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357 sig case split

Was out shooting today and noticed that one of my cases had split at the neck. I know for a fact that the ones I were shooting today were only once fired so this case has only been fired twice now. I load at the very low end and at the OAL suggested so is this just a fluke with just twice fired? I thought I'd at least get 5 reloads out of them. BTW, this is the first time this has happened with these cases and I have reloaded and shot over 1000 of them.

 
I haven't found it to be all that common but new cases will occasionally split. Usually, in my experience, its attributable to defective brass - poorly blended allows creating a very hard case. I've found it more common in imported brass than brass made in the USA but that too will split, especially with the reloads at the higher power end of the chart.
 
Its been my experience lately that pistol brass is so mass produced for hoarders that less care has gone into forming the cases since 99% of em are left laying. Theyre trying to compete with aluminum cases i feel. Unless you get a premium brass like starline its just disposable here lately. How much you think they saved by forming that neck without annealing? Its just a chance they take i suppose
 
I think you're both on the money with it being defective or poorly made. FYI this is a Speer case which is all I have, some brass and some nickle. I'll start keeping a closer eye on these for sure. Thanks for your inputs.
 
Speer straightwall is all i use in factory loads. I get a ton of them from some people. A friend thats on a state dps unit uses a 357 sig and they only buy speer for them and he said some boxes every case splits
 
I've been shooting the 357Sig since it's inception.....in a couple SIG Arms(german) pistols & never experienced split necks.

You didn't mention the firearm/Bbl/cases that you've split case necks on second firings.
Are you spacing off the case mouth or attempting shoulder spacing.
Take a couple measurements of virgin/sized/loaded/fired cases to compare to SAAMI case drawings.

ATK/Speer brass is junk.
 
@Dans40X, I am shooting a Glock 22 with a Wolf 357sig Bbl and Speer cases exclusively using a variety of different powders but in this case the load was with 6.0gr Unique with RMR 124gr FN FMJ with a 1.132" OAL.

As far as the measurements go compared to SAAMI, they are within .003" of their drawings.

Like I mentioned earlier, I have shot over 1000 of these reloads and this is a first. I'll keep a real close eye when I start reloading twice fired cases.
 
FWIW....SPEER cases seem to be the most problematic. I have seen what appears to be two different cases from Speer. The brass used with their top of the line defense ammo appears no different than WW, FC or RP cases. And loads fine, short of some of it had a smaller diameter flash hole. And it appears to be fairly thin.

Then their cheaper "practice' line of .357 which seemed to have a lighter case. Those also have a slightly concave base. And also had the small flash hole.

All of my .357 sig brass is from an LE agency and most of it is at minimum 8 years old. So it's anywhere from 2000 to 2008 production. There production has surely changed since then.

The bulk is WW, brass and nickle and it has shown it self to be easy to load as well as long lived. I have loaded thousands of 125 gr MT Gold 125 gr, SIG specific slugs, over 13.8 of AAC #9 for 1260-1275 fps in SIG 229's or 226's.

FN in MT
 

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