Exploding CVA barrel

[SDSmlf]

loose ball was regular .440 ball I just shoved down with out a patch but a rammed it till my rod bounced as always

You mentioned you are using T7. Believe Hodgdon recommends reducing the powder charge volume by 15%. Per CVA and Hodgdon recommendations it would appear max charge would be under 65 grains for your gun. 120 grains of 3F T7 is more than a tad hot for a CVA 45 caliber Kentucky rifle.

 

[SDSmlf]

Nothing strange I tested with 60g black first with no ball to make sure no blockage after long storage and flashed it iff with a cap to ensure it was clear

You can check for no ball or load with a ramrod.

Some 1970’s info from CVA.

 

[Colonial Boy]

You mentioned you are using T7. Believe Hodgdon recommends reducing the powder charge volume by 15%. Per CVA and Hodgdon recommendations it would appear max charge would be under 65 grains for your gun. 120 grains of 3F T7 is more than a tad hot for a CVA 45 caliber Kentucky rifle.

Plus pounding till the brass [read heavy] rod bounces, by that time it was no longer a loose ball but a tight fitting projectile.

 

[rick1964]

I’m with what pathfinderNC said.

 

[Soling # 202]

Why 120gn? That’s a7/8” barrel, seems quite heavy for the charge. Was this your normal charge? What brand and type powder did you use? It looks like there is some rust/corrosion on a portion of the fractured barrel.

I preformed the test using gorex fffg black powder and a regular 44 cal ball pounded down well seated
the test was due to the recall cva had posted about some barrels exploding in pre 1995 guns
mine is a bought in 1975 so I like to test a gun that has been stored for that many years.

better safe than no fingers

 

[Soling # 202]

No patch, it moved off the charge.

I've shot 130gr 2fg Olde eynsford in my cva hawken. Solid shooter.

it never moved off charge after I rodded it till it pinged lol

 

[Soling # 202]

I don't recall the OP mentioning the size of the ball he loaded.

ADK Bigfoot

44 cal factory sup-plied balls

 

[Soling # 202]

This story stinks!

you must have farted!

 

[LME]

You sure it is real black powder you was using ? Modern smokeless maybe? Why 120 grains and no patch ball? This story is strange.

It looks like he used smokeless like you said? I have never heard of a barrel blowing up using B.P.? I saw a video where a rifle was filled up with B.P. and didn't explode?

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

You said: "Nothing strange I tested with 60g black first with no ball to make sure no blockage after long storage and flashed it off with a cap to ensure it was clear" Earlier you posted that you used 50 grains. What is it? This story has more holes than a box of donuts.
I believe that is what Britsmoothy was referring to with his comment: "This story stinks!"

ADK Bigfoot

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Another scopes monkey trial

 

[SDSmlf]

the test was due to the recall cva had posted about some barrels exploding in pre 1995 guns
mine is a bought in 1975 so I like to test a gun that has been stored for that many years.

Believe the CVA recall only involved in-line muzzleloaders.

 

[deerstalkert]

for the top of the barrel to have split well forward of the sight, the pressure would have to be generated past that point.
I would like to see the brass ram rod. that is if he found it.

 

[Frontier's]

It's a troll post guys

 

[SDSmlf]

It's a troll post guys

Maybe, but OP did sign up and pay for a Supporting membership, so a benefit of doubt is probably in order.

Barrels do blow occasionally, though not every day, and sometimes folks cannot comprehend why. First split barrel I saw was when I was a teenager and one of my buddies did it to one barrel on a modern double barrel shotgun. There was snow on the ground and the rest of us concluded he plugged the bore with snow or mud. Remember it as a perfect split barrel just like when Bugs stuck his finger in Elmor’s gun barrel.

 

[LonestarShootR]

for the top of the barrel to have split well forward of the sight, the pressure would have to be generated past that point.
I would like to see the brass ram rod. that is if he found it.

Hmmm I see what you did there. Interesting

 

[Newly O’Brian]

I going to use up one of my "ignore"!

 

[Frontstuffer070]

So you shot this Rifle for "many years" without issue, then store it for some time, then decide to over charge the barrel way past the max recommended charge to "test" it. All because of a recall CVA had for a completely different rifle line or you think steel degrades in storage? Ok got it, sounds totally logical.

 

[PathfinderNC]

It's a troll post guys

Bingo

 

[cynthialee]

.45 barrel, .44 ball
even if you did bounce the ramrod when you set the rifle in your brace the ball could have come off the powder, which is the most likely I can imagine

a proofing load would be a double powder load and 2 balls, balls patched, barrel should have been fine
anyways that was what I was taught to proof a barrel

I know you said you used triple 7 in 3f....and at double the recommended powder. Combine that with a ball that rolls off the powder charge, I could see it happening easy.

regardless...you blew up your barrel
betcha don't do that again