1903 Rifle with Blown Action

[Jim Tarleton]

P.O. Ackley performed some amazing pressure tests with various rifles, including a lever action Winchester. He would test fire one, then cut off a lug, repeat the test, to the point one would believe the rifle would fail, but many didn't. I believe the tests are within one of his handloading manuals. He couldn't blow up an Arisaka either. There were two standouts for strength, the Arisaka and I forget the other one.

Michael Petrov posted a series of test using LN Springfields that boggled my mind. Those tests are posted either here or on Jouster.

I have a Model 98 in which I have separated cases under pressure, one blowing off the floorplate and shattering the stock. It is a 257 Roberts and it is still my favorite hunting rifle. In 1968, I bought 10,000 rifle primers and most of them went through that rifle before 1972 when I graduated (finally). It still shoots MOA. I bought the barrel from PSA for $14.95 out of a comic book. It has one of the old externally adjustable target triggers with 3/8" triggers and several years ago I added a Mod 70 style safety.

[rcathey]

Michael Petrov also talked about tests he did with a trapdoor.

Apparently, it was SO STRONG he didn’t fee right about posting the results. I would really love to see them!

[Jim Tarleton]

I am pretty sure Michael's tests are on a Jouster forum. Sadly, I think Mike deleted them. I have PO's tests somewhere upstairs, where I haven't been in 10-years. I wonder if that coon still lives up there?

People are funny about what is safe to shoot and what is not. I have a Rem Rolling Block in 7mm. I shoot commercial ammo in it. One day I was plinking with it and as soon as I fired, something hit me in the forehead. I reached up and picked a fired primer out of my bleeding forehead. The source was no mystery. I was a mile deep in a swamp filled with cottonmouths the size of your calf muscle. I also know it is "technically" impossible for the primer to blow past the lock in a RRB unless the hammer is all the way back. I related the event to a friend of mine, and he called a 10 on the BS meter Always safety conscious, I calmly asked him if he wanted to give her a go. An hour later, that sucker was picking a fired primer out of his forehead.

I think I know how it was done.

The rifle is disassembled and locked away ever since, along with another RRB 45-70 project and my whole CCH setup. It is amazing what a little rap on the head will do for you. Did I mention I have a cute little dimple in my forehead now?

[rcathey]

I am pretty sure Michael's tests are on a Jouster forum. Sadly, I think Mike deleted them.

I did manage to find some reference to this through a google search on a different forum. This is coming from someone who claimed to talk to someone who claimed to be there...so take with a few grains of salt. Still very interesting:

"The Springfield Trapdoor belonged to Don Neal, another single shot aficionado.
John said they kept adding 3031 powder to the case until approaching .458 magnum pressure and still the Springfield held. They had to knock the case out from the muzzle with a rod as the pressure rose. She finally blew with 40 grains of 2400 sending the block skyward as they could not get enough 3031 into the case to make Springfield fail.
His postmortem showed that the barrel had split at the extractor cut and the escaping gas had taken the action apart."

[Calif-Steve]

I recall reading the US Army re-barreled several Trapdoors into .30-40 configuration. At lower velocities all ran well. However, as they approached higher velocities the gun began to unlock itself. The Army decided to build more Krags and leave the Trapdoors in .45-70.

[rcathey]

30-40 Trapdoor…now that’s a rifle I’d love to have!

[browningautorifle]

I've seen replica trapdoor carbines unlock with standard loads.

[Wineman]

Back in my High School days circa 1974 one of my slightly older classmates (but still a friend) had a Rossi 12 gauge 3" magnum single shot. He had the barrel shortened to the USA limit. While it would not unlock, it would disassemble itself during firing as the forearm would come off and shortly the barrel would also make a move. I don't know if anything else was done to it but it was not much fun to shoot and kind of scary.

Dave