Blown drum!

[Roger Fisher]

Dislike to spread this info around; but still better to do so I suppose....

Yesterday at a line shoot with 31 shooters a drum blew out of a schuetzen style half stock that may be 5 yrs or so old.  The shooter was shooting mild load at 50 yds.  The drum hit no one, since by good fortune the right handed shooter was on the right end of the line with no one to his right side.

I had a quick look at the remains (w/o my magnifiers) and the male end of the drum was still in the seat and was intact being sheared off fairly flush with the seat opening........  As I can recall it did look as if it was a 1/4 drum thread can't vouch for that, could have been a 5/16th just not sure.   Bottom line here is that the experienced shooter admitted that he removed the DRUM each and every time he cleaned this rifle  I mentioned to him that if the lockplate does not support that drum the repeated pounding of the hammer can cause a crack at the beginning of the threads and that I felt that was the cause of his problem!! He insists he 'never' over tightened said drum

Am I close to the mark   Prevention??

Yes, yes this would not have happened with a flinter, however I have witnessed a vent liner blow our of one such!!  So, this ol coon is adding one more good habit to his short list of them  Do not stand on the line on lock side of another shooter if I can avoid it!

[ehoff]

Roger, I think your idea of the unsportted drum is very plausible.

 The other thing that I tought of is that every time the drum is removed it has to be retightened, if the drum was over tightend a few time this could also lead to a stress point at the shoulder where the drum and barrel meet.

By the way did this shooters rifle have a hammer that faces toward the shooter?

[TPH]

Lock support of the drum is critical and, as you implied, the drum should not be removed, especially not every time it is cleaned. Re-tightening can not only cause a crack where the thread ends and the body of the drum begins but it can cause a situation where the nipple no longer lines up properly.

[alex e.]

Nipples ,drums and vent liners ARE NOT meant to be taken out for cleaning,replacement ,yes.
I've seen it before,Try telling the individual that and they give you a cockeyed look.
If they want to hurt themselves that fine ,but the guy standing next to  him might not feel the same.Sorry if this opinion is harsh,but you just cant fix stupid.
I'm glad nobody was hurt.

Alex E.

[northmn]

They used to make "interchangeable" systems where the individual could screw out the drum and put in a vent to go from percussion to flint and back again.  They used the 1/4 inch drum.  Some gave the drum system a bad name.  I saw an individual playing with a bench rifle using 150 grains of 3f in a 54.  he blew out the nipple not the drum.  They can be overtorked etc. and should be left in place.  I have used them for some time with some pretty heavy loads with no problems.  Would lne them up fairly snug then solder in place.

DP

[rich pierce]

I saw this happen to a cheap import in the 1970's; but that one blew straight out and did not shear off.  Threads were no good.  We found the drum about 20 yards away.  My buddy shooting the gun was standing on my right when it happened.  He liked to overload everything and would declare that gun was "fire on one end and fool on t'other!"  Good to have protective angels around!

I like the idea of the unsupported drum in this case.  That Roger is a clever fellow.

[Old Salt]

By the way did this shooters rifle have a hammer that faces toward the shooter?

I was on the right end of the range shooting at 25 yards with my son.  The Shuetzen rifle I saw on the that end of the range did have the hammer facing the shooter.        

At one point the shooter and another fellow were walking along the line looking for something.  I asked what they were looking for but with my hearing protection in I didn't understand a word.  Now I have an idea.

Salt    

[Roger Fisher]

By the way did this shooters rifle have a hammer that faces toward the shooter?

I was on the right end of the range shooting at 25 yards with my son.  The Shuetzen rifle I saw on the that end of the range did have the hammer facing the shooter.        

At one point the shooter and another fellow were walking along the line looking for something.  I asked what they were looking for but with my hearing protection in I didn't understand a word.  Now I have an idea.

Salt    

Young Hoffie is only trying to ID the shooter thinking he may know him!!

Actually the way the hammer travels has nothing to do with a drum shearing off!

[wvmtnman]

I built a rifle a numbers of years ago and used it on a regular basis.  WHen cleaning it one day I noticed powder residue marks on the barrel flat next to the drum.  I cleaned it up real good and shot it a couple times, (from the hip  and by myself) to see if the marks would be there again.  They were
I took out the drum and found out that a gas leak had begun and gases were passing through the threads and out.  The gases were wearing down the threads little by little.  I replaced the dum and also took the extra step of silver soldering the drum in place.  It was a 13/16 barrel in .40 caliber.  I just think I got a bad drum.
                                                                       Brian
                                                     

[Candle Snuffer]

When drums and percussion locks are not properly installed, anything over time could happen.  

I agree, a drum must be properly installed and rest on the lock, and they should not be removed very often (if ever) during the life of the firearm.

My conversion (cap to flint) rifle now sets as a flintlock forever more.  Not because of this thread, but because I just prefer the flintlock adventure at this time.  I'll use the caplock in another build eventually I expect.

I have always been a bit reluctant to switch the locks out (drum to vent & back again, and so forth).   I use to do it, and to be honest even though everything is correct with this rifle and its locks, I never felt good about the idea of making the change because of the potential of excessive thread wear when making the switch.

[Dphariss]

Dislike to spread this info around; but still better to do so I suppose....

Yesterday at a line shoot with 31 shooters a drum blew out of a schuetzen style half stock that may be 5 yrs or so old.  The shooter was shooting mild load at 50 yds.  The drum hit no one, since by good fortune the right handed shooter was on the right end of the line with no one to his right side.

I had a quick look at the remains (w/o my magnifiers) and the male end of the drum was still in the seat and was intact being sheared off fairly flush with the seat opening........  As I can recall it did look as if it was a 1/4 drum thread can't vouch for that, could have been a 5/16th just not sure.   Bottom line here is that the experienced shooter admitted that he removed the DRUM each and every time he cleaned this rifle  I mentioned to him that if the lockplate does not support that drum the repeated pounding of the hammer can cause a crack at the beginning of the threads and that I felt that was the cause of his problem!! He insists he 'never' over tightened said drum

Am I close to the mark   Prevention??

Yes, yes this would not have happened with a flinter, however I have witnessed a vent liner blow our of one such!!  So, this ol coon is adding one more good habit to his short list of them  Do not stand on the line on lock side of another shooter if I can avoid it!

They work harden and break off due to the hammer strike, they are made of cold rolled steel (look at the finish on the drum when new) that is intentionally brittle from the mill and tends to cointinue to work harden in use. BTDT 40 years ago with a 32 shooting about 30 grains of powder.
This is why I won't stand beside a gun with a drum while its being fired.
The original guns are actually safer in this regard than the reproductions since the steel/iron was hot rolled and did not come work hardened and did not generally work harden in use.

Dan