9mm case blowout

[The Courier]

What's interesting is Speer book number 12 states primer visualization is very unreliable as they show a photo of a 44 magnum that was 20% above max SAAMI pressure and yet no cratering or flattening...

 

[DirectDrive]

Most of those primers don't look good. Maybe it is just the pic

Yeah, they look weird.
Like bug-eyed.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

What's interesting is Speer book number 12 states primer visualization is very unreliable as they show a photo of a 44 magnum that was 20% above max SAAMI pressure and yet no cratering or flattening...

interesting, this is why a chronograph is important. gives you an idea of where youre at.

i looked at my personal load data and the shortest ive ever loaded a 124gr flat point is 1.075" with 3.9gr trailboss for a velocity of 1040fps average.

i also found this link:

Is there something wrong with my Beretta 92? - Page 4 - Maryland Shooters

 

[WoodsPlinker]

I had a case blowout. The mag blew out the bottom and the side of the casing had a crack. The reverberation made my hand hurt for the afternoon but no damage to anything but my nerves and the casing.

After that I chucked out all my old brass and got new brass.

I also inspect the casings a little more carefully now.

 

[v0lcom13sn0w]

Beretta 92 Pierced Primers

 

[CLT65]

A couple times over the years I've found 9mm brass (range brass, not mine) that's been blown out at the web like that. One time I found several in the same pile on the ground. Whoever had shot them must have not even realized it!

I watch closely for that kind of thing with any range brass I pick up, and scrap any that look even slightly suspicious.

Thanks for the reminder about safety glasses. I tend to get complacent myself and need a good reminder now and then that all it takes is one freak incident to mess you up with a life-long injury.

 

[The Courier]

Maybe this is a stretch but I'm seeing a pattern here with Winchester...

 

[The Courier]

I had a case blowout. The mag blew out the bottom and the side of the casing had a crack. The reverberation made my hand hurt for the afternoon but no damage to anything but my nerves and the casing.

After that I chucked out all my old brass and got new brass.

I also inspect the casings a little more carefully now.

When you start having blowouts like this you know you've reached a mythical 10mm load...

 

[The Courier]

Beretta 92 Pierced Primers

Very interesting, so the cratering could be partly due to the chamfering around the firing pin hole.
I guess looking at primers is out the window with this gun.
Oh well it still is the straightest shooting 9mm I've pulled the trigger on.

 

[DizzyJ]

The Beretta is an outstanding gun IMO. I've got about 7,000+ through mine and the only two failures to function were ammo related. Accurate as heck and just can't make the damned thing jam.

Those primers do not look good though. I'd be checking speeds there. Something is amiss.

 

[SUPER X]

View attachment 542516 View attachment 542517 View attachment 542518
After reloading thousands of 9mm it finally happened case blowout.
10 rounds loaded and on round 6 all I saw was a blast of white smoke and a quick sense of heat on my finger, but to make matters worse as I saw the smoke my vision blurred and it hit me... my safety glasses were on my hat instead of shielding my eyes.
After hobbling to the cars side mirrors to check for damage to my face which luckily there was none (with vision fading I feared the worst) I went back to the pistol that I set on the ground facing the burm.
The gun a beretta 92fs went through the case failure with no apparent damage I pulled the gun apart and no cracks, extractor intact, no barrel bulge and it even kicked the case out and fed a fresh round like nothing happened.
Interesting enough this wasn't from some hot rod Blue Dot load but instead a mild charge of Bullseye. Working up a load for 124gr jhp carefully scaled with the start load at 4.1grs and the ceiling being 4.3grs.
The blowout occurred with 4.2grs with a jhp seated at 1.060 which I have seated that exact same bullet at that depth with HS6 with zero problems.
Everyone had packed up and left the range so had I been blinded by this event I would have had to try and find my way to the nearest road in thick fog after unlocking a gate.
I had been wearing my glasses this entire session but for some reason when I went back to the bench and loaded the magazine I took my glasses off and set them on top of my hat.
The twenty foot walk to the car was like an eternity not knowing if I'm in shock and have suffered head trauma or if there's a laceration that I can't see. I dont know how I got so lucky that aside from a burn from venting gasses on my finger was the only damage today and even the guns plastic grips didn't crack and the magazine didn't eject.
Ladies and gentlemen I joked on the forum regarding safety glasses but this little incident has 100% changed my views on protective gear as eyes and many other body parts are irreplaceable and that walk to the car is not something I ever want to do again.
Be safe, have fun shooting, and dont get complacent like me...

I've had that happen . with a brand name reload. It was also a Win . 9mm case. It blew a big hole out the side . it peppered my face and eyes . went up under the glasses . but the gun was fine and I cleaned up..I dont buy remain ammo anymore .

 

[Camelfilter]

Curious if mayhaps your crimp might be a bit too much. May cause severe overpreasure. Just an idea tossing it out there.

 

[techiej]

I use a lot of Bullseye, especially in 9 and at low volumes (3.8).

Case volume is really low and while it meters great, it is very easy to get a double charge if you're not careful.

Never had a case rupture like that but have seen some range pickups with that same blow out.

Glad to hear that you were OK.

 

[DirectDrive]

So with standard pressure loads, do the primers buldge out like that ?

One sign that it is truly a low pressure load is the case sidewalls will be blackened more than standard pressure.

 

[The Courier]

It's hard to see with the exposure but even federal 115gr which is some of the softest 9mm I've shot has slight crater.
I am going to try some Winchester Nato spec next weekend and see how everything looks, should establish a good baseline as its advertised as 124gr at 1200fps and from Winchesters website the NATO's spec is 10-15% above standard pressure.

 

[Wayne]

So with standard pressure loads, do the primers buldge out like that ?

One sign that it is truly a low pressure load is the case sidewalls will be blackened more than standard pressure.

Yep, at least every 92 FS I have seen does. I don't know why Beretta chamfers the firing pin hole but this is the result.

 

[DizzyJ]

Yep, at least every 92 FS I have seen does. I don't know why Beretta chamfers the firing pin hole but this is the result.

Now you're gonna make me take my beretta out, dust it off, and go to the range just so I can inspect the brass!

 

[DuneHopper]

OP, I have ringing in my ears from an explosion weakened from not wearing Ear Protection.
I have always worn eye protection ever since I had a wire wheel stick me in the eye lid.
Had I taken the same precautions with me ears as I did eyes I would now not hear ringing 24/7.
We only have one set of most things, we do not grow news ones. That explosion burned past the
nerves on my right arms. You have some stuff happen and it wakes you up., I am glad you got to learn with out any long term effects.
Nice thing about stuff that does happen is it raises that pain threshold.
Now days pain eh what ever. Have your skin peeled off lol nothing else compares.
Life learned lessons we all have,

 

[The Courier]

Curious if mayhaps your crimp might be a bit too much. May cause severe overpreasure. Just an idea tossing it out there.

I use the Lee factory crimp die on half turn so the crimp is just barely visible and the bullets wont move going up the feed ramp.

 

[The Courier]

OP, I have ringing in my ears from an explosion weakened from not wearing Ear Protection.
I have always worn eye protection ever since I had a wire wheel stick me in the eye lid.
Had I taken the same precautions with me ears as I did eyes I would now not hear ringing 24/7.
We only have one set of most things, we do not grow news ones. That explosion burned past the
nerves on my right arms. You have some stuff happen and it wakes you up., I am glad you got to learn with out any long term effects.
Nice thing about stuff that does happen is it raises that pain threshold.
Now days pain eh what ever. Have your skin peeled off lol nothing else compares.
Life learned lessons we all have,

Playing around with hand grenades?