Strange happening at the range

[6901]

Hello all,
I shot next to a fellow that was shooting a new 45/70 Browning lever. The guys set up and attempted to shoot what he said was a 405gr cast reload.

Well he pulled the trigger and all I heard was a tiny pop. We thought he forgot the powder but when the action was open grains of an IMR type powder went all over and the bullet was about 1 inch up the barrel.

He cleared bullet and powder and tried again. Same thing happened. After two he stopped for the day and decided to pull the rest down.

He said the powder was a surplus powder from China that is a copy of IMR 3031. He picked up a bunch of it several years ago and has never had a problem in any gun.

I have never seen this happed before and can only guess he had to little powder in the charge and had a squib load.

Any thoughts?
6901

[Ricochet]

I had that happen in my .45-70 with WC680 and cast boolits that at the time I was hand lubing with automotive chassis grease. When I got a boolit stuck (I'd been getting random squibs with a dull boom, very low velocity and lots of unburned powder) I realized the powder was oily. Oil from the grease in the bullet grooves had migrated into the powder. Lots of homemade lube recipes contain enough oil or grease to potentially cause a problem.

As for that Chinese stuff that is said to be like 3031, I bought it years ago under the name "PSA." Wish I'd bought a lot more. It's great stuff. Makes a tremendous muzzle flash, which is why Accurate surplused it out. It was supposed to be AA2230, but the Chinese didn't put any flash suppressant in it. I never had any ignition troubles with it.

Oops, I see this was an IMR type powder. The stuff I'm talking about is a ball powder. Anyway, could be the same problem.

[Buckshot]

..................Yup, would have to be PSA. Sold as "Use IMR3031 data".

.................Buckshot

[Ricochet]

It wasn't Chinese, but a bunch of IMR 4475 got sold as an IMR 3031 equivalent also.

[Buckshot]

It wasn't Chinese, but a bunch of IMR 4475 got sold as an IMR 3031 equivalent also.

IMR4475 IS like IMR3031, or darn close. Check muy post on the " Is there a good all around sup for rifles?", thread started by Bigscot.

.............Buckshot