So it finally happened !

[Treeman]

Some time back I asked about the P14 action, to what pressure can it be reloaded, we decided that any modern actions pressures were safe.

Remember all the safety rules, one in particular being never have more than one powder on your desk - read the label out loud before use ?

Well here goes embarrassing !

I am still only using SOMCHEM propellants, all the rifles except for the 7mm-08 mono bullets, it uses my only tin of import, a tin of Hodgkin Varget, a black bottle red writing, the only one I have. I recently found that the Varget is the most suited propellant for the 303 P14.
I developed a load of about 54 gr for the P14  at about 50 000 PSI. I loaded up some test cases at various lengths at 54 gr, I only loaded one charge because I was confident of where I was at.

A friend of mine died and I was given a tin of Hodgkin Longshot, a pistol propellent. I decided instead of dump it I would use it to load a bag of 9 mm for Cody to learn handgun shooting. I loaded for Cody and left the Hodgkin on the table when finished.
I remember the rest clearly.
I decided at like 22H00 that I actually wanted to try one grain less loads as well in the P14 and so as to be ready to shoot next morning I went to garage to reload straight away. I saw I had forgotten the Varget on the table and wondered why ?
Thinking nothing of it further, I got the P14 components out, decanted some from the Hodgkin container (the only one I have "Varget" and reloaded a lighter load for next day.

The following day I shot the 54 gr and did not get the results I wanted, so I tried the lighter load and found the primer blew out. I checked everything and decided it was an anomaly that I would look into later. I shot next shot and it was not noticeably different, but primer was blown out again. MMMnnn? STOP>

When I got home I pulled the remaining cases and weighed the charge, 53 gr - that's correct. I measured the bullets, they were correct as well. I while trying to figure this out noticed that the powder was flakes ? I thought Varget was stick propellant?
So I got the container out, (the only Hodgkin I have - confident about that) and checked the propellant, yip flakes.
I was stumped.
I eventually decided to study the container, for warnings about something, anything, I was lost. The Varget worked every other load, why not at this load.
I read the back, I read the front and learnt along the way that the propellant was suitable for pistols, did not know that.
Then, only then, did I decide to read the name on the container again. Turns out that my only tin of import was not the only tin !
Remember the tin you were given !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the pistol propellant

I did not even read the label - I have always only had one import, Varget.

I had loaded 53 gr of Longshot in 9 x .303 cases.

I can not believe that in the land of suing, USA, the two tins can be so identical, except for the name, in relatively small print. The containers are not color coded like PMP, same same, just the little name differs.

Now I know how strong a P14 action is.

[Treeman]

They very different and yet so the same.
20240922_130608 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr
20240922_130558 by David Frank Allen, on Flickr

[oafpatroll]

Fortunately that turned out well. I'm sure there are actions that would not be quite so forgiving. Thanks for writing it up, serves to remind us that humans are inherently prone to FUBARS. My rule for reloading is that I completely clear and clean the bench and all my equipment including powder measures before every session and start by pulling my load data sheet for the cartridge. I then pull the components from the kas according to the recipe and tick them off. Infuriates guys who've seen me do it but I reckon its worth the bother.

[Treeman]

Quick Load puts the pressure at 99000  PSI

[Tripodmvr]

What bullet weight and what speed did you get? My QL calculation goes off the clock at 200K psi.

[Treeman]

What bullet weight and what speed did you get? My QL calculation goes off the clock at 200K psi.

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     175 gr bullet , I did not chroni first, I shot for a group and intended to use last cartridges # 4 - 5 to chroni.
I usually use one lowest load to chroni then shoot groups saving ammo for if I pull a shot. I then chroni last 1 - 2 rounds.

[Ds J]

Glad that you are still with us!

Cast the chamber to check whether it got damaged,  stretched or so.

[big5ifty]

They very different and yet so the same.

Sorry to have to tell you, but those two labels are completely different.

They are even different colors.

You need an eye test, like the rest of us had to do.

[oafpatroll]

Glad that you are still with us!

Cast the chamber to check whether it got damaged,  stretched or so.

I'd be a bit iffy of that action now. The highest pressure I could find referenced for a 303 Brit proof load was 75k psi and early ones were in the high 60's. Tripodmvr's calc suggests that this could have been a multiple of that. 

[Treeman]

I'd be a bit iffy of that action now. The highest pressure I could find referenced for a 303 Brit proof load was 75k psi and early ones were in the high 60's. Tripodmvr's calc suggests that this could have been a multiple of that. 
[/quote]
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P14 Action

[Treeman]

Sorry to have to tell you, but those two labels are completely different.
They are even different colors.
You need an eye test, like the rest of us had to do.
[/quote]
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Yes I have to agree to that, but they are the same when you know what it is that you go, there is no SOMCHEM  red - green - brown tin.
These are same same with some wording design change, some.
Knowing what you had on stock and knowing that u did not have any other propellant and picking tin up without much reading because of assumption  - would not have been possible with S365 and MP 200, would have had too many, much difference.

[Tripodmvr]

Know of a guy that used S265 instead of S385. His 300WM was no more. They however salvaged the Mauser M98 action and built a new rifle on it. He was lucky to have had safety glasses on and only had a black eye to show for it. That was from the gas blast to the rear. I don't know how the 303 survived the high pressure.

[oafpatroll]

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P14 Action

As far as I can tell the proof cartridges weren't action specific and neither were the specs for duty ammunition. While the P14 is inherently a stronger action than the LE it appears to have been subject to the same proof pressures which were a fraction of what Tripodmvr came up with from QL. That action has been subjected to massive over pressures and I'd be very wary of taking the fact that it didn't grenade as a sign that it wasn't damaged.

[Treeman]

Ja !- this is now a worry to me. Look, there ain't no way the action will be dumped, just not going to happen, but mmmnnn -Ya!

Been reading on the matter, but nothing concrete yet. My biggest worry is if the chamber dimensions have been altered by the massive bang, it does not seem so, but I will try have it spec'd.
The rifle sent the bullet down range and the primer blew out proper, I really do wonder if damage was done and if so what damage.

[Ds J]

Get someone with NDT equipment on it. It should show cracks, fatigue, etc.

I guess the bolt head took the brunt of the overpressure, so I would begin there.