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shot gun barrel blew up

35K views 87 replies 32 participants last post by  lizardbreath 
#1 ·
I just went out duck hunting opening day with my brand new 12 ***** Winchester Sx3 shotgun with a Briley EXR choke. I was shooting a 3 in. #2 steel and about 40 min. into the hunt my barrel blew up (it started 1 in from the forend of my gun and went out about 8in. tward the tip gun). I know that all of the preveous replies were about dropping your gun and getting mud into the barrel but this gun is never left my hands. Has anybody heard about Briley chokes and their restrictions that they may have for the # of shot to us? And if gun barrels may blow due to the size of choke used?
 
#2 ·
A defect choke could potentially get blown out of the gun or rupture the barrel right at the muzzle. It would NOT under any circumstances cause a rupture that begins at the forend.

Sounds like a barrel obstruction to me. Did you have a blooper shell? If not, I'd bet you set the muzzle into the mud without realizing it.
 
#5 ·
my barrel blew up (it started 1 in from the forend of my gun and went out about 8in.
That sounds like either a barrel obstruction, or accidentally using a 3.5 inch shell in there. Could that have possibly happened? measure the shells. See what length they are.

If everything was done right then I would call winchester or whoever you bought it from and say WTF??????
 
#12 ·
yeah. I couldn't find it at first.

OMG, I don't even know what I would do if something like that were to happen.

I hope Winchester makes it right. And by make it right I mean new gun and maybe free shells for life or something.
 
#14 ·
Code-Red said:
I hope Winchester makes it right. And by make it right I mean new gun and maybe free shells for life or something.
Why does Winchester owe him anything? This is CLEARLY user induced obstruction. A wad from a bad shell might cause a bulge... maybe even a small rupture. This was obviously set down barrel first into mud or perhaps discharged under water.
 
#17 ·
If its not something the guy did stupid and only one factory shell did that, even with a normal obstruction that has to be a metallurgic defect. I mean even the rib is twisted!!!!
 
#19 ·
I skirted it a bit before, but since the OP hasn't responded in a few days...

Based on the catastrophic damage to this barrel, I don't think it was an ordinary cleaning patch, stuck wad or small obstruction. A massively overloaded shell would have ruptured the breach, not so far down the barrel. As far as I'm concered, there are two possible causes, and I suspect the second..

1) Several inches of soft, sticky mud packed in the end of the barrel (using the gun as a walking stick/support to get in the boat?

2) Gun was fired with the muzzle submerged in water.

Either way, there's absolutely no way that there wasn't a SERIOUS obstruction in the barrel. Barrels, even weak ones, don't just "blow up"... the shot and gasses will take the path of least resistance, which is usually down and unobstructed muzzle.
 
#23 ·
Why does Winchester owe him anything? This is CLEARLY user induced obstruction. A wad from a bad shell might cause a bulge... maybe even a small rupture. This was obviously set down barrel first into mud or perhaps discharged under water.
You can't possibly make that statement with the facts given to us.

It is a possibility that the manufacturer can be at fault. Just a dud shell can find its way to your gun, and dud gun can find its way into your hands.

Im not saying its for sure winchesters fault, but there is a possibility it is.
 
#24 ·
Code-Red said:
Im not saying its for sure winchesters fault, but there is a possibility it is.
But yesterday you said he should get a free gun and shells for life from them. Make up your mind!

Again... there's no way a catastrophic structural failure would happen from anything other than a blockage in a case like this. If the barrel were made of weak steel, it would rupture in the chamber area. A shot bridge would cause a ring bulge, maybe even a minor rupture. A stuck wad could cause a minor rupture. None of the above would cause this.

The OP states that the gun "never left his hands", and that there's no way there was a blockage. I call BS.
 
#25 ·
I understand that I sounded flip floppy, but based on what we know, and what the OP has given us, we cannot throw out the idea that it may not have had a barrel obstruction and there is another reason.

There are so many variables to consider with something like this.
Size of shell/powder used/strength of steel/and many other factors. I just don't think we can difinitevely say that the operator was at fault.
 
#26 ·
Geez people, give the guy the benefit of the doubt until he responds!

Cameron
 
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