Jamieson brass failure

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gerardjohnson

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I recently bought 100 Jamieson .303 Savage cases and loaded 30 for the first time in a variety of loads. I loaded 5 with 34 gr. of 4064 and Hornady 150 gr. RN. Three cases split. This load is 2 gr. below maximum and one of Ken Watters pet loads. There doesn't appear to be a pressure problem. Is it poor brass or could it be my rifle? I have photos of the split cases on my computer but don't know how to get them into my message.
 
The cases are split in the middle of the case body lengthwise about 1/2 inch. There is also a crack part way around the base.
I measured the case body diameter twice; just below the neck, and next to the rim.
The Lyman Handbook .416 - .442
fired Jamison case .420 - .440
unfired Jamison case .408 - .437

Observations:
It seems to me that the new brass is too small therefore allowing excessive expansion. If the case were .442 as the manual specifies, it seem thst the chamber would be too small at .440 to chamber a round.

I have some good photos of the split cases on my computer. Can anyone tell me how to post them in my message?
 
gerardjohnson said:
I recently bought 100 Jamieson .303 Savage cases and loaded 30 for the first time in a variety of loads. I loaded 5 with 34 gr. of 4064 and Hornady 150 gr. RN. Three cases split. This load is 2 gr. below maximum and one of Ken Watters pet loads. There doesn't appear to be a pressure problem. Is it poor brass or could it be my rifle? I have photos of the split cases on my computer but don't know how to get them into my message.
Click to expand...

Did the other 25 rounds you loaded split? What was their load data and which one performed best? I'm curious because I just bought 100 Jamison cases and intend to load them very soon.
 
Only 3 0f the 5 cases loaded with 34 gr. of IMR4064 split. The other 25 were fine. My best loads were with IMR3031 hovering around 2" @ 100 yds. I've only just started trying loads for jacketed bullets. Previously I was using 185 gr cast .312 diam. with similar results regarding accuracy, actually a bit better. I was using mainly 30-30 brass before I bought the Jamison. I have a number of 5 shot groups with it under 1" at 50 yds with a few as small as 0.6".

I would still like to know how to post a photo. Can anyone help me?
 
gerardjohnson said:
Only 3 0f the 5 cases loaded with 34 gr. of IMR4064 split. The other 25 were fine. My best loads were with IMR3031 hovering around 2" @ 100 yds. I've only just started trying loads for jacketed bullets. Previously I was using 185 gr cast .312 diam. with similar results regarding accuracy, actually a bit better. I was using mainly 30-30 brass before I bought the Jamison. I have a number of 5 shot groups with it under 1" at 50 yds with a few as small as 0.6".

I would still like to know how to post a photo. Can anyone help me?
Click to expand...

Thanks Gerry. I planned on using IMR3031 so that's good news. Sorry but I can't help with posting photos.
 
When cleaning my fired cases, I found another split one. This one was loaded with 33 gr of IMR3031 with a 150 gr bullet (max load in Lyman #46). I loaded some more with 170 gr jacketed (Imperial) and starting load of 28 gr IMR3031, three grains below maximum. Two of the first3 split. I pulled the bullets from the rest. Doe anyone have an e-mail address or snail mail address for Jamison Brass? I couldn't find them on a Google search.
 
gerardjohnson said:
When cleaning my fired cases, I found another split one. This one was loaded with 33 gr of IMR3031 with a 150 gr bullet (max load in Lyman #46). I loaded some more with 170 gr jacketed (Imperial) and starting load of 28 gr IMR3031, three grains below maximum. Two of the first3 split. I pulled the bullets from the rest. Doe anyone have an e-mail address or snail mail address for Jamison Brass? I couldn't find them on a Google search.
Click to expand...

Hi Gerry
Jamison International is located in Sturgis South Dakota. I don't have the e-mail or snail mail address but you can probably get their phone number from the long distance operator. Please let us know how your discussion turns out.
 
I just loaded 5 more cases with the same 3031 load that split my Jamison cases, but used very old, many times fired, S.A. Corp. headstamped brass. I don't think this brass has been available for 50 years or more but it worked fine. I guess I had better confine my Jamison Brass loads to very light cast bullet loads. Has anyone else tried Jamison?
 
I decided to anneal 20 of my once fired Jamison brass to see if it would help. I normaly would only anneal the neck, but since these are spliting lenghtwise in the middle of the case, I annealed the whole case. I was going to load some up to try but could no longer seat a primer, the primer pocket seems to have shrunk. When I put more pressure on the ram (I'm using the primer arm on my Lee turret press), the case rim bent enough for the case to go through the shell holder. I ruined 4 more cases doing that, then I bent the primer arm and in trying to straighten that, I bent the ring that holds the primer so that the primer won't fit in it ant more. Since I don't have a #11 shell holder for my Auto-Prime, I quit for the evening before I do any more damage. Did the annealing soften the brass too much and shrink the primer pocket? I'm glad I didn't anneal all of it.
 
Update:

I finally made contact with Kelli Loughlin at Jamison Brass. She claims no one else has reported a problem. They asked me (May 1) to send my load data for them to check and they would get back to me. She said she may ask me to send samples. I sent the data and have had no reply since, except a receipt for my e-mail. I sent two more messages since, with no response. At the Irishtown Gun Show in NB this spring, I was talking to a dealer who stoped selling his .303 Sav Jamison brass for the same reason. His customers had the same problem. I've pretty well given up hope of hearing from "Kelli" again.
 
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