My boss sent me to take care of a sick goat earlier. me and my bro went down there with the 357 she lent to us. Checked the barrel and it was clear. Fire off a shot, nothing, just sounded like a blank. Pulled it out, looked like a blank. Shot it off a couple more times with the same thing. Thought okay these are blanks--in the barrel were 4 bullets lined up. Acted like there was only primer, maybe so or bad powder. Either way, were lucky the barrel didnt blow up on us.

 

Sounds like you are lucky. I have heard of shot guns blowing up with dirty barrels. Never heard of a hand gun doing that though. Either way, glad you didn't get hurt.

 

Ya. I check gun barrels often if theyve been stored at all, and it was fine. Sounded like blanks, barrel never swelled...its something Id never heard of so never thought of bullets backing up...I was jittery for 3 hours after that.

 

Before you use that gun again, take a jag and a tight fitting patch and run it through the barrel. If you hit a spot where it seems loose, that's where the barrel is swelled. I'd be very surprised if you don't need a new barrel.

 

The thing that probably saved you was that it is a revolver, there is room at teh end of the chamber for the blow-back, and it served as a pressure releif....
I've seen squib rounds, but never experienced one first hand....

 

If you ever get the chance, watch the Mythbusters episode where they tried to blow up barrels on a few different guns.

It took a whole lot of effort to actually get them to break open. Pretty amazing.

However, I still always like to keep a little fear in me to keep me safe.

Have a good one and glad nothing happened.

 

My boss just wanted me to clear the obstruction, but me and my bro told her she'd better just take it to a gunsmith and have it checked out thoroughly, whether it was just the bullets or the gun, something wasnt right, and doesnt need to be fired again until its figured out.

 

throw the gun away and buy a new one. do something with it. i wont own a gun like that. just not right, and it isnt worth my life to trust it again.

 

I guess My Father-In-Law is super UNlucky then. He has had two muzzle loaders explode in his face. once 30 years ago and once 2 years ago. The latter sent him to the hospital but he ended up with just a couple stitches but still very scary....

Mythbusters also said that a cable snapping can NOT cut a human in half. I worked the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and they showed us the "Horror Movies" of this happening all the time.

I also agree with Logan, Throw that gun away. No sense risking anything...

 

She really should-she's worth millions of $$$, and has 2 large gun cabinets FULL of guns, so itd be no loss to her. her choice though.

 

if they think a cabel cant cut you in have they have never been fourwheeling and seen a chain clear everything for 20 feet when it snaps, that gun could be with you in a life or death situation and it could quickly be just a death situation.

 

Excellent advice!!!

 

Always check the loads as well as the condition of the gun when handed over....condition meaning loaded/unloaded! You were very lucky....it must've been a Ruger.

 

If they all sounded like blanks then you probably got 4 squib loads, and got lucky.

With handguns, firing a normally loaded round after a squib load has lodged a round in the barrel will usually bulge the barrel but not cause it to rupture.

Once the rounds are removed from the barrel and it is checked to make sure it isn't bulged, it's probably OK, but I'd still have it inspected by a competent gunsmith. Bring some of that same ammo, as the gunsmith might want to pull a bullet.

 

sorry but i wont take gun advice from a hen. i agree with everyone else about either having it professionally checked out or melted down!!

brett