Pics of what to watch out for?

stevebc

stevebc

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I've seen the pics of the case failures above the web area, and very helpful they are, too. Does anyone have any other pics of things to watch out for, such as overpressure signs, how to read primers, problems in the neck area, etc? Anything like that would help.
I have seen some pictures in various threads, but they're not easy to find, especially since CGN doesn't have a "there are pics in this thread" icon. It would be helpful to have all of these signs in one thread, especially for us newbie loaders.
Thanks in advance.
 
It is very easy to look at a spent primer and see how flat it is, if the firing pin cratered, etc, but primers are the most unreliable means for estimating pressure of any means you will use. This is because there is such a great variation in the strength of primers.
A ring around the case just at the top of the web, does not indicate high pressure. Even if the case seperates there, or nearly does, it is not high pressure that did it. It is too much headspace, sometimes coupled with a sloppy chamber.
If it is a bolt action rifle, the standard way of determing you just fired an overload, is if the bolt handle sticks and requires more than usual pressure to open it. This is somewhat of a judgement call, unless you know how easy the bolt opens with factory ammunition. You should determine this.
The surest way to determine that you have just fired a load which is MUCH TOO HEAVY, is if the primer pocket is swollen, allowing the next primer to be seated very easily. This load may stick a bolt so hard it will require a good smack on the bolt handle with a piece of 2x4, to open it.
Many will argue that some brands of brass cases are soft and will swell the primer pocket with normal loads. I don't believe this. I maintain any brand of commercial brass you will buy, will fire normal, full power loads, without swelling the primer pocket.
 
pick up at the range

I picked up these two 30/06 cases at the range this fall and posted them on the Hunting BC site because I'd never seen a failure like this. I assume these came from reloads. The failures are almost identical.

I guess the consensus is that these cases were not trimmed to less than the maximum case length. The primer looks normal and there is no distinct ring above the base to show the cases were beginning to fail above the web.

Has anyone ever seen case failures like these and know for sure why they failed??

PC080059.jpg
 
"Has anyone ever seen case failures like these and know for sure why they failed??"

One question deserves another:
How about 87+ trips through a collet die?
??????????????????????????????????
 
The neck does appear to be too long in those pics, and I would surmise that they were indeed longer than the chamber, extending into the lead area of the rifling. This is dangerous, as it definitely raises pressures. It would be helpful if you would measure the brass.

Neck hardening due to working the brass too much, usually results in longitudinal splits, and wouldn't look like those two bits of brass.
 
John I tossed them and never measured them but they were tight in my maximum case length gauge so the length could very well be the problem

I was curious if someone in the forum had some first hand experience with this type failure and might know if their cases failed because they were too long. Seems that no one has first hand experience.

I've been reloading for many years and never seen this type of case failure. I looked in a half dozen reloading manuals/books I have, but there is nothing shown like these.

Cheers
 
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