AR advice/help needed!! PLEASE!!!!

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Definitely not scenario #1. My daughter shot first four as I watched all hit target, with the fourth breaking the target frame of the self sealing gong. Sat rifle aside with safety on and walked down to fix frame. Came back and laid down to shoot the last round myself to check zero from last time I shot it in January. Scenario #2? I didn't see anything different when I loaded mag, and I also shoot .308 and have in the past several other calibers....I know the difference between them. So no to this one too. #3? That's the way I'm leaning. Not sure why or how they would come up with such a crazy story? I mean they were willing to do whatever it took to take care of me, then this! I know there are wildcats of all flavors out there, but I think .30 IHMSA is the only one I ever had any contact with. I will keep all informed what I get back from ammo company. Still trying to figure next step...tried being nice, not threatened to contact attorney, haven't mentioned names of either company. Maybe they would change their minds about helping? Again, I don't want anything for my hearing/pain or the fact my daughter was scared to death. Just would like to get whoever liable to repair my rifle.
 
This may sound odd - but have you considered calling back the rifle manufacturer, telling them the song and dance you got from the ammo company, explaining that there's no possible way you loaded a 125gr bullet, and seeing if they want to call the ammo company for a chat?

No, it does not look like the rifle maker has any responsibility for this kaboom, but they all like to keep happy customers and be CERTAIN that their products are not defective, so they might choose to call the ammo company and say "c'mon guys, lay off the __" and possibly get some more positive response from them.
 
Ok. Spoke to gun mfr. said he would talk to his manager about situation and let me know what if anything they could do. Fingers crossed!
 
There are really only two physical possibilities for a detonation of that magnitude:

1) Obstructed bore (via squib, oversized bullet loaded somehow, etc)

2) Pistol powder in the rifle round.

I'd like to see some pics of whatever you have left, and whatever comes back from the ammo mfg.

The lower might well be hosed too. At the least, I'd get it checked out by an expert before using it again.
 
Still waiting on everything to be returned. Ammo co said shipped out Monday pm along with replacement ammo. Stands his ground that a. 224 caliber, 1.355" long, solid copper hollow point bullet was in the bore just short of gas port. Remnants of case definitely. 223. Said it was not there components so not their responsibility. Gun maker says there's nothing they can do and that ammo maker should take care of it since it came from their box regardless. Opinions of a disgruntled employee possibly placing the alleged round and maybe others that the company won't admit, to harm company? Will try to post as many pics as possible when scrap metal is returned. Have not mentioned companies yet, you would think they'd prefer to pay for the upper instead of that happening. No extortion, just what's fair.
As far as cost of lawyer vs upper... have a best friend.of about 20 years that is a very prominent attorney in my community that doesn't charge me.
Fact is: the round came out of a box of the ammo company's, I had no reason to suspect otherwise. And I trusted it to be theirs. If I had any thought of something out of the ordinary, I wouldn't have sent them the barrel. Of course I wouldn't have shot it either!!!
 
I see this like once a month. I dont know why people have such a hard time reloading .223 its always best to buy quality factory ammo. That must have been one helluva squib. Sorry about your luck. Glad no one was hurt.
 
TAKtical said:
I see this like once a month. I dont know why people have such a hard time reloading .223 its always best to buy quality factory ammo. That must have been one helluva squib. Sorry about your luck. Glad no one was hurt.
Click to expand...

I've never seen it in person, but I've seen must as many stories and pictures on the internet of kabooms using factory ammo...it's best to know the heck what you are doing when you reload.

I trust my reloads more than I trust factory ammo.
 
Again there was no squib before this round. I saw all 4 before hit the target. This ammo is from a major major company that sells all over. To law enforcement and more.
 
I would think a 125 grain .224 solid copper hollow point bullet would be longer than 1.355 inches - more like 1.8 inches.
 
My guess, if everyone is being truthful:

Cartridge # 4 was a reloaded case which had previously been loaded with a Barnes 70 gr TSX. In its previous loading with the TSX, the bullet got pushed back into the case and the cartridge was disgarded, then recycled as if it were a spent case. The 55 grain fmj loaded on top of the 70 gr tsx made it to the target when shot 4 was fired, but the 70 gr tsx remained in the barrel. When shot 5 was fired, the 55 gr fmj married the 70 gr tsx to form what ammo maker is calling a 125 gr copper hp and the rifle kaboomed. If you disect the 125 grain item that was lodged in the bore and find a 70 grain TSX followed by a 55 gr fmj, you will have proof that the kaboom is the ammo makers fault because he was negligent during the case prep process.

Do I have too much free time or what?
 
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Two bullets in the case, one leaves the bore, the other doesn't, and there is no KB on that shot? Highly unlikely.

Someone here is badly wrong in their assessment. Either the OP's perceptions are not even close to what happened, or the ammo co is badly mistaken and/or making stuff up. Or both.

Personally probably the first think I would have done after the KB was check the bore to see if it was (still) obstructed, but, if that didn't happen it didn't happen. I'd want to inspect this mystery 125gr bullet. 90gr is the heaviest I have ever heard of anyone shooting out of an AR and at correct OAL that load won't fit in the magazine.

Does this bullet even exist commercially? 90gr also happens to be the heaviest .224 bullets listed by Midway at this time. I would really be looking forward to inspecting this mystery bullet.
 
ny32182 said:
Two bullets in the case, one leaves the bore, the other doesn't, and there is no KB on that shot? Highly unlikely.

Someone here is badly wrong in their assessment. Either the OP's perceptions are not even close to what happened, or the ammo co is badly mistaken and/or making stuff up. Or both.

Personally probably the first think I would have done after the KB was check the bore to see if it was (still) obstructed, but, if that didn't happen it didn't happen. I'd want to inspect this mystery 125gr bullet. 90gr is the heaviest I have ever heard of anyone shooting out of an AR and at correct OAL that load won't fit in the magazine.

Does this bullet even exist commercially? 90gr also happens to be the heaviest .224 bullets listed by Midway at this time. I would really be looking forward to inspecting this mystery bullet.
Click to expand...
If you assume that most of the powder was behind both bullets in cartridge 4, you would expect a kaboom when 4 was fired, but what if most of the powder was between the 2 bullets in cartridge #4 or beside the tsx, with just enough behind the tsx to get it far enough down the barrel for cartridge #5 to chamber?
 
Ok for all that continue to try to figure this out...squib, no squib, 2 bullets, married bullets, etc. The ammo isn't from an individual that reloads in his garage, it's from a major remanufactured ammo company that advertises on the net and is sold in stores all around the country.
Again, 5 rounds loaded into 20 rd mag. 4 shots taken by my daughter while I watched them hit target. All 4 hit the target just fine with the last one actually breaking the steel frame in to. I placed gun on safe, reset frame so as to be used again. Then I shot the fifth and final round when it blew big time. I am not a novice shooter, been shooting for more than 30 years. I used to reload up until I had no place for my equipment probably back in the late 90's.
The box of ammo I grabbed from the locked cabinet is one of 5 from the same company, same lot numbers, from several years ago. To the best of my knowledge all of it was original factory reloads from this company. I had shot a 50 rd box of it a few years back with no problems. Have also shot other calibers from the same company in the past. This time something went drastically wrong! I could tell the barrel had something down it after detonation, but couldn't see well enough if it were a bullet or brass that may have flowed into bore. I know the round that blew came from the box. The company's story after I sent them the barrel to see what happened is that this mysterious, unknown by anyone including them, bullet was lodged in the bore. They say it was a .223 case for sure, and the bullet they supposedly found in the bore was a single projectile, .22 caliber, 1.355" in length and that it wasn't and couldn't have been loaded in their factory. They also agreed that they can't find anywhere that a bullet of these dimensions ever existed from any manufacturer!
So yes my description of the event is accurate. Yes I believe the ammo company is trying to get out of making it right. I feel something was in fact wrong to cause the situation but...Still not sure why the crazy story of this bullet that by anyone's account doesn't even exist!!
So what is my next step? Open to suggestions here: Tell everyone the ammo manufacturer to cause them a small financial hit? Gun company says it's fault is with ammo. Ammo says whoever made the mystery round is. I agree, but the round came from their box and I had no reason to think otherwise. I should have my scrap back from company today? Will post pics asap.
 
Looking forward to photos.

I wouldn't post the company name just yet, although some of us have a pretty good guess by this point.

Unless the returned pieces somehow change your mind, I would be inclined to send the ammo company a demand letter setting out the facts stated here, and threatening legal action if they don't take care of it. Obviously I am assuming you are completely honest and correct in your assertions, but with that assumption it seems that their ammo must have been defective, and particularly since none of us have any idea what bullet might meet their claimed description of the bore obstruction.
 
Nothing about the pieces could change my mind. Even if the bullet is what they described, I know what caused it came from their box. The bullet won't change my mind, more likely confirm my feelings that they're basically screwing me. If I had anything to hide, I wouldn't have sent them the barrel with this alleged bullet in it. Had they received the barrel with a case remnant from the chamber, even with nothing in the bore, they would have replaced my firearm/upper assembly. I could've driven out what ever was in the barrel, but I wanted to know what the heck happened. Something that some may be missing or forgetting...my 15 year old daughter was shooting this and was standing right behind me when it blew up! I love her too much to ever do something so stupid. My fear now is are there any more of these in any other company's ammo boxes? First time ever in like I said around 30 plus years of shooting.
 
I have learned a lot from this post.

Always, always cover you own behind. If this happens to me I will take as many photos as possible to tell my story.
I would take photos of where everything ended up after the explosion. Pics of the barrel, pics of the bore, etc. before I ever let the gun out of my possession.
I would video me weighing every round left in the box before sending the ammo back to the manufacturer.
I would think of every conspiracy that I could and write it down, and also write down what exactly took place before; during; and after the event.

Dealing with what I am dealing with at work has made me a CYOA person more than I have ever been. I document everything. EVERYTHING! Then I put it in a safe box or store it in at least three different locations.

I hate that you are having a hard time, but pics of the barrel would have helped you. Pictures of a clear bore would have put them, the ammo co., in the hot seat.
I hope you get this resolved, and the best thing of all is that you aren't dead or disabled from this incident.
 
Thanks for that and I agree. I took several pics and know something was on the bore afterwards. I figured it was either a bullet or melted brass from the ruptured case. I did document conversations as well as lot numbers and anything else I could think of. I should've taken it completely apart myself or have an independent party handle it. Will be taking all to my attorney when it returns, after having a former armorer friend of mine inspect it. Which is what I should have done first!
 
Brown truck just left. Open the box and find my barrel in 2 pieces with sight post, ring and other parts in small ziplock bags. One bag contains thin barrel? metal with what appears to be a 55 gr fmj unfixed and this long straight hollow point with rifling grooves on it. I've never seen anything like it. More like a tapered hollow point piece of cleaning rod or ?! Strange thing is I don't see the ruptured case which they said was still in the chamber/bolt face? They said they wre going to return everything including a replacement 200 rounds of ammo in exchange for the 200 I sent them...hiding something???
 
Did you video tape you opening the box? If you have a video of you opening the box and listing inventory then you can dispute their claim.
 
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