Situation this weekend I've never seen - one shooter had a round explode in his 10.22 magazine. No injuries, no damage to the rifle, but the magazine is not usable.
Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions why this would happen?
Exactly where in the cycle of operation did this happen? I hypothesize:
1. If no live round was in chamber: Round was stuck in magazine with bullet nose below feed ramp - bolt hitting case rim failed to strip round but did crush the case rim. A damaged bullet, very dirty magazine, or too-loose magazine spring could cause such a failure to present the round for chambering.
2. If a live round was in the chamber (following a misfire and failure to extract), because a dirty chamber condition caused it to be out of battery, bolt allowed to fly forward to "cure" failure to chamber caused a slam-fire and blown-out case ignited the round below it in the magazine.
The first hypothesize is more probable.
Any indication show that the rim was struck?
Hard to tell - we didn't take the magazine apart at the time. I'm hoping to get more info once the owner's gunsmithing school looks at it.
I'm wondering if the operator was reusing rounds that failed to feed.
From the picture the round was still in the mag. Don't see any way to strike the casing where it sits now.
Where was he in the COF? prepping mags or had the L command been given?
In the middle of a string of fire - he had already shot a couple times.
Unfired Remington round out of the box today.......
Looks to me like the round in the chamber went off out of battery and set off the round in the mag. I think a check of the exploded rounds rim wil show no indentation.