Burst musket barrel question

[longfellow46]

Grzrob Over the years we have had 2 men with in 50 miles of me lose arms from shooting just powder charges both apeared to bridge and blow apart . I know this is not the same as what you had happen down there.but both these were on GOOD Barrels Ps. You know me as Walking Dead Man on the board seeya

 

[Rusty Old Gunns]

Good deductions, 54Ball.

I think we could hammer this around for quite a while. Unless we were over this guys shoulder the whole time, all we can do is speculate as to what, if anything, he did to facilitate the incident.

One thing I did notice from the pictures. If you look at where it split, it looks like (Murphy's Law?) the touch hole was drilled right on, or real close to the weld. Could the barrel have pulled free of the breach plug after the barrel split open? Or even if it were dropped afterward? At that point, there wasn't much holding it all together.

If any of this is the case, and if there was any obstruction, be it a paper wad or fowling, it is disturbing to think that the obstruction was stronger than the weld or breach plug-barrel threads joint.

I have seen quite a few men pull the trigger and get only the pan flash. In the heat of it all think it went off and load again... it happens, and any properly manufactured barrel should be able to withstand a double load.

But what ever did happen, IMHO, it all boils down to the musket itself and not operator error (Even if he was a Lobster Back).

I think we all agree that this is a relatively isolated incident and it doesn't necessarily cast any aspersions on any reputable dealer or his wares.

After 20 years as a police officer, I've seen Colt and S&W revolvers come apart, Glocks explode and barrels split.

But,instead of dancing around "who made it" or "who sold it" anyone owning an Indian musket deserves to know for their own peace of mind. This way, if you own a musket from the same wholesaler you can simply take it to a gunsmith for inspection instead of worrying every time you squeeze the trigger.

Leaving the story like this is like being told your girlfriend is "A little pregnant"

Just my thoughts, and I wish the gentleman well.

 

[Many Klatch]

Grizz, two weeks ago I loaded my Pedersoli Bess with a double charge (180 gr 2F) to try and hit a gong at 300 yards. I missed of course, but the effort was instructive. I never even considered that my Bess would blow up. The Pedersoli's are worth the extra money if you are going to shoot roundball.

Many Klatch

 

[jasontn]

i saw something like this happen once before. a guy i worked with used a peice of heavy walled pipe to make a signal cannon. it had the inside bore nearly the size of a golfball with walls that were 7/8 inch thick. being standard water pipe, it was seam welded. he turned it into a proper cannon profile on a lathe, and machined one end to accept a standard pipeplug for a breech. he drilled a hole in the rear of the pipe for the fuze. this cannon was a little over 4 feet long. he fired several loads of powder thru it and finally figured out itd take a patched golfball and loaded it up, around 400 grains of powder i think he said, and fired it. it split right down the welded seam and looked just like the picture of the musket barrel.

 

[Ronald Markowitz]

Based on a comparison of the photos of the burst musket and my Middlesex Village Long Land musket I feel comfortable in stating that the burst musket is not a MiddleSex musket.

 

[Pigman]

Has anyone heard who sold/made it?

 

[Grizzled Roberts]

I found out my musket is a Middlesex and it has been proof tested. Once by them and last week by me...not on purpose. I managed to distract myself
and double load the powder. That is 170 grains of 2F, a fiber wad and a stiff patched .675 ball.
With all this stuff about the India muskets going around when I touched this load off I nearly had to change the diapers!!! In my mind I knew it was a double load, after 35 years of muzzle loading I know what these feel like. I still checked my fingers and shorts and now have complete confidance in this beastie. I just have to keep from distracting myself while loading! :bow:

 

[scroggwe]

I have the British Military Doglock Musket that I bought from The Discriminating General earlier this year. I have fire around 30 rounds through it using 80 grains of Ffg behind a PRB. I feel like it is safe, but have to admit that this incident has me a little hesitant about shooting it any more.

 

[Parzifal]

I have a 1st mod long land and a heavy carbine , both built from loyalist kits.

Both have been proofed and both are as sound as any musket out there.

I do aswell admit that this whole incident kinda freaked me out at the start , but this could happen to ANY front stuffer given the right circumstances.
There is a forum on the middlesex site and the gent on there addresses some concerns. It says there that the barell and some others like it are being tested by some pherensic types??

Cheers!

Rob

 

[Parzifal]

:surrender: :haha:
Um yes....I meant to say forensics there...jeeze...