Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Rimfire Sleuth Challenge

I started this same thread in Ask The Gunwriters, yesterday. But, it may be better placed here.

Here’s a WTF happened puzzler for ya:





No barrel obstruction and no known injuries. The shooter claimed a three round .22MAG “chain fire.” Said he “never seen nothin’ like it in 35 years of shootin’.” Don’t necessarily assume that the cartridges were loaded into the cylinder chambers in the order they appear, because that is not known. Does this get your sleuthing juices flowing? What’s your take, and why?

Look at those little dents at various spots around the rear face of the cylinder:







Do they mean anything?

Low grade, or old, ammo with degraded powder that detonated?

I've never seen rimfire ammo "fire" without the primer first being struck.

Then, there’s this:

… and this:

Hmm…

Best guess is one round ruptured upon firing, setting off the ones on either side, which obviously weren’t lined up with the barrel, not a good thing.

Anyone know what that headstamp is?

What do you believe most likely caused the first round to rupture? Then, by what mechanism do you believe the two cases were caused to crumple, with one of them being also ruptured?

Only thought that happened with black powder revolvers

Spain, Switzerland, and Russia have a “T” headstamp according to cartridge collectors organization…..not sure they made .22 mag ammo or not though - would be the first thing I suspected in this instance……..but lots of questions here???

PennDog

Could it be firing pin indentations indicate the cylinder isn’t timed exactly right and the firing pin eventually caught the rim of the case that fired. It may be just close enough to hit the rims with a chamber not quite aligned causing the copper smear at the throat and the ruptured case and the crushed ones in adjacent chambers.

The dimples in the face of the cylinder must be from dry firing but even then they seem out of place..

Was the timing of the cylinder (suddenly?) so off that upon ignition the jacketed bullet smashed/sheared partially into the face of the barrel therefore sending bullet debris rearward into the closest cylinder(s)

I can see, being a 22mag that might create a situation violent enough to deform the cartridges in the cylinder close enough to ground zero

That is weird. Was a pit bull chewing on it at the time?

After a second look, I’d guess the crumpled one didn’t fire, but gas collapsed the case. The one on the right appears to have gone off, but again gas coming in the front probably caused it to collapse somewhat.

Rimfire case ruptures happen sometimes for various reasons. If one round in a lot is bad, it’s probably not alone. If, as was suggested, the gun was badly out of time or had lockup issues, that might explain the entire incident. I bought a SS New Bearcat some years back. It was a mess, sometimes shaving lead, other times the firing pin missed the rim altogether. Took two trips back to Ruger, at their expense in the end, to correct, but finally they got it right and it was then a really fine piece, accurate and shooting to the sights.

By the appearance of the cylinder latch, I’d guess this is a Taurus or maybe a Charter Arms?

I believe you’re on to something, there. I don’t have “the answer,” as I have provided all the information I was given, except for the “who.” Do you think it possible the case-crumpling gas could have come from the rear instead of the front? Do you think the middle case may have been the last to fire, due to it being a pristine tube?

Where did the slugs end up?

I suspect what remains of one of them is pictured above stuck to the right edge of the barrel. I’m guessing it would likely have come from the middle case.

Armscor