Quality Control?

[Hector Vector]

This round chambered but the bolt wouldn't fully close. Didn't want to force it so I unloaded it and chambered a fresh round which was fine. Had a look at it when I got home and found the neck of the case to be either cracked or malformed. This is not a reload; it's a fresh out of the box Winchester Super X in .22-250. Measured it with verniers and the diameter over the flaw is a couple of thou over the true neck diameter which is evidently enough to stop it from seating properly in the chamber. So much for Winchester quality control, although this is the first problem I've had with this ammunition but I have had issues with Winchester .17HMR Varmint HV (misfires and case deformation). Anybody else seen similar issues with Winchester ammunition? I'm not going to change brands because the rifle likes it and it's not too pricey, just as long as this doesn't become more prevalent.

[JJsDad]

3 hours ago, Hector Vector said:

So much for Winchester quality control, although this is the first problem I've had with this ammunition but I have had issues with Winchester .17HMR Varmint HV (misfires and case deformation).

It is an unfortunate fact of virtually any manufacturing process that the degree of quality control in the form of gauging, measuring, weighing and visual checking & final inspection all add to the production cost, which in turn is passed onto the consumer. While all ammunition manufacturers will have some form of quality control over their components, the ones who are invariably the cheapest do not almost certainly check 100% of the cases they produce and only do batch testing of the finished round. I was given a guided tour of the ammunition factory at Radway Green a number of years ago when they were producing a million rounds (plus) of 5.56mm per week. The vast output of the presses that produced the cartridge case and drilled the fire hole was monitored by a series of camera`s linked to a computer which was programmed to identify the various faults / defects that can occur during manufacture. When a rejected was identified, an air jet blew the reject into a box. These were subsequently melted down and the material re-used.  Once the round was fully finished further checks including batches submitted for accuracy and pressure were carried out. To an outsider not involved in the production, I found the whole process very high tech and totally facinating but as a rep for the end user I pointed out to our guide over a coffee, that we saw 20 or 30 incidents per month where there was a defect in a round (missing primer / no fire hole / damaged case / no propellant / etc).

He accepted my point, but pointed out that a 100% check of every single component and the weighing and checking of every single finished cartridge would probably double the cost of production.

If you like the ammo because its not to pricey, you will regettably have to act as Winchesters final inspector and check each round before loading up !

Edited April 24, 2018 by JJsDad

[Dougy]

from the millions they produce the odd one, yes is not good but on the other hand its not bad either.Until you are the one holding the "odd" one.

take it back to the RFD and see what they say, you may be lucky and get a free box