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Oh no...got hammered at the range today! UPDATE...
- fortyshooter
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Oh no...got hammered at the range today! UPDATE...
Today I brought my Henry 45 Colt Carbine my 44 Special 1872 OT revolver and the 45 Colt Grizzly derringer to the range.
All was fine until the end when I fired off the Bond Arms 45/410 derringer. First round an something hit my thumb and then bounced off that and hit my right upper cheek missing my eye!!! What the .... was that as I looked down to see a shiny piece on the ground while grabbing my cheek looking for blood?
I'm okay but the hammer departed the Grizz as my confusion continued. The round was my 230 gr. XTP loaded with 9.2 of Unique which is the top load within standard Colt 45 pressure limit of 14,000 psi. Now remember you can swap out barrels on this gun like with a 357 Mag caliber which has way more pressure. Looking at the hammer break point the casting which is stainless steel looks really thin. Have shot this load many times in this and other small and large frame Colt 45 revolvers with no troubles and it was my preferred load for this derringer. Everything else on the gun functioned fine after the hammer broke and the fired case fell right out with no signs of high pressure on the case or primer area.
Will contact Bond Arms and see what they say. Why would the hammer break ???
The Colt 1872 OT revolver shot great as I was testing the effectiveness of a 44 Special 250 gr. soft lead hollow point vs. the 250 gr. 44 Special full wadcutter. The HP was loaded with 6.5 Unique and the FWC with 5.0 Red Dot and the HP showed little expansion but went the full 16 inch of gel block hitting wood back block. The FWC went the full length also but displayed a larger wound channel being the full diameter with sharp edge.
You can see the imprint of the denim on the bullet face! So I will use the 250 gr. FWC as round of choice for the Open Top revolver for any Self Defense issue with it. Firing some rounds from 15 feet at the center of target showed some good hits point shooting with no front sight!
And the Henry 45 Colt Carbine.....what can I say as it looks great with the 16 inch barrel and CCH and shoots as good as it looks with the 255 gr, plated bullet loaded with 9.5 Unique! Group of shots on the red dots.
That hammer flying off really got my attention today and now to find out why !
All was fine until the end when I fired off the Bond Arms 45/410 derringer. First round an something hit my thumb and then bounced off that and hit my right upper cheek missing my eye!!! What the .... was that as I looked down to see a shiny piece on the ground while grabbing my cheek looking for blood?
I'm okay but the hammer departed the Grizz as my confusion continued. The round was my 230 gr. XTP loaded with 9.2 of Unique which is the top load within standard Colt 45 pressure limit of 14,000 psi. Now remember you can swap out barrels on this gun like with a 357 Mag caliber which has way more pressure. Looking at the hammer break point the casting which is stainless steel looks really thin. Have shot this load many times in this and other small and large frame Colt 45 revolvers with no troubles and it was my preferred load for this derringer. Everything else on the gun functioned fine after the hammer broke and the fired case fell right out with no signs of high pressure on the case or primer area.
Will contact Bond Arms and see what they say. Why would the hammer break ???
The Colt 1872 OT revolver shot great as I was testing the effectiveness of a 44 Special 250 gr. soft lead hollow point vs. the 250 gr. 44 Special full wadcutter. The HP was loaded with 6.5 Unique and the FWC with 5.0 Red Dot and the HP showed little expansion but went the full 16 inch of gel block hitting wood back block. The FWC went the full length also but displayed a larger wound channel being the full diameter with sharp edge.
You can see the imprint of the denim on the bullet face! So I will use the 250 gr. FWC as round of choice for the Open Top revolver for any Self Defense issue with it. Firing some rounds from 15 feet at the center of target showed some good hits point shooting with no front sight!
And the Henry 45 Colt Carbine.....what can I say as it looks great with the 16 inch barrel and CCH and shoots as good as it looks with the 255 gr, plated bullet loaded with 9.5 Unique! Group of shots on the red dots.
That hammer flying off really got my attention today and now to find out why !
- Attachments
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- not a good day for the grizz.jpg (766.21 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- 45 Colt 230 gr. XTP load within standard 45 Colt pressuer fired in Grizzly.jpg (641.63 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- lower part of hammer assembly where it broke off.jpg (618.71 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- picture of bond arms 45 Colt 410 Grizzly hammer where it broke.jpg (720.39 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- 44 special 1872 OT gel test hollow point and full WC.jpg (681.85 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- you can see the denim print on bullets recovered.jpg (787.3 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- aiming with no front sight of course.jpg (495.31 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- nice 45 colt group from henry CCH Carbine from 30 yds.jpg (549.17 KiB) Viewed 484 times
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- couple nice shooters the Henry 45 Colt CCH Carbine and 1872 44 Colt Open Top.jpg (1.01 MiB) Viewed 484 times
Last edited by fortyshooter on Wed Mar 01, 2023 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
2 x
Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
I am very interested in what Bond Arms has to say. Glad you were all right.
0 x
Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
Wow! You were fortunate. I guess that is one reason why protective eyewear is required at a lot of ranges. Glad you are okay. Looks like some metal composite. Hopefully, it will be repaired.
0 x
Actions speak louder than words (Matthew 7:16-20).
- Vaquero
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Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
Dangit forty, glad your ok.
RP
RP
0 x
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Ain't No Apologies for My Temperament
Si vis pacem, para bellum
H001, H006, H012
- Cowboy Gun Fan
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Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
Glad you're OK. Weird to have that happen. I also have the same gun with the same calibers and would also be interested in what Bond Arms says.
0 x
NRA Member
- fortyshooter
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Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
From looking at and handling this gun as beefy as it is...it was the last thing I would expect to happen! You never know and yes I had my glasses on as always. Glad it happened on the range and not during a real NEED to shoot as I was carrying it at times. Even with a new hammer it will now be a range only piece IF I keep it and that is a big IF ! If that is a cast piece I want a machined billet piece!!
Flashes of my chidhood came up from when I used to stack up the caps on my cap guns till the hammer blew off!
Flashes of my chidhood came up from when I used to stack up the caps on my cap guns till the hammer blew off!
2 x
Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
Gosh, glad you are ok. I don't think I could shoot that one again.
0 x
Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
Looks to me like its a metal failure. Glad you are ok Forty.
1 x
Don't worry about getting older and still doing stupid stuff. You'll do the stupid stuff as always, only much slower. Hold my beer and watch this.......
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- fortyshooter
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Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
Also looks like a few parts and a spring flew out as well.
0 x
Re: Oh no...got hammered at the range today!
From both the granular look of the break and the satin polish of the hammer it looks like a cast part. Seems you noticed that too. Glad no harm to you.
0 x
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