I will never buy reloads again

[Certaindeaf]

Good point about over crimping.

Indeed.. there are multitudinous (lol) reasons why cartridge dimensions might be out of spec.. it either is or isn't though.
one could get out their measuring stick and find out. individual firearm chambers vary also though..

 

[mcfoto]

I'm experiencing a light strike a box in some .38 sp reman I just bought from Freedom Munitions. I've used their 9 mm for a couple years now with zero issues. Guess it's back to factory ammo for the revolver.

 

[mjbskwim]

Sorry,every time I see the title I think of this vid

 

[Koda]

Sorry,every time I see the title I think of this vid

never say never....

 

[SynapticSilence]

I wouldn't shoot anything but my own reloads in my P938 or any other gun that costs $600 or up. One bad round is all it takes to turn your nice shooter into an expensive lesson, the price of which could easily have bought you a Dillon 550B for your own fun and enjoyment.

 

[gryghin]

After years of no ammunition issues, I picked up some .300 AAC Blackout at the gun show this weekend. I had a new upper come in and figured I'd get the ammo at the show since the kids wanted to look at pistols. I asked the vendor if the .300 was reload, he looked at the box and it said "New" so he told me "Nope, the box says new so they must be new casings"

Today I was a #4 Lane in North Fork Wolf Creek sighting the rifle in. It was having a misfire issue, it actually locked up the BCG in the barrel. I had a couple boxes of new Remington so we switched ammo and didn't have a problem.

I really don't want to reload, as I know how obsessive I become with my hobbies.

I'm joining that group that is not going to use reloads.

 

[clearconscience]

I wouldn't hesitate buying reloads, but I would only use them for practicing.
If you have a FTF, well that's just good practice too.

I bought 250rds of 9mm from WRCC and out of the 250 I had about 4 that failed to fire.
I'm good with that for practice rounds.

 

[Koda]

just when I thought I had extinguished my supply, I found a box of 45 reloads. So I threw it in my range bag... a closer look and I find this.

 

[drstrangelove]

That's just inexcusable. Cannot imagine that would have went ok.

 

[Mikej]

just when I thought I had extinguished my supply, I found a box of 45 reloads. So I threw it in my range bag... a closer look and I find this.

View attachment 397723

See, that's the thing about the way I do MY OWN loading.....I get a chance to look and feel...When I resize, before and after. When I prime. When I charge. When I seat/crimp. When I put the fresh round in the little plastic ammo box. And finally when I put in a mag/cylinder before firing. I can ad one more time feeling/seeing when I pick up my empties at the range. I've had a couple of split cases and those showed themselves in the decap/resize process due to the feel.

 

[Koda]

yeah, when you roll your own you get to check each one over again. Commercial reloaders cant.. the difference between reloading and handloading. Considering the casing is the only re-used component that has a lifespan, the risk of commercial reloads failing rises exponentially if you regularly use them. Whats funny is, they charge close to the same price as new. There is no way they can compete with new prices if they have to check each case too.

 

[KKG]

Just another example of somebody who purchased a "Insert Name Here ___________" Brand Progressive press and is trying to make it pay for itself. I've run a Reloading Machine for one of the "Agencies" that I worked for - not a simple progressive press. And I've seen the results of a machine that is turning out 2,500-3,000 rounds an hour be good enough to win National PPC Matches. I've also seen one of those same machines turning out first Quality ammunition at the CCI plant. I just won't buy Reloaded Ammo.

 

[CLT65]

just when I thought I had extinguished my supply, I found a box of 45 reloads. So I threw it in my range bag... a closer look and I find this.

View attachment 397723

Yeah I would not be happy about that either. I understand that a high volume commercial reloader can't carefully inspect each case, but as a business you really can't let bad product like that get out the door.

On the practical side though, accidentally firing that round most likely would not have caused any damage. You'd probably have never known it unless you picked up the ugly split empty. I'm not saying shoot it, by any means (I would not!), just that cracks like that are not typically as dangerous as you would think.

I've learned to find cracked brass before I load it by sound. I'll pick up a big handful of brass and rattle it around a bit. If there's a cracked piece in there I'll hear it. It just sounds different and I'll look through the handful until I find it. Those of you that have heard the "cracked brass" sound know exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[Koda]

On the practical side though, accidentally firing that round most likely would not have caused any damage.

wouldn't a cracked case cause a squib?

 

[drstrangelove]

wouldn't a cracked case cause a squib?

Possibly, depends on how tight a seal formed and how much back-gassing occurs. There's always a chance the tear rips backwards and blows out the case head, in which case there may be catastrophic gun/personnel damage.

 

[KKG]

wouldn't a cracked case cause a squib?

Not necessarily, it would depend on a number of things. Such as how tight the chamber was. As long as a good seal is present the cartridge would just go bang. Things like how "hot" the load was will also be a factor. But to say that "EVERY" slightly or badly split case will be a Squib is simply Wrong. I've Fired many .38 Special cases that were split to one degree or another without a problem.

 

[CLT65]

No, not necessarily, as long as the powder didn't leak out. The case head is the most important part, and any cracks in the case head are very bad. A crack like in your photo is typically from worn out brass. The case would likely seal still on the lower part near the head and fire fine. I've actually fired rounds like that in my younger days when I was more likely to try dumb stuff just to see how it works.

A crack from defective brass that effects the case head at all is much worse. I've had those too. Nowadays brass with any crack at all goes directly into the scrap bucket. I'm not terribly scared of it, but it's not worth the risk or trouble.

EDIT: KKG beat me to it, and explained it very well.

 

[Koda]

ok, good to know. Small risk, but still...

FWIW I pulled the bullet and held the case up to a light and can see a speck of light thru the crack.

Anyways, just one more example to not buy commercial reloads.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The main problem with that round would be that the neck tension is likely such that the bullet will get jammed into the case upon feeding. The pressure would be about 2-4x above normal.

 

[KKG]

Anyways, just one more example to not buy commercial reloads.

I'm not sure I would call them "commercial" unless they came in a properly labeled container. I do the WAC Gunshows in Puyallup and over the years I have seen many of what I call "White Box" reloads. Maybe there are caliber markings and nothing else. If the maker Doesn't trust his/her reloads enough to put a name etc. on the box then I don't consider them "commercial".