Radway green/ FAL low up

[Gatman762]

I saw a Fal Blow up at the Range it was a mess. The receiver was bulged cocking handle was halfway out of it's track, top cover went flying blew the mag apartlooked like a banna peal. The guys face was all cut up (minor thanks to shooting glasses). It made me think. So when we beat the bolt back and looked at the headstamp of the brass which had flowed into the extractor cut out it was (RG british). SO I would be careful shooting that ammo in any FAl. (I will not shoot it at all) Austa GM

- A gun in the hand is better then a cop on the phone.

- “Stop, or I’ll say stop again. “ British police

[me]

Err are you sure this was an original factory
load ? I know reloading Berdan primed
ammunition is a pain but some people do -
kind of sounds like a double powder charge
- or possibly the wrong powder in the first place.

-- ME

[hagar]

RG is about the mildest of the surplus ammo in my opinion. I would not worry about shooting it.

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I don't have time for busy people

[BillD]

I have fired over 3000 rounds of RG thru a M14S PolyTech ChiCom rifle. Very accurate and not one bobble or FTF. Sounds like reloaded ammo or a junk rifle. This is NATO ammo made by England for it's soldier to fight wars with. I would say from my experiences that their quality control is top notch.

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"Tis better to die on your feet than live on your knees."

[Dirtfarmer]

Seems pretty clearly headspace to me.
I have to second that the RG is the mildest out there, and that a properly headspaced FAL would probably proof against any conceivable over load of that powder.
(Look at the proof house in England, What they do there is just disturbing!)
Peace on Earth,
........Goodwill,
-Dirtfarmer

[Finn]

It may also have been a struck barrel.
(By a bullet from a round that didn`t have powder in it at all)

Sounds like a reload to me. I reload almost all ammo I shoot and it is easy to make mistakes.

Last summer I witnessed a AR-15 blowup.
The idiot had changed the powder type without adjusting the amount.

He was ok, but had destroyed his 6500 FiM=1000 USD rifle. (In Finland)

[BUFF]

There isn't room in the RG (or any other 7.62 NATO) case for a double load of any reasonably-appropriate rifle powder. You may be able to cram in 3-4 extra grains of some rifle powders, but nowhere near a double charge. (Different situation with handgun cartridges, however, many accomodate double or triple charges!)

The powder in the RG case I took apart pretty well filled the case to the base of the seated bullet.

My guess is a stuck bullet or otherwise obstructed barrel. I would rule out a faulty handload, probably, because anyone savvy enough to be reloading Berdan cases would probably be knowledgeable enough to use a reasonably correct powder.

I have seen new Berdan-primed FN 7.62 cases for sale for reloading (Widener's), but never any RG components.

I feel as safe shooting RG as I do W-W or Federal ball. Not so with some third-world production.

BUFF

[EMDII]

RG is NATO-spec, and damn near indestructible. I suspect shooter error, or a weapon failure induced by shooter error. Headspace is another probable culprit: you'd better check your recently-delivered kit gun if it came from some assembler, or non-FAL smith. PERIOD.

I would prefer RG to commercial loads which have non-MilSpec pressure curves. The FAL is essentially bullet-proof (no pun intended), so this was probably NOT an ammunition-induced failure IF it was spec ammo.

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1*.....Train Like You Fight: Second Place is NOT an Option.

E.M. (Ted) Dannemiller II

Could this of happened:

A load that is a "underload" may also blow up because of the way the powder burns. The 7.62 NATO load has most of the space avaliable for powder filled with powder, so when laying on it's side, like in a mag, the powder will burn from the primer side forward. Now, if you only have half or less than half of the powder in the case, laying on it's side more powder will be exposed to the primer, thus creating a faster burn which changes the pressure, etc.

Now, I'm only guessing here, I don't reload, and I may not know what I'm talking about.

Thanks.

[Joeyman]

Look at the proof house in England, What they do there is just disturbing!)

I hate to expose my ignorance, but could you please tell me what "proofing" is and what a proof house does? Thanks.

[me]

What is a proof house ? Well some countries
require that every gun offered for sale in
their country be tested by a goverment
entity first.

Take the case of Germany - there are about 8
or so proof houses, their job is:

- For a new model of firearm conduct a
destructive set of tets.

- For every firearm: Fire firearm once with
proof load (50 % overpressure). If gun
survives, stamp gun with proof mark.

- Some countries (Germany) require every
major modification of a firearm
(re-chambering) be tested by the proof
house.

On another note - yes underloading some
cartridges (i.e half the correct amount of
powder) can also result in some problems.

The worst effect is known as the secondary
explosion effect, when the powder starts
smoldering producing combustible gases and
then goes of for real detonating those gases
and often shattering the barrel.

-- ME

[romedeltabravo]

I believe it was bad RG....
Recently i bought a wooden case of RG...
All the plastic wrappers had been slit..
Some rounds fail to fire....
The gas pressure has to be turned up to get ejection/extraction...
The RG falls short....
He must have a round that failed..bullet stuck in the barrel and along came a better one....
you want my RG....IT is for sale...or trade..
There are better rounds...just as cheap..now
Romeo

[Littlejohn]

Seems like bbl obstruction or headspacing...RG is not inconsistent in performance...Nato spec rounds are nearly infallible, IMHO...that the plastic packs are slit is to get them UK marked for US Customs purposes...I have over 3k rds fired in 3 FALs since summer - every one went BANG! Who put this gun together? http://www.fnfal.com/forums/biggrin.gif

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"The thicker the hay, the easier mowed." Alaric - 408 AD

[Snakeshot]

Gat, would you mind telling us a little more about the rifle BEFORE it blew up? Just curious.