JoseyWalesX Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I am new to reloading and recently bought a 550 to start loading 9mm for USPSA which I also just got started in. I am loading 147gr. Precision bullets and 3.1gr. of N320. I loaded and shot 1k rounds with once fired brass that I had saved without a hiccup through my M&P Pro. I recently bought 4k mixed headstamp brass from a local person. I loaded up 400 rounds with this brass and have had 5 case failures. They have all blown out around the shoulder where the extractor grabs the case, and one round had the head blown completely off. Three of the brass were Winchester, one was AMI, and one I couldn't tell. Is there a problem with the brass I bought? I could tell that it had been stored outside under a porch or something, it had alot of debris in the boxes, acorns, twigs, etc. I cleaned and tumbled it well before using. Any thoughts on what is causing this, I hate to throw it all away if there is a way to tell which brass is bad. thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Hard to tell. I know some will tell you it was probably 9MAJOR brass and you should not reload it. I doubt that is the case. I'm shooting 9mm brass that has been loaded to 9MAJOR several times. I have also loaded brass that had been outside for awhile as well with no problems. Could it be something to do with your loads? Check to see if your bullet will push into the case any after reloaded. You can just push them against the front of the bench or go somewhere safe and cycle them through the gun by racking the slide then measure them to see if they are shrinking.You may be getting some setback which is causing pressure to spike. It could be something simple like a loose die. An undersized batch of bullets, etc. Also check every piece of brass to make sure there are no leftover debris inside before loading. This will raise pressure dramatically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 What is your OAL? Have you checked your crimp for possible set back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gng4life Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 Also, have you chrono'ed any of your loads? This definitely sounds like a good load but the chrono can tell you more of the story... Like Coco and Top said, might be more of an issue with setback... Are you having a hard time resizing the brass or are the primer pockets feel loose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bansheex Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 I had that happen this weekend. I'm loading 6.5grs of AutoComp for my 9mm open gun. I have reloaded this brass maybe 4 to 5 times, and never had this happen before. I'm just going to get some more, and recycle this batch. I have not changed anything on the press, so the crimp should be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoseyWalesX Posted October 24, 2011 Author Share Posted October 24, 2011 I am shooting 892avg. through the chrony and my OAL is 1.11. I haven't noticed any problems resizing the brass nor any problems with the primers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoseyWalesX Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Could it be something to do with your loads? Check to see if your bullet will push into the case any after reloaded. You can just push them against the front of the bench or go somewhere safe and cycle them through the gun by racking the slide then measure them to see if they are shrinking.You may be getting some setback which is causing pressure to spike. It could be something simple like a loose die. An undersized batch of bullets, etc. Also check every piece of brass to make sure there are no leftover debris inside before loading. This will raise pressure dramatically. I tried pushing the bullets in but they wouldn't move, I also cycled through 20 or so with no change in OAL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoseyWalesX Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Any other thoughts or advice on what I can try? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I had that happen this weekend. I'm loading 6.5grs of AutoComp for my 9mm open gun. I have reloaded this brass maybe 4 to 5 times, and never had this happen before. I'm just going to get some more, and recycle this batch. I have not changed anything on the press, so the crimp should be good. I just shoot 9 major once to avoid that kind of problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anachronism Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Got pics? I'm having difficulty picturing the failure. Pics would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98006 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 only thing I could think of is it might be ammo shot through a subgun. Check the case length and compare it to something not from the lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 My bet is that it is shot out 9major brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebg3 Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Sounds like the brass is weak from high pressure loads. Is there much fouling in your barrel? If so, that could raise your pressure and cause problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoseyWalesX Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Is there a way to check brass for weak spots? I will get some pics posted this weekend, I am out of town right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcs Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Hard to tell. I know some will tell you it was probably 9MAJOR brass and you should not reload it. I doubt that is the case. I'm shooting 9mm brass that has been loaded to 9MAJOR several times. . I know of several 9 Major shooters who shoot 115 loads. There is no way I would reload 9 brass that has been subjected to that kind of pressure. Some 9 major loads with 121/124s are not as bad and as Kevin does, can be reloaded safely. The only 9 brass I reloaded for 9 major was once fired from an indoor range. Never had a case failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noylj Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Have you tried a COL of 1.125" or longer? Your load should be reasonable and light (the only N320 load I have for 9x19 and 147gn lead is 3.9gn. Did you check the powder and make sure it isn't N310? If you roll the cases along the table top, did they bounce up and down? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I pay 2 1/2 cents for once fired 9 mm brass, and I pay 3 cents for primers, so it just isn't worth it to try to run them till they blow. 3 cents for powder and 8 cents for bullets, maybe I should be raking up the bearm looking for lead. Now 38Super Comp I load it 20 or more times before it splits so at 14 cents each they are a bargin, lot cheaper than 9 mm, but honesly I don't miss picking up brass. I recommend 38S to new Open shooters just because it is some much easier to be successful, the guns run, the brass last and lasts lots of powders. For a while I picked up my 9 mm major brass then when I got over 50 lbs I sold it to the salvage yard $2.00 a pound, which comes to about 2 cents each and it cut my brass cost down to 1/2 cent per shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Hello: I have some 9mm Open brass that is on it's 6th reload. The primers are still tight and no blown cases. I am using a Case Pro now to resize them. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Too_Slow Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I would ask what type or model of fire arm are you using. I have a friend that had this happen in 40 and it turned out the gun was firing out of battery. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hi-Power Jack Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I've been shooting a TruBor 9mm major for four years, and never had a problem like that even though I've been using Russian primers, WAC and range brass. Until a few months ago... Then I had three (3) case failures in a few weeks, doing everything the same, with one of my two TruBors - not with the other. Still trying to diagnose that problem:(( I don't think you should be having the problem you had with 9mm minor, though - not even possible?? Good luck, Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DWFAN Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Can you post some pics? Blown case Case shot out of your gun that didnt blow Picture of a loaded round in your barrel removed from the gun(couple different angles) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CocoBolo Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Hello: I have some 9mm Open brass that is on it's 6th reload. The primers are still tight and no blown cases. I am using a Case Pro now to resize them. Thanks, Eric Hello Eric I use the casepro on the once fired brass, and I can tell you for a fact that the CasePro does very little for the primer pocket. I tested this with go no go gauges and its a myth, but it does a great job on the rim and the case. Just keep going you will find the limit problem is each brand of brass may have a different limit. If you weigh a few different brands of brass you will find it varies a lot, and you might also notice that in how long they last. Try getting 6 major reloads out of some GECO brass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoseyWalesX Posted October 27, 2011 Author Share Posted October 27, 2011 I am out of town on a hunting trip, will post some pics as soon as I get back and see if it will help you guys diagnose the problem. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sin-ster Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 What springs (recoil and striker) are you running on your 9 Pro? It may be unlocking early. (What worked 1k rounds ago might have softened up enough to not work now.) I've put some stray 9 Major brass through my G17 before with a 130 PF load of N320, and split the cases as they hit the concrete. I knew exactly where/who they were coming from, and how I picked them up. Once fired range brass (WIN headstamp), once fired through a TruBore @ ~180, split like fat guy's pants out of my pistol. But never case head separation. That said, I also split a couple of factory .45 cases the other day out of my M&P. Winchester "NATO" (crimped and sealed primers, annealed cases) with a '93 headstamp. They had clearly sat around somewhere for a while, as there was mild corrosion on some of the rims/heads. They too touched off without a problem, and only seemed to crack when they struck the ground. My guess is that the brass got a little brittle, which may apply to you as well. If you made me put money down, I'd bet you've got a combination of well worn brass and some brittleness as a result of its storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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