Coyote3855
Member
Okay, I'm posting this so others may learn from my stupidity. Or maybe just about my stupidity, because anyone with any experience should not have let this happen.
I keep a New England Arms Sportster in .17 HRM in my truck for the ground squirrls that invade my place every summer. It's the single shot, bull barrel, synthetic stock and has a 3.5x10 Leupold scope. Shoots better than I can hold. Has accounted for hundreds of Richardson's and 13-stripe ground squirrels.
I was crossing the pasture, spotted a ground squirrel and nailed it. Drove another 1/4th mile and tried for another. Gun goes click. Here is where the cascading dumb begins. I should have stopped immediately and checked out the situation. But the blood lust was up and those little buggers eventually go down the hole. I ejected an empty casing with a strong primer mark. I inserted another round, and closed the action, which didn't quite feel like normal. More dumb. I line up on the rodent and there is a really LOUD bang, the action is open with scortch marks on the breechface, and there is a case minus the head in the chamber.
Okay, now the situation has my attention. I went back to the house and was able to extract the case with a brass wood screw. The case was cracked at the neck as well as missing the head. I cleaned the bore, could see no damage inside or out. Rifle groups as good as before.
So, what happened is, Mr. Remington sold me cartridge with no powder. Between the priming charge and my forcing the action closed, the bullet was pushed far enough into the barrel to chamber the second round.
I ignored two obvious warning signs that something was amiss. Luckily, I was wearing good ear and eye protection and do not have the case headed imbedded in my forehead as a keepsake.
So, rules for dummies:
1. If something seems not right, something is probably wrong.
2. If something is probably wrong, stop and think, inspect, reflect, cool off.
3. Eye and ear protection, always.
Thanks for listening.
I keep a New England Arms Sportster in .17 HRM in my truck for the ground squirrls that invade my place every summer. It's the single shot, bull barrel, synthetic stock and has a 3.5x10 Leupold scope. Shoots better than I can hold. Has accounted for hundreds of Richardson's and 13-stripe ground squirrels.
I was crossing the pasture, spotted a ground squirrel and nailed it. Drove another 1/4th mile and tried for another. Gun goes click. Here is where the cascading dumb begins. I should have stopped immediately and checked out the situation. But the blood lust was up and those little buggers eventually go down the hole. I ejected an empty casing with a strong primer mark. I inserted another round, and closed the action, which didn't quite feel like normal. More dumb. I line up on the rodent and there is a really LOUD bang, the action is open with scortch marks on the breechface, and there is a case minus the head in the chamber.
Okay, now the situation has my attention. I went back to the house and was able to extract the case with a brass wood screw. The case was cracked at the neck as well as missing the head. I cleaned the bore, could see no damage inside or out. Rifle groups as good as before.
So, what happened is, Mr. Remington sold me cartridge with no powder. Between the priming charge and my forcing the action closed, the bullet was pushed far enough into the barrel to chamber the second round.
I ignored two obvious warning signs that something was amiss. Luckily, I was wearing good ear and eye protection and do not have the case headed imbedded in my forehead as a keepsake.
So, rules for dummies:
1. If something seems not right, something is probably wrong.
2. If something is probably wrong, stop and think, inspect, reflect, cool off.
3. Eye and ear protection, always.
Thanks for listening.
