Blown case base...looking for feedback

[Bill Norris]

Range brass is trouble sooner or later. Unless you know what it was fired in and how many times fired I'd say let it lay on the ground.

 

[RustyInBend]

If you want a cheap hobby ... collect local butterflies. If you want to reload for accuracy and reliability ... stop sifting through range dirt and buy quality brass.

 

[Doom]

It appears that the case failed in the unsupported portion of the chamber as noted by the failure of the web. The break appears to be symmetrical or close to it which seems to indicate failure under pressure as opposed to a defect in the case. If a case issue it would likely be due to loss of hardness (over annealing the base). I would suspect either a reloading error or an ignition issue as the likely issue.

 

[DShortt]

I can't fathom how a case head could rupture like that. That's a new one on me. Section a piece of brass and look how thick it is in that area. That's astonishing. Almost looks intenentional, as in no case head support at all.

 

[M-61]

I can't fathom how a case head could rupture like that. That's a new one on me. Section a piece of brass and look how thick it is in that area. That's astonishing. Almost looks intenentional, as in no case head support at all.

Actually the picture does not make sense.
I’m seeing a head split into a triangle with the same 3 splits from the flash hole
How’d that extraction for you? Picture is the whole case would be nice. But then with picked up brass no one it’s history in any respect.

 

[DShortt]

Wondering where the primer went too. Like you said, hard to make any sense of it.

 

[DShortt]

If you want a cheap hobby ... collect local butterflies. If you want to reload for accuracy and reliability ... stop sifting through range dirt and buy quality brass.

I use range brass for situations where it's unlikely I'll recover the brass. I don't load 'em hot and it's not precision work. Hunting rifles and ARs are about it. I leave them lay after 1 firing.

 

[Tusker6N]

I'm out of town for a while. I appreciate all the feedback. Will be updating this when I get back. Have a bunch of brass to cut up and start getting #s.

The 375 Raptor is a stout round. I'm going to disassemble all loaded ammo and go with new brass; once I figure out which brand has the thickest web.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Years back there was a reported issue with .223/5.56 web thickness of one 'brand'.
I made a pin with a dimple in the end to clear the flash hole and sorted a bunch.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

My range has a carbine class once a year. No reloaded ammo, students shoot bulk crimped ammo. I go on Monday after the weekend. Pickup 1000 in a short time, it's the only time there will be rifle brass in the grass at pistol/shotgun distance from targets. No full auto, neat little piles of brass as the instructor directs fire. I use it for several 223/556 rifles. Usually find 1 or 2 out of 100 that will not drop fit into a Lyman ammo checker after full length sizing, I throw them in brass scrap pail. Prairie dogs, coyote, shtf ammo. Occasionally there will be some S&B brass, I save them but don't load them as the case volume is quite different.

 

[bozo699]

^^^^^^[[

^^^^^^^
Wayne

Certainly looks like massive over pressure, but I’ve never used brass that was ‘picked up’ at any place or range. No one has a clue what it was really fired in nor how it was reloaded.
Plenty of people pick up brass off the ground and are really successful doing so.
I will not do that.

^^^^^^
Wayne

 

[natdscott]

I only pick up lake city 5.56 that appears new and shiny no machine guns around my range... The crimped primer let's me know it's once fired.... I don't pick up any other rifle brass because it can be a dangerous game... Pistol brass I pickup as long as it has the right color primer in it or if I see the shooter take it out of a box and fire it....

Honestly I just buy a box ( 9mm ) and reload it over and over till it starts shooting weird... Except for stuff like 10mm which I buy starline because I load it pretty hot compared to the crap you buy at academy... That academy brass or extremally nice range pick ups get loaded down to plinking/practice rounds which I shoot till they get to shooting weird , split or won't hold a primer correctly... Large rifle i buy new brass....

Aw hell, just tape the primers in.

Joking: Load pistol brass until the mouth splits, then load once more before throwing them away.

 

[TaperPin]

Picking up brass, you’re trusting the previous owner didn’t anneal the pants off it clear down to the base. I still have memories of all the stupid stuff we did back in high school just to see what would happen.

 

[DShortt]

Aw hell, just tape the primers in.

Joking: Load pistol brass until the mouth splits, then load once more before throwing them away.

That's once too often for me but to each their own.

 

[DShortt]

Picking up brass, you’re trusting the previous owner didn’t anneal the pants off it clear down to the base. I still have memories of all the stupid stuff we did back in high school just to see what would happen.

That base didn't flow as if it had been annealed. It split 3 ways with sharp edges.

Again, it's as if someone intentionally set up a high pressure case with no head support. No idea why someone would do that. I do not know the OP and I'm not making allegations but something is just flat out wrong here.

 

[TaperPin]

That base didn't flow as if it had been annealed. It split 3 ways with sharp edges.

Again, it's as if someone intentionally set up a high pressure case with no head support. No idea why someone would do that. I do not know the OP and I'm not making allegations but something is just flat out wrong here.

No it doesn’t look like a soft case, but if one of my friends in high school bet me lunch that I couldn’t fully anneal a case and shoot it, I would have done it with a reduced load and not thought twice - free lunch is free lunch.

 

[DShortt]

I see your point.

In this particular instance I still can't fathom how that happened.

Hopefully at some point an explanation will be forthcoming.

If I were so inclined I think I could replicate it with an improperly supported case head. But to what end?

 

[Kevin1990]

Hate to see someone with a new firearm have issues. I also hate being that guy with the issues. That being said, I’ll cast another vote to never use range brass.

I’ve seen a couple of my friends with lee turret presses just pump out ammo to shoot at the range. I cringe watching them “weigh out” a powder charge.

Hope everything gets sorted out though. Good luck man.

 

[Rsadams]

Aw hell, just tape the primers in.

Joking: Load pistol brass until the mouth splits, then load once more before throwing them away.

Guy I shoot skeet with will sometimes put a little tape on his 410 shells to keep the shot in to get that one last release in...lol... He definitely gets his money out of his hulls... Makes me feel bad about some of the ones I throw away....

 

[Larry Koch]

OK everyone. Looking for some feedback on this one. I've never seen a case do this. Here is the run down on what happened.

Rifle is a new Remington 700 action with Preferred Barrel's 20" heavy barrel chambered in 375 Raptor. Headspace was set using Go/No Go gauges.

All brass used was once fired Lake City that was collected on a civilian shooting range and fired from an AR-10 or bolt action 308, no machine gun brass. Brass was sized and fire formed for 375 Raptor. This is the 3rd firing for the brass.

The load data for the round is proven and was loaded at the same time as all other rounds fired during the firing session. This was the 8th round to be fired through the rifle. Rounds 1 thru 7 were inspected for any pressure signs and none were present. The brass split perfectly into 3 segments at the base and the splits only extended to the top of the webbing. The bolt opened easily after firing. The primer was not punctured by the firing pin.

I have 2 AR-10s and the Rem 700 in 375 Raptor. I've fired hundreds of rounds through the AR-10s, all using LC brass and have multiple reloads on brass. This is the 1st catastrophic failure I've ever had with this chambering.

So...is this just a bad brass?
Do I need to check if the angle cut on the chamber face is too deep and leaving too much of the base unsupported?

I'm trying to decide if I need to scrap all the Lake City brass and go to new commercial brass.

Thanks for the input.

I'm thinking a little super glue and one more reload. What? bras is expensive! Just saying.