowledgeable Swede collector who's USAF duty station is in the UK.
The Mauser m/1896 was taken out of general military service in Sweden some 12-15 years ago due to a bolt lug failure killing a young Swedish soldier. There are some m/94 carbines in use by the Livguard who has duty at the royal palace in Stockholm and their rifles are carried locked and loaded so they are not ceremonial. Swedish Mausers do fail in normal use many times for reasons that are not obvious. I would prefer to urge caution and care when handloading or shooting rifles that are 100+ years old. Metal fatigue is cumulative. If you feel the need to hotrod a Mauser do it with a 98 action.
Sheared Bolt Lugs - Swedish Mauser
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?34532-Sheared-Bolt-Lugs-Swedish-Mauser
m/1896 Swedish Mauser in Australia. Details of failure unknown to me.
Those of you with metallurgical experience are most welcome to comment... though I know its hard to make a definitive statement based on such limited information.
As with the 1893 Mauser photos I post these photos to illuminate the reality that seemingly strong and sound rifles suffer catastrophic failures and sometimes people are killed as a result. What exactly caused this incident, had it killed the shooter, would be immaterial to his widow and children. Dead is dead.
None of this will make a difference if you are one of those people who think they are invincible. Are you invincible? I recently talked to one guy at the range about the dangers of smoking. Did you know that about half the people who smoke die from smoking related illnesses? This guy, said he had smoked three packs a day for 30 years and only quit because cigarettes had gotten so expensive. If the prices came down, he would start back up again. He also said he had skin cancer, and that was fixed. He had a heart attack, and that was fixed, and he had two hip replacements. I could tell, he thought he was invincible. If something broke, medical science replaced it, so instead of these alignments being warning signs, they were proof he was invincible. I can tell he is of the type that believes
that which does not kill me, makes me stronger. Since smoking had not killed him, it was not going to kill him. And even if you yelled at him in his coffin
do you believe it now? he was not going to change. I like this guy, he is nice gentleman, but, he is a little off about risk.
If you really want to shoot your rifle, go ahead. If nothing happens, then nothing happens. If something happens, please tell us all.