Will my rifle explode with a plugged muzzle?

[John Y Cannuck]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4AqMl1A4aQ

Obviously, don't try this at home!

Things I noticed.
They don't specify caliber, or load.
No mention of how the barrel is obstructed.

Interesting, but not to informative IMO

[john keyes]

I like the movie alot.  but not the music   

[mrbigtexan]

it is interesting to see how each barrel bulged.

[Land_Owner]

Doesn't seem to be a true comparison of plugged muzzles.  How can a rifle recoil rearward if it's muzzle is truly plugged?  If the barrel is "captured" in a vice where it can not expand, then the force is confined to that portion of the barrel where it can expand and that compounds the blast at the fore end of the stock.  Not a true test IMO.  Not sure how you would set up to test for this in various rifles though.  Perhaps a Lead Sled and not barrel confinement.  But then you stand to lose the Sled, a camera or two, and the room where the test is being filmed...maybe.

[Bigeasy]

Sort of on the topic-

A long time ago, I came across an H&R single shot 12 ga. with a cracked frame (behind the hinge).  We decided to try to blow it up.  Duct taped it to a tree, plugged the barrel, and fired it from cover with a long string to the trigger.  Blew about 2 inches of barrel off.  Tried crimping the barrel closed.  Blew another couple inches off the end of the barrel.  Went home, and loaded a shell with some wild charge of Bullseye, and tried it again.  The chamber bulged, the fore stock shattered, the crack in the frame got worse, and the gun popped open upon firing, but it did not blow up.  I was impressed with the built in safety factor in these inexpensive guns.  By the way, this is not something safe to try at home.....

Larry

[billy_56081]

I split the tip of the barrel on my H&R Ultra 243. Had some ice or snow plug the barrel. Gunsmith cut off 3 inches recrowned and it shoot better than before.

[grdad45]

Picked up a cheap India-made 50 cal. muzzleloader at a gun show for $20, and tried to blow it up. First, we put 200 gr. of FFF and TWO patched .490" balls in it, tied it to a tree and pulled the trigger with a string from cover. It put BOTH balls in a stump 25 yards away, about 1 1/2" apart! Next, we filled the bbl about half full of FFF and tried again. It looked like a flame thrower, but didn't do any damage aside from a broken stock at the wrist. We finally loaded it with a 100 gr. BP measure of Bullseye. Well that did it! Split the bbl about halfway back and shattered the stock into kindling. We took all the metal parts we could find, and threw them in the river and burned the stock in the trash barrel. Pretty tough gun, though!

[Land_Owner]

I think they would call that a PIPE BOMB and for that you could get arrested...hehe!

[DDZ]

I once saw some pictures of a rifle that had the barrel peeled back in three sections like a banana. I can't remember the caliber, but it was a custom made rifle, and the guy was using a bore sighing device. The kind you stick in the end of a barrel. He forgot to remove the sighting device before firing. There was also a picture of him on a stretcher with his face bloodied up. Never can be to careful!

While pheasant hunting one time my cousin split the end of his 12 gauge barrel. We figured it was due to him jamming it into the ground and not knowing it. One other time a friend split the end of his .35 Whelen barrel while deer hunting. He never did know what was in the end of it, but something was. 

[srussell]

i saw what a 105mm field piece would do to a gun crew when a round went off in the tube

[Lon371]

I once saw some pictures of a rifle that had the barrel peeled back in three sections like a banana. I can't remember the caliber, but it was a custom made rifle, and the guy was using a bore sighing device. The kind you stick in the end of a barrel. He forgot to remove the sighting device before firing. There was also a picture of him on a stretcher with his face bloodied up. Never can be to careful!

While pheasant hunting one time my cousin split the end of his 12 gauge barrel. We figured it was due to him jamming it into the ground and not knowing it. One other time a friend split the end of his .35 Whelen barrel while deer hunting. He never did know what was in the end of it, but something was. 

That was one of the Myth Busters subjects, couple weeks ago. The only thing that will happen with a bore sight shoved in the barrel is, it will blow the bore sight to pieces on it way out. 

I have not seen a rifle damaged from being plugged. Although I have seen a shotgun develope a hole mid way down the tube if the barrel has mud in it. The boys dad was rather upset.

Lonny