my rifle blew up...

[Expat]

Glad you weren't injured.

I wouldn't expect that much damage except for a Glock Kaboom...

 

[Bfish]

I opened this last night and didn't have time to read it... That looks like it was quite the kaboom! I am glad you are ok and also interested on hearing what went wrong!

Oh and how did you like the class??

 

[T.Lex]

Oh and how did you like the class??

LOL

But otherwise, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Glad the OP is ok.

 

[Redhorse]

Hey guys, just another keyboard samari tagging for interest . Only teasing, but I'm curious as well. I'm about to finish building my AR pistol with an 80 percent milled out lower so I'm very curious. I've never messed with ARs (probably the only 21 year old to have grown up on lever action rifles and revolvers!) so one can see the interest.

 

[Psode27]

Glad you're okay! Scary stuff! Were there any malfunctions or anything strange leading up to it?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Glad you are OK. Did you us the exploder before it blew up by any chance?

 

[jh1978]

Soonest i can get it to a gunsmith is Friday. The bolt is all the way forward and the cams are locked in place to the breech. I can't move the charging handle or bolt at all due to the damage. The rear take down pin is bent. I'm not about to start banging on it either. There is no visible damage to the barrel at all from what i can see on the outside. No bulges or stress marks of any kind. I can't imagine this being an out of battery detonation. As i said i had zero mechanical malfunctions all weekend. I know i jinxed myself by pointing this out several times, but damn didn't really want this kinda malfunction. I had been reapplying Fireclean to the bolt a few drops every couple of hours and the action was cycling smooth and no friction. I think at this point i'm most upset that the failure was this catastrophic and really not much seems salvageable. I built this rifle from the best parts i could find and put a lot of effort into setting it up perfectly. I think the only thing i forgot to list initially was the Spike's Tactical adjustable gas block.

 

[devious169]

Glad to see your alright, after such a catastrophic failure!

 

[24Carat]

I would definitely have a problem sending off all of the evidence connected to an incident like this with out it being fully documented by a reputable gunsmith.

 

[AA&E]

I would definitely have a problem sending off all of the evidence connected to an incident like this with out it being fully documented by a reputable gunsmith.

I hold the same opinion. Personally, I'd consult an attorney before doing anything. You have a legitimate product liability concern, and while I am not big on large settlements negatively influencing companies that I want to do well (Liberty is among them, I use their ammo often), you have every right to figure out who is to blame and to be compensated for your losses. That upper and BCG is definitely toast. The barrel and lower could be as well. Also factor in your own injuries, which while obviously aren't debilitating, do warrant some level of compensation. How much? Man, I have no clue. I got a bloody nose in a car accident once through no fault of my own and was paid $2500 for my trouble. I thought that was excessive, but it was what they offered right from the start to avert any potential lawsuits.

Once you hand that firearm over, you no longer have any evidence and lose control of the evidence you do have. This needs to be turned over to a competent and impartial party to determine what happened and why.

 

[cobber]

I hold the same opinion. Personally, I'd consult an attorney before doing anything. You have a legitimate product liability concern, and while I am not big on large settlements negatively influencing companies that I want to do well (Liberty is among them, I use their ammo often), you have every right to figure out who is to blame and to be compensated for your losses. That upper and BCG is definitely toast. The barrel and lower could be as well. Also factor in your own injuries, which while obviously aren't debilitating, do warrant some level of compensation. How much? Man, I have no clue. I got a bloody nose in a car accident once through no fault of my own and was paid $2500 for my trouble. I thought that was excessive, but it was what they offered right from the start to avert any potential lawsuits.

Once you hand that firearm over, you no longer have any evidence and lose control of the evidence you do have. This needs to be turned over to a competent and impartial party to determine what happened and why.

This. Never turn over the evidence to the 'guilty' party. If the ammo manufacturer agrees they were liable, they will try to low-ball any settlement.

Might be better to get an expert to do an independent report, and prepare a tort claim. Let the manufacturer have a copy of the report and pictures.

 

[DIRTROAD]

Take it to a gunsmith get everything in writing before you send it to them

 

[AmmoManAaron]

First step is your lawyer.

Second step is to have a reputable gunsmith familiar with product liability examine and document the evidence.

Third step depends on the lawyer's advice.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

 

[colts1982]

Just throwing out my 2 cents but couldn't have been a blockage in your gas system? Bent gas tube at the key/ Or blockage in your gas key itself???

 

[Fargo]

Just throwing out my 2 cents but couldn't have been a blockage in your gas system? Bent gas tube at the key/ Or blockage in your gas key itself???

I'm no expert but I can't see how that would cause the BCG to detonate. IME gas tube obstructions usually just result in short stroking or failure to cycle.

Just spitballing, but I don't see how there could be a live round in the chamber. The bolt lugs are still engaged and the bcg is basically gone. I don't see how a fresh round could have been picked up/chambered when the whole bgc is blown to hell.

I also don't see how it could be OOB if the bolt lugs are engaged.

The way that BCG is blown to hell, it looks to me like the bolt carrier began failing several rounds prior to the kaboom. My wild guess would be that it was cracked pretty much all the way through when the last round touched off.

I suppose it could also be a really overpressure round, but I would figure to see more barrel damage and venting out the magwell. I also would not expect to see a largely intact bolt. I just don't see how you get enough pressure inside a bolt carrier to blow it in half without shearing off the bolt lugs.

I'm really curious to see what FailZero has to say.

 

[walleyepw]

Glad that you are OK. Rifles can be replaced. Fingers, eyes, and lives ---No. Interested in the investigation and out come.

 

[devious169]

I'm no expert but I can't see how that would cause the BCG to detonate. IME gas tube obstructions usually just result in short stroking or failure to cycle.

Just spitballing, but I don't see how there could be a live round in the chamber. The bolt lugs are still engaged and the bcg is basically gone. I don't see how a fresh round could have been picked up/chambered when the whole bgc is blown to hell.

I also don't see how it could be OOB if the bolt lugs are engaged.

The way that BCG is blown to hell, it looks to me like the bolt carrier began failing several rounds prior to the kaboom. My wild guess would be that it was cracked pretty much all the way through when the last round touched off.

I suppose it could also be a really overpressure round, but I would figure to see more barrel damage and venting out the magwell. I also would not expect to see a largely intact bolt. I just don't see how you get enough pressure inside a bolt carrier to blow it in half without shearing off the bolt lugs.

I'm really curious to see what FailZero has to say.

I'm with ya on the whole failure of the bcg. I've read about fail zero having a bunch of bad bcg and out of spec bcg problems a couple years ago. Either way that sux

 

[Fargo]

I'm with ya on the whole failure of the bcg. I've read about fail zero having a bunch of bad bcg and out of spec bcg problems a couple years ago. Either way that sux

It could also be that the bolt carrier was previously damaged by an over pressure round, and just now let go. I do recall seeing pictures of a cracked bolt carrier after an overpressure damaged bolt had been run in it.

 

[Leo]

There have been a number of Kreighoff (read: $10K plus) shotguns blow up and people have jumped through all kinds of hoops with the shell makers and gun maker. I have never heard of one that worked out really well. The cost of an independent metallurgical lab with interior ballistics knowlege is not going to be cheap, likely more than a new rifle costs.

 

[jh1978]

There have been a number of Kreighoff (read: $10K plus) shotguns blow up and people have jumped through all kinds of hoops with the shell makers and gun maker. I have never heard of one that worked out really well. The cost of an independent metallurgical lab with interior ballistics knowlege is not going to be cheap, likely more than a new rifle costs.

I think I am more worried about someone else getting hurt with ammo from this lot. Myself included since I have a few hundred rounds left over. If Federal can determine that there was some manufacturing issue, then hopefully they can recall the lot before someone gets killed. It could be that there was some other issue in my case. However since i have a few thousand rounds down the pipe, on a 3 year old rifle, the ammo is my first suspect.