Split a 38 SPL +P case today

[WANT A LCR 22LR]

Factory load defensive nickel plated case round from a known maker. The round didn't seem to shoot differently than any of the other in the cylinder. The split runs from the open end downwards about 5/8" of a inch, the split is about .002 wide at the top closing to nothing further down.

I've probably got just short of 1000 rounds from this gun ( LCR ) and this is the first split. Most of the rounds had been reload so finding a once shot case split is odd.

I've heard nickle plated cases tend to split but I thought this was after a few reloads. Any idea why the case split?

Thanks

 

[tek4260]

May have simply been a bad piece of brass. I have had 4 necks split in a box of 30-06 this year. Never had that problem before with my rifle so I have to assume that it is the brass and not something like an oversize chamber.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Because cases are made in batches you might want to be careful if you are going to reload that brass.

...Jimbo

 

[protoolman]

Defect in the brass. It happens very very rarely but it can happen.

 

[Snake45]

Defect in the brass. It happens very very rarely but it can happen.

+1. A bad one gets through every factory once in a while.

I've had more nickel than plain brass cases split, in both .45ACP and .38. With mild or reasonable loads, it's usually not a big deal, it's just the end of that piece of brass, that's all.

 

[Ruber]

May have simply been a bad piece of brass. I have had 4 necks split in a box of 30-06 this year. Never had that problem before with my rifle so I have to assume that it is the brass and not something like an oversize chamber.

I'm in your boat on this one. I've shot less factory ammo in the past year than just about any year prior, but I've had several split cases where I've never had one before. And it has been across the board from 30-06, 22 Win Mag, .380, 9mm and .45 auto and from different companies and in guns I've had for decades that are in great condition. The .380 and .22 Mag were one case each from the same company, the 9mm was one case from another and the 30-06 and .45 ACP were several cases from the same company that I will no longer even think about buying... I'm starting to build a collection of split cases. :roll:

 

[Snake45]

I've shot less factory ammo in the past year than just about any year prior, but I've had several split cases where I've never had one before.

These days I mainly shoot .22 cheap bulk ammo, but in 2008 I experienced serious quality problems from two different makers that I'd never had before. I'm virtually certain that they were, due to the ammo shortage/demand, shipping lots of ammo that in normal times wouldn't have made it out of the factory on QC checks. I believe they dropped their standards to meet demand.

The ammo I bought in 2009 wasn't as bad, but it wasn't quite as good as the stuff I bought 2005-07.

 

[hornady]

I am under the suspicion that with the shortages of Ammo and components. We are going to be seeing a lot of this. With most Ammo and Firearms Manufacturers ramping up production. Quality control is suffering. Taurus is a prime example of this . At one time they sold a pretty descent Gun. But lately, I have been reading a lot of negative feed back on them.

 

[revhigh]

The split runs from the open end downwards about 5/8" of a inch, the split is about .002 wide at the top closing to nothing further down.

Throw it away ... move on .... no big deal .... . Reload the rest of the brass ... if any split .... see previous advice.

REV

 

[revhigh]

Taurus is a prime example of this . At one time they sold a pretty descent Gun. But lately, I have been reading a lot of negative feed back on them.

Now here's a statement that I have to respectfully disagree with. I think just the opposite is true. Taurus used to produce a real piece of crap, but lately (last 5 years or so) their quality has improved dramatically. Their current crop of guns is quite good, in my opinion.

REV

 

[Snake45]

Confession time: I've had case mouths split when applying the final crimp, and being a cheap SOB, not wanting to waste anything, I've gone ahead and shot them. No problems at all, except of course the mouth split farther upon firing. Note that these were relatively light .38 Spec and .45 ACP loads, not rip-snorting .357 or .44 Mag loads. I doubt I'd try it with the heavier stuff.

 

[revhigh]

Confession time: I've had case mouths split when applying the final crimp, and being a cheap SOB, not wanting to waste anything, I've gone ahead and shot them.

That's what I'd do .... it's STILL contained in the chamber ... no risk at all

REV

 

[Ruber]

The split runs from the open end downwards about 5/8" of a inch, the split is about .002 wide at the top closing to nothing further down.

Throw it away ... move on .... no big deal .... . Reload the rest of the brass ... if any split .... see previous advice.

REV

That's what I meant to say... :lol:

 

[Ale-8(1)]

If you reload to any degree at all you will see this. Not entirely unusual, particularly with nickeled brass.

And as mentioned, you can even reload the occasional split brass, but it's nearly impossible to get a decent crimp on them.

The only thing I've noticed from split brass is perhaps a little more soot in the chamber.

I just pitch 'em.

 

[Anonymous]

I'll one up snake45 when I first got married we were poorer than Joe's turkey and all I had to shoot was about 3000 full wad cutter bullets and 2-3 boxes of 357 brass.I found a guy that would sell me bulk bullseye but you had to bring your own coffee can. As the brass split I would just file it down below the split and load her back up. Some brass got this treatment 2-3 times and ended up looking like 38 S&W brass but I kept on shooting in my old blackhawk.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I hear ya, Itchy.

And I used a LEE LOADER to do it.

 

[Ruber]

If you reload to any degree at all you will see this. Not entirely unusual, particularly with nickeled brass.

And as mentioned, you can even reload the occasional split brass, but it's nearly impossible to get a decent crimp on them.

The only thing I've noticed from split brass is perhaps a little more soot in the chamber.

I just pitch 'em.

That must be a lot of loading.... :wink:
I've had brass last for 10 loadings or more without splits to the degree mentioned by the OP (even nickel plated remington brass). In my experience, if it splits half way down the case, it happens on the first shot...

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Yep, I used to shoot a lotta bullseye, and that required a bunch of .38 target loads. I started out with a couple hundred used, mixed brass I scrounged up and reloaded them every week for several years. The nickel ones split first, usually, but eventually the rest would too, to some extent. Beating them into and out of a LEE LOADER is kinda tough on them, even with lube, which I mixed up out of Vaseline and paraffin.

I actually still have some of those brass, and some of that lube.

Man, that takes me back . . .