700 loaded casings are full of crap !! how to clean???

Crazy Cory

Crazy Cory

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Alberta
This one is a bit of a story.

So I have recently purchased a new in the box Chiappa Rhino in .357
I then ordered 10 moon clips. Then quickly found out the casings need to have a groove above the base rim. Which not all casings have (Blazer says they've stopped. fyi)
Long story short. To save time and money I purchased from a local reloader who had the right casings in .357 mag (200 count) and .38 Special (500 count).
They came loaded by him. Upon opening the boxes. First thing I noticed was the .38 projectiles were only pushed into the depth for .357mag.
I then had to press all 400 .38 special rds to the correct over all length. The .357 mag projectiles are not pressed to the same height at all either. (worry about that later)

I take them to the range and they shoot all over the place. So good power, some low power then squibs started showing up. Thankfully they came out easily.
Normally a squib is an empty casing but these spilled half burnt powder all over the place ! H:S:
So I figured the guy loaded them with crappy old powder. So I opened 25 or so. Replaced his powder with CFE Pistol 5.4 grains.
Again. High and low power shots and some squibs. Shooting bench covered in half burnt powder. :mad: F&%K IT !!
I open 80 rds. dumpt the powders, pull the primers, run the casings through the ultrasound 6 times on hot. reload them. Low power and 50% squibs.
And half burnt powder all over the bench !!!!!!:bangHead:


So clearly the case lube or polish he used is not going to come out easily.
I message him and tell him I want to return the 400rds of .38 Special I didn't touch. And the 200rds of .357 mag which I didn't touch at all.
I'll keep the 100 rds of .38 Special I did mess with, simply because i changed them around from his configuration.

So now he's a ghost !
No reply to messages at all. But he said he guaranteed his work.....so much for the hand shake and "my word is my bond". Looks like i'm stuck with 700 rds total filled with some kind of case lube or polish. Now I'm out $325 and stuck with 700 rds I can't use :runaway: :pirate:
I was thinking of trying to boil them in water. I've also been thinking of a solvent.....At least the douche could tell me what he used so I could figure out how to clean it off.

Any suggestions?
 

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What a potential disaster....


With that kind of volume, I would suggest investing in a die mounted bullet puller and a stainless pin media rotary tumber to clean the cases.

Start from scratch, and don't trust amateurs with your life and limbs. You are dealing with a 40,000PSI explosion in your hands... and now you have no idea if this guy undercharged, overcharged, or even used the correct damn powder. Spend the time and do it yourself, or pay the tax and buy factory loaded ammunition.
 
Purchased from a local reloader? Is he a licensed commercial reloader or just some guy? If it's the latter I hope you have learned your lesson. The only solution is to start over.
 
B said:
Purchased from a local reloader? Is he a licensed commercial reloader or just some guy? If it's the latter I hope you have learned your lesson. The only solution is to start over.
Click to expand...

He claimed to be licensed and insured.
I'll be checking that very soon. If not and he's illegally manufacturing ammunition for sale. He's in poo poo.
 
Kevin M. said:
What a potential disaster....


With that kind of volume, I would suggest investing in a die mounted bullet puller and a stainless pin media rotary tumber to clean the cases.

Start from scratch, and don't trust amateurs with your life and limbs. You are dealing with a 40,000PSI explosion in your hands... and now you have no idea if this guy undercharged, overcharged, or even used the correct damn powder. Spend the time and do it yourself, or pay the tax and buy factory loaded ammunition.
Click to expand...

I have recently purchased an rcbs bullet puller and collets.
Of the ones I pulled apart. They had 5.2- 5.5 grains. The odd one was down to 4.5.. He used 2 powders (red dot & the one that looks like little cheerios...forget the name)
Not worried about the time to take them apart or how they are loaded, as they all have to come apart to get the cases clean.
 
Wait.... did he tell you there was multiple powders or were they just mixed without your knowledge?

And that is a crazy variation of powder... 5.2-5.5 I can see, albeit that is still very bad... but having an undercharge that significant is bad.
 
Kevin M. said:
Wait.... did he tell you there was multiple powders or were they just mixed without your knowledge?

And that is a crazy variation of powder... 5.2-5.5 I can see, albeit that is still very bad... but having an undercharge that significant is bad.
Click to expand...

mixed powders without any notice to me.
He assured me that he had professional equipment. only used powders that couldn't be double charged (BS as the bullseye could be) But the seating of the .357 mag which I haven't touched. Vary by 1/8" He must have loaded them on a little lee loader kit 1 by 1.
Pic shows 38 spl beside .357

 
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Jesus... I'm at a loss for words...

Honestly I'm far from being the guy to say raise the alarm bells, but if he is offering that as a service, he is putting people and property at extreme risk.
 
I have serious doubts about that guy having any sort of commercial licensing. Not only that but every load offered for sale must be submitted and approved by NRCan or whoever. At least that's what the owner of WASP munitions told me. He was obviously too lazy to even adjust his dies when he switched cartridges. Insane. I would suggest alerting the RCMP to this matter before his venture gets someone hurt.
 
Never buy reloads to shoot...tear them down for components.
I can't see anything causing squibs after you cleaned them though...nothing on the case is going to foul powder immediately like that.
 
Crazy Cory said:
He claimed to be licensed and insured.
I'll be checking that very soon. If not and he's illegally manufacturing ammunition for sale. He's in poo poo.
Click to expand...

Yep, definitely threaten to report him under the explosives act. Either he's not licensed, and he's a wingnut, or he's licensed, and they should pull that license. Either way, he's a danger to others.
 
Something just isn't adding up, you fired his loads then cleaned the cases, reloaded them and you still have some squibs, those cases should have no contamination after you cleaned them. I'd trow them in some gasoline for a few minutes then dry and clean again preferable with a vibratory polisher.
Definitely unload all the rest of the remaining rounds, detonate the primers, use the powder for fertilizer and recycle the bullets.
 
Seems odd that you have broken down, cleaned and reloaded the brass with new components but you still have issues. After you cleaned the brass you ended up reloading, did you look into the brass? Was there any contamination or blockages?
 
Something doesn't sound right, please provide more information on YOUR reloads:

Calibre = .38 Special?
OAL = ?
Charge = CFE Pistol 5.4gr
Bullet construction and weight = ?
Primer manufacturer and type = ?

Also, I've never owned a Chiappa, so take this with a grain of salt, but could it be a gun problem? Have you tried the ammo in another revolver?
 
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