Should I dispose of this case?

If you have to ask that question...you already know the answer.

Why would you keep it?

It looks more like a pinhole leak in the primer than leakage between the primer and case to me.

If that's what actually happened, then the case is probably fine.

Look at it closely under high magnification or maybe try sticking a needle into that black spot on the edge of the primer between 3 and 4 o'clock to know for sure.

Cases are cheaper than bolts. I’d chunk it.

That looks like it was the primer that let go.

generally speaking though.... if I have doubts about the integrity of a case, to the scrap bucket it goes

Deprime it after a good look under magnafication. If the failure is around the side rim of the primer I would recycle it. If it is a pinhole in the primer near the top of it and the seal around the brass is intact should be OK to reuse. If you have plenty more just recycle and move on but I personally would take the time to look just to see what happened. If its the primer I would watch for more in that batch.

Send it to NTS for testing. Will cost you a bundle but we all know reloaders are loaded.

Should I dispose of this case?

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Yes.

When in doubt, pitch it out. One case lost is cheap insurance.

I agree with retiring it from service. I cannot make out exactly what caliber, but I believe it says Norma and the other suggests a rifle case. I had a few cases with leakage that look like that. I over pressured the case and blew some pressure around the primer. Didn't blow up or ruin the rifle, but those cases primer pockets were really loose.
Even Norma brass is cheaper to replace than another rifle.
I agree with entropy, it is cheap insurance.

Swampman said:

It looks more like a pinhole leak in the primer than leakage between the primer and case to me.

If that's what actually happened, then the case is probably fine.

Look at it closely under high magnification or maybe try sticking a needle into that black spot on the edge of the primer between 3 and 4 o'clock to know for sure.

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Thats what I was thinking too. Looks like a pinhole between 3 and 4 o'clock. Pop the primer out and look at it.
Inspect the primer pocket and if it looks OK, Id shoot it again, but mark that case with a marker so you can track if it really is a problem. When you seat a new primer, youll instantly know if the primer pocket is junk as well, as it will seat more easily than the others. If thats the case, carefully deprime the live primer and trash it.
If you are really worried, just bin it, and move on.

Definitely a hole in the primer as Swampman said. I'd deprime it and look at the primer pocket for damage.
Those 7.7 Japs cases don't grow on tree's

Archie said:

I cannot make out exactly what caliber, but I believe it says Norma and the other suggests a rifle case.

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Looks like 7.7 Jap.

That happened a bunch with a lot of winchester primers. I scrap the case when it happens.

I can't tell from the picture if thats a 6.5 Jap case or a 7.7 Jap. Either one is expensive and a little hard to find. So I understand your desire to save the case. I would deprime the case and carefully look at the primer. I would also pay strict attention to the feel of how the new primer goes in. But I wouldn't risk the bolt face over one piece of brass.

Can’t determine anything from this photo. Lighting kinda sucks, and the primer is obscuring inspection of the pocket.

If the BRASS is etched, ditch it. If depriming reveals a clean pocket, party on.

barnfrog said:

Looks like 7.7 Jap.

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7.7mm Arisaka is the same diameter (was actually copied from) .303 British, right around .310"- .311". Not so hard to replace.

Archie said:

7.7mm Arisaka is the same diameter (was actually copied from) .303 British, right around .310"- .311". Not so hard to replace.

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The bore diameter may have been. But the cartridge more closely resembles the 30-06. During the 90s. My dad used them trimmed down and resized to 7.7.

BJung said:

This case shows some leakage at the primer pocket. Should this case be culled?View attachment 1117588

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Deprime, clean the pocket, hit it with a go/no go gauge...carry on.

My first Arisaka, a Type 38 6.5x50sr, cost me less than half as much as the first box of ammo I bought for it.
Back in the early 70's, Norma was it for 6.5 Jap ammo/brass (and they were damn proud of the stuff).

Swampman said:

My first Arisaka, a Type 38 6.5x50sr, cost me less than half as much as the first box of ammo I bought for it.
Back in the early 70's, Norma was it for 6.5 Jap ammo/brass (and they were damn proud of the stuff).

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No kidding!

When I was a kid, my Grandfather had a1909 Mauser rifle in 7.65 Argentine. He added two boxes of Norma softpoints to the purchase and the ammo ran him almost the same as the gun did. Those wood-panel looking boxes from Sweden sure weren’t cheap!

Stay safe.

Bfh_auto said:

The bore diameter may have been. But the cartridge more closely resembles the 30-06. During the 90s. My dad used them trimmed down and resized to 7.7.

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You are correct. The original .303 British round was rimmed. The 7.7 Arisaka round is not. The entire story is rather complicated and considerably longer than prudent to rehearse here. I find it quite interesting and a fascinating bit of history. But not exactly needed for this discussion. (Still, find out the history of the Japanese 7.7mm rimmed cartridge.)

In 'earlier' times - the middle 1970s as I recall - I knew a man who did the same thing. Around that time in the U. S. (at least the folks I knew) could not get (at least know about Norma) 7.7mm Arisaka (7.7mm Jap, in the language of the day) ammunition or cases. But .30-06 cases were close enough.
The man I knew reported that by trimming and resizing the case - using the correct size bullet - the resulting cartridge would work in the rifle. But, on shooting the full power charge, the case would crack. The .30-06 case is very slightly smaller that the 7.7mm Arisaka.
It was a way in that era to make the rifles useful.

I never had a 7.7 Jap, I had the 6.5 Jap which was rimmed and still have a couple left over rounds for it.
I will have to tear these down since the powder may be going bad in them.

I had pierced primers from factory Norma ammunition from the 70s also. I remember about 2-3 from this box had blown primers. I blamed it on head spacing of the gun or the firing pin being messed up, at that time, but really didn't know alot about guns when I had that one. So it may have been the ammo.
I'm glad I dug these out and looked at them.

That's not good, I'll tear these down after I'm done with this post. Looks like the powder ate through the brass.

BJung said:

This case shows some leakage at the primer pocket. Should this case be culled?View attachment 1117588

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Is that a reload or is it an old factory load? Just curious because my 6,5Jap factory Norma ammo did the same thing.

Well cases were ok. Look new inside and powder looks good to.
Interesting bullet design. Guess it's just a bad spot on the case but I'm still scrapping them.

tightgroup tiger said:

Well cases were ok. Look new inside and powder looks good to.
View attachment 1117895 Interesting bullet design. View attachment 1117896 Guess it's just a bad spot on the case but I'm still scrapping them.

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It may be a case someone wants in a collection if you know people that do that.