So what it boils down to is that if Billy-Bob screws up while reloading because the dog pissed on his boot and distracted him, or because he drops an inappropriate magnum load into the chambers and blows the damn thing up... then he is ill informed and irresponsible.
But if some official at the Birmingham Proof House drops an equally inappropriate 18,000 psi or greater proof load into an 1880's gun that likely was originally chambered for early 2 1/2" loads, then that is informed and intelligent.
As many of you will know, I reproof most of my stock guns before sale, 'whether they need it or not'!
So I will continue to reproof most of my stock guns and hope that this sort of almost total loss doesn't happen again too soon.
Given the facts and present day realities, I wonder why on Earth you'd expect a different result if you keep permitting the Birmingham Proof House to touch off totally inappropriate loads in vintage doubles??? I recently bought a .450 BPE double rifle. If I attempt to turn it into a .458 Lott and blow it up, that is not the fault of the guy who sold it to me, or of the Leige Proof House.
EDIT: If the standard proof pressures have not changed, then how do you explain the recent news that a greater than usual number of guns are failing proof? It would appear that something had to change given the greater frequency of reports of failures. I add this edit due to the new previously undisclosed information that this gun HAD to be re-proved due to barrel honing and chamber lengthening taking it out of proof.
