Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

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randy
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Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

Post by randy »

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PawPaw
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Re: Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

Post by PawPaw »

Read about that yesterday. 3 missing? That sounds ominous.

People don't understand how big an explosion it is when an ammo plant goes off.
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Rod
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Re: Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

Post by Rod »

Used their ammo and found that their quality control isn't the best. Had some of the .38 Special primers back out, about 1 in 20.
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Old Grafton
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Re: Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

Post by Old Grafton »

I read the article, but I was somewhat nonplussed at the mention of a 2003 explosion there involving mercury fulminate, "used in primers". There was an explosion in 2003 but I highly doubt mercury fulminate was being used in primers. Extremely sensitive, very short shelf life, toxic, embrittles brass cases when fired and brass primer cups just sitting there.
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Jered
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Re: Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

Post by Jered »

Old Grafton wrote:I read the article, but I was somewhat nonplussed at the mention of a 2003 explosion there involving mercury fulminate, "used in primers". There was an explosion in 2003 but I highly doubt mercury fulminate was being used in primers. Extremely sensitive, very short shelf life, toxic, embrittles brass cases when fired and brass primer cups just sitting there.
Now, they use lead styphnate.
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Denis
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Re: Sellier & Bellot ammo plant explosion

Post by Denis »

I got a Brno ZK 99.5 break-barrel rifle last week. Used, but pretty much as-new condition, with an old Bushnell 3-9 x 30(?) scope mounted. It's in an unusual calibre - 6.5mmx57R - basically a 7x57 Mauser necked down to 6.5mm/.264" and with a rim for ejection in the break-open action. This is the smallest calibre that is legal for all hoofed game in most of Europe, and is a favourite for very light rifles - think chamois hunting in the Alps. I think it'll be dandy for stalking Scottish red deer, since that involves a lot of carrying and very little shooting.

Anyhow, Sellier & Bellot is the only brand of ammunition I can find in this calibre that doesn't cost a fortune. Their softpoint 131 grain offering is about EUR 35 a box of twenty, whereas other brands start at double that. I see handloading in this rifle's future - fortunately, I can buy the S&B bullets at a reasonable price.

My experience with recent-manufacture S&B ammunition is that it is workmanlike, but not stellar stuff - other than their lead-free "eXergy" offering, which is streets ahead of the competition in terms of terminal ballistics. It is fairly priced, goes bang, and delivers acceptable accuracy for hunting in many, if not most, rifles. Luckily, the Czech Brno ZKK rifles in my little collection were all built and tested to work with Czech S&B ammo - accuracy results with S&B ammo of the same age (1960s-1970s) as the rifles is excellent. The brass is reloadable, but a little brittle and not deeply annealed - still OK for reloading a few times, but it's not Lapua or Norma.

I'm sorry to hear about the accident, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families. I will be ordering some S&B 6.5x57R ammo today out of solidarity.
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