This is why I don't trust reloads by other people, even commercial reloads

[The Heretic]

IIRC, one of my first posts to this forum was regarding this very problem; some MiWall reloads I had bought at a gun show had one round blow out the web in a Glock 19.

The very same thing just happened to me with the same box of ammo - this time with my SIG Mk25.

It slight singed my hand and blew debris into my face. Luckily I was not hurt seriously - just a bit of soreness on my trigger finger knuckle and some debris in my eye - I should have been wearing eye protection but I could not find it inside the house - I should have known better!

I had thought the previous was a once in a big number failure. Now not so much. What is the chance of this happening twice with the same 50 round box. I had set the box aside because I didn't want anyone else to be injured, but I didn't think it would happen again.

The report was louder than usual, but that might have been caused by the brass blowing out the side.

Either the ammo was loaded too hot and/or they used brass that had been reloaded one too many times (possibly hot before). This is why I don't use brass I do not know the history of and why commercial reloaders should not either. I suspect MiWall just picked up range brass. It is also possible, that since I bought this at a gun show and I do not recall if it was MiWall selling the ammo or just some private party, that it was someone else who reloaded it and put it into a MiWall box he had laying around. I did buy multiple boxes of this ammo though - all with MiWall markings - it says "RELOADS" on the end flap and MiWall still reloads 9mm ammo.

Either way, I am going to try to find my bullet puller, pull the bullets and destroy the cases. Maybe weight the powder charges too.

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[Local Loader]

I've used a number of brass from different sources and never had this happen, maybe lucky? Though I do check the cases multiple times so that helps with prevention. Just a guess but I'd say you're probably right about it being to hot of a load or possibly to high pressure depending of course on the powder used. I wouldn't destroy the cases but definitely replace the powder but if you're that concerned about the cases than by all mean safety first.

 

[Koda]

Either the ammo was loaded too hot and/or they used brass that had been reloaded one too many times (possibly hot before). This is why I don't use brass I do not know the history of and why commercial reloaders should not either.

Ive had this happen using commercial reloads and since then wont buy any reloads. Ive concluded there is just no way any operation can guarantee each piece of used brass is not at the end of its life.

 

[The Heretic]

I've used a number of brass from different sources and never had this happen, maybe lucky? Though I do check the cases multiple times so that helps with prevention. Just a guess but I'd say you're probably right about it being to hot of a load or possibly to high pressure depending of course on the powder used. I wouldn't destroy the cases but definitely replace the powder but if you're that concerned about the cases than by all mean safety first.

I won't reuse cases that I do not know the history of, they may look fine, but some guy who brought his super hot reloads that he had reloaded 50 times before, left the brass on the ground at the range because he missed a few picking them up, or the range has that silly rule that brass cannot be picked up or whatever.

I only reload brass that I know its history because I was the first one to shoot it when it was virgin brass.

Otherwise it is anyone's guess as to whether the brass is good or not. Even with proper reloading practices, brass has a finite life time and past that point it may fail.

Moreover, twice in one box of fifty? Something is wrong there. I am sure I still have the other failed brass, but not sure where it is - that was about ten years ago.

I was stupid - I should not have continued the use of that ammo, and I should have been wearing eye protection. I was lucky that I wasn't seriously injured.

 

[Local Loader]

Ive had this happen using commercial reloads and since then wont buy any reloads. Ive concluded there is just no way any operation can guarantee each piece of used brass is not at the end of its life.


View attachment 1163229

Damn that's some bad quality control.

 

[The Heretic]

Ive had this happen using commercial reloads and since then wont buy any reloads. Ive concluded there is just no way any operation can guarantee each piece of used brass is not at the end of its life.


View attachment 1163229

The only way is if they know for sure that it is once fired and they have a strict inspection process. I don't think that is practically feasible for a commercial mass reloader. For a person reloading their own brass, for their own use, that they know the history of and can take their time to inspect the brass, fine. I reload, but I inspect each individual brass casing before and after depriming and cleaning, then I inspect it again after creating the final round. If the case has a flaw in it, I destroy it by using a pair of pliers to crush it.

 

[The Heretic]

Damn that's some bad quality control.

I've seen commercial new ammo with flaws as serious as that - usually the case mouth got caught in machinery and it somehow made it past inspection - but it is rare.

The case I shot today had no visible flaw - I generally and casually inspect ammo as I am loading it into a mag.

 

[Local Loader]

I won't reuse cases that I do not know the history of, they may look fine, but some guy who brought his super hot reloads that he had reloaded 50 times before, left the brass on the ground at the range because he missed a few picking them up, or the range has that silly rule that brass cannot be picked up or whatever.

I only reload brass that I know its history because I was the first one to shoot it when it was virgin brass.

Otherwise it is anyone's guess as to whether the brass is good or not. Even with proper reloading practices, brass has a finite life time and past that point it may fail.

Moreover, twice in one box of fifty? Something is wrong there. I am sure I still have the other failed brass, but not sure where it is - that was about ten years ago.

I was stupid - I should not have continued the use of that ammo, and I should have been wearing eye protection. I was lucky that I wasn't seriously injured.

That's fair and I understand, myself I don't worry too much about it. I check every cases about 5 times before a primer even touches it. If I don't like the case I scrap it, probably got about 3lb of scrapped brass now.

 

[Koda]

For a person reloading their own brass, for their own use, that they know the history of and can take their time to inspect the brass, fine. I reload, but I inspect each individual brass casing before and after depriming and cleaning, then I inspect it again after creating the final round. If the case has a flaw in it, I destroy it by using a pair of pliers to crush it.

many individuals pick up free brass for their own personal use and crank out target ammo. I dont know how they do it without getting some failures now and then but I dont recall hearing about it anywhere.

 

[Local Loader]

I've seen commercial new ammo with flaws as serious as that - usually the case mouth got caught in machinery and it somehow made it past inspection - but it is rare.

The case I shot today had no visible flaw - I generally and casually inspect ammo as I am loading it into a mag.

True and could of just been some bad luck but yeah I'd still run on the side of caution and pull them.

 

[The Heretic]

That's fair and I understand, myself I don't worry too much about it. I check every cases about 5 times before a primer even touches it. If I don't like the case I scrap it, probably got about 3lb of scrapped brass now.

I used to collect brass at shooting pits and ranges - I don't anymore. Not after the first failure. I never had my own reloads fail like that (only split case mouths).

About the only place I think it would be safe would be a military range where the bulk of ammo shot is new milspec ammo and not reloaded. At a gun club, or public range, you just don't know what the history of the brass is.

 

[Local Loader]

many individuals pick up free brass for their own personal use and crank out target ammo. I dont know how they do it without getting some failures now and then but I dont recall hearing about it anywhere.

I use a sonic cleaner for my pickup brass and it's pretty good at exposing a case if it's bad. Of course I'm bit anal about checking them so that helps too.

 

[CLT65]

My experience is that a case will only fail like that for one of two reasons. 1. Manufacturing defect, in which case it wouldn't matter if it was virgin brass, or the history. 2. Overload. This is most likely; some rounds in that batch received an overload of powder for some reason or another. I had an experience with Miwall ammo way back in the early 1990s, and have been leery of them ever since. I'm pretty confident that you had an overload problem, not a brass problem. It would be interesting to pull apart the rest of that box and weigh each charge.

I've used lots of range brass. I have absolutely no problem with it, but I also inspect it closely. With normal wear and tear from numerous loadings, you'll eventually get split cases or loose primer pockets. They don't just blow out like that from normal usage. You can typically tell if a case has been loaded repeatedly by wear and dings on the headstamp. When I sort range brass, I look at literally each and every headstamp, and scrap anything that looks questionable.

I have a friend who reloaded a long time ago. He told me adamantly that he only ever used brass that he had fired himself or bought new. I thought he was about half nuts, but over the years I've heard of a few other that feel the same. To each their own. Personally I've used many thousands of pieces of range brass over the last 35 years, and never had a problem. I'm also very particular when reloading.

 

[VanceInWA]

I'm with you Heretic. I would never, not once, not half of once, use any reload that wasn't my own. Not only no, but hell no. And that's not saying I'm perfect, not by a long shot, but trusting my gun, my hand, and my life to an unknown just ain't gonna happen.

 

[ma96782]

Aloha, Mark

 

[fstdraw]

Speaking of MiWall, I've used their reloads before with no problems. However, a year ago I could not find .380 Auto round nose for my STAR Super SM nickeled pistol. These are a breach lock .380 that is a 4/5th's sized .45 Colt Auto. It needs all the help I can give it for reliable feeding! I ordered a couple hundred rounds and shot a bunch. All fired but were very inconsistent in report and accuracy. I stick to new ammo for this gun now.

 

[The Heretic]

I'm pretty confident that you had an overload problem, not a brass problem.

I am leaning towards that too.

Twice in one box? Most likely an overload - maybe a double charge.

 

[WillametteWill]

Have 100% respect for those who choose to reload only their own or new purchased brass. Definitely safer. I do this for everything other than 9mm, 45, 38, and 223...generally higher volume rounds. I never load any of these very hot at all. Many of the fellow reloaders from the clubs I shoot at scrounge these empty casings and load them the same way. I'm with @CLT65 on the overloaded thought, especially with two in a box.

 

[CLT65]

I will shoot reloads from a couple friends I trust, because I know they're as careful as I am. I'll shoot commercial reloads from a licensed, insured manufacturer. Not that being licensed and insured means there will never be problems, but at least they'll stand behind it one way or another. I won't ever shoot no-name reloads sold in random baggies at gun shows.

I generally only shoot my own reloads, but there is one licensed and insured manufacturer on this forum that I'd have no problems shooting ammo he loaded. I know him well enough to know that he won't sell anything that's not a top quality product.

 

[Alexx1401]

I had a case blow out on a commercial re load that Midway used to sell. I had a Star .40 and had not yet bothered to buy some .40 dies. So was buying some from them. Stuff was working great till one blew one day. That was the end of buying that stuff. What I had left got tossed as I figured I got lucky nothing bad happened that first time. Did not want to press my luck.