Bad brass?

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dagerv

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Hey there. I cleaned and sized my first batch of 44mag brass this afternoon and halfway through came across a case that had split in half during sizing. Noticed on the up stroke.

once fired brass fired by me in a Marlin 1894 and wet tumbled. No signs of wear on other cases before or after sizing.

is this bad brass?
 
I also have a marlin 1894 but in 45 long colt and a while back I started getting splits with Starline brass after 8 reloads so really not too much complaint. I have 3 of the other major headstamps with 8 reloads but no splits. What brand of brass ?
 
Unusual failure. Fiocchi isn't top of the line, inconsistencies are likely . I'd load to moderate levels, if all is well then I wouldn't be too worried about loading them up a bit hotter
 
dcarr said:
I also have a marlin 1894 but in 45 long colt and a while back I started getting splits with Starline brass after 8 reloads so really not too much complaint. I have 3 of the other major headstamps with 8 reloads but no splits. What brand of brass ?
Click to expand...
forget this comment, mine were split length wise
 
Thanks all! I will load up some on the mild side and work up from there
 
I've handled a lot of brass. . . and I've never seen a straight wall cartridge do that. Load the rest, and proceed. . . and save that for your scrapbook.
 
I can’t tell but does that brass have a cannelure? You haven’t lived until you’ve had the front part of a cannelured case get stuck in your lever gun upon ejection and then lever a new round into it. Grrrrrrrrr

Just a note, use cannelured reloaded brass in revolvers, not lever guns.
 
As noted, splits are more often vertical than like that, but it does happen. Just scrap it and load the other ones. May not get another split for the life of the cases.

Brass will split sometimes, it just happens. This .45 Colt case
split, but the others in the batch are still going strong.
Split .45 Colt Brass.JPG

.32 Mag
Split .32 Mag Case.JPG

.357
Split .357 Case.JPG
 
Many years ago I had some 38spcl brass split like yours, don't remember the headstamp just that it was nickel plated.
 
To clarify this was factory ammo fired through an 1894. The brass was saved and wet tumbled, then sized.

definitely a keeper for the scrapbook ha!
 
I've seen that on bottleneck cases, and on straight walled pistol cases at the cannelure, but this is a new one to me. I'm kind of at a loss about how it could have happened. I certainly would be up all night staring into the rest of them with a light and a magnifier.
 
midland man said:
was this ammo stored for a long time??
Click to expand...
Purchased within the last two years. No other issues with older ammo/brass that have been stored away much longer and in the same conditions. Just thought the way the brass split was strange.
 
I've never seen a break like that and I've shot a lot of straight-walled ammo. If you see another one after your next round, toss the entire lot.
 
dagerv said:
factory ammo fired through an 1894.
Click to expand...
Have rifles headspace checked.

The rim thickness of the brass can be measured. Max is .060" Minimum is .049"

Any time brass stretches more then .010" , it may separate. May go to 2 or 3 firings till it separates.

The 44 mag headspaces on the rim.
 
Last edited:
dagerv said:
Thanks for the tip on the cannelured brass in levers. This brass has no cannelure
Click to expand...

Odd. Add my name to the list on lengthwise splits then. The only straight walled brass I have ever seen separate like that was due to cannelure. I did have a bottle necked .308 case separate like that just below the shoulder years ago. It was old military ammo. Luckily I only had a few boxes.
 
243winxb said:
Have rifles headspace checked
Click to expand...
Never hurts to check.
Here is some brass a member posted years ago where over pressure caused separations,
but assuming the OP has fired multiple rounds through his rifle with only this one failure
(He mentioned a "batch" of brass), I would have to chalk his split case up as an anomaly.
jfh's Seperated .38 Spl Brass - Small - 500x500.JPG
 
As the saying goes things happen. It just goes to show it a good idea to check cases through out the loading process. I have seen bad brass cases right out of a bag of virgin brass. Though those have been deformed mouths and primer pockets.
 
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