Damaged Cartridge........What's up?

[Mozella]

This is a new one for me. In the middle of a 600yd Bench Rest Match last Sunday, one cartridge wouldn't chamber; i.e. I couldn't close the bolt. I ejected the round, tossed it aside, and grabbed another one in an attempt to finish the 5 shot string before the shifty winds forced me to employ my weak wind reading skills. These rounds were being fed one at a time.

I was surprised to see the big dent on the shoulder and the scuff on the side of the moly coated bullet is a mystery too. I don't know when this happened.

I loaded 100 rounds and then trimmed the meplat, one-by-one, and I examined the rounds under high magnification after each one was trimmed. I suppose I could have missed it, but that doesn't seem likely.

If there was something in the chamber, I don't know what it was or how it got there. None of the other rounds were missing primers and the loads aren't very hot so I don't see how a primer could have been blown out to remain in the chamber. I'm mystified.



Any thoughts?

 

[dkhunt14]

It does look the about the size of a primer. Matt

 

[ShootDots]

If you look along the sides of the case neck where the scrape is, it looks to be "goldish" in color. The dent itself appears to be the size of a primer. AND the scuff mark on the bullet shows me the case was FORCED DOWN into the chamber area. The "goldish" color, if from a primer, would have been made by Wolf, Remington or Winchester primers. They have that color to them. Surely something was in the chamber. That "something" made a goldish scrape on the case neck and dented the case the size of a primer. My guess is that you may have missed it, but I believe it to be a spent primer that you pushed up into the chamber area when you placed your round in the action and closed it.

 

[Mozella]

My first thought was a primer. That's why I checked all my cases, both spent and unfired. No missing primers. There was a guy shooting next to me, but only on my right side and my action is a left port. I can't imagine how a primer got into the action nor can I imagine how one might get into the seating die. The scuff on the bullet leads me to believe it happened after the bullet was seated and that means in the chamber as far as I can figure.

By the way, when examining the case under magnification, there is no color marking. That odd green/gold look on the photo is a result of the funky green background. I was closing the bolt with some force since my wind reading skills are so crappy, I tend to rip off 5 shots as quickly as I can.

Anyhow, I'm still thinking it's a primer, but I have no idea how it could have gotten into the chamber, especially because it happened on target #2 in the middle of a 5 shot string.

On the other hand, I don't suppose I'm too worried if it doesn't happen again, but I'm curious. This may be just one of those life's little mysteries like why my wife need so many shoes.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[Tozguy]

If primers have been eliminated:
Can you be 100 % sure the dent was not there before you chambered it?
How does the base of a bullet fit the dent?
What equipment do you use for bullet seating?

 

[dkhunt14]

If primers have been eliminated:
Can you be 100 % sure the dent was not there before you chambered it?
How does the base of a bullet fit the dent?
What equipment do you use for bullet seating?

There is no bullet seater made that would let a bullet past the neck, and if it did you would have bigger problems. It also wouldn't be able to get back out in front of the neck again, it would just collapse the case. Matt

 

[rocketron]

do you use a ejector pin?

 

[22DASHER]

I have had primers end up in my chamber before from a previous shooting session..... No clue how it happened or what little crevice,groove, or fissure it was hiding out in before it came back to earth. It happens to the best of us.....

 

[Mozella]

If primers have been eliminated:
Can you be 100 % sure the dent was not there before you chambered it?
How does the base of a bullet fit the dent?
What equipment do you use for bullet seating?

Well, primers have NOT been eliminated. In fact a rogue primer is the prime suspect. I just can't imagine how it got into the chamber. Of course, you can never be sure of anything that you don't see. I take ordinary care with reloading, but I confess that I don't go over each cartridge after each and every stage. I check for primer depth, neck cracks, proper shoulder shape, and the normal stuff most people do. I spot check case neck size and shape, but it's possible this cartridge was damaged before it got into the ammo box. However, because the bullet is scuffed, the damage must have happened after seating. After seating, I trimmed the meplat of every bullet and that requires handling each one individually. I didn't notice anything unusual. That makes me think it happened in the chamber. But each fired round had an expended primer, so I'm at a loss.

 

[Mozella]

I have had primers end up in my chamber before from a previous shooting session..... No clue how it happened or what little crevice,groove, or fissure it was hiding out in before it came back to earth. It happens to the best of us.....

Well, I've never even heard of it. Personally I've never experienced a pierced or blown primer. I've never had a primer fall out and this particular brass was relatively new Lapua in good condition.

I usually shoot loads at or a little bit above published data, but I do NOT accept any sign of over pressure at all and I don't think any of my normal loads are even close. Certainly this one isn't "hot" by any means. So chance of the primer coming out of the previous round is small. Plus, I checked all the fired rounds. Each had an expended primer.

 

[Mozella]

do you use a ejector pin?

No.

 

[Gabe22BR]

Kinda nosey here, what die do you seat a bullet with, and what die do you use for sizing the case..

 

[savagedasher]

It is clear it is a cracked neck. Check your cases better. Larry

 

[1shot]

I had an anvil-cup separation on a very warm Palma load. I found the cup on the loading tray but didn't inspect it as I was in the middle of a string of fire. The anvil remained somewhere in the receiver to cause that exact looking dent in a case a few rounds later. Just food for thought,
Lloyd

 

[dkhunt14]

It is clear it is a cracked neck. Check your cases better. Larry

If it was a cracked neck, how did it make the shoulder dent on a loaded round? Matt

 

[Eddie Harren]

It is clear it is a cracked neck. Check your cases better. Larry

Another.

 

[savagedasher]

If it was a cracked neck, how did it make the shoulder dent on a loaded round? Matt

It was there previous to loading. Use your phone and magnifie the picture . It is clear a pressure dent Larry

 

[DJ111]

What action are you using? Coned or standard Remington style bolt face?

 

[dkhunt14]

It was there previous to loading. Use your phone and magnifie the picture . It is clear a pressure dent Larry

I made the picture as big as I could on my computer screen. Which is quite big. (like 10 inches plus)I can't see a crack and the dented mark doesn't go all the way to the mouth. To me it looks dented and not cracked. Maybe the OP will check the case and comment. Sometimes pictures don't show things good enough. I know if I was loading I wouldn't miss a dent like that. Matt

 

[savagedasher]

I made the picture as big as I could on my computer screen. Which is quite big. (like 10 inches plus)I can't see a crack and the dented mark doesn't go all the way to the mouth. To me it looks dented and not cracked. Maybe the OP will check the case and comment. Sometimes pictures don't show things good enough. I know if I was loading I wouldn't miss a dent like that. Matt