This is definitely worth a look, folks.

I have posted ten relatively high quality images of a brand new SAKO bolt
action rifle in .300 Winchester Magnum caliber, with synthetic stock, and
fluted barrel. On the 15th shot out of the box, it went KA-BOOM! The first
14 shots were from a box of Hornady factory ammunition. The fifteenth shot
was from a new box of Federal factory ammunition.

The barrel is now in three totally separate, longitudinal pieces, the
receiver is split down the middle, with left and right halves, and the
forestock is a black plastic memory. The cartridge case is split from mouth
to case head, and looks like a three-petaled flower.

With the limited number of images available - here are my thoughts on the
event:

To my non-professional (since I don't get paid for my opinions,) eye this is
a failure caused by included flaw(s) in the barrel steel. Once the barrel
started to fail, the fractures continued forward, generally along the edge
where the flutes join the major diameter of the barrel. Note, in the image
of the cartridge case, there does not appear to be any significant swelling,
or deformation, of the case head, itself, and I can not see any melted
brass, or brass flow. I cannot see any brass flow in the shattered area of
the split barrel, either. To my mind, that precludes the possibility that it
was a high pressure round causing the failure. (Unfortunately, I do not yet
have any images of the case head, itself, or of the bolt face, which might
add additional credence to my point.)

The shooter was NOT seriously harmed because he was shooting from the bench,
apparently wore proper protective gear, and had his arms cradled under the
butt - in the rear sand bag area.

OK, enough teasing. Go to inside front page of www.BPCR.net to see the page
link.

Rick A. Shay
"ricochet"
www.BPCR.net
Colorado
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