Did I hurt my barrel?

[Gametracker]

Well darn it! Stupidity struck again. Yesterday I shot with 90 grains of Goex through the .54 GPR. About the fifth shot, BOOM with no kick. I immediately realized my mistake. Never in my life have I short started the projectile, not even when I cut my teeth on in-li...., well, you know. Not ever. What happened is I started it with the ball starter, about four inches into the front, and didn't ramrod it :redface:. So should I be worried about the pressure that developed behind the ball, or was there enough barrel between ball and breech to "share" the pressure and not leave a week spot? I continued shooting after seeing no deformity with the barrel.

 

[hobbles]

Gametracker,, evenin,,
I did that once not long ago and found a post on here that said to run a patch down the barrel and sea if it got easier or stayed the same all the way down, Mine had no different feel to it so I guess I lucked out,,


(i hope)

 

[roundball]

Well darn it! Stupidity struck again. Yesterday I shot with 90 grains of Goex through the .54 GPR. About the fifth shot, BOOM with no kick. I immediately realized my mistake. Never in my life have I short started the projectile, not even when I cut my teeth on in-li...., well, you know. Not ever. What happened is I started it with the ball starter, about four inches into the front, and didn't ramrod it :redface:. So should I be worried about the pressure that developed behind the ball, or was there enough barrel between ball and breech to "share" the pressure and not leave a week spot? I continued shooting after seeing no deformity with the barrel.

If you felt no recoil, and found no damage to your barrel, I'd be willing to bet you might have THOUGHT you put a ball in but didn't put one in at all...sounds like you might have simply touched off a powder charge with no ball in the barrel.....did you happen to notice if the bore had a lot more fouling in it than normal after that shot?

I've done that...settled into a loading / firing routine at the range, my mind starts wandering off to something else and I pour a charge, take aim and fire!

(or I dry ball...or I double ball, etc)

 

[bezoar]

Without doing xrays or magnafluxing the barrel, their is no 100% way to know with 150% certainty if you now have a damaged barrel that will explode with the next shot.

What you did sounds like the old cork "pop" guns from the 50s and 60s, you may remember them from your childhood. a piece of copper tubing you stick a cork into the end of, then ram it down onto a short section of rod, to make enough airpressure to launch the cork into grandmas flower vase.

As you didnt see any change in dimensions and it passed proper loading and firing procedures, you should be safe, just dont start using bigger bullets or more powder, and you should not lose body parts, but thats just OPINION.

 

[Gametracker]

If you felt no recoil, and found no damage to your barrel, I'd be willing to bet you might have THOUGHT you put a ball in but didn't put one in at all...sounds like you might have simply touched off a powder charge with no ball in the barrel.....did you happen to notice if the bore had a lot more fouling in it than normal after that shot?

Okay, maybe I did forget the ball altogether because you just described everything I experienced. Yes, there was excess fouling and a heck of a time pulling the ramrod out when I went to swab it after the shot. I couldn't imagine why I wouldn't feel the slightest of recoil, but now it's all coming together. :thumbsup:

 

Well it does sound like there was no ball in the gun when you fired it but just to be on the safe side I would first run a patch down and see if you have the same resistance all the way down if so hold the gun up and look down the outside of the barrel, see if there are any lumps, then drop a light down the inside and look for a black ring, Next I would take a piece of brass rod and tap the outside of the barrel from one end to the other and see if you can hear a dead spot, Last I would inspect all around the breach for anything suspect, if not and no lumps or black rings I would say your OK and lucky too...

TheGunCellar

 

[Gametracker]

theguncellar......Thank you for giving those inspection procedures

 

[musketman]

theguncellar......Thank you for giving those inspection procedures

Another way is to take a set of micrometers and measure the barrel (flat to flat) at the breach and lock the micrometer with it's set screw...

Then slide the micrometer up the length of the barrel slowly, it there is any bulge, the gauge will stop tightly in it's tracks, do this for all sides of the octagon...

 

[TFoley]

Easiest way for a quick check is to hold a two foot steel rule along the top of the barrel - see if it touches all the way along... Don't ask me why I need to know that.

And good luck!

tac

 

[goofball]

Gametracker, I believe your GPR is irreparably ruined and there is a significant danger of it spontaneuosly exploding, even if it is just sitting in your gun cabinet. Please immediately ship it to me for proper disposal. :winking:

 

[roundball]

Gametracker, I believe your GPR is irreparably ruined and there is a significant danger of it spontaneuosly exploding, even if it is just sitting in your gun cabinet. Please immediately ship it to me for proper disposal. :winking:

And remember, you can't just dispose of things in landfills anymore without exhaustive recordkeeping as to it's condition, usefulness, and value.

This can only be accomplished through extensive range testing in all seasons, under all weather conditions, etc!

 

[Jdzara]

Hi,

I've noticed a"ring" corroded inside the bore of some well used Civil War guns.
Was this caused by short starting?
Thanks,
Jerry

 

[Pork Chop]

More likely by short finishing - of the cleaning process that is!

 

[roundball]

Hi,

I've noticed a"ring" corroded inside the bore of some well used Civil War guns.
Was this caused by short starting?
Thanks,
Jerry

If it was just 2-3 inches inside the bore, wonder if it was caused by the Tampions that were used in the muzzles back then...

 

[dixie3]

I short started my .50 Cal. G.P.R. and it did bulge the barrel. You could look down the outside of the barrel and see it plus when you run a patch through it you can feel it. Worked out o.k. `cause I got to order a .54 for it! My Uncle just starts the ball and cuts the patch at the muzzle Then uses his ramrod to push the ball down. In that way if he forgets to ram the ball home it just pops out the end of the barrel with no harm being done.