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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:01:28 PM EDT
 My 50 Cal Exploded |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:12:39 PM EDT
[#1]
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:12:42 PM EDT
[#2]
Wow. He’s lucky to be alive. I like that dude. Glad he made it
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:14:54 PM EDT
[#3]
Whoa.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:15:40 PM EDT
[#4]
50 bmg rifle and cheap do not go together.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:15:44 PM EDT
[#5]
OUCH!
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:19:48 PM EDT
[#6]
Holy Shit! I like this dude. Glad he is OK.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:20:26 PM EDT
[#7]
I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded.
I have a LAR big boar and AR50 and they are absolute tanks. I always thought those screw in guns were a little questionable, but it's not like they're known to blow regularly... |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:21:23 PM EDT
[#8]
That design looks a little sketch
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:22:02 PM EDT
[#9]
Just watched the video. Absolutely insane story and lucky to be alive. Glad to see him make a very detailed video on the event.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:22:56 PM EDT
[#10]
Yeesh, always enjoy his stuff glad he’s okay.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:23:19 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:23:59 PM EDT
[#12]
Quote HistoryQuoted: That design looks a little sketch Yeah, i no nothing about 50s, but a screw cap seems....not the best option? In the video he said he spoke with Serbu and he said it would have to have pressure in excess of 85,000 PSI to sheer the threads off like it did. I donno. I'm just glad the dude is ok. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:26:02 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. Wow really? I wouldnt of guessed that it was made by him |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:28:49 PM EDT
[#14]
Glad to see he survived. One of my favorites for sure.
Did the sabot act as a muzzle obstruction? I was under the impression that sabots of any kind were a no-no with muzzle brakes. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:29:47 PM EDT
[#15]
Plenty of 50s explode with dudes coming in out in far worse shape. He’s lucky to be alive.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:29:57 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. It's not like it's the first with that screw in breech deal, but when shooting super heavy stuff it apparently isn't up to the task. I think Safety Harbor used to make some similar that were AR uppers. 50s are one of those things though where the absolute bottom rung in price isnt far from the much nicer slight step up... a BFG, ar50, State Arms, ALS (I heard they had some issues but fixed them, they used to be very highly regarded), or even a ferret can be found gently used for not much more fairly easily. Even the bolt action barrets take a huge depreciation hit (I bought an m99 for $2400 a few years ago). I paid only $2000 for my LAR Big Boar about 4 years ago and I adore that thing, easily my favorite 50 I've shot. I just don't get why if you're going to spend .50 money you'd go halfway. That is a very large round, and it's not the first time one has blown up. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:31:06 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 50 bmg rifle and cheap do not go together. @buck19delta Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you acquire an AR-50 at a damn near to good to be true deal? Thought there was a thread about it. Understand, I'm not equating or insinuating an AR-50 of being of cheap or low quality. Just curious if you are that member or if I have mistaken you for another. If so, have you had the opportunity to shoot it? Edit: Feel free to PM if so inclined to respond. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:31:47 PM EDT
[#18]
God has more work for that guy to do. Dang.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:33:02 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. Having the recoil be absorbed by nothing but those end cap threads seems more than a little suspect. I wouldn't be too keen on trusting those even before seeing this video. Isn't there a theoretical maximum pressure a given caliber can physically have, given powder types and case volume? Why wouldn't they add a safety margin equal to that maximum? The guy said normal 50 cal pressure is 55,000psi and that this round was probably 85,000psi. I know over building has a cost but this guy almost died and by all accounts should have. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:33:39 PM EDT
[#20]
Yikes!
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:34:44 PM EDT
[#21]
holyfuckingshit
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:35:44 PM EDT
[#22]
I saw 50 cal Kaboom and though Serbu. Yep, it was a Serbu.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:37:02 PM EDT
[#23]
Christ on a crutch, he’s a lucky man.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:37:50 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted: @buck19delta Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you acquire an AR-50 at a damn near to good to be true deal? Thought there was a thread about it. Understand, I'm not equating or insinuating an AR-50 of being of cheap or low quality. Just curious if you are that member or if I have mistaken you for another. If so, have you had the opportunity to shoot it? Edit: Feel free to PM if so inclined to respond. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: 50 bmg rifle and cheap do not go together. @buck19delta Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you acquire an AR-50 at a damn near to good to be true deal? Thought there was a thread about it. Understand, I'm not equating or insinuating an AR-50 of being of cheap or low quality. Just curious if you are that member or if I have mistaken you for another. If so, have you had the opportunity to shoot it? Edit: Feel free to PM if so inclined to respond. buying a high quality expensive rifle on the cheap, is a lot different than buying a cheap quality rifle cheap. the ar50 is built like a tank, and probably weighs almost 2x what that rifle does. which is a lot of extra steel. serbu 50 = 18lbs ar50 = 34lbs imho its like comparing a light weight taurus / smith 357 mag and a ruger super redhawk 357 mag. the smith / taurus might shoot 357 mag safely, but the ruger will safely handle loads that will grenade the smith / taurus. that rifle in the story might well have had a load that would have grenaded any 50 rifle, but the comparison is still sound, some are just a lot stronger than others, and the serbu is definately on the low end of the strength scale, when compared to other rifles. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:38:24 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Having the recoil be absorbed by nothing but those end cap threads seems more than a little suspect. I wouldn't be too keen on trusting those even before seeing this video. Isn't there a theoretical maximum pressure a given caliber can physically have, given powder types and case volume? Why wouldn't they add a safety margin equal to that maximum? The guy said normal 50 cal pressure is 55,000psi and that this round was probably 85,000psi. I know over building has a cost but this guy almost died and by all accounts should have. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. Having the recoil be absorbed by nothing but those end cap threads seems more than a little suspect. I wouldn't be too keen on trusting those even before seeing this video. Isn't there a theoretical maximum pressure a given caliber can physically have, given powder types and case volume? Why wouldn't they add a safety margin equal to that maximum? The guy said normal 50 cal pressure is 55,000psi and that this round was probably 85,000psi. I know over building has a cost but this guy almost died and by all accounts should have. Everything has a safety margin, but how much is enough? It would be fairly straight forward to identify the sheer strength of a thread lock versus a locking lug design. It would be interesting to know how the two compare between something like the Serbu RN-50 (the gun in the video) and the Armalite AR-50. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:39:19 PM EDT
[#26]
My wife was listening and now doesn't want me to go shooting anymore.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:41:04 PM EDT
[#27]
Wow. To think the threads were cut clean from that steel cap.
He just used all of his 9 lives. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:41:37 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wow. He’s lucky to be alive. I like that dude. Glad he made it Holy shit, that was close. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:42:04 PM EDT
[#29]
I had a semi Barret about 20 years ago that the ejector launched itself into the barrel and when I chambered and fired the next shot it gouged the entire length of the bore. No injury but disconcerting.
I called Barret and they wanted me to send them the rifle. They didn't care if I had gotten it used. I got it back in about 2 weeks with a new complete upper and bolt. I ended up trading it for a State Arms single shot. I have to say Barret stepped up to the plate and and did everything right. Good company. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:44:52 PM EDT
[#30]
Just finished the video, I've always enjoyed his channel and was wondering why it seemed like there wasn't anything new recently. Holy shit.
 Another half inch over and it'd have been game over. Nothing short of a miracle that his dad was there and they got to help so fast.Hopefully he continues to heal quickly. 85k PSI to sheer those threads off, yikes. So I'll add "sketch SLAP rounds" to my list of stuff to not buy from the internet. You can't overbuild every design for every possibility but those tabs and the cap on the RN50 definitely seem like a bad idea. No where to go but straight back. 
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:45:23 PM EDT
[#31]
Holy shit he's lucky to still be among the living
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:45:23 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:47:21 PM EDT
[#33]
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:48:29 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No, Royal Nonesuch design, the kid who thinks headphones are earpro and builds pipe guns, sponsored by Mark Serbu Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. I get that. I point out Mark Serbu's involvement because he has been around for a long time and isn't a dummy. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:50:37 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: No, Royal Nonesuch design, the kid who thinks headphones are earpro and builds pipe guns, sponsored by Mark Serbu I gotta say, that dude lives a charmed life. Has all of his appendages, married the daughter of a competent manufacturer, probably now has access to a cool shop full of awesome NFA shit, and his welds still look like someone accidentally sent the special ed kids to shop class. Yet he soldiers on with enough shitty slamfire home depot pipe shotguns to arm several prison uprisings. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:51:17 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wow. He’s lucky to be alive. I like that dude. Glad he made it |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:51:54 PM EDT
[#37]
He's a really good guy, and I'm glad he's going to be ok.
I'd heard about this happening last week, but it wasn't supposed to come out until he posted this, and knew he'd be ok. What a crazy freak kaboom, but after seeing this I won't be shooting any slap rounds. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:52:47 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 50 bmg rifle and cheap do not go together. Sure they do - the problem is when cheap and unsafe go together. I wouldn't want a .338WM of the exact same design as the safety issue would remain. It wasn't a materials problem. ETA: I take it back. This isn't the design I thought it was. He was firing SLAP of unknown vintage/storage. Good lord. I thought it was well known not to do that! You have to pull the projectile and load it over known powder of a known weight if you absolutely must fire it. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:52:51 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 50 bmg rifle and cheap do not go together. It can if the phrase is followed by, massively overbuilt because we were sceptical of our enganerding. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:53:32 PM EDT
[#40]
The Barrett design is much safer.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:53:49 PM EDT
[#41]
Always enjoy his videos, glad he seems to be doing well.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:54:19 PM EDT
[#42]
Front fell off.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:54:31 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Plenty of 50s explode with dudes coming in out in far worse shape. He’s lucky to be alive. Link? Only ones I know of are this and Vulcan crap. Never seen a serious injury from a Barrett but may simply be unaware |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:54:37 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Wow. To think the threads were cut clean from that steel cap. He just used all of his 9 lives. Wait till you find out steel work hardens and has a working age limit...I am in the process of retiring a rem 700 action because nobody has ever been able to tell me what the life expectancy of the bolt lugs are at 65,000 psi, maybe even a bit more here and there...this action is currently pushing 5000 hot rounds thru it...It is gonna spend the rest of its days as a paper weight... 
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:54:47 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: 50 bmg rifle and cheap do not go together. My first thought too. Not a chance I would ever shoot that POS. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:56:15 PM EDT
[#46]
I’m sure Mark Serbu’s design is fine for .50 BMG within spec operating pressures.
Guy in the video was shooting old rounds of unknown provenance apparently at some sort of +++p operating pressure. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:58:01 PM EDT
[#47]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I get that. I point out Mark Serbu's involvement because he has been around for a long time and isn't a dummy. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. I get that. I point out Mark Serbu's involvement because he has been around for a long time and isn't a dummy. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 2:59:08 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I’m sure Mark Serbu’s design is fine for .50 BMG within spec operating pressures. Guy in the video was shooting old rounds of unknown provenance apparently at some sort of +++p operating pressure. Quote HistoryQuoted: I’m sure Mark Serbu’s design is fine for .50 BMG within spec operating pressures. Guy in the video was shooting old rounds of unknown provenance apparently at some sort of +++p operating pressure. Yeah. I'm stunned that he was firing old/unknown SLAP. Absolutely insane to do that and honestly it might as well be reloads. It may well have been reloads. I wonder if he put a lot of unknown rounds through that rifle over time? Dominican "yellow tip" comes to mind. ETA: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I didnt watch the entire thing but he remarks on it being a hot round... I really expect most 50s to be pretty over built. But I'm not surprised that something with that "royal nonesuch" guy's name exploded. Mark Serbu By all accounts it is a robust design. I get that. I point out Mark Serbu's involvement because he has been around for a long time and isn't a dummy. Yet no 2x proof safety margin? You'd frag just about any firearm with the same kind of absurd overpressure. |
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Posted: 4/29/2021 3:00:23 PM EDT
[#49]
Love the t-shirt at the end.
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Posted: 4/29/2021 3:00:41 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Having the recoil be absorbed by nothing but those end cap threads seems more than a little suspect. I wouldn't be too keen on trusting those even before seeing this video. Isn't there a theoretical maximum pressure a given caliber can physically have, given powder types and case volume? Why wouldn't they add a safety margin equal to that maximum? The guy said normal 50 cal pressure is 55,000psi and that this round was probably 85,000psi. I know over building has a cost but this guy almost died and by all accounts should have. It's more or less understood in the engineering world that you build to 2x the anticipated stress. Say a rifle cartridge generates 55kPSI. Build an action to withstand 110kPSI and it'll last forever. Build a residential electric transformer to handle 50KVA and it'll handle a 25KVA load practically forever. Build a revolver cylinder to withstand 80kPSI and it'll withstand 40kPSI practically forever. But when you push pressures beyond that halfway point, you get on a sliding scale between 'lasts forever' and 'grenades on the next shot'. And it's really hard to predict the slope of that slide. It's entirely possible that the destruction in the OP video was the result of a single grossly overpressure shot, but it's also possible, and IMO more likely, that the rifle was being damaged by a series of overpressure shots, and the last one was the proverbial straw breaking the camel's back. |
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