case splitting???

[usmc0811]

Well today I went back to the range with my second ever batch of reloads. They were hard cast lead 230 gr. LRN bullets shooting out of my 5" 1911 using Hodgdons HS-6 powder 6.9-7.1 gr.
I have shot this same load 250 times give or take and about 100 factory rounds with out a single problem till today. As you can see from the pictures the case was shredded at the mouth, is this because the case may have had some splits in the mouth area? the brass is used but im not to sure how many times. the case was stuck in the slide during extraction a "stove pipe" malfunction. What could have caused this and could this have been real bad like blown up the gun in my hands? I did check all cases as I was loading them and none seemed to be splitting as far as I know. I also was careful to not double charge a case.

 

[usmc0811]

here are some more pics.

 

[IMtheNRA]

It looks like the damage happened after firing, during an ejection malfunction. Can you take a look at the "tear" in the brass and see if it shiny or scorched? I can't tell from the photos.

 

[WestKentucky]

That's damage after fired. Probably an empty didn't get out of the way and the slide jammed it onto the frame screwing it up. If it were damage loaded it would not be where the bullet was because the bullet would be there keeping it from collapsing like that. It wasn't a bad shot because there's no way a chamber is that bad and wouldn't do this every shot, and the rear is still round rather than oddly bulged and shredded as if it weren't supported.

Don't worry about this case, keep loading and enjoy. Nothing dangerous for your hands to be worried about.

 

[ReloaderFred]

That's a relatively light load of HS-6, according to my Lyman manual. It's possible the slide isn't recoiling completely. If it just comes back far enough to strip the next round from the magazine, and not all the way back, it may not give the expended case time to fully impact the ejector and exit the ejection port. The rebounding slide is catching the round and mashing the case mouth.

Another cause could be limp wristing. The frame of the pistol has to be held as rigid as possible so the recoiling slide can move it's whole length to eject the expended case and pick up a new one from the magazine, and then chamber the new round.

At any rate, your cases aren't splitting, they're being mashed after firing.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[LAGS]

If you want to use that light of load, then you might want to change your Ejector to one that is extended, to Kick the cases out sooner.
Or maybe a lighter recoil spring.
I wont accuse you of being Limp Wristed.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree those cases were smashed after firing.

I also agree that is a light load of HS-6. Your slide just might not be going all the way back. I would jump it to at least 7.5gr and see if the stovepipe stops. Hodgdon lists a range of HS-6 at 7.0gr to 8.0gr under a 230gr LRN bullet with an OLA of only 1.200". If you're loading 6.9gr HS-6 and a longer OAL you're pressures are going to be very low.

 

[rskent]

If I were you I would check my extractor tension. I would bet you need to clean out the extractor tunnel at the very least.

 

[FROGO207]

I think Reloader Fred pretty much summed it up. A good cleaning just in case but that happened to me with low powered (low impulse) reloads in a 45 ACP on me once. Bumping up the charge a couple tenths of a grain stopped it from happening ever again. I was using 700-X BTW. The worst thing for me is that it ruins that piece of brass.

 

[usmc0811]

thanks for the advise and no Im not limp wristed lol

 

[usmc0811]

I did bump my OAL to 1.25 due to 1.20 was way too short, I posted earlier about the OAL not to sure if it was this forum or not but I had some pictures of the loaded rounds with the 1.20 OAL showing how short they looked, everyone agreed that it did look too short and that it wouldn't hurt to bump it out some so I did to 1.25

 

[usmc0811]

How do check the extractor tension and clean out the extractor tunnel?

 

[FROGO207]

If you lengthen the round the pressure will be even LOWER as there is more volume for the gasses to expand before the bullet starts to move. If you do lengthen the round you will need to bump up the charge some to get reliable slide functioning.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I did bump my OAL to 1.25 due to 1.20 was way too short, I posted earlier about the OAL not to sure if it was this forum or not but I had some pictures of the loaded rounds with the 1.20 OAL showing how short they looked, everyone agreed that it did look too short and that it wouldn't hurt to bump it out some so I did to 1.25

It has been my practice to make the OAL as long as possible and still pass the Plunk Test without going over the SAAMI Max round length.

Hodgdon lists all of their 230gr 45 Auto loads with an OAL of only 1.200". My usual OAL for 230gr 45 Auto ammo will run between 1.250" and 1.270" with the majority running 1.255" to 1.265" depending upon the bullet. Of course this will reduce case pressure and velocity so you have to make adjustments in powder charge weights. That is why my favorite 45 Auto loads are made with 5.5gr W231 under any 230gr bullet while Hodgdon's max charge is listed @5.3gr W231. Of course that is with their 1.200" COAL and my COAL is longer.

 

[rskent]

How do check the extractor tension and clean out the extractor tunnel?

You check the extractor tension by taking the slide off the frame and taking out the barrel and recoil spring assy. Then slide a live round up under the extractor just like it would be if it was loaded in the gun. It should stay there on its own. You should be able to rotate the slide in any direction without the round falling out. If the round won't stay put you are going to need to detail strip your slide. Most of the time all I have to do is clean the crud out of the hole the extractor fits into. After you clean the extractor and the tunnel test the tension again. If you are living right, the round will stay put when you slide it under the extractor. Job is done.

 

[edfardos]

Extractor tension too light
Load too light
recoil spring too strong

in that order. All easy to fix. In my case, tied string around an empty brass and measured the force required to yank it down from under the extractor. Spec is 18-26oz, but it varies. Mine likes 43oz. Too little and you get your pictured brass, too much and it fails to feed under the extractor claw.

in my case it was the extractor tension. I know those case splits very well. This issue is unique to 1911s.

edfardos