Here's one I had a couple of years ago. I bought it with just the right barrel one thou. out of proof. It was made by the Midland Gun Co. but had another's name on the rib. I good sturdy hammer gun, as most Midlands were, so I made the purchase and had it prepared for proof and sent off. The chambers were lengthened to 2 3/4" as the proof load is now the same as for the 2 1/2" chamber. The gun passed and I had it back. I shot maybe 50 rounds through it; nothing heavy, then a friend I knew wanted to buy a hammer gun. I thought this ideal as it had a top lever, recent proof and long chambers. He fired about 40 rounds at clays on two separate occasions again using light loads and then this happened:
The Gunsmith who worked on it was a friend of mine and also one of the Guardians at the Proof House so a report was done a little quicker. Their conclusion was that it had been fired with a slight obstruction such as a piece of wadding which had weakened it with a slight bulge and then it had failed upon a later firing. I had sold the gun at the price that it stood me at and made no profit. The gun was o.k. when I sold it but I believe my friend's account of what had happened. Barrel wall thickness at the site of the split was avout 22 thou.; steel barrels and not damascus. Lagopus.....
