Beware! Ammo Not What It Was Labeled

[DCoke]

Not sure how or when, but ammo I fired at the range yesterday was not what it was supposed to be. Was supposed to be firing Hornady .204 32gr from my Savage Model 12 VLPSS when I noticed smoke from the chamber upon firing and felt burning powder on my cheek (much like when firing flintlock with flashpan burning). Ejected casing to see primer punched through by firing pin and then noticed that my new box of Hornady was not Hornady at all, but was instead Winchester cases with Hornady VMax 32gr bullets and VERY SOFT THIN PRIMERS! I don't believe that Hornady uses anything but Hornady brass cases and I think it was switched by some unscrupulous person but I have no way of proving that. It's my own fault for not paying attention when loading the rifle, but not something I'd expect from what I thought I was shooting. It turns out I have about 5 boxes that are not what is supposed to be in them, as I found out when I returned home. Has anyone else here bought ammo that was supposed to be one thing and ended up being another? My ammo sources have been big name sporting stores and online big name suppliers.

 

[Cryogaijin]

I recently bought a couple boxes of 12 gauge OO buck that was labeled 2 3/4th" but was actually 3"

 

[doc2rn]

Probably some unscrupulous store employee switching out with cheaper ammo

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

no. i check before i buy expensive ammo. just open the box and take a look.

 

[Ramone]

no. i check before i buy expensive ammo. just open the box and take a look.

This^

I am also checking that it's a full box, and nothing is obviously wrong with the ammo- At my LGS, the counter guys will usually check the boxes if the purchaser doesn't.

 

[DCoke]

I check the boxes when at the stores...it's the online purchases that arrive via the delivery service that I've gone on good faith and not checked...but no longer. I'm sure that even had I checked it would have appeared to be good ammo...only upon firing did I learn that wasn't the case with these soft primers.

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

^^when ordering online, buy quality from a reputable source, and you'll be fine

 

[Trebor]

Always check. I've seen mistakes in boxes before, enough to where I double check before loading a mag or rifle. It's even worse if you buy surplus ammo. Sometimes there is no telling what you'll actually get.

 

[rcmodel]

I have never had that happen, but I seldom if ever buy factory ammo.
I reload everything I shoot.

On the otherhand, I have seen the Walmart sporting goods department kids with several boxes of various ammo dumped out on the glass display case looking at it all with intense interest!

Got to really wonder if it all got put back in the boxs it came out of?

rc

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I've gotten faulty ammo before, e.g., deformed cases, one cartridge with a primer upside down and so on. I think it a good idea to say, "I'm buying this ammo, but I want to inspect it first." This way you won't draw the ire of the store personnel for just opening and fondling the ammo (as I've seen many people do).

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

"I'm buying this ammo, but I want to inspect it first." This way you won't draw the ire of the store personnel for just opening and fondling the ammo (as I've seen many people do).

you're shopping at the wrong stores.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

What "wrong stores?" Anyone who puts the ammo out on a shelf?

 

[clutch]

My only experience with ammo that wasn't what it should be was a box of magtech .380, that had one round of .32 acp in it. It just happened that I was shooting over a cronograph and got a weird velocity number and followed by a ftf.

Pulling the mag out found a bulged casing stuck in the pistol. Evidently the extractor had a firm enough grip to fire the case that fed up though the mag.

I have no idea what happened between the maker and me. Magtech is normally good ammo and I still buy it when the price is right.

Clutch

 

[rodregier]

Anything w/o seals on open shelving is suspect. {sigh}

 

[Owen]

anything with an open box is impossible to sell.

 

[CathyGo]

I've seen people pretty much rip open a box to check it or "just see what bullets looked like". Extremely rude to the store that now has to either send the box back or eat the cost of it. So I can understand a store not wanting people opening boxes at random. I find it odd that the same people who want to open a box to check ammo and make sure it wasn't messed with have a problem with a store employee telling them not to in order to prevent people from screwing with the ammo. Just take it up to the counter and open it in a non-destructive manner.

 

[WardenWolf]

Sounds like a customer pulled a fast one and you just happened to be the victim.

That said, Hornady DOES use some 3rd party cases. The 7.7 Jap ammo I bought for my Arisaka 99 had PPU-stamped (PRVI Partizan) cases.

 

[effengee]

Weird!

I've never had this happen. I've gotten some semi-jacketed Russian ammo for my AK that looked like a three year old made the bullet in the dark and then loaded it into the cartridge with a sledgehammer. I just scraped the extra lead from the soft point on some and fired them downrange with no issues.

ALWAYS check your rounds as you load them into the firearm.

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

I've seen people pretty much rip open a box to check it or "just see what bullets looked like". Extremely rude to the store that now has to either send the box back

Most gunshops I've been to will simply open the box for you. No one's advising you to "rip" boxes of ammo open.

 

[Tirod]

Some customers lack the necessary interdigital skills to simply open a box by pulling the flap up. For some reason they think they should tear the side down to spill the contents all over the counter.

Double check the store's policy on accepting ammo returns - most don't, all sales are final. But there still could have been someone who simply switched ammo in the boxes and got a nice profit on the refund. They are unscrupulous thieves who could care less it's fraudulent or whether something blows up your gun - the dark side of the shooting community. All they care about is making a few bucks per box and sticking everyone else with the cost.

I get them in the auto parts store I work every week. Roughly 5% are outright dirtbags, and surprisingly, frequent shoppers.

Your fellow American citizen, is all.

 

[sonofodin]

wait for it....here it comes...SO I was at walmart buying ammo! I know I know..anyways, I asked to see a box of WWB 230 Grn JHP .45. on sale 50 a box. clerk opened it up and checked! Then came the federal 9mm, which he checked too. Then I asked if they had any .38 special on sale, and he said "oh I think we have some of that foreign stuff" and gets out a box of wolf .380. I'm like...Mr, Thats mighty short to be .38 spcl . his reply; "oh my heavens thats .380!!!"

Box of .45 JHP, $28.99
Box of Federal 9mm, $10.00
Look on face of clerk at .38spcl vs .380 acp : priceless!

 

[MtnCreek]

Thats mighty short to be .38 spcl . his reply; "oh my heavens thats .380!!!"

I'm suprised he knew the difference even after you called him out on it.

I've never checked the ammo out before purchase; maybe I should. I can't figure out why the Winchester cartridges would have caused problems. It was the correct cartridge type, wasn't it? I've loaded ammo with win small rifle primers (not 204) that I'm pretty sure went way beyond the pressures found in factory ammo w/o primer issues.

 

[sonofodin]

I think he knew the difference when he read the label

 

[grubbylabs]

I have found that most places will open almost any thing if I ask. Heck the sportsman's here even lets me thumb through the reloading manuals just because I ask instead of pealing the wrapper of it my self.

 

[joeq]

I open every box before I purchase it, but have never found anything major.