Season cracking

Bon Sauvage · Feb 12, 2016

A week ago I received a quanity of older, Remington brand, brass cased ammunition. I examined it today and immediately found several rounds with what I believe to be season cracking (SCC) on the shoulder. I mean 3 out of the first 5 rounds I looked at had the cracks.

Other rounds in different boxes were also cracked on the shoulder. I don't trust any of these rounds now and will pull the bullets on all of them and dump the powder into my rose bushes.

I am no metallurgist but with several unfired, unreloaded, rounds affected in different boxes with different batch numbers I am sticking with my season cracking hypothisis. Perhaps this will serve as a good reminder to others to examine your older brass cased ammunition, particularly if you store your ammunition in the same room where you clean your firearms, prior to firing it.

Joe13 · Feb 12, 2016

Like the temp swings are causing issues or what - I'm lost.

U8395279 · Feb 12, 2016

Joe13 said:
Like the temp swings are causing issues or what - I'm lost.

SCC stands for STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. It can happen anywhere that ammonia is present in a high humidity environment. This means it can happen with cat urine, dog urine etc., as well as common household cleaning chemicals that contain ammonia, such as Windex and Lysol , and some gun cleaning supplies that use ammonia.

So, if your ammunition is stored next to a cat litter-box, or near household or gun cleaning fluids that contain ammonia, this could cause the cases to form cracks if the room develops high humidity.

Never store your gun cleaning supplies next to your ammunition. They should be in a different room.

.

forefathersrback · Feb 12, 2016

Lance Jacobs said:
SCC stands for STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. It can happen anywhere that ammonia is present in a high humidity environment. This means it can happen with cat urine, dog urine etc., as well as common household cleaning chemicals that contain ammonia, such as Windex and Lysol , and some gun cleaning supplies that use ammonia.

So, if your ammunition is stored next to a cat litter-box, or near household or gun cleaning fluids that contain ammonia, this could cause the cases to form cracks if the room develops high humidity.

Never store your gun cleaning supplies next to your ammunition. They should be in a different room.

.

Thanks, did not know that.

Bon Sauvage · Feb 13, 2016

Thanks Lance.

Stomper · Feb 13, 2016

Damned cats gotta ruin EVERYTHING!!

Crohnos01 · Feb 13, 2016

Easy fix.... shoot the cat

Joe13 · Feb 14, 2016

There isn't ever enough room an any safe I own to put cleaning supplies - that what the garage is for, or the refrigerator gun supply cabinet

Andy54Hawken · Feb 14, 2016

I recently purchased two new boxes of Remington .30-06 , 165 grain "Core-lokt" , which came with already cracked or dented brass.
I could not exchange the ammo , so I had a re-loader friend pull the bullets , and re-use them for some loads for me.
It seems to me that quality control is a sometimes "Hit or Miss" thing with Remington lately ... Hope it gets better.
Andy

Joe13 · Feb 14, 2016

AndyinEverson said:
I recently purchased two boxes of new Remington .30-06 , 165 grain "Core-lokt" , which came with already cracked or dented brass.
I could not exchange the ammo , so I had a re-loader friend pull the bullets , and re-use them for some loads for me.
It seems to me that quality control is a sometimes "Hit or Miss" thing with Remington lately ... Hope it gets better.
Andy

I would contact Remington - bet you get a few free boxes. I've always had good luck with the stuff I've bought.

Andy54Hawken · Feb 14, 2016

Might give that a try Joe .
Could be hard to prove , since the bullets have been pulled from the brass , and who can now say what marks , dents or cracks came from where.
But it dosen't hurt to try.
Andy

P7M13 · Feb 14, 2016

ogre said:
A week ago I received a quanity of older, Remington brand, brass cased ammunition. I examined it today and immediately found several rounds with what I believe to be season cracking (SCC) on the shoulder. I mean 3 out of the first 5 rounds I looked at had the cracks.

Other rounds in different boxes were also cracked on the shoulder. I don't trust any of these rounds now and will pull the bullets on all of them and dump the powder into my rose bushes.

I am no metallurgist but with several unfired, unreloaded, rounds affected in different boxes with different batch numbers I am sticking with my season cracking hypothisis. Perhaps this will serve as a good reminder to others to examine your older brass cased ammunition, particularly if you store your ammunition in the same room where you clean your firearms, prior to firing it.

Can you pleae post pics of the cracks? I've only seen it on a coronet and trombone.