Estate Shotshell tube separates from metal stuck in chamber!

[Bull Nutria]

My friend and I were duck hunting this morning, He was shooting a 1 year old Browning maxus 12 ga camo. He reloaded the gun after shooting at some ducks and he noticed that the bolt did not close all the way. He was shooting 3in Estate 1 3/8 #4steel. He tried a 2 3/4inch shell and it chambered. after some inspection we finally determined that the plastic tube on the shell had separated from the metal head and was lodged in the forcing cone!! the metal head evidently ejected !

Needless to say we did not shoot that gun any more. when we got home we pried the red plastic tube out of the chamber/forcing cone area. it was 2.375 inches long which appears to be way short of what the plastic on a 3in spent shell should be!

Has anyone had similar problems with Estate Shells or any other shells? My friend is an experienced shotgunner and notice that the bolt did not sound correct when he closed it and that it stayed partially open.

I hate to think of what could have happened if he would have tried to shoot a shell with that entire plastic tube in the forcing cone!!

What say you?? Does anyone have any idea what caused this to happen?

Bull

 

[oneounceload]

bad plastic

Estates are now made by Federal and Federal uses them as one of their cheap promo shells

unfortunately, they ruined a good brand

 

[rockn30809]

Haven't seen it on a new Estate hull but is has happened quite often on reloads. They are junk hulls.

 

[Fred Fuller]

unfortunately, they ruined a good brand

Sad thing it was, IMHO. I agree - Estate was a great little independent Texas company that made some outstanding shotshells at a very good price point. Blount bought Estate, then shortly after that ATK (parent company of Federal) bought Blount's ammo lines.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=73967

 

[Curt Blunt]

I had a couple of separations with my 28 gauge reloads using Universal powder. Didn't notice any more when I switched to 20/28 powder. They may be good for two reloads but I'm stopping at one. Haven't had a problem with factory loads, but then again, others may shoot more than I. In any event, the last case I bought was Winnie AAs.

 

[PJR]

As the plastic that was recovered was much shorter than the shell length this sounds like a hull that separated in front of the case head. The plastic tears about a quarter inch in front of the brass and is ejected while the rest of the plastic lodges in the bore. I've had this happen with 28 gauge Federal Gold Medal hulls. I've also seen a single-piece Remington STS hull separate entirely from the brass leaving the entire plastic hull minus the brass in the barrel.

 

[Bull Nutria]

I compared the plastic that was lodged in the forcing cone to a normal spent shell. the plastic was the same length as the portion of the plastic that extends from the top edge of the metal on the shell to the crimp end. we are try to find the lot number of these shells to report this to Estate cartridge Co.

Bull

 

[BADUNAME37]

Honestly, they must be JUNK!

In my 45+ years of shotgun shooting and hunting, I have shot literally tens of thousands of shotgun shells in .410, 20 and 12 gauge and I can say, without a doubt, I have NEVER seen such a separation as is stated! That includes the paper hulls of the 60's up to when they invented the plastic hulls, then all plastic after that!

It is really hard to fathom some of the junk that is sold today, I hate to see what the future holds if this kind of thing is happening now!

 

[LeonCarr]

They (Estate Cartridge) made their shotgun shells about 17 miles from where I grew up. They would sell them to you by the case right at the factory. Their buckshot was legendary for tight patterns. It is still decent ammo but not with the same power and majesty of the stuff made in Willis, Texas.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[oneounceload]

Honestly, they must be JUNK!

In my 45+ years of shotgun shooting and hunting, I have shot literally tens of thousands of shotgun shells in .410, 20 and 12 gauge and I can say, without a doubt, I have NEVER seen such a separation as is stated! That includes the paper hulls of the 60's up to when they invented the plastic hulls, then all plastic after that!

It is really hard to fathom some of the junk that is sold today, I hate to see what the future holds if this kind of thing is happening now!

Over ONE bad shell? REALLY? - How many internet stories did you hear over those 45 years? It is a lot smaller world today with worldwide instant communication. Considering the US market went through over 1.2 BILLION shotgun shells last year, a few OOPS are bound to get out once in a while