Author Topic: Ultimate pop-open science experment? Finished! (Read 933 times)

trotterlg · « **on:** February 18, 2009, 05:19:29 PM »

I have a 32-20 barrel nearly finished, but before I cut the extractor notch and polish it all up I think I will fire a round on my test frame with the latch removed. I'll just hold it shut with a rubber band and fire it remotely in my test area. What do you think will happen? I think it will just fire and then open up with no damage to the cartridge or rifle, never know however, but if it works OK it will put to rest the pop open question on safety. If you think this is a bad plan then I may just skip it and move on, don't want to distroy a good barrel or frame. Larry

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2009, 06:01:29 PM »

Larry, I'll bet a nickle it does just fine.

trotterlg · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2009, 06:18:36 PM »

That is what I am thinking, but I don't think I will hold it while I try it out. Larry

bilmac · « **Reply #3 on:** February 19, 2009, 12:30:11 AM »

I think you are right, and I wouldn't hold it either

MSP Ret · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2009, 12:43:52 AM »

I think it is a great experiment Larry, be careful and perhaps start with a wire tie, aka zip tie, and then move on to a thick rubber band and then to thinner ones to see what happens. And how about firing the gun upside down so the weight of the barrel keeps the action closed? In the normal position the barrel wants to fall open itself just because of the barrel weight is more ahead of the fulcrum point, the receiver pin....<><....

petemi · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2009, 01:54:10 AM »

I'll up the bet to a dime. I think it will be fine. I like Andy's idea of using a wire tie. That's what I would do.

They also make excellent instant handcuffs if you ever have to hold a bad guy til the cops arrive.

Pete

petemi · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2009, 02:03:46 AM »

Here's a true story, and I'm about certain the gun was a 32-20. A few years ago, they renovated and auto parts store here in town. They demolished an old stone hearth and salvaged the levergun that was mortared into the stone. The guys were sitting around having coffee and looking at the old gun, when one of them cocked it and pulled the trigger. The bullet went through the ceiling and the roof. Thankfully no one was hurt. We believe the gun had been in the stone way over 50 years.

Pete

bilmac · « **Reply #7 on:** February 19, 2009, 02:26:15 AM »

The first rule of firearms safety, Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #8 on:** February 19, 2009, 04:50:51 AM »

I'm not quite clear on what you are trying to prove but with a 32/20 I doubt you'll notice anything amiss. I've never heard anyone having "pop open" issues with low pressure, light recoil cartridges. I'd not care to try it with a 30/06 or .444.

Westbound · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2009, 08:11:45 AM »

I had an old Stevens "goose gun" as a kid. It would pop open pretty often during a shot.
After realizing I hadn't lost an eye or hand the first time, I just learned to wrap my thumb over and hold it closed when I was shooting at something. Many a bird died under that technique!
Probably not the safest thing I could have done, but probably not the only dumb choice I made at that age. How on earth do we survive into adulthood?

AtlLaw · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2009, 08:50:59 AM »

Quote from: petemi on February 19, 2009, 02:03:46 AM

They demolished an old stone hearth and salvaged the levergun that was mortared into the stone.

I'll bet that gun could tell an interesting story on how it wound up being mortered into a hearth!

trotterlg · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2009, 10:20:11 AM »

Science experment over, it worked fine as soon as I discovered the transfer bar needs the latch pin in before it will work. Just held it closed with a little rubber band, doesn't look like anything moved, cartridge fell out when I opened the breach, it still fits in the chamber, you would never know it was not latched when fired. I can't say this will work in every instance, but in this one, it operated normally. I would say all the stress about pop opens are needless or, at least over worried. I love this stuff! Larry

petemi · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2009, 10:26:41 AM »

From what the old timers around here tell me, is the guy who owned the store years ago, before it was an auto parts, was a cynical old bast**rd. Why'd he do it in the first place, and why it was loaded is unknown. I too wish the gun could talk.

Hey, Atlaw, I like your old avatar better. You ought to get your rebel butt up here. Right now it's blowing snow at about 40 mph at 15 degress. Just the right weather for pecans

Love Ya

Pete

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2009, 03:02:38 PM »

Ah hell Richard, yer pretty in both 'em. Soon as them cotton mouths are out chasin' ya round, better head on north. Our rattlers ain't near as aggressive and the mountain lions are sweet little puddy tats. 'Sides, I think our northern skeeters would like a little "southern fried."

DP

AtlLaw · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2009, 05:38:07 PM »

It's them Rattle mouth copper moccasins that worry me! They mean assed snakes I tell ya!

Why I've had them climb into my deer stand with me in the middle of winter! I'd be to scared to move, them bein curled up around my head and all. I always figgered they thought I made good bait for their pre-ferred food, South Jawja Skeeters, which be the size of a yankee hummin bird! Never could shoot no deer what with all the skeeters buzzin and them diamond studded reptiles wrapped around my neck just a rattlin away and strikin after everything that flew by... $:-\$

Good thing I keep a large supply of home made corn likker handy! Still the best snake bite medicin they is!

trotterlg · « **Reply #15 on:** February 20, 2009, 05:42:19 PM »

And this has what to do with pop opens? Larry

bilmac · « **Reply #16 on:** February 20, 2009, 07:27:19 PM »

Ah trotter quit being a killjoy.

coyotejoe · « **Reply #17 on:** February 21, 2009, 03:33:22 AM »

The barrel and frame at rest have a lot of inertia to resist movement. You could probably fire a 32/20 with the hinge pin removed and the hinge pin takes far more stress than the locking bolt. I suspect that if you just turn the gun upside down with the butt in a vise you could fire some pretty high pressure loads without a locking bolt with just the weight of the barrel holding it closed. I recall reading where South American Indians would repair their single barrel shotguns which would no longer lock up. They'd make a rawhide band around the barrel and frame, slide it forward to open the gun and slide it back to "lock" it closed, kind of a pump single shot.

bilmac · « **Reply #18 on:** February 21, 2009, 05:12:57 AM »

Break action single shots are about the most primitive cartridge gun there is. My father-in-law had a couple 12 gages. Both had the stocks taped together. The one he used to hunt pheasants had a broke extractor, so he carried a bolt that he dropped down the barrel . The other had a broken hammer or trigger . I fixed both of them for him without buying any parts. He could have fixed them himself, he was a better mechanic than me, he just didn't see any problem with dropping a bolt down the barrel.

dpe.ahoy · « **Reply #19 on:** February 21, 2009, 02:31:05 PM »

Sorry Larry, didn't mean to hi-jack this. My bad.

32-20 would be a fun one to have. DP