After a range session yesterday, when picking up the brass, my son found this jewel and shared it with me. New, factory loaded ammunition. Speer Lawman 124 grain TMJ. Didn't notice anything different with any of the shots, no issues with either of the pistols, but this case doesn't look happy.



My guess what that it was just a bad case and no reason to worry about it, but I thought I'd check here as there are others that know a lot better than I do. I don't see pressure signs on the primer, but maybe I just don't know what I am looking at...

Thanks in advance!

That has happened to me twice, both with CCI aluminum case .38 Special, in 2 different J frames. Also had a fail to fire with that ammo. Sent the pictures to CCI, and they did not care.

Corners are still rounded on primer so pressure doesn’t look like an issue. Like you said probably just a bad case. It happens, on factory ammo it’s pretty rare IME.

Looks as it has corrosion from the spots on the case.
Shot some 1942 45 acp that had spots like that and a couple ruptures like that.

quote:

Originally posted by KMitch200:
Corners are still rounded on primer so pressure doesn’t look like an issue. Like you said probably just a bad case. It happens, on factory ammo it’s pretty rare IME.

Agreed.

Cool. Thanks guys! I didn't think it was anything more than a bad (but not bad enough to cause a real problem) case, but wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

re rarity: That is the first time I have seen this in a factory case. I have seen two different "rounds" with missing primers over the years, but over a fair bit of ammunition, maybe even as much as some of you guys shoot in a year.

I see it from time to time but only on reloaded cases. The nickle cases that I have reloaded seem to be more susceptible and the worst offenders for me. I think that it has a bit to do with "work hardening" or over belling brass during the reloading stages.

For factory ammo, it's probably a similar metallurgical/manufacturing and brittle brass issues.

Looks like the chamber might have been a little generous too.

Just a bad case, I wouldn't get too worked up about it, especially if you're not seeing a pattern. Splits from the neck like that aren't particularly dangerous, and it doesn't show any pressure signs that would concern me. Now if it was blowing out near the base, then you have a problem.

Yes, a bad case and nothing to be concerned about.

I shoot, reload,....shoot, reload....etc. all my handgun rounds until they eventually look like that.

quote:

Originally posted by Bigboreshooter:
I shoot, reload,....shoot, reload....etc. all my handgun rounds until they eventually look like that.

Takes a while to do that with 45 ACP but I have had a couple over 3 decades of reloading and shooting. Full house 357 a bit more frequently and usually the nickel plated cases first.

This is a very timely post. Just today, five (5) nickel plated R-P .38 Special RNL cartridges fired through my recently acquired 1977 S&W Model 36 ruptured in their respective chambers. Since the extractor was locked up tight, the range session was over and a brass rod was required to remove the empties. Each of the cartridges were rather old with light discoloration/corrosion on their cases. Since I don't suspect they were reloads, I'm wondering if the corrosion worked its way under the nickel plating and attacked the brass. Any thoughts?