High pressure case failure.

[Elfego Baca]

In years past I used a Ruger M77 RSI in 250 Savage for whitetail deer hunting.
Recently I dug in my ammo can for some ammo. In spite of thr note about the handload being excessive I took a few shots. I didn't notice any problems until I took my last shot. The action was hard to open and the primer fell from the case. There was a shiny spot on the case where it made contact with the ejector.
There was nearly a complete separation ring near the base of the case. The primer looked normal. The ejector did not return to its normal protrusion from the bolt face.
Beware of your notes. I removed the bullets from the remaining unfired cases. Pay attention to your notes.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

what process did you use to convert 22-250 into 250 savage? fireform or anneal? i have some 357sig ammo that i notate "use with brake only". w/o the brake the slide gets violent. brass was fine along with the primers both ways, but it was scary w/o the brake. when did you develop the charge as in temp compared to shooting this? pretty much all my developing is done from 80-100 degrees. i also don't shoot in 40 and lower temps in most cases? i did have some weak brass from jag in 10mm that would separate 1 in 4-5 rounds. no wonder they had a special on their black nickel plated . stay safe!

 

[NMEDGE]

Probably should have gotten rid of them years ago.

 

[Winchester67]

Gents, let me share a story with you. Years ago a friend stopped by my office with some .44 Magnum brass. By this time I had been handloading for decades, having started in college. He asked me to evaluate the pressure signs. I looked at the primers, thinking I knew what I was talking about, and proclaimed them safe. He said "Wrong, these tested out to over pressure proof loads." I was stunned, but as we had a ballistics lab at the office I knew he was not just teasing me. He went on the explain that this was a batch of hard primers and they were not showing the traditional pressure signs. When I asked him how often that happened, he replied "More often than you think". That was the point of his lesson...FOLLOW THE LATEST MANUAL. Do not exceed them. Lots of internet experts say you can top the listed loads and point to earlier manuals with hotter data. It is not the lawyers that tamed the loads, it was advances in recording the pressures! The old loads were too hot and not pressure tested, or not tested to the degree of accuracy we enjoy now.

Anyone with access to a modern ballistic lab I would be happy to hear any responses to the contrary. I think this deserves its own topic, now that I look at how long winded my reply was!

Eric

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Gents, let me share a story with you. Years ago a friend stopped by my office with some .44 Magnum brass. By this time I had been handloading for decades, having started in college. He asked me to evaluate the pressure signs. I looked at the primers, thinking I knew what I was talking about, and proclaimed them safe. He said "Wrong, these tested out to over pressure proof loads." I was stunned, but as we had a ballistics lab at the office I knew he was not just teasing me. He went on the explain that this was a batch of hard primers and they were not showing the traditional pressure signs. When I asked him how often that happened, he replied "More often than you think". That was the point of his lesson...FOLLOW THE LATEST MANUAL. Do not exceed them. Lots of internet experts say you can top the listed loads and point to earlier manuals with hotter data. It is not the lawyers that tamed the loads, it was advances in recording the pressures! The old loads were too hot and not pressure tested, or not tested to the degree of accuracy we enjoy now.

Anyone with access to a modern ballistic lab I would be happy to hear any responses to the contrary. I think this deserves its own topic, now that I look at how long winded my reply was!

Eric

guns of different types behave differently (pump, bolt, semi, break open to name a few) as goes with how a chamber is cut. a longer throat won'y show pressure signs as early as 1 w/ a shorter throat in any long gun (pistols behave different). if those test aren't done against each other the test is a false positive on over pressures.


yup, could be threat derailment