Lapua brass failure

[Gunracer]

A little follow-up. The rifle shot fine afterward but I could not get the bolt out. It took a while but I found the problem. The bolt body had cracked. I had to grind it down with it in the action. The pin that holds the floating bolt heads was bent also. I put in spares and it works fine.

 

[Benchrest Braxton]

A little follow-up. The rifle shot fine afterward but I could not get the bolt out. It took a while but I found the problem. The bolt body had cracked. I had to grind it down with it in the action. The pin that holds the floating bolt heads was bent also. I put in spares and it works fine.

what action is that

 

[LVLAaron]

A little follow-up. The rifle shot fine afterward but I could not get the bolt out. It took a while but I found the problem. The bolt body had cracked. I had to grind it down with it in the action. The pin that holds the floating bolt heads was bent also. I put in spares and it works fine.

Post a bunch of pictures please.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Kid’s, take notes!

 

[chop house]

Probably just worn out brass but it has a significant ejector mark too, I'd double check everything and maybe back off a bit, especially if a different lot of anything. Looks a lot like pressure.

was just pondering: it may be difficult to figure cause and effect. once the cartridge case head began to fail, it could have drastically increased the 'thrust' of the head onto the bolt, thus imprinting the ejector hole and causing the damage to the bolt head... (maybe?)

 

[Lefty Trigger]

For that pin to be bent the load is on the pin not the lugs of the bolt head! This is a serious safety issue and explains a lot with the brass picture. Best have that action and barrel looked at closely for proper fit up.

 

[cocopuff]

My first batch of 223 brass from Lapua was junk. Back when I was shooting F class. This was new brass. My first shot sounded funny. The case split. Same with the next 5 rounds. Never used that stuff again. Ruined my match. I sent it back. Never heard a thing from them. Bastards..

 

[alintx]

Controlled round feed action? Big area unsupported on them. Gotta have a place for that "claw". That's why I won't shoot em. Saw a pre 64 Winchester Swift, shooting factory bullets, that had exploded on a guy. Case looked just like that. Scared me!

 

[Thud]

My first batch of 223 brass from Lapua was junk. Back when I was shooting F class. This was new brass. My first shot sounded funny. The case split. Same with the next 5 rounds. Never used that stuff again. Ruined my match. I sent it back. Never heard a thing from them. Bastards..

My first batch of 223 brass from Lapua was junk. Back when I was shooting F class. This was new brass. My first shot sounded funny. The case split. Same with the next 5 rounds. Never used that stuff again. Ruined my match. I sent it back. Never heard a thing from them. Bastards..

Show proof I don’t believe it. Lapua is the standard all others go by.

 

[cocopuff]

Show proof I don’t believe it. Lapua is the standard all others go by.

Lots of guys at the match seen it. I don't give a rats ass if you don't believe it .

 

[expiper]

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.

what kind/type/brand of action is your rifle and please tell us your load data,,,,Roger

 

[coldboreshot]

Something tells me, more to this story evolving than just 30+ firings.

 

[coldboreshot]

Something tells me, more to this story evolving than just 30+ firings.

Just this one case? Getting the sense of overcharged round.

 

[CamTheBam]

How did the two brass 'wings' manage to expand like that inside the chamber?

 

[Thud]

Magic prying screwdriver

 

[cocopuff]

what kind/type/brand of action is your rifle and please tell us your load data,,,,Roger

Savage action 110. Match barrel. Had 4 split. Can't remember the load. 69 grain Sierra bullets. What turned be off,was I sent the brass back to them. Never heard back from them. Plus the lot number . Only brass that ever bothered..

 

[Gunracer]

what kind/type/brand of action is your rifle and please tell us your load data,,,,Roger

Savage Model 10 BA, 6 BRX, 31.8g Varget, CCI BR4, Hornady 108 ELDM, .050 off the lands.

 

[Gunracer]

How did the two brass 'wings' manage to expand like that inside the chamber?

My question exactly.

 

[Gunracer]

Just this one case? Getting the sense of overcharged round.

Have you ever seen an over pressure round do this? I can’t figure it out.

 

[Webster]

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.

On the attached image of the case head it looks like an ejector hole mark at 3:00? Remember the back about .200" of the case is never in the chamber so the extractor can grab it. Cannot imagine why it occured once without signs of damage to other cases. I would examine other cases to see if there are signs of failure. In any case I would toss all of the cases for safety reasons. Your lucky you were not injured. Are you shooting hot loads? I doubt the case was defective in some way? It was fired and reloaded an excessive number of times. It would be informitive if you had measured case head diameter on new cases and checked the diameter after maybe ever 5 or 10 firings. It failed where the case never enters the chamber for support.