broken .223 shell

[purchawk]

After several hundred rounds through a new H&R Ultra Varmint .223, a reload broke when fired about an inch up from the primer. The broken shell came out with no trouble, but now every fired case has a lightly etched ring in the same place as the original break around the circumferance of the shell.

Anyone seen anyhing like this?

I'm trying to decide if it is dangerous to fire or if the fired cases are now unsafe to reload.

I hate to have this gun messed up, because it is extremely accurate for a cheap gun--way under MOA for five-shot groups at 100 yards.

Any advice will be apprecieated.

[Pete D.]

Do the cases extract smoothly?
A picture of one would be helpful.
Have you worked out why the case that broke did so?
Case head separation - that's what it sounds like - is frequently related to headspace problems in reloads. (though I had one last weekend with a .44 Mag case in a Ruger BH.)
Pete

[Bullseye]

This could be a case of stress cracking inside your reloaded cases. What kind of resizing did you use on the reloaded cases? (Neck or full length)

I would also inspect the rifle's chamber to ensure that it is fully clear of obstructions.

R,
Bullseye

[purchawk]

I haven't been able to determine why the first case broke. I had fired over a hundred rounds of both factory and reloads with no headspace problems, including 20 or so of the same reloads that broke. So, I can't imagine that a headspace problem could develop spontaneously, although that is what it seemed like.

The break is further toward the shoulder than is usual in headspace breaks, which I understand come closer to the primer where the shell thickness starts to thin. This break was where the shell is thickest.

It could have been one bad shell and it could well have been shell head separation.

After the break, further fired shells extract properly and the gun fires accurately, but each fired shell shows the same surface etching at the point of the previous break in the same basic pattern.

This is true of more of the same reloads and of new factory loads--I have tested both.

None of the shells fired before the break--even from the same reloads--show anything at all.

Another person is reloading for me, so I don't know how he re-sized.

I haven't been able to see much in the chamber. I think I need to get ahold of a bore light to see much.

And, I haven't been able to take photos yet.

The dealer is a good friend and shooting companion, and he thinks that gasses may have been released at the point of the break during the original event that etched the chamber.

Your help is very much appreciated.

I guess I may just have to experiment with reloading fired shells and be careful to not reload more than once fired shells.

[purchawk]

After writing the reply above, I got a better source of light and I can now see a ring inside the chamber at the point of the break. That's undoubtedly what's causing the marks on the fired shells.

I guess there's no telling what that means in terms of reloading.

Thanks again.

[Bullseye]

Try giving that chamber a good scrubbing with a bore brush. Put some solvent on a patch and wrap it around the brush. Don't dip the brush into the solvent jar! After thoroughly cleaning, inspect the bore again to see if the ring remains. You may have some carbon residue from the shell fracture that was stuck to the inside of the chamber.

Still sounds to me like you have stress cracks in those reloaded shell casings from resizing. Near the base is typically where these cracks develop. Be glad you didn't have a stuck case in the chamber. You'd have to use a stuck case extractor to remove it.

R,
Bullseye

[purchawk]

Thanks Bullseye. You have never failed to have good advice for all of my firearm problems.

I'll try it, and I dump that batch of reloads.

[blue68f100]

Don't see this very often but it happens more so when a low fill powder (fast burn powders) is used. The pressure and the way it burn in the case causes it to happen. Use a High Fill powder then you get a more even burn in the case as the pressure builds.

[Hakaman]

I have reloaded about 1000 rounds of 223 w/o any problems. As mentioned above, it does sound like the case has been reloaded too many times and stress is taking it's toll. I am always a little "over cautious" when reloading, and, for what it's worth, I use Varget powder. The way it turns out with Varget when I load, it's almost a "compressed" load.
good luck,
haka

[Mr. Nail]

I was wondering what kind of cartridges they are... as far as the metal.

[Tbag]

I've had this happen a couple times in two different AR's with Black Hills factory reloaded ammo, the blue box stuff. Never made me feel good when it occured, but dang that stuff was/is accurate.

I'd do as Bullseye suggested, may be take it a step further and hit with some JB Bore Paste.

[Hakaman]

The dealer is a good friend and shooting companion, and he thinks that gasses may have been released at the point of the break during the original event that etched the chamber.
After thoroughly cleaning, inspect the bore again to see if the ring remains.
Don't see this very often but it happens more so when a low fill powder (fast burn powders) is used
for what it's worth, I use Varget powder, it's a slower burning powder.

Some of the points above are interesting.
Purchawk, I just wondered what become of this incident, did you find out the problem?
thanks, haka