Hi Erin,
It is not as bad as it looks. The only thing you really lost was the aftermarket magazine ($14). The bolt should have a gap at the back end plug as illustrated in your photos. The gap at the bolt handle is a little more than normal but all in all it is fixable.
Strip it apart, clean it and make a list of anything you see is damaged. I am sure we can help you get it back to the range. It is worth it to try.
I can give you dimensional specifications to check against any component you think is suspect.
Best Regards,
WACA Life Member #6284 - Specializing in Pre-64 Winchester .22 Rimfire
November 7, 2015

Ouch! Hope you can get it back together. Most folks have little idea what the lowly 22LR is actually capable of.
JWA said
Hi Erin,It is not as bad as it looks. The only thing you really lost was the aftermarket magazine ($14). The bolt should have a gap at the back end plug as illustrated in your photos. The gap at the bolt handle is a little more than normal but all in all it is fixable.
Strip it apart, clean it and make a list of anything you see is damaged. I am sure we can help you get it back to the range. It is worth it to try.
I can give you dimensional specifications to check against any component you think is suspect.
Best Regards,
There is a bit more, If you look closely at the photo of the bottom of the stock after the trigger guard has been removed there is a crack running through the guard screw hole. My pic. of the locking lug is not very good, however it is galled very badly from the extreme force that was needed to open the bolt. I am not going to disassemble it any further until I hear back from big green. I have been in contact with them. They are sending a return shipping label for the remainder of the ammo I have to see if they can determine the cause.
Erin
clarence said
Erin Grivicich said
I had a cartridge detonation on this years annual sod poodle shoot.ErinHow? Why? Never heard of such a thing, barring dropping a round in a campfire (the resulting scar I still bear).
If I had to make an educated guess I would say it was an overload of priming compound. I don’t know if it is possible to overcharge a 22 LR casing with enough powder to cause a casing to blow apart like it did. I have seen 2- 17 HMR’s that have suffered the same fate and heard of a few others. Hornady did go good for rifle and ammo replacement in all cases I have heard of. We will see if big green does the same……… Luckily I was wearing my shooting glasses and no injury sustained other than a face full of hot gas.
Erin
Erin Grivicich said
If I had to make an educated guess I would say it was an overload of priming compound. I don’t know if it is possible to overcharge a 22 LR casing with enough powder to cause a casing to blow apart like it did. I have seen 2- 17 HMR’s that have suffered the same fate and heard of a few others. Hornady did go good for rifle and ammo replacement in all cases I have heard of. We will see if big green does the same……… Luckily I was wearing my shooting glasses and no injury sustained other than a face full of hot gas.
Erin
I agree. We performed a test, about 6 yrs ago, and fill a 22lr case with powder from other cartridge and compacted slightly when bullet reseated. It fired from older no-name 22 rifle with no damage but it was louder. Are you sure barrel was not obstructed or heavily oiled? If not then I suspect over primed.
Vince
Southern Oregon
NRA member
Fraternal Order of Eagles
“There is but one answer to be made to the dynamite bomb and that can best be made by the Winchester rifle.”
Teddy Roosevelt
Vince said
I agree. We performed a test, about 6 yrs ago, and fill a 22lr case with powder from other cartridge and compacted slightly when bullet reseated. It fired from older no-name 22 rifle with no damage but it was louder. Are you sure barrel was not obstructed or heavily oiled? If not then I suspect over primed.
Vince,
I removed the bullet from the barrel and it looks just like it did when it was in the casing. It was only about 4 inches from the chamber and came out very easily. There was about 40 rounds fired before the “big bang” so oil was not an issue either.
Did you receive the spring I sent?
Best,
Erin
1 Guest(s)
