A Blow-Up Post-Mortem was published in The Double Gun & Single Shot Journal, Vol. 27, Issue 3, p. 17, 2016 and is summarized here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZnptAPvQIlWG5n5UU2FmKcFpYtVmOSc4b7K7G9IBs4g/edit

Tom: could you please let the owner of the gun know that I would be very interested in examining the remains, the shell used at the burst, and as Bill suggested any shells from the same box that he might have retained. The probably cause might be established simply by examining for evidence of chamber/forcing cone lengthening.
He can contact me at drewhausemd@yahoo.com

The questions he might consider:

Exact chamber and forcing cone length

Exact chamber dimensions. The entrance to the chambers of c. 1900 12g U.S. doubles is usually .809 -.812, tapering to .795 - .798.

Exact bore dimensions

Is there pitting in the chamber, forcing cones, or just past the cones?

Is there evidence of chamber and/or forcing cone lengthening?

Minimal wall thickness at the end of the chamber

Minimal wall thickness at the forcing cone

Minimal wall thickness around the burst edges

Does the burst barrel appear to have a ring bulge? Is the rib lifted?

Confirmation that the load was factory? Which load? If not, what was the reload recipe and the expertise of the reloader?

Is there visual evidence of over-pressure on the remains of the shell? Extractor imprint on the brass? Cratered primer?

Did the shooter notice anything abnormal the previous shot through the burst barrel? Sound? Recoil? Was the target broken?



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