The Frontier Sixshooter Community Message Board - answer me this

answer me this (reply)

Lloyd Smale — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 10:54:51 +0000

how in its present condition is it worth more then 500 bucks. Id be hard pressed to give you 500 for a good one.

Handloads gone bad? (reply)

jgt — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 15:18:38 +0000

Slow hand I should apologize, I misunderstood what you were asking. When thinking of a handload going "bad", I thought you meant something like happens when a box of ammo is left on the dashboard of a pickup for a long time during the summer. When it gets shot it is way hotter (higher velocity and pressure)than when loaded. I see now, you were talking about a contaminated power charge not pushing a bullet past the of the barrel. I sorry, that was my misunderstanding.

Intentionally tried a LR primer in a 500L under a 480gr (reply)

John K. — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:29:45 +0000

lead bullet. Heavy crimp, rolled into a 45% Mountain Molds crimp groove. Noise seemed limited to the hammer fall. Bullet moved forward about .050" but not enough to tie up the cylinder by entering the B/C gap.

I would guess this is likely due to the large volume of the 500L case and the extra mass of the 480gr bullet, coupled with entering the cylinder throat.

That was exactly my experience (reply)

Jhenry — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 23:31:19 +0000

I ended up driving the slug back past the gap with a brass rod.

I just wonder (reply)

Paul — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 21:28:18 +0000

Years ago I had a percussion cap drive a Lee REAL bullet into the barrel of a Ruger Old Army. There was a problem with contamination of the not factory approved powder load by the lube used on the cast bullet. My guess is that there was enough powder ignited that it contributed to help drive the bullet past the forcing cone. This was followed by a full charge of non factory approved powder that did not suffer contamination from the lube and drove into the rear of the first bullet at non factory approved pressure and velocity levels causing both to "exit stage left" - right out the side of the barrel. Sometimes I wonder what the guys at the repair center thought/said when they unwrapped it prior to replacing the barrel. It was as good as new when they were done, but got sent down the river in exchange for more modern armament.

Anyway, a primer only would probably only drive it far enough forward to block the cylinder. If there was a tiny amount of powder ignited it could drive it further into the barrel and cause a bore obstruction situation. There's a good reason why one should examine carefully a sixgun (or any gun) after not observing the effects of a bullet leaving the barrel upon firing or observing an out of the ordinary recoil (or lack thereof) upon firing.

I thought maybe the LR primer would be powerful enough (reply)

Charles — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 19:18:45 +0000

Nope, it will stop in the barrel cylinder gap keeping the cylinder from opening. You can drive it back into the case with a rod in the barrel pretty easy.

I thought maybe the LR primer would be powerful enough (reply)

Warhawk — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 17:46:48 +0000

to drive the bullet into the barrel.

So you have done that also! Me too! (reply)

Charles — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 17:38:38 +0000

PROBABLY STOP BETWEEN FRONT OF CYLINDER AND FORCING CONE (reply)

SIXGUNNER — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 15:35:00 +0000

LOCKING UP THE GUN.

I just wonder (reply)

Warhawk — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:59:24 +0000

If you had a round with no powder, how far down the bore would the large rifle primer drive the bullet?

(500 S&W uses large rifle primers)

Handloads gone bad? (reply)

jgt — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 14:49:03 +0000

The bulge in the barrel indicates a barrel obstruction to me. Everything else is consistant with overpressure that comes with that.

Mighty fine boat anchor there. (reply)

anachronism — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 03:58:30 +0000

Single use only.

Handloads gone bad? (reply)

css ( who can't seem to login) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 00:04:55 +0000

I remember one of the gun writers blowing up a 500 S&W with Bluedot not long after they came out.

You just never know what some people are thinking when they sit down at the loading bench.

Handloads gone bad?

Slow Hand — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 23:44:29 +0000

I can't imagine what it would take to break a .500 Smith, but someone figured it out!!

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/12523192

My first thought was to lop off the barrel to a more manageable length and have at it, then I read a little more and saw the cracked frame!! Ouch!