Oh Oh couple blown patches...

[Roger Fisher]

I have been shooting a 45 caliber Getz since 89 using .454 ball .015 tightly woven patch and spit.  Past sunday using a heavier than normal charge (80 3f Goex) We noticed 2 blown and a bit of smoke from the blown patch and the shots were a ton low!

This barrel has a lot of shots thru her and she is satiny smooth no rough spots and muzzle looks and feels just fine no 'hooks' on the land ends.  I shot a lot of shots w/o cleaning.  Only the standard spit clean on the in and clean on the out of the ball.   I am a bit ferhuddled and perplexed over this.  I took the old girl to the bench tonite grasped her gently but firmly (as the old girl likes to be handled) into the padded vise (vertical position) and w/a strong light/lights and my magnifier examined her  muzzle end and felt for hooks with a pin - non found.  Ran a very tight
patch slowly thru her innards and no roughness found. 

While I was holding her in my passionate grasp I used the old 600 wet paper under my manly thumb and finally under a 62 cal ball for better results.  This has polished her business end nicely.

My thoughts may have wandered under the pressure of shooting 200 yds offhand so much that I wonder if I failed to use a spit patch and may have loaded her with a dry patch that then blew out...?

I wonder also if my patching had a bad section which I in fact discount!!!

I wonder if I had a fouling ring at the forward end of the ball that I failed to notice which damaged the patch on ignition?

Ok enough already any body out there have this occur suddenly for no noticeable reason??  This old girl has been serving me for a long time and this suddenly cropped up - only twice understand - but once is plenty!  What was your fix.  This ol girl and I have been together so long that I refuse to go to my back up gal/rifle/rifles!

Help!      Anybody!!

[BrownBear]

Well, shoot.  That's easy!

The mere thought of trying to shoot 200 yards dries my mouth.  You may have been mouthing those patches, but were you making spit?

[Candle Snuffer]

How old is the fabric you're using to patch with, Roger?  Crazy as it sounds, I understand that fabric can break down over the years.

My other thought is,,, are you getting a good clean cut with your patch knife so it's not pulling a thread or two in the patching material once in a while when loading?

Just a couple thoughts...

[roundball]

Help!      Anybody!!

Seems clear to me...time for you to hang up your horns.








 

[Leatherbelly]

 Guessing, go back to 25yds. and shoot 'er again. Then see if she groups at 50. Get John to turn you a new one, so if it's hatched,you are ready to go again for another 150,000 shots, er half a million or more. Switch to your smoothbore,screw rifles!! LOL!

[trentOH]

Maybe you weren't shooting .454 balls. Take a good handfull of them and mic them, just to make sure they aren't a bit too big.

[RobertS]

All these possibilities seem plausible to me, but it will be interesting to see what one of the Sapergia boys think!

[max]

If you've been shooting the gun steadily since '89 you may be at the point where you need to go to the next larger ball size due to barrel wear.

[Daryl]

Whenever I get blown patches with heavier loads than normal, it's due to using too thin a patch.  The integrity of the patch is being taxed very heavily, and stiffer loads create higher pressures that demand heavier patching.

  Denim in the thinner grades, ie: .015 to .018" seem to lack sufficient thread strength for high pressure loads, but some of the pocket drills work just fine.  With that oversize ball, I'd be trying the tighest weave I could find.

 Too, the cloth's age might be valid in this instance.

[Roger Fisher]

I think ol Daryl is close to the fix, seems like!

I always use the tighest weave I can lay my grubby mitts on.  So I better dig up some pocket drill and use that when shooting 80 3 f on up!~

The patching I'm using really gets the $#@* squeezed out of it while she rides the lands on the way out.  Not torn understand but really squeezed hard.  This is noticeable when I recover a patch or three!  I bought around 20 yds of that carhardt from ol Wade Reynolds no more than 4 yrs ago; but who know how long it laid in the warehouse.   I doubt v much if I'm tearing it at the muzzle at least I haven't noticed that.

Thanks for all the responses.   It's kinda like when your whatzit don't 'wanna' work anymore,  (Least wise that's what I hear)

More!!

[Jim Thomas]

80 gr FFF  is a stout load.   If the patch/spit is holding up consistently with a bit lesser load,  it wouldn't become a cutting problem at the chosen load.    The worn barrel must factor in.    Gas is getting by... we know that.   Tighter patch and a good soaking is where I would go next. 

Have you tried sending the barrel back as defective?        

You are amazing Roger.  I'm in awe of you.