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Handgun Kabooms

Hopefully most people will never experience a gun blowing up! It does happen though - see the examples below which might perhaps act as an incentive to take extra care, particularly if reloading.

Two main causes are easily identified - one is the ''squib'' load where no powder went in to the case and so just a primer was left to propel bullet into the barrel part ways. This then being followed by a full charge round without being cleared - the pressure has to go somewhere! Of course a barrel obstruction from other objects also will not be useful!

The other cause is simply the over-hot load. Either too much of the correct powder, typically a double charge with fast, low volume powders - or simply more powder than is safe for bullet weight and pressures in the gun. If the original owners of these tragedies see these and need to correct the info - please contact us.


Glock 22 - KKM Barrel.

Glock 22 fitted with a KKM barrel so as to be able to use lead bullets in reloads. A squib was rapidly followed by a fresh normal load (it was during IDPA). Pretty well destroyed the gun but shooter was not badly injured.


Blow up a revolver!

This, like most of the pic's apart from the first which belonged to a shooting buddy, was gleaned from the web over time and so history is not known. It is assumed this gun was being tested to destruction - and apparently very successfully!


Smith 329 PD 44 Mag'

A Smith 329 PD 44 Mag' which appears to have had perhaps a round double charged or worse, with Bullseye or similar fast powder. Goodbye cylinder and top strap!.


Vaquero Cylinder kaboom

This is apparently a Vaquero cylinder and once more it is imagined that an over hot round could not be fully contained safely. Cylinder appears ruptured but not shattered.


Bisley kaboom

Supposedly a Bisley and seemingly another case of too much powder! Or is a Uberti? Not sure right now but almost certainly 45 LC caliber.


Colt SA kaboom

A Colt SA I believe - and rather obviously it did not survive very excessive pressures.


Linebaugh 500 - kaboom

Even the reputedly indestructible Linebaugh can break! This was apparently a 500, and one can only guess how much of an over load was impressed on its structure.


Colt Anaconda kaboom

A Colt Anaconda - well trashed. I half recall reading the grisly details but now cannot remember! I have a suspicion a kaboom in one cylinder fired off another round perhaps but anyways - the end result had to have been from something pretty excessive. Messy!



The demise of a once lovely BFR! It could well be, judging by its very long cylinder, a 45-70 like mine. I am guessing here the aftermath of some barrel obstruction, because I forget the details I once read. The frame and cylinder took the pressure peak but not the barrel, which is actually not over thick. Great shame.