Ok, this was NOT from overloading the gun, I assure you!!!! I am 100% sure on every measurement and time I loaded it.....
Inside the barrel, you could see a long "ring" that swelled out inside the barrel. so, it essentially was a "wider barrel" for about 3" inside it. Like a warped expanded ring inside it. I shot 20 shots through it and I am 100% sure every load was consistent, exactly measured right, nothing got in the barrel, etc. Now, could a bullet have been defective, I suppose? But, calling Bergera, showing pics, etc, they couldn't explain it and said "warranty, new barrel". So, no frigin idea how or why it happened and I've been shooting ML's since I was 15 years old, (I'm super super old now, senior citizen - 37 years old) & I'm very comfortable with how I do things, shoot and how careful I am. I know darn well when I make a mistake and this surely was not the case with this one.
*Ok, the time it was my fault, in 7th grade me and buddy thought it was funny to double load shotgun reloads - sure packed a punch!!!! Then, as a 12-13 year old occasionally does, I had to be incredibly stupid and push it to the limits.... I triple loaded a 3" Mag 12 guage shell. It had all powder inside about 70% of the shell, had to cut down the wad & put a small amount of shot in it. My buddy would NOT fire it - wonder why?!?!?!? So, reluctantly, I held it back, squinted my eyes and the most massive fire ball erupted I ever seen, blew that semi-auto 12 guage into 50 different splintering parts. Took the action or bolt and blew it 12" into the soil 6" from my buddy's foot. Metal was a mangled mess in all sorts of peices. Wood stock splinters were laying all over the yard. My face made it out fine with very minor burns and my arm had a small scrape. LESSON KIDS: don't triple load things. It's not a good idea. That's my true side lesson for the day from "FIRE MARSHALL BILL"!!!! "Lemme show you something". Be careful kids!
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