High Pressure

dcso3009

This was from a factory loaded round. This is a good example of a bad suituation. These were also posted in the "ask the experts" forum.

Talk about a flattened primer!!!
http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&albumID=283721471&photoID=283724841&security=CqvXTM

It even split the case!!!
http://community.webshots.com/scripts/editPhotos.fcgi?action=showMyPhoto&albumID=283721471&photoID=283724930&security=ztZmFv
I hope no one else has this problem...

shoff14

bad link

dcso3009

See if these work... otherwise I give up...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dcso3009/detail?.dir=/204a&.dnm=d4b5.jpg&.src=ph

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dcso3009/detail?.dir=/204a&.dnm=4990.jpg&.src=ph

bpost

I had holes appear in brass like that when shooting some 1917 vintage 30-06 back in the 80's. All of them split lenght wise, not around the circumfrence. My guess is that the old mercury based primers made the brass brittle over the years. No harm was done to me or the rifle. It just scared the crap out of me when I felt hot gas hitting me. When you reload and see primers like that you are on the edge for sure.

Tailgunner1954

The hole is from defective brass, not pressure. This is typical of inclusions and/or voids in the base material.
The flat primer could have multipal causes, but pressure is about #5 on the list of things I'd suspect (the #1 cause being a mismatch in headspace IE a rifle at Max length and the Brass at Min (or less) length to the shoulder). When the pin dropes, the case is shoved full forward in the chamber before the primer detonates. At this point the case mouth expands, releasing the bullet, and gripping the chamber wall. At the same time the primer is propelled back into the bolt face. Finaly, as pressure continues to build, the case is stretched back aganst the bolt face, reseating the primer (up until this time the primer is partialy unsupported, and exposed to normal (40,000psi+) chamber pressure).
Note the absence of piercing, cratering, bolt face/ejector marks (on either the primer or the case) and the crisp headstamp.

---

Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.

FrancF

Ouch!! [B)] I do a search to see if Federal had a rifle ammo recall but nothing there. Sorry, but you mite contact them ya never know if you got a bad lot.-


NRA Life Endowment Member

lcflcf

Does anyone know the age of that brass, It looks very old and "Fatigued" to me, I would not ever use brass that looks like that. I think Tallgunner has it right. Les

sandwarrior

Dcso3009,

I had some .257 Roberts (+p) do just exactly that, just a little further up the case. Fortunately, I live in the twin cities area and the drive to Anoka, where the ammo factory is, was a short one. Federal took the box of ammunition and found that somehow there was a chemical spilled on the brass sometime during it's storage before loading. That caused the brass to harden and crack. The pressure just found the weakness and flame cut itself out.
Federal was really good about it and gave me 2 for 1 of all the boxes I had. Which was really good for me as I don't like their premium load I just bought a few boxes (on sale) for the brass.
If you haven't already contacted Federal, do so, they'll make it right if you do. -Good luck

We have the second amendment so that all the rest are secure....UNK>

JustC

I'm going with headspace being too great. What type of rifle was this fired in? I have seen this in the semi-auto remingtons in the same caliber.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

dcso3009

This was fired in an A-Bolt, which a gunsmith measured as having short headspace. Also this was a factory loaded round. I do reload but this was not one of mine. As for the questionable appearance of the case I had misplaced it in a coat of mine. Between the gasses from the hole and the oil in the pocket it led to a poor appearance.
Thank you for all of your input.