I blew a primer from a .25-06 in a Winchester Classic action. I had to use a rubber mallet to open the action. I never felt a thing on my face.
Charlie and I were fooling with a .308 in the Winchester Classic Action a number of years ago. If I recall correctly, we were trying to see how many firings it took of a stout handload in a single case it took for the primer pocket to open up. Charlie was on the Pressure Trace, and I was doing the shooting. After every shot we'd load the case with the same primer, powder charge and bullet, and shoot.
Everything was going along fine, until about the 12th firing. Again, this is what I recall. May even have it in my loading notes, but it doesn't matter. Everything was normal until that shot--which blew the primer--and a bunch of gas back in my face, along with what felt like brass particles. (I was very glad to be wearing shooting glass, in addition to my everyday glasses.) Couldn't open the bolt by hand; instead Charlie tapped the bolt handle several times until it came loose, probably with a rubber mallet.
We couldn't figure out why it blew. We checked case-length every time we loaded the round, and double checked the powder charge. Might have had something to do with the neck getting brittle, since we didn't anneal the case, but still don't see why everything went from normal to blown with one additional firing.
Anyway, my major point is that the only gas-handling improvement I know between the pre-'64 and Classic Model 70 was a "gas block" added to the left side of the bolt, just behind the left locking lug. Maybe it helped, but I sure got a blast in the face.
My secondary point is that the pre-'64 Model 70 has basically zero gas-deflection or containment. As a somewhat smart-ass gun writer once point out, reliable cartridge cases are what made the pre-'64 possible.
