horsefor4
Well-Known Member
I had a very similar thing happen with Hornaday factory ammo and they were great about fixing the rifle and providing new ammo.
Case exploded today !!
- Thread starter shooter65
- Start date
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bowhunthard88
Well-Known Member
Ouch!! Lucky you didn't get hurt. Guess I'll start wearing glasses! Anyway, it looks like you have a fairly developed start of high pressure with good headspace, or the case probably would have ruptured around the head, not along. The primers look cratered, but not horrible. I'd try shooting Winchester stuff as their brass is thinner, and see what the primer looks like, otherwise try shooting a slightly lighter bullet or one with less bearing surface. Maybe you can reduce the pressure and still shoot factory, although if you handload your accuracy will increase.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Pressures in the first fifty look fine to me.....number 51 looks a little hot.
I would have the firing pin bushed regardless. I noticed when you first posted the bolt pics that the pin hole had what looked like a taper around the hole. I have several 223 bolt face remingtons that do the same thing. primers flow back into that little taper even with light loads.
I would have the firing pin bushed regardless. I noticed when you first posted the bolt pics that the pin hole had what looked like a taper around the hole. I have several 223 bolt face remingtons that do the same thing. primers flow back into that little taper even with light loads.
I have also had cratering like that even with light loads in a couple of remingtons, apparently due to an oversized firing pin hole.... sloppy remington QC at work
Response from Hornady...
I looked into this and it looks like a defective case. I thought it
looked like some high pressure as first but where the case failed, the
split went into the primer pocket which caused the primer pocket to get
larger. This caused the primer to come out. This is a defect in the case
when it was made. This is one reason to do not manufacture reman ammo
any longer because there is no way to guarantee the quality of the
brass. It is kind of like buying a used tire.
This is reman ammo and we normally can not replace this round for round
with 75gr match ammo. I usually offer the customer the opportunity to
choose ether from Item number 9760EL, round for round, which is a
lacquered case with a 75 gr. BTHP w/c. or equal dollar amount of a ammo
of there choice.
I tried to call you and explain this but there was no answer. If you
would like to talk about this feel free to call me and let me know what
you would like to do.
I looked into this and it looks like a defective case. I thought it
looked like some high pressure as first but where the case failed, the
split went into the primer pocket which caused the primer pocket to get
larger. This caused the primer to come out. This is a defect in the case
when it was made. This is one reason to do not manufacture reman ammo
any longer because there is no way to guarantee the quality of the
brass. It is kind of like buying a used tire.
This is reman ammo and we normally can not replace this round for round
with 75gr match ammo. I usually offer the customer the opportunity to
choose ether from Item number 9760EL, round for round, which is a
lacquered case with a 75 gr. BTHP w/c. or equal dollar amount of a ammo
of there choice.
I tried to call you and explain this but there was no answer. If you
would like to talk about this feel free to call me and let me know what
you would like to do.
I learned a lot out of this thread. I'm glad one of my rifle cases has a pocket for shooting glasses. I haven't forgotten to bring at least one pair to the range. I have to confess that there's one place I'm usually not wearing eye protection - hunting. I often wear some polycarbonate sunglasses but was shooting under cloudy skies at animals. I'm not saying their 100% safe because nothing is, but at least in those cases I was using my own handloads with new Lapua brass and a precisely measured, moderate amount of powder.
Same question I had. I guess Hornady will replace their defective cartridge but you're on your own for the cost of repairing your firearm.
specweldtom
Well-Known Member
Shooter, I'm still puzzled why the case, if defective, didn't fail on the 1st firing?
I also would like to know how you come out on the rifle repair.
Best regards, Tom
I also would like to know how you come out on the rifle repair.
Best regards, Tom
specweldtom
Well-Known Member
Shooter, I understand it failed the first time you fired it, but it was a reload, which means to me that someone else had fired it when it was new. My question was why it didn't fail on the first (original) firing if it was defective? And if it did fail on first firing, then their quality control system was not able to detect the defective case before it was reloaded, or catch and separate the defective round after it was loaded.
Tom
Tom
