Video - A Burst 1861 Navy Revolver Barrel

[arcticap]

A short 2:28 video by capandball showing how an obstruction due to a dry ball or squib load caused a revolver barrel to burst.

 

[<*(((><]

Thanks to good materials and design. That’s impressive to see it split as far as it did.

 

[BullRunBear]

Arcticap,
Thanks for posting the video. It justifies my careful, plodding routine loading C&B revolvers and reloading generally. I'm not trying to be the fastest reloader, just the oldest. Glad the shooter was uninjured.

Jeff

 

[Jim Watson]

Thanks to good materials and design. That’s impressive to see it split as far as it did.

Right down the top and bottom roll marks.

 

[Navy Six 2]

I remember seeing that video last year and got a real kick out of the owner trying to obtain a new barrel due to " minor damage " .

 

[Jim Watson]

Thanks to good materials and design. That’s impressive to see it split as far as it did.

Not very good material. A .38 Special smokeless will seldom split the barrel behind a stuck bullet.

 

[expat_alaska]

How do these guns blow up like that when they are proofed at the factory? I would have assumed that the rupture would have occurred at or before the barrel bulge.

Jim

 

[TheOutlawKid]

I love the bluing on that gun...the Europeans are very lucky to have pietta and uberti sell more of a variety of finishes and styles locally than here in the states. I know uberti sells a "coin finish" in europe that looks like a grayish black mirror chrome finish..hard to describe other than seeing some Stanley brand tools with the same finish..but its beautiful. Wish theyd offer those options as standard over here in the states....theyd sell very well IMO.

 

[44 Dave]

Remember there is a different pressure curve and the squib was near the end of the barrel. If a Uberti, they have a nice tapper to the barrel that Pietta does not (use a 1860 bored for .36).
I have a 1860 with a slight bulge only about an inch into the barrel, I assume it is from a squib, it is hardly detectable and still shoots fine.

 

[arcticap]

Remember there is a different pressure curve and the squib was near the end of the barrel. If a Uberti, they have a nice tapper to the barrel that Pietta does not (use a 1860 bored for .36).
I have a 1860 with a slight bulge only about an inch into the barrel, I assume it is from a squib, it is hardly detectable and still shoots fine.

Dave,
You're right about the 1860 barrel taper of the Pietta 1861.
I had watched the Duelist1954 video of the Pietta 1861 London Model [sold by Dixie] that has an 8" barrel, steel grip frame and steel trigger guard and then looked it up.

A reviewer on Dixie also stated that it was made with the Pietta .44 1860 barrel blank which makes it heavier.--->>> https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...RH0841+PIETTA++MODEL+1861+NAVY+REVOLVER+36+CA

The 2 Pietta Sheriff 1861 models that Dixie sells have even less taper to their barrel than the 8 inch model.
Dixie provides the dimensions at both the breech and at the muzzle.
The description for all of the Pietta 1861's also state that they use #11 percussion caps which also sounds different than other Piettas.

1. [steel Sheriff 1861] https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...RH0975++PIETTA+M1861+NAVY+SHERIFF+REVOLVER+36

2. [brass grip frame & trigger guard 1861 sheriff] https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/8938/category_id/321/product_name/SS1211+1861+SHERIFF'S+REVOLVER+36+CAL

Here's Mike's excellent Pietta 1861 video for those who want to see it.
He fires 2 different conicals plus round balls with it.

 

[arcticap]

A poster on TFL said that his flask must have been low or empty of powder which led to only a few grains being loaded into one of his Remington chambers.

Luckily he checked his barrel after firing the squib, because he found that a ball was stuck just a few inches past the forcing cone.

 

[whughett]

A poster on TFL said that his flask must have been low or empty of powder which led to only a few grains being loaded into one of his Remington chambers.

Luckily he checked his barrel after firing the squib, because he found that a ball was stuck just a few inches past the forcing cone.

Must have a bit of air space tween the ball and powder there, Shooter seems to have made out in a couple of ways. Because I shoot from under a covered firing range I’ve gotten into the habit of checking the powder charge with a small flashlight when loading from a flask.