Here are some:
1. Rifle Design: Hawken halfstock percussion, built from American made kit.
Barrel Dimensions: .50 caliber, 1” octagon, 32” long
Steel: 12L14
Load: 100 grains black, one round ball
Location, Date: Cherokee, Iowa, September 1979
Injuries: Minor cut on right index finger.
Background: Engaged in rapid fire contest to cut a board in half.
Rifle burst at 7th or 8th shot.
Nature of Failure: Barrel split open 4” back from muzzle into four
long pieces, all hung together. Brittle fracture with
multiple fracture origins on barrel flats. The ball
indented the bore 360° around at the fracture
origin, 9” back from muzzle.
Reference: March 1980, The Buckskin Report.
2. Rifle Design: Custom Built left hand percussion rifle with drum. About $750 in 1977.
Barrel Dimensions: .50 caliber, 1” octagon.
Steel: 12L14, cold drawn octagon, in the as-cold drawn condition.
Load: 80 grains GOEX FFFg black powder, one 370 grain
Maxi-ball lubricated with Crisco, Remington caps.
Location, Date: May 17, 1979, East Carondelet, Illinois.
Injuries: Lost entire thumb, index and middle fingers of
right hand, along with much of the palm.
Here are the remains of the rifle.
gun
It would be inappropriate here to show an X-ray of the remnants of the shooter’s hand.
Background: The man had 12 years experience shooting and hunting with muzzle-loading rifles, the first 10 years using original flint and percussion guns. He marked his ramrod to ensure seating the bullet on the powder. This rifle had been fired about 200 times in two years.
he loads used ranged mostly from 40 to 80 grains FFFg, occasionally 120 grains, with round ball.
Rifle was fired about 8 times with 60-80 grains FFFg and a Maxi-ball. The rifle maker had proofed this barrel with 250 grains of black powder and two patched balls.
Nature of Failure: Brittle fracture originating on the bottom flat 10 inches from the breech end. The barrel shattered into several pieces, four of which were found. The breech plug remained in the stock. Metallurgical examination showed cracks in the steel, in the
un-damaged part of the barrel.
3. Rifle Design: American made, bronze frame.
Barrel Dimensions: .50 caliber, 1” octagon 32” long, breech threads 3/4” dia.
Steel: 12L14 cold drawn to octagonal cross-section.
Load: 50 grains FFg black, spit lubricated patched round ball.
Location, Date: Arkansas, 1979.
Injuries: Lost entire left thumb, remaining fingers stiff.
(the man had been a draftsman)
Background: New shooter, just bought the rifle. Had difficulty getting the ball down
the barrel. Rifle burst on third shot.
Nature of Failure: Brittle fracture originating 12-3/8” forward of the breech. Multiple fracture origins on barrel flats. The ball indented the bore 360° around at the point of failure.
Reference: January 1980, The Buckskin Report.
4. Rifle Design: American made, mass produced half stock percussion with patent breech. Barrel Dimensions:.45 caliber, 13/16” octagon barrel with 11/16” Diameter breech threads.
Steel: Cold drawn 1117
Load: 60 grains FFg black powder, patched round ball. Cleaned between shots.
Location, Date: Missouri, March 1979
Injuries: Lost left eye, suffered brain damage, impaired Hearing and balance.
Could no longer perform his job designing Hallmark Cards
Background: Shooter had marked the ramrod to be certain that the ball was seated on the powder, with his 60 grain load. The rifle had been fired a couple hundred times.
Nature of Failure: The entire patent breech and threaded portion of the barrel separated, striking the shooter in the head. The barrel broke in the breech at the foremost thread. The notch at the root of the thread concentrated stresses to about 2-1/2 times normal level, in the thin barrel wall.
Reference: Private communication from John Baird, Editor, The Buckskin Report
5. Rifle Design: Custom built.
Barrel Dimensions: .54 caliber, 1” octagon 32” long.
Steel: (barrel maker normally used cold drawn 1144)
Load: 70 grains, FFg black.
Location, Date: About 1979—80
Injuries: None
Background: Rifle almost new. Witness claims the rifle was properly loaded, that is, the ball was not short started.
Nature of Failure: Barrel bulged 12” from the muzzle.
6. Rifle Design: American made half-stock percussion Hawken style.
Barrel Dimensions: .54 caliber, 1” octagon 32” long.
Steel: cold drawn 1144
Load: 120 grains FFg GOEX black powder, .490” round ball patched with
.016—.018” thick mattress ticking.
Location, Date: New Mexico, about Thanksgiving 1979. Weather about 50°F.
Injuries: None
Background: Shooter cleaned after every shot. Engaged in slow shooting match, barrel cool. Ball was seated on the powder when fired.
Nature of Failure: Bore ringed about 3” forward of the patent breech.
The outside flats bulged 0.005”.
7. Rifle Design: Italian Hawken, but custom fit with American made barrel.
Barrel Dimensions: .54 caliber, 15/16” (?) octagon.
Steel: (barrel maker normally used 12L14 cold drawn to octagon shape)
Load: 120 grains FFFg.
Location, Date: New Mexico
Injuries: None
Background: Shooter had used this load for two years in the rifle.
Nature of Failure: Barrel split from breech to muzzle. Top half of the
barrel blew some 15 feet up in the air.
8. Rifle Design: American made, mass produced half stock percussion, patent breech.
Barrel Dimensions: --
Steel: Unknown
Load: 70 grains FFg black.
Location, Date: About 1979—80
Injuries: None
Background: Rifle almost new. Witness claims rifle was properly loaded.
Nature of Failure: Barrel bulged where ball was seated on the powder.
9. Rifle Design: American made, mass produced Hawken style, percussion patent breech.
Barrel Dimensions: .50 caliber
Steel: Not determined.
Load: 70 grains FFg black powder with maxiball.
Location, Date: Iowa, November 1981.
Injuries: Severe leg injuries.
Background: Shooter age 15. Fired one shot with no problem. Had great difficulty l
loading the second maxiball, and unsure if it were seated on the
powder.
Nature of Failure: Four inches of the breech end of the barrel, including the patent
breech, were completely blown away.
10. Rifle Design: Custom made fullstock flintlock Kentucky.
Barrel Dimensions: .45 caliber. 7/8” octagon 44” long.
Steel: 12L14 cold drawn octagon
Load: 135 grains FFg du Pont black powder, .012” oiled
linen patch. Ball stuck about 18” from the muzzle.
Location, Date: 1975
Injuries: None
Background: Shooter had about 27 years experience. Inadvertently used powder
measure set for 135 grains, more than normal charge. Ball became
stuck when loading in fouled barrel. Shooter attempted to shoot it out.
Nature of Failure: Bore ringed
11. Rifle Design: Custom made
Barrel Dimensions: .45 caliber, 13’16” octagon
Steel (barrel maker normally used 12L14 cold drawn to octagon shape)
Load: 50 grains FFg, one patched .437” round ball
Location, Date: About 1971
Injuries: None
Background: Barrel failed on first shot.
Nature of Failure: Attributed to a flaw in the steel
Reference: December 1972, Muzzle Blasts
February 1987, The Buckskin Report
12. Rifle Design: American mass produced Hawken style, percussion with patent breech.
Barrel Dimensions: .50 caliber octagon
Steel: (possibly 1137Mod Gun Barrel Quality)
Load: FFFg black powder*
Location, Date: Georgia, 1981
Injuries: Left thumb blown away, balance of hand mutilated
Background: --
Nature of Failure: Barrel burst approximately 4 inches forward of the breechplug
face. The front half of the lockplate was blown away. The patent
breech burst in the thin area under the snail, and clean-out screw
blew out. Failure did not begin at any design defect.
*Defendant’s experts insisted that there was some smokeless powder in some of the gun powder examples. Plaintiff s expert, who saw the samples first, found no trace of smokeless. With no agreement among experts, the cause of failure remains speculative.
Speculation by James Kelly: That the plaintiff’’s expert found no trace of smokless only means just that, that he could not find it. My own experience with the Defendant is that they know their business. Also, this failure description fits what I have seen in guns burst using smokeless. In this case I would agree with the Defendant. This is only my personal opinion.
13. Rifle Design: American made, mass produced Hawken style, percussion patent breech.
Barrel Dimensions: .54 caliber, 1” octagon 28” long.
Steel: Maker said to have been using Gun Barrel Quality 1137Mod at this time.
Chemical analysis not performed. Hardness Rockwell B 100 – 102
Load: 110 – 115 grains FFg or FFFg GOEX with patched round ball. The ramrod
was marked to show when the ball was seated on the powder. Rifle had been
fired about 40 – 50 times. When the gun burst it had been loaded with black
powder.
BUT
The shooter had previously fired a few rounds using Unique smokeless powder,
with his measure set for about 50 grains by volume black.
But . . .
(photo not in tinypic)
Location, Date: Indiana, March, 1986
Injuries: Left arm amputated below the elbow, lost the sight of his right eye.
Background: From the fouling and what appeared to be a few grains of FFg black stuck in
the breech I believe this rifle was indeed loaded with black powder on
the occasion when it burst.
Nature of Failure: Barrel, lockplate and stock destroyed. I believe those few shots with Unique so weakened the metal (started cracks), and that is why it finally burst with a black powder load.
13. continued
Bear that in mind. This gem is from an internet auction listing, Aug 2009:
“This is a 50 caliber Hawken cap lock muzzle loader. I bought this rifle in 1973, did a few practice shots in my basement and then took it to a hunting preserve in Tennessee and nailed a big white ram and a Russian boar. I still have them on my wall. I mixed some smokeless powder with the black powder and it sounded like my 30-06 when I fired it. . . This is a very good looking rifle and I haven't used it much but I really enjoyed owning and hunting with it.”
Someone may be in for a surprise, but I chose not to purchase this rifle.
14. Rifle Design: American made, mass produced Hawken style, percussion patent breech.
Barrel Dimensions: .50 caliber 15/16” octagon, 32” long.
Steel: Cold drawn 1117 leaded, stress relieved (but not fully annealed), hardness
Rockwell B88
Load: 60—70 grains, predominantly FFFFg, but FFFg also used, with .45 cal
MaxiBall®.
Location, Date: Near Clarksville, Ohio, December 25, 1981
Injuries: Left hand amputated at the wrist.
Background: This young plumber fired the rifle between 300 and 500 times since its
purchase in 1974. The MaxiBall was said to have been seated on the
powder. The owner generally used FFFFg powder,
stating “If they had four I usually bought it, if not I get the three”
Nature of Failure: Barrel burst into at least four pieces. The brass forend cap was
opened up flat, the steel under-rib broken and torn from barrel, and
the forestock completely splintered near the front end. The
dovetail for the underlug was cut deep, leaving only about 0.084”
thickness of metal over the bore.
15. & 16. Were Ballard rifles with Stressproof barrels, not appropriate here. If you want
them, email me off-line.
17. Rifle Design:
Barrel Dimensions: 13/16” octagon, .45 caliber
Steel: Barrel maker commonly used cold drawn 12L14
Load: 50 grains FFg black powder and one patched .437”
round ball. The ball was seated on the powder.
Location, Date: Midwest, 1972 or earlier
Injuries: None
Background: First shot out of this rifle.
Nature of Failure: Top flat cracked open. Failure attributed to “. . .a
flaw in the metal.”
Reference: Muzzle Blasts September 1972, Proof Testing New Barrels,
Roy Keeler
( do not have this picture in format to include here.
Msssrs. Crawdad & Gordo - I do hope you all appreciate this list.
I don't particularly care to remember these incidents.
I shoot "hands", sort of, with the shooter of #2. He got, I think, a substantial settlement. That particular barrel maker ceased advertising muzzle loading barrels at this time.
When I got the shattered barrel from #3 the pieces had some fibrous reddish brown organic matter smeared on them.
You do not hear about such failures these days because
There is no more John Baird. Nor is anyone going through lawsuits to compile a list
No one wants to hear about them.
This, In My most incredibly Humble Opinion.
