Comments on: Shocking Video of Catastrophic Barrel Failure https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/06/shocking-video-of-catastrophic-barrel-failure/ from AccurateShooter.com Mon, 01 Jun 2026 18:40:32 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.26 By: Nate https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/06/shocking-video-of-catastrophic-barrel-failure/comment-page-1/#comment-41785 Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:39:04 +0000 http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/?p=7005#comment-41785 Owners, shall we remove this from the bulletin, as the video has been deleted by the user, or pulled by YouTube?

]]> By: D Phariss https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/06/shocking-video-of-catastrophic-barrel-failure/comment-page-1/#comment-11961 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 22:58:49 +0000 http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/?p=7005#comment-11961 Could have been a bore obstruction.
But there seems to be a rash of these things involving SS that cannot be explained. Then, my father once shot a 30-06 with a dirt plug and it only bulged and it was thinner than this barrel being a M1 Garand. My point is that it *should not have brittle fractured in any case* .
416R from what I have read is not approved for “pressure vessels” by the ASME. But making barrels from non-free machining stainless is not economically feasible, too much work.
ALL free machining steels are brittle. Stainless or otherwise.
Most free machining carbon steels are brittle until heated-quenched-annealed.
Then the metals added to make material free machining, usually sulfur and/or phosporous and/or lead cause inclusions in the metal as well. Causing further issues with strength when exposed to high *internal pressure*. Gun barrels also are subject to shock loading and the things that make free machining material bad for firearms barrels “enhanced” further by shock loading.

]]> By: Moko https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/06/shocking-video-of-catastrophic-barrel-failure/comment-page-1/#comment-2552 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:50:52 +0000 http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/?p=7005#comment-2552 lol….so anyway, back to the animal. That’s commitment.

]]> By: Ian Hames https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/06/shocking-video-of-catastrophic-barrel-failure/comment-page-1/#comment-2551 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 18:03:48 +0000 http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/?p=7005#comment-2551 Stainless is brittle in sub-zero temperatures. I would surmise from the clothing that the ambient temperature is not that cold.

The failure seems to originate from the muzzle, lending credence to the theory that this is a partial or low-grade obstruction. Even water down the bore can lead to such a failure. Covering the muzzle with a condom or even a patch of duct tape will help prevent this and will not affect pressure.

]]> By: D Phariss https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2009/06/shocking-video-of-catastrophic-barrel-failure/comment-page-1/#comment-2550 Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:13:16 +0000 http://accurateshooter.wordpress.com/?p=7005#comment-2550 While its easy to blame it on operator error…. It is likely it was simply a failure of the stainless barrel. 416 as used in most barrels is a BRITTLE material. This is more common than I am comfortable with.
See
http://www.kriegerbarrels.com/RapidCat/catalog/pagetemplate.cfm?template=/RapidCat/common/viewPage.cfm&PageId=3390&CompanyId=1246
Bottom of the page.
Sako had a rash of stainless failures and a recall. But it didn’t get a lot of press.
There have been unexplained blowups of stainless pistol barrels as well.
I will stick with a less brittle steel like 4140/4150.

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