Elby Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Bought 96 "once fired, resized & tumbled" cases from a PW member. I reloaded them but didn't use them for about 3 months because I had to use up all my old ones first. When I took them to zero they failed badly, cases split and were extremely dangerous. These cases must of been over stretched and definitely not "once fired" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 What make brass? What pre-loading checks did you do? Any pre-loading trimming, etc.? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 What make brass? What pre-loading checks did you do? Any pre-loading trimming, etc.? Hornady " I have 96 once fired then full length sized, de-primed and tumbled Hornady 6.5x55 brass cases" They had to be neck trimmed a little but that was all. The cases did show a shiny ring about 10mm up but have never used Hornady I just thought it was characteristic of the cases Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saddler Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I'd be messaging the seller for a refund. Pull the unfired ones & get them crushed in a vice/scrapped.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) That can happen to once fired brass, some of my .303 cases have done that first time they are reloaded while others go for quite a few reloads without a problem. Don't automatically assume you have been lied to, it might be the brass is too brittle or something. Edited January 22, 2016 by Vince Green Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 IMO hornady is not brass you would ever look for to reload anyway bright rings are a dead give away of brass that had been overly full length sized, creating a headspace issue and subsequent case stretching leading to the seperation you have seen I inherited the same in some Federal brass in 300WM always check for bright rings or use a paperclip with a small hook on the end to feel the web area inside the case always buy brass of a better brand too! FL sized brass should only just allow the bolt to close, i don't mean with pressure, I mean that when sized slightly less that the bolt is stiff, you want to go just past that stage keep testing in chamber and screwing down die 1/8th of a turn until this happens then your brass is optimally FL sized for YOUR CHAMBER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Hornady " I have 96 once fired then full length sized, de-primed and tumbled Hornady 6.5x55 brass cases" They had to be neck trimmed a little but that was all. The cases did show a shiny ring about 10mm up but have never used Hornady I just thought it was characteristic of the cases The shiny ring was your clue! Get a paper clip. Straiten it. Grind a point on one end. Bend pointy end 90°. Insert in cases and feel for a thinning ring on the inside. Bin if found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 agree totally with the above, especially when you buy used brass But.... if that brass was once fired in your rifle and has grown to the point of needing trimming AND stretched to the point where the next firing separates the case head then there is a rabbit off somewhere it points to one or both of two things Headspace issue with your rifle or non spec Ammo case size Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jam1e Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Being a relative "new-be" to reloading, I've resized/re-used various types over the last few years from Rem to Lap, and I don't particularly like Hornady brass for reloading. It's certainly now my least favourite for quality, and well below PPU... And as has been mentioned, "Caveat Emptor" always applies. And bar very new "untested" members, I believe 99% of PW members are trustworthy. Even more so, when it comes to frequent long term members. Just to add, that nobody can predict how used brass will perform in the future. Would it not also depend on how "hot" the load was to?? Edited January 22, 2016 by jam1e Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Ive loaded some pretty hot rounds for my 22.250 and rather heavy bolt lift ie; a piece of wood for a hammer heavy bolt But I have never ever had anything like that happen, I have used most of these cases now for maybe 8 firing, ( not sure off hand but its heading towards 10 I do know) You don't mention about your load, your experience of reloading. Could you have fluffed up ? or are you 100% its not your fault ? Ive loaded some pretty hot rounds for my 22.250 and rather heavy bolt lift ie; a piece of wood for a hammer heavy bolt But I have never ever had anything like that happen, I have used most of these cases now for maybe 8 firing, ( not sure off hand but its heading towards 10 I do know) You don't mention about your load, your experience of reloading. Could you have fluffed up ? or are you 100% its not your fault ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I'd be messaging the seller for a refund. Pull the unfired ones & get them crushed in a vice/scrapped.... Did that but got a load of excuses. All the noses will be pulled Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 The shiny ring was your clue!I realise that now but it was something I have never come across before. I would have thought with the seller being the expert maybe he would have picked up on them. Sold as "resized" so who did the resizing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) has nothing to do with hot loads and everything to do with the relation between the case size and chamber size its even worse with belted cases and the head has nowhere to go when the pin strikes it, its just pure stretch to be fair to the seller the outer brightening ring is present on all fired rounds if you look, especially present on dull brass the key is to see if the brass has thinned INSIDE if you then undersize i.e. case is smaller than it should be the brass in a large chamber you will undoubtedly stress and already stressed case this could be nothing more than a accumulation of unfortunate coincidences (of course Fister could have fired them 12 times in a oversize chamber and been resizing them to the point they would fit in a .222........ we will never know..... ) Edit: check the case size against a fired case of other brass in your rifle you can use a pistol case to get a reference point on the shoulder and compare. Edited January 22, 2016 by Bewsher500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dougy Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Bewsher, Surly keep on reloading and resizing a hot load will damage the case, bolt face and ejector marks will not always show if all is 99% perfectly flat. on the case. Elby ( Les) What history do you have regarding reloading you don't say ? Edited January 22, 2016 by Dougy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elby Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Bewsher, Surly keep on reloading and resizing a hot load will damage the case, bolt face and ejector marks will not always show if all is 99% perfectly flat. on the case. Elby ( Les) What history do you have regarding reloading you don't say ? I started reloading about 20 years back with .243 Went to 6.5x55 about 15 years back and been using the same rifle and loads for that time. I got these cases cos my other ones had been used a few times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPARKIE Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Problem you have here is you bought them 3 months ago.....and now you have a problem. What's to say you haven't reloaded them 10 times.... It can't be proven you ain't so it looks like you will have to take it on the chin. I now only ever just buy ppu factory ammo by the hundred shoot them off at Catton on targets and they reload the spent brass.....in my .22-250 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Yes I'm the 'guilty' party here. Please can all the other PW members who have over the last ten years been screwed over by me please stand up. Once fired brass, caveat emptor, it's USED! You are no.1 on the list. Lets hope it doesen't get all Fawlty Towers now I would of apologised and been glad no one was injured and said get in touch, but that's just me I guess 😕 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) agree totally with the above, especially when you buy used brass But.... if that brass was once fired in your rifle and has grown to the point of needing trimming AND stretched to the point where the next firing separates the case head then there is a rabbit off somewhere it points to one or both of two things Headspace issue with your rifle or non spec Ammo case size You have to remember 6.5 x 55 is a military calibre with lots of 100+ year old rifles out there chambered for it. Yes there could be loose chambers and wrong bolts/ headspace issues. Seperations happen, Edited January 22, 2016 by Vince Green Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bewsher500 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Bewsher, Surly keep on reloading and resizing a hot load will damage the case, bolt face and ejector marks will not always show if all is 99% perfectly flat. on the case. Elby ( Les) What history do you have regarding reloading you don't say ? Yes granted a repetitive cycle of massive pressure spikes is never good and you may never see external pressure on the case just get stiff bolt lift but unless the case has room to grow and thin at the web you may never see case head separation also these have apparently only been fired twice if that is true it can only point to wrong size case or wrong size chamber if I full length size for other people I only do it to SAMMI headspace spec. dies are like chambers, not always SAMMI spec whacking it down to the shell holder then giving a 1/4 turn is not the way to do it IMO....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Please resolve this between yourselves via PM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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