Another K-80 Goes To Heaven

Word today is another K-80 exploded locally sending the owner to surgery for an extensive contusion of his forearm. The owner was shooting reloads. Pretty scary for his fellow shooters. More info when I get it.

 

Additional details include the following: the individual was using reloads and had previous issues with his MEC reloader that was then serviced. It appears to be an older gun. Barrel flew over the shooters head and landed around 40' BEHIND him (unusual). Receiver remained intact but forend splinters likely caused the injury. Another reason to remain very careful when reloading!

 

Tell me again how much you fellas pay for those guns.

 

Not much if I can help it. Nonetheless, it's always something when shooters spend ten's of thousands of $$ thinking they can buy their way to success.

 

The price of the gun has nothing to do with careless or reckless reloading (possible cause as stated above).

Most of the higher price guns have higher price wood and parts are made of materials that cost more. If a person can afford it what's the big deal?

 

Big $$$$ dont buy safety or sucess!

 

Harrison, It also does not buy common sense. have never heard of any gun that does reloading either. Human error is more dangerous than all of the guns ever made. Roger C.

 

Oleo, From your description of the gun after failure, it appears that maybe the barrel came out of the block. Did you inspect the item? Roger C.

 

Back in the mid 70s I attended a lot of Buddy Shoots.
You would be amazed at the recipies those shooters used for re-loads. (mostly for shoot off shells)

One shooter used Herco in paper Federals. He would put a "small" pinch of Bullseye on top of the primer then the Herco.
Said that got "Things Cookin".

Most shot 12s, 870s, 1100s or Bt99s. However, nothing blew up. Lots of those guns were well worn or build-ups.
Maybe we were lucky?


Regards.....Gerald

 

Haven't seen it yet but still relying on hearsay info. My understanding is the receiver and stock remained in his hands, then dropped, while the barrel went behind him. That is an atypical blowup as most barrels seem to go forward. The gash in his arm was so deep you could actually see bone. The individual lost a considerable amount of blood from a likely severed artery. A few shook up shooters on his squad. No further info on his condition.

I haven't seen any SX-1's blow up yet but around eight local k-80's!

 

Oleo, If you get a chance to inspect the gun see if the lock up lugs or locking hood show any sign of ever having been welded on. I'm just curious. I have been around for a long time and have never witnessed a blown gun. Roger

 

Wow Roger. The first one I witnessed was in 1965-one of those Winchester Model 50's with the fiberglass barrel. Since then two BT-99's, one 1100, one Perazzi TMX (one of my students while coaching him), one Perazzi TM-1, one Remington 3200, at least eight k-80's. We've got a bunch of redneck reloaders here in PA. You must have lived a charmed life!

 

Oleo, I shot a lot of fun games but we never used anything hotter then WW super Hdk. I'm from north eastern Ohio. I know what some of those rednecks load. Roger

 

This is your first post and this is all you got ? Your statement has no credibility whatsoever.

 

Roger ,
There was a few of them guys that had (loaded) Big Boomer loads, but they never gave them any advantage that I ever saw ... You were a pain in my AAh side quite often as I recall but I did alright if the moon was in the right place ... Dee, the Air Traffic Controller shot that Model 12 until it rattled so bad he had to get it rebuilt, then he bought an Over/Under thinking it would take the abuse the loads handed out (NOT)... I know you shot all new and so did I but cannot speak for them other guys , some of them reloaded stuff I wouldn't shoot in my gun ... Your knowledge of Metal and metal fatigue is always interesting to listen to, personally I have learned a lot from it ... WPT ... YAC) ...

 

Funny

$15,000 sticks of dynomite!

 

The only shotgun I ever saw blow up did that very same thing. The shooter was left holding the receiver in one hand, fore stock remnants in the other, with no injuries. The barrels were found 20 yards behind and up in a tree. I was on the next post to the right. It was quite the kaboom.

 

While in the Kreighoff Bldg at thr Grand I personally say a Bbl coming out of the Monobloc, shooter wanted to shoot the Lower Bbl on 16s, They told him this gun is not leaving her, we will let you use a Loaner gun.

GB.......................................DLS

 

My reloads are by the Factory Powder Mfgrs, and always lower pressures, all LS Loads are 10,000 or less, look at pressures on new Win Super Hdcp


GB..............................DLS

 

Has anybody heard that K80's used a special steel in the early years that work harden.
Since then Krieghoff changed to a different steel because the old steel developed cracks and failed sometimes. Resulting in barrel failure. Just asking!

 

allyrat2, All metal will fatigue. work harden, very iffy. All steel bars are subject to having cracks in the outer diameters. If the structure is not checked or enough metal is not remove from the outer diameter of the part, it is possible for a minute crack to go clear to the center of the bar. The integrity of the metal is only as good as the engineering and the inspection team that made it. The barrel is not just a length of tubing attached to a monoblock. Roger C.

 

The K in K80 stand for

Ka Boom!

 

Reloaded Remington Gun Clubs. Basewads were not an issue!

 

I have seen a number of K-80s Bbls sliding out of the Monoblocs, due to poor Silver Soldering, of Barrels to the Monoblocs, This is not New to K-80s over the years.

GB................................DLS

 

They should be copper brazed in a furnace, not silver soldered. They then would never come apart. Roger C.

 

Hey Dawg, are you counting the K80 that let lose in FL in Feb. A shooter that shots @ Elysburg & he was using NEW GREEN.

 

Nope, I didn't even hear about that one yet. These are only local.

 

Make that nine k-80's. My memory was refreshed by a fellow shooter yesterday.

 

One has to wonder..... injuries but no litigation? Loading issues? How many shotguns just in the US? How many loading errors? How many "blow-ups". Is the K80 the only one I see reported? I have witnessed 2 events, one in a pump and one in a Semi-auto. Both caused by firing on an open bolt. Hammer was contacting firing pin and lower portion of bolt at the same time, deformed the bolt, stuck the pin ahead, shooter closed bolt... KA-BOOM. Firing pin return spring on Semi-auto broke, locked pin ahead, fired on closing. Same result.... no one hurt, manufacturer replaced guns. Receiver damage on both but no barrel damage. I have observed many, many "overloads". No damage other than pride of the re-loader. Has there ever been a recall? Larry

 

I have been wondering that myself. Some here seem to be obsessed with K80's blowing up. I have yet to hear of a single lawsuit against Krieghoff. Hmmm I wonder why that is.