Question for the gunsmiths. This idiot fired 2 rounds of .40 through his .45...

1397 Views 15 Replies 12 Participants Last post by quantico, Dec 16, 2001

D. GUESS

Discussion Starter · Dec 4, 2001

The idiot is me. I've never done anything this stupid in all my years of shooting. I found nothing in the search function to answer my question. Believe me I looked.

I get to the range and I've got 2 45's and a .40 cal. I promptly load up a mag for my Colt 1991 45 with 40 cal and rack one into the chamber with no problems. I fire but the round doesn't eject (The bullet was only a couple of inches off target) I operate the slide and the round ejects and loads another round into the chamber. I fire again. It doesn't eject. I then immedietly realized what I had done.

I stripped the 1991 and found no obvious signs of damage to the barrel. No signs of cracks. The casing on the 2nd round of .40 cal split but didn't get struck.

My question for the gunsmiths, what are the chances of damaging the barrel? Should I have it checked or just order another barrel? Is it probably fine?
Thank you.

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Ned Christiansen

· #2 · Dec 4, 2001

Easy mistake!

I think the only damage you might be looking at would be blood stains.... if there are none you are almost for sure OK. I have fired .380's in a .45. Of course the case splits and it's dangerous as hell and stupid (this was a long time ago when curiosity overruled sense). Even though the .40 is a lot more powerful than the .380, there should not be any damage to the gun since the discharge isn't even completely contained. I'm guessing the cases did not rupture (or you'da definitely noticed). Just give it all a once-over to make sure there's nothing in the barrel or chamber, and go on back to the range.

D. GUESS

Discussion Starter · #3 · Dec 4, 2001

Thanks for the reply. The second casing had a small 1/8 of an inch rupture near the base. I didn't bleed luckily. I got off easy this time.

Dave Sample

· #4 · Dec 4, 2001

The only damage done was to your ego. It won't hurt anything because there's not much pressure with an undersize short and weak. It proves one thing to the forum gang. The slide has to be right for the caliber! Give yourself two Ah S**ts and subtract one Attaboy and get on with your life. I commend you on your courage to post this boo boo. Most people would not do this.

vapors750

· #5 · Dec 4, 2001

If you want to see what happens when things go terribly wrong when a .40S&W is fired from a .45ACP....go to the following site, and select "Download A-Zone Section Newsletter"
http://home.att.net/~n2ipsc/teamnwa.html

[This message has been edited by vapors750 (edited 12-04-2001).]

TangoRomeo

· #6 · Dec 4, 2001

Oh man - two ah s**ts at once. At the going rate of 10,000 atta boys to make up for just one ah s**t, that's pretty severe!

Just kidding, D. Guess. Glad you weren't injured.-TR

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D. GUESS

Discussion Starter · #7 · Dec 4, 2001

Ha Ha! At least I didn't have to say "Take me to the hospital!" after I said "aaah $&it"!

This is also a mistake I'll never repeat again since I'll be too anal about double checking my ammo.

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PM 7

· #8 · Dec 4, 2001

dont feel too bad. My Lt. was qualifying a couple of years back and was bitching because his gun (glock) was "broke". I got it from him and looked.. he had 9MM loaded in his .40 cal. This is normal for him though

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George Smith

· #9 · Dec 5, 2001

2

One tip

don't reload the cases

geo ><>

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Hunter Customs

· #10 · Dec 5, 2001

I have a 40 case in the shop that someone had fired in a 45. This case has several splits in it. I don't personaly know the shooter so I don't know how lucky he was but after seeing the case I would definitely check the chamber very close for signs of gas cutting. Gas cutting of the chamber could be a problem with extraction in your gun and if you are a reloader it could weaken the brass you fire in your gun where the chamber is gas cut. This could cause more case ruptures which will cause more gas cutting. Check your chamber thoroughly and if you have no signs of gas cutting you are truly lucky.
Regards, Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com

Hunter Customs

· #11 · Dec 5, 2001

I have a 40 case in the shop that someone had fired in a 45. This case has several splits in it. I don't personaly know the shooter so I don't know how lucky he was but after seeing the case I would definitely check the chamber very close for signs of gas cutting. Gas cutting of the chamber could be a problem with extraction in your gun and if you are a reloader it could weaken the brass you fire in your gun where the chamber is gas cut. This could cause more case ruptures which will cause more gas cutting. Check your chamber thoroughly and if you have no signs of gas cutting you are truly lucky.
Regards, Bob Hunter www.huntercustoms.com

apollyon

· #12 · Dec 6, 2001

hey! dont feel too stupid ...a friend of mine shoots an sw 610 & a 625 ; both use full moon clips...he fired a full clip of 10mm in the 625,no problems other than the brass expanded too much to reuse(no sh**!) a guy over on glocktalk fired 9x18 makarov in his g17, ya gotta pays attention ! wait'll ya stick an 8mm mauser in a 270 win ,things get exciting real quick...

doylestownjoe

· #13 · Dec 7, 2001

that's ok man, today when we were test fireing some 45's i brought a 40 mag, and i want to be a fulltime gun smith! this office manager sayes "it happens"
......and "I do what I can", but I didn't say it that time.
luckly we were at the niciest gut range in town and they lent me a 45 mag and i excaped with out losing total face.
thanks target world( on 202 and county line)

doylestownjoe

· #14 · Dec 7, 2001

not gut gun

Powderhound

· #15 · Dec 7, 2001

Dont be to hard on yourself, we're all human, and that wouldn't be all that difficult of a mistake to make. Next time just go with obvious different cals. ( 357 & 45s) (40s & 22s)etc.
No, really though, Just grad you weren't hurt.
Powderhound (NRA Life)

quantico

· #16 · Dec 16, 2001

I was at the range and someone was shooting my 1911. He reloaded a mag or two and then I heard an interesting " what the YTFUYTUYU&O" come out of him. He had of course loaded 40 in my 45acp. I think the round fell out the barrel if I am not mistaken. I know he did not fire the round. It taught me a lesson that when you are firing multiple rounds at the range... keep some seperation of the ammo piles... The 40 and 45 don't look that different I guess ??? well to me they do... but maybe not everybody. I have never heard of 40 and 357 sig mixed up but that seems like it could happen even easier.

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