Yesterday at the range a friend of mine was trying out my 38 special and he brought a box of Blazer 38 amo to shoot in my gun. After about 2 shots the pistol would jam. It is a Charter Arms 2" revolver. I am trying to sell the gun and it made me look really bad. I tried the amo in my new Rossi 2" revolver and it jammed. After looking at everything we could find nothing wrong. At first I thought the base was swelling and causing the problem but then my friend said "look haw much longer these shells are than the ones in the box". What was happening was when you shot 2 rounds the recoil would cause the lead to come out of the case and extend out beyond the cylinder and the lead would cause the cylinder not to turn as the tip would hit the frame. You could open the revolver and push the lead back in and finish shooting. If you cannot open the revolver you can push the lead back in from the front of the cylinder far enough to allow you to open the cylinder. Last time I will ever tell someone to buy Blazer. This seems to be a ongoing problem as theis subject came up a few years back. It seems Blazer will not address this problem. If someone had purchased this amo to put in their gun for self defense and this happened it could have cost them their life. Buyer beware.
Bad Blazer Ammo
- Thread starter scottw
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Yesterday at the range a friend of mine was trying out my 38 special and he brought a box of Blazer 38 amo to shoot in my gun. After about 2 shots the pistol would jam. It is a Charter Arms 2" revolver. I am trying to sell the gun and it made me look really bad. I tried the amo in my new Rossi 2" revolver and it jammed. After looking at everything we could find nothing wrong. At first I thought the base was swelling and causing the problem but then my friend said "look haw much longer these shells are than the ones in the box". What was happening was when you shot 2 rounds the recoil would cause the lead to come out of the case and extend out beyond the cylinder and the lead would cause the cylinder not to turn as the tip would hit the frame. You could open the revolver and push the lead back in and finish shooting. If you cannot open the revolver you can push the lead back in from the front of the cylinder far enough to allow you to open the cylinder. Last time I will ever tell someone to buy Blazer. This seems to be a ongoing problem as theis subject came up a few years back. It seems Blazer will not address this problem. If someone had purchased this amo to put in their gun for self defense and this happened it could have cost them their life. Buyer beware.Nathan Williams
member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2006
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- 190
I dont know about revolvers, but I shoot blazer in my autos with no problem.
Interesting, I thought that was only really a problem with really light bullets in revolvers. I wonder if its related to crimping or perhaps aluminum is just less likely to get as good a grip on the bullet as brass.
Either way I use a lot of blazer in my autos and they love it.
Either way I use a lot of blazer in my autos and they love it.
RE: BAD AMO
When I posted this notice I never thought that I would get a response from auto shooters. I would not expect loose bullets causing too many problems in an auto as the clip will keep the lead in place. This amo in the revolver has nothing keeping the lead place. This stuff was so loose that you could push the lead back in with very little pressure with the tip of your finger. If it were possible the lead would have fallen out of the open end of the cylinder as there is nothing to keep it in place. The lead was sticking out in front of the cylinder by over 1/16 of an inch in 2 shots. The reason for the post was to warn somebody who has this junk in his revolver and that revolver is what he or she uses for personal protection. If that person has to use the weapon to fight for their life they would be in serious trouble. I see this as a serious problem as my weapons are all for personal protection and I Carry them for that purpose and I assure you I will from this point on check and double check all of my amo. No this amo did not show any signs of being crimped. Again where was Blaizer's quality control? :banghead:
When I posted this notice I never thought that I would get a response from auto shooters. I would not expect loose bullets causing too many problems in an auto as the clip will keep the lead in place. This amo in the revolver has nothing keeping the lead place. This stuff was so loose that you could push the lead back in with very little pressure with the tip of your finger. If it were possible the lead would have fallen out of the open end of the cylinder as there is nothing to keep it in place. The lead was sticking out in front of the cylinder by over 1/16 of an inch in 2 shots. The reason for the post was to warn somebody who has this junk in his revolver and that revolver is what he or she uses for personal protection. If that person has to use the weapon to fight for their life they would be in serious trouble. I see this as a serious problem as my weapons are all for personal protection and I Carry them for that purpose and I assure you I will from this point on check and double check all of my amo. No this amo did not show any signs of being crimped. Again where was Blaizer's quality control? :banghead:
Blazer BRASS in .45 auto shoots for crap out of my Kimber Ultra. I've never experienced more FTF's with anything else. I used to buy Blazer ALUMINUM and it shot just fine, but when I happened to get a few boxes of the BRASS version, I was racking the slide more than pulling the trigger.
I used the caps to emphasize that the CCI Aluminum was fine... the BRASS sucked. I still have a box left and yes, you can rap them on a coffee table and tell they're not seated right.
I used the caps to emphasize that the CCI Aluminum was fine... the BRASS sucked. I still have a box left and yes, you can rap them on a coffee table and tell they're not seated right.
Bruce333
Member
hmm. Must be a bad lot? I've used Blazer aluminum in a revolver and never had this problem. I just don't like how dirty the ammo is, my hands and gun were covered with black after half of a box. I shot up the rest of it and haven't bought any since.
evan price
Member
I would say conservatively that I have shot over 2000 rounds of Blazer Brass 9mm 115gr ball this year and had ZERO problems with it. For less than $110/K this stuff has been excellent range and practice ammo. As far as revolvers go I have shot 200 rounds of .44mag and .357/.38 Blazer Aluminum and had zero problems other than the above mentioned dirty ammo which isn't a problem for me. I rate Blazer Brass 9mm as good as Winchester White Box.
wally
Member
Loose bullets is worse news for auto shooters than it is for revolvers, sure the mag will keep the bullets from moving forward during recoil but if they "set back" during feeding dangerous pressures can result.
Never had a problem with Blazer in 9mm (dozens of cases) or .40 S&W (one case so far).
The Blazer .45 has never been cheaper enough for me to bother with trying.
--wally.
Never had a problem with Blazer in 9mm (dozens of cases) or .40 S&W (one case so far).
The Blazer .45 has never been cheaper enough for me to bother with trying.
--wally.
sm
member
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ccw9mm
Member
Redundant terms, I'd think. Haven't seen much good Blazer ammo. They have a strong repuation for jams in a wide variety of guns in which very little is reported to jam. BTDT, one box. Never again.
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
Interesting.
I shoot thousands of rounds of Blazer each year in:
10mm
44 Mag
.380 Auto
.45 LC
.38 Spec
.357 Mag
I love the stuff. It's extremely accurate in my SAAs in .45LC.
Never had a misfire or bad round. Accuracy varies from gun to gun, but never had a problem with it.
That said, any light bullet weight can shoot loose in a revo, especially the super light weights.
My 386PD exhibits this all the time with light bullet .357, with Blazer and other manufacturers as well.
If you have a firearm that won't digest Blazer, maybe you should look at the firearm too.
I shoot thousands of rounds of Blazer each year in:
10mm
44 Mag
.380 Auto
.45 LC
.38 Spec
.357 Mag
I love the stuff. It's extremely accurate in my SAAs in .45LC.
Never had a misfire or bad round. Accuracy varies from gun to gun, but never had a problem with it.
That said, any light bullet weight can shoot loose in a revo, especially the super light weights.
My 386PD exhibits this all the time with light bullet .357, with Blazer and other manufacturers as well.
If you have a firearm that won't digest Blazer, maybe you should look at the firearm too.
mcmoyer
Member
I would tend to agree with that.
possum
Member
I have fired blazer aluminum cased in my mom's taurus model 85 .38 special without a problem, b i have fired alot of 9mm and .40blaser brass, in a ruger p95 and sa xd, and have never had an issue with any of it. I bought a bunch back when natchezss.com had a good deal on it. Haven't shot any more since then, but would again in a heartbeat. it is fine by me. i would agree that it was most liky=ly a bad lot, never heard of that before.
For those who can't read
:banghead: When I posted this i did not ask if you liked the Blazer amo. Whether you do or do not is not the question.
The statement was posted to tell someone to check their ammo.
Will someone educate me and tell me how you can take a shell out of a new box of amo and push on the lead with the tip of your finger and push the lead back into the case and that this is a problem with the gun.
I am now convinced that some people post a reply because they cannot read properly or they only want to say something in order to make themselves sound like they know something.
:banghead: When I posted this i did not ask if you liked the Blazer amo. Whether you do or do not is not the question.
The statement was posted to tell someone to check their ammo.
Will someone educate me and tell me how you can take a shell out of a new box of amo and push on the lead with the tip of your finger and push the lead back into the case and that this is a problem with the gun.
I am now convinced that some people post a reply because they cannot read properly or they only want to say something in order to make themselves sound like they know something.
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Bruce333
Member
I seriously doubt anyone would use the cheapest ammo around for SD purposes, but thanks for the warning.
(you will get respones both negative and postive anytime you post something like this. It's just human nature for people to put their 2 cents in. It also keeps your post near the top so more people will see it, so they are actually helping.)
(you will get respones both negative and postive anytime you post something like this. It's just human nature for people to put their 2 cents in. It also keeps your post near the top so more people will see it, so they are actually helping.)
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While I've shot a LOT of Blazer with no problem, I have noted that the aluminum cases don't hold the bullets as tightly as a brass case will.
I NEVER rechamber any Blazer rounds in an autopistol for this reason--to avoid setback (the round being driven deeper into the case) during feeding. I can also understand that shooting Blazer aluminum in a light revolver could cause the problems scottw reports although I have never had a problem that mirrors his while using Blazer in a revolver.
I NEVER rechamber any Blazer rounds in an autopistol for this reason--to avoid setback (the round being driven deeper into the case) during feeding. I can also understand that shooting Blazer aluminum in a light revolver could cause the problems scottw reports although I have never had a problem that mirrors his while using Blazer in a revolver.
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71Commander
Member
I bought 1000 rounds of Blazer in tin can. .40. Out of the 1000, I had a good 10% that had good primer strikes, but no discharge.
Shoots (no pun intended) an IPSC match all to pot. Never again.
Shoots (no pun intended) an IPSC match all to pot. Never again.
CAS700850
Member
It's a matter of crimping. Plus, it does involve the gun. Lighter weight guns recoil more than heavier guns, which exaggerates the effects of bullet jump. Load the same "bad" ammo in my 6" Smith 586, and you may have no problems at all. Drop the same rounds in a scandium Smith, and you may have a bullet completely jump out of the case.
So, it can be a gun issue, as well as an ammo issue.
In my personal experieces, shooting Blazer aluminum and brass out of revolvers and autos, I have had no problems, except back in the early 1990's, when I got some split cases.
This is why it is a good practice (n pun intended) to practice with what you will carry, to ensure no fuction problems. Maybe not all the time, but at least burn up the old ammo now and then.
Chris
So, it can be a gun issue, as well as an ammo issue.
In my personal experieces, shooting Blazer aluminum and brass out of revolvers and autos, I have had no problems, except back in the early 1990's, when I got some split cases.
This is why it is a good practice (n pun intended) to practice with what you will carry, to ensure no fuction problems. Maybe not all the time, but at least burn up the old ammo now and then.
Chris
Are you absolutely sure about the brand on these? I've never heard of Blazer being offered in this type of packaging. I've also not heard of the kind of misfire problems you had either.
The only commercial ammo maker that was packaging ammo in tin cans for awhile was American Ammunition (NOT American Eagle). It was some of the worst, if not THE worst commercial ammo I've ever purchased.
TexasRifleman
Moderator Emeritus
You didn't get that at a gun show did you? If so, Lord knows what you bought.
71Commander
Member
It's what we so fondly(sarcasm) call aluminum cases.
added Information
I did edit my post and took out the one thing I feel was in bad taste. The rest will stand.
At last this post is getting good replies and good questions.
The box is CCI Blazer. They do not post lot numbers. Here is the only printing on the box.
38 Special 158 GR. LRN
3522 F12M6
40627 Rev A
MRP 8270143
Ammo was purchased at a sporting goods store 2 days ago.
Blazer does not give you any information on how to contact them. I looked them up on the web and will call them Tuesday and will post what they say. While I was trying to find them I came across another post dated in 2003 and the person who posted it had the sme problem in his revolver. When he posted his question he did not get the correct answer. ( I Think)_ No one mentioned that the lead could have moved forward. He most likely had the same problem that I did. Again it seems that Blazer has had this problem before and has not addressed the problem.
Thanks to those who made the constructive remarks.
I did edit my post and took out the one thing I feel was in bad taste. The rest will stand.
At last this post is getting good replies and good questions.
The box is CCI Blazer. They do not post lot numbers. Here is the only printing on the box.
38 Special 158 GR. LRN
3522 F12M6
40627 Rev A
MRP 8270143
Ammo was purchased at a sporting goods store 2 days ago.
Blazer does not give you any information on how to contact them. I looked them up on the web and will call them Tuesday and will post what they say. While I was trying to find them I came across another post dated in 2003 and the person who posted it had the sme problem in his revolver. When he posted his question he did not get the correct answer. ( I Think)_ No one mentioned that the lead could have moved forward. He most likely had the same problem that I did. Again it seems that Blazer has had this problem before and has not addressed the problem.
Thanks to those who made the constructive remarks.
scottw,
I wasn't aware that Blazer was loading any lead bullets into aluminum cases. Given the already weaker "grasp" of the aluminum on the bullets, and the softer & slicker lead bullets, it doesn't surprise me terribly that you had the problems you did. I would contact Blazer/CCI and let them know what problems you had. There's a good chance they'll try to make it right.
Thanks for posting, if you can easily push a bullet into the case with your thumb, I would agree that there's a problem.
TennTucker,
By any chance did the gun you were using have a lighter than normal hammer spring? CCI is known for having hard primers and for being a poor choice for guns with lighter than normal primer strikes. That's a pretty high misfire rate though--what did CCI say when you complained?
I wasn't aware that Blazer was loading any lead bullets into aluminum cases. Given the already weaker "grasp" of the aluminum on the bullets, and the softer & slicker lead bullets, it doesn't surprise me terribly that you had the problems you did. I would contact Blazer/CCI and let them know what problems you had. There's a good chance they'll try to make it right.
Thanks for posting, if you can easily push a bullet into the case with your thumb, I would agree that there's a problem.
TennTucker,
By any chance did the gun you were using have a lighter than normal hammer spring? CCI is known for having hard primers and for being a poor choice for guns with lighter than normal primer strikes. That's a pretty high misfire rate though--what did CCI say when you complained?
71Commander
Member
I thought of that. It was a Para 1911. I changed the firing pin spring to see if that was the problem. No change.
I didn't contact CCI. I viewed it as a lesson learned. Had to be a bad batch of primers. I've never had a problem with the 9's though.
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