Too heavy a reload in the cartridge, that is. Or? ???
(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/oddnends3/image.jpg)
A friend emailed me these. No details as to how or why or if there were injuries.
(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/oddnends3/image2.jpg)
(https://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q75/djmillerbucket/oddnends3/image3.jpg)
Wow - looks like several went off. Whitlock got some Federal rounds that were blowing up the casings and blowing up the primers. We kind of expect that they are experimenting with their powder formulas as we heard talk of them being urged to develop short life powders. Just speculation there. Probably a better explanation for this one.
It looks like the cartridge in front of the hammer went off as well as the cartridge on either side. Must have been a full cylinder and the first shot. No bulge/split to the barrel.
Things like this can happen by the owner doing something stupid or simply forgetful. As an example, this would be easy to do with a 45LC. There are factory loads that develop much higher pressures. They are meant for a handful of revolvers that are designed to accept the load. There is no physical difference in the cartridge.
Glad it wasn't me.