Never seen anything like this before. I’ve had a few case head separations over the last 50 years but nothing like this. I guess even Lapua has its limits. I’ve been shooting this case since 2011 and this was its 33rd reloading. And no, there was no telltale “bright ring“ around the case.
Lapua brass failure
- Thread starter Gunracer
- Start date
Only 33 loadings? What a ripoff….
Murray Brook
Silver $$ Contributor
Seems weird. Normally when I've seen or had case separation they happen a little higher on the case, but 33 loads are up there
Larry Koch
Silver $$ Contributor
Maybe you should get a refund.?
And here we go….
Did the ejector mark happen on the same firing as the separation.
searcher
Gold $$ Contributor
Can't say I'd ever seen an out of battery case failure on a 6BR bolt gun..... Those cases just got a bit too thin at the base. Makes me think I'd better check my "high mileage" cases with a bit more scrutiny.
okie
Gold $$ Contributor
Buy some new brass already...!
And maybe back off a little on the go juice.
Rook 6
Silver $$ Contributor
To each their own. I use sizing dies made to my chamber in order to get the least amount of brass movement possible. Even doing that, I have, a somewhat arbitrary rule of 15 firings, then to the recycle bin regardless. Case failures ain’t with it IMO. I sleep well thinking I got my moneys worth. YMMV.
This also makes one think about the used brass market more carefully.
Really? Seriously? Only 33 firings? You should contact Lapua and ask for a refund.
It's incorrect to use the words 'case separation'. Separations take place further up the case-body above the web as a result of the body stretching and work-hardening during resizing. The case-head has given up here, either because of considerable over-pressure, and/or brass weakness due to being subject to 33 bouts of high pressure. So it's a simple matter of over-pressure in relation to the strength of the case-web area as is shown in any reloading manual or online depiction of pressure signs and the effects of massive over-pressures. The worst and most dangerous type of case failure. (How did you and your rifle come out of this? Many older rifle actions would have seen the firearm wrecked often with injury to the user.)
@Kracken McGraw hits on the crux of the issue with this question. To misquote the late Saddam Hussein, that is the 'mother' of ejector marks indicative of a massively over-pressure load. If it appeared on the final firing, there's the straightforward answer to the case failure.
@Kracken McGraw hits on the crux of the issue with this question. To misquote the late Saddam Hussein, that is the 'mother' of ejector marks indicative of a massively over-pressure load. If it appeared on the final firing, there's the straightforward answer to the case failure.
I don't see how this was fired in a chamber with the brass "wings" all sitting to the outside of the case. Looks like an out of battery, whether it was or not, or maybe there was too much space between the front of the bolt and the back of the barrel causing a bunch of unsupported area on the brass.
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