Reloading explosion

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Chickm1
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Reloading explosion

Post by Chickm1 »

My wife said there was a story of a home destroyed and 2 people injured in Seffner, Florida reloading accident, involving black powder. I found the article, and it said the man was using smokeless powder. Looking at the pictures, I am surprised the man survived.
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JonnyV
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by JonnyV »

Florida Man strikes again!!!


https://www.wfla.com/news/hillsborough- ... scue-says/

There has to be more to this story too. Looks like he was reloading pistol ammo on a Dillon. Smokeless doesn't just "explode"....
John Boy
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by John Boy »

Reloading mistake #1 …. Powder not being used to reload kept in cabinet away from reloading bench. CAn of powder being used … cap tight secure
There had to be an ignition source to light up 6 lbs of powder … smoking while reloading?
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John Boy
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by John Boy »

There’s more to this explosion than 6 lbs of powder
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bpcr shooter
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by bpcr shooter »

I
John Boy wrote: Sat Oct 09, 2021 11:32 am There’s more to this explosion than 6 lbs of powder
I agree!!! smokeless is a controlled burn not an explosive.
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Ray Newman
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by Ray Newman »

John Boy is onto it. From the article:

"...the man who is currently in critical condition was able to tell fire crews he was actively reloading small arms ammunition inside the house with around six pounds or more of smokeless powder near the area when the explosion took place just after 4:30 p.m. on Thursday." (Italics added: RCN)

Dollars to donuts the local Fire Dep't. investigation and maybe even ATF investigators will be able to identify the powder, a better "approximation" of the amount that ignited/exploded and possibly the cause(s).

Reminds me of the October 2020 Venice, FL, fire when two reloaders also had an "incident". According to the Truth About Guns article, it involved some 100 pounds of powder and about 10,000 rounds. The article also said:

"We certainly hope the two people who were burned make a full recovery. But if we know our readers at all, we’d guess they’ll be most upset over the loss of 10,000 rounds of ammunition given current prices and availability."

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/flori ... mmunition/

Similar Fox story: www.fox13news.com/news/2-severely-burne ... icials-say
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JonnyV
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by JonnyV »

That doesn't explain how he ignited 6lbs all at once. Was it in an 8lb can? What was he doing while loading ammo, smoking cigs? Did he have his ashtray perched over the top of an open 8lb can of powder? Even if he did and a lit cig fell into the can, it would have only burned like a huge torch. He was compressing that powder somehow. I'm thinking he was making a big ass pipe bomb with fast burning pistol powder.

On that video, half of the guys house was blown up, roof collapse and everything. Its very common for bomb makers to blow themselves up. I hope the cops are looking through this guys social media posts.
1minute
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by 1minute »

Perhaps they were indeed reloading, but I suspect they ignited something other than smokeless powder. Gas leak or perhaps butane from a meth cook.
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Chickm1
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by Chickm1 »

In some of those pics, I saw a single stage press. On another note, the reports said some propane tanks were involved. I wonder if the powder caused a fire, that blew the propane tanks. This looks more like a meth operation blowing up.




[quote}

There has to be more to this story too. Looks like he was reloading pistol ammo on a Dillon. Smokeless doesn't just "explode"....
[/quote]
John Boy
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by John Boy »

When the full story comes out that completed demolished a building and his response was actively reloading … it’s going to give reloading a bad name
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desert deuce
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by desert deuce »

I wonder if anyone got a whiff of natural gas ?
Doesn't look like a powder explosion.
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patchbox
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by patchbox »

Smokeless powder? That’s really difficult to understand how he was able to destroy the house with smokeless. Smokeless powder unconfined has an extremely slow rate of burn. Even if it started to burn in an 8 lb container they are made of plastic- there would not be enough pressure buildup to cause that type of detonation. There is something else going on here that would cause that.
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kenny sd
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by kenny sd »

I live in Florida near where this happened. the gun shop owner said he had a lot more powder than that.
I don't think it was Black Powder.
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kenny sd
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by kenny sd »

I live in Florida near where this happened. the gun shop owner said he had a lot more powder than that.
I don't think it was Black Powder.
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Don McDowell
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Re: Reloading explosion

Post by Don McDowell »

probably something went wrong with the priming operation on that progressive press, setting off a primer which in turn ignited the powder in a case that didn't have the bullet seated.
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