LeMAG Carbine blowup story
John Gunshenan
I posted an enthusiastic article about LeMAG firearms recently. Several
people sent me e-mail saying, in effect, "I heard those things blow up".
I spoke with Tim LeGender of LeMAG about this. He knows of 3 instances
where LeMAG carbines blew up in the hands of customers. According to Tim,
in each instance, the customers were experimenting with hot loads far in
excess of the "Blue pill" proof rounds used in industry to stress-test
guns. These loads were way, way beyond the max charge limits listed in the
reloading manuals.
After this happened, LeMAG beefed up the steel in the barrel. To date,
they have been unable to develop loads that blow up the new barrels.
Tim pointed out that the M1 Carbine barrels have 2 grooves along the bottom,
near the chamber, which are engaged by the operating rod. When the barrel
blows, these grooves act as shear points. They split open, and the force of
the expanding gases is directed downward into the stock. So if someone
falls and plugs the barrel with mud, and then fires the gun, there will be
no shrapnel, and the force of the expanding gasses will be directed
away from the shooters head.
When the news of the old barrels exploding reached LeMAG, Tim investigated
immediately. He manufactured similar overloads, and he intentionally blew
up 3 guns himself. This guy has confidence in his product! He did get
scratched once, by a piece of broken stock, but he was otherwise uninjured.
LeMAG asked American Rifleman to publish a warning not to use loads that go
beyond the max charges, because the barrel might burst. This article led
to the perception that these guns are somehow unsafe. I'm not a handloader
(no time), but it seems to me that anyone who loads ammo to way, way beyond
the published maximums should not be surprised if a barrel fails. If you
use ammunition loaded to within the standard limits in a LeMAG carbine, you
should never experience any problems. (Barring an obstructed barrel, of
course.)
Tim has impressed me as a solid engineer (there is no higher praise) who
is very concerned with building a safe product. He likes to say, "I've
blown up more guns than most people own in their lives". In testing to
the point of destruction, you learn a lot.
I still have no financial interest in LeMAG, other than as a customer.
A LeMAG Mag-1 Carbine is high on my list of pending acquisitions. Maybe
I can convince Santa...
Good Luck,
John Gunshenan
P.S. My earlier post regarding LeMAG contained an error. Tommybuilt ammo
is not available for sale to the public. This ammo is what LeMAG uses for
proof loads. They generate ridiculous pressure and velocity.