Heads Up - Winchester 5.56 Ammo Recall

[Westfair]

Just noticed this on another site and didn't see it mentioned here so I thought I would share. Source http://www.winchester.com/library/news/Pages/product-recall-556mm-m855.aspx dated 2/5/2013

DO NOT USE WINCHESTER® SYMBOL NUMBER ZGQ3308 LOT NUMBER WCC10M106-004 5.56mm M855 62 GRAIN PENE AMMUNITION. The ammunition Symbol Number and Lot Number are ink stamped on the outside of the 900-round shipping container, and on the outside of the 30-round carton as indicated here:

To determine if your ammunition is subject to this notice, review the Symbol Number and Lot Number. If it is Symbol Number ZGQ3308 and Lot Number WCC10M106-004 immediately discontinue use and contact Winchester toll-free at 866-423-5224 for free UPS pick-up of the recalled ammunition. Upon receipt of your recalled ammunition, Winchester will ship replacement ammunition directly to you.

This notice applies only to Symbol Number ZGQ3308 with Lot Number WCC10M106-004. Other Symbol Numbers or Lot Numbers are not subject to this recall.

 

[somerandomguy]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[ErikO]

I only buy Winchester components. I'll spread the word.

 

[Trent]

"Through extensive evaluation Winchester has determined the above lot of 5.56mm M855 ammunition may contain incorrect propellant. Incorrect propellant in this ammunition may cause firearm damage, rendering the firearm inoperable, and subject the shooter or bystanders to a risk of serious personal injury when fired."

Wonder what powder they loaded the stuff with?

 

[texasgun]

nice ! +P+ .223 rifle ammo

 

[greenmtnguy]

I wonder if this batch was in the previous buy of ammo by the DHS.

 

[Trent]

I wonder if this batch was in the previous buy of ammo by the DHS.

Oh wouldn't that be something.

"In today's news, the US government had to return 1.9 billion rounds of defective ammunition..."

 

[Still Shooting]

We can only hope....that if they have it, they won't realize they do.

 

[dab102999]

With the backlog I wonder if they will push you guys to the front of the list to replace.

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

Curious

Underpowered? - Overpowered?

I guess I'd send back one or two boxes first to check the "turn-around" time and whether or not I got a direct line number replacement.

 

[M1key]

I haven't bought any Winchester XM855 for years, but I wonder what the manufacture date was?

M

 

[Cesiumsponge]

So you're hoping a bunch of law enforcement officers blow up their rifles? They'll just get new ones and we'll foot the bill for the new rifles, ammo, and hospital expenses.

 

[Trent]

Ahh hell just fill the case up with Unique, drop a bullet in, and call it a day..

It'll shoot MUCH FASTERER!

Every time I read about an ammo recall I remind myself "this is why I make my own ammunition".... at least I'm putting my fate in my own hands, instead of some machine in some factory run by some dude who might be daydreaming.. or stoned.. or drunk.. or hungover.. or whatever.

 

[bergmen]

I just received some Winchester 62 grain FMJ M855 Penetrator from Cabelas in 20 round boxes. All it has on the end of the box is Q3269, no lot numbers or anything.

I assume that this stuff is not part of the affected lot.

Dan

 

[Trent]

Bergmen; Look INSIDE the box for the Lot #.

 

[bergmen]

Bergmen; Look INSIDE the box for the Lot #.

Wow, thanks, never would have thought of that. What I see is:

CT523
E125857
K2438

on one of the end flaps. Doesn't look like it matches up to the above. It didn't come packaged like th pictures on the Winchester site, it arrived in 20 round boxes.

I think I'm okay.

Dan

 

[Trent]

It would take an awful lot of powder to send a BCG through one's head. But I won't say "never".

More likely:

* Potential loss of one's support hand and arterial bleeding from catching shrapnel of the upper, as it explodes.

* Potential loss of vision or potential brain injury from catching receiver shrapnel in the face (always wear shooting glasses)

* Injuries to bystanders - I read of one AR kaboom where pieces of the receiver were found over 75 feet away.

 

[Trent]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5bs6epOYLw

Here's a nasty one of a squib, which would be similar to a "worst case" powder overpressure KABOOM (e.g. packed full of pistol powder). Video quality sucks but MAN that rifle goes in spectacular fashion.

 

[Trent]

(Just a reminder. If your gun goes CLICK and you eject an EMPTY SHELL, STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. UNLOAD THE RIFLE. CHECK FOR BARREL OBSTRUCTIONS.)

 

[ngnrd]

Every time I read about an ammo recall I remind myself "this is why I make my own ammunition".... at least I'm putting my fate in my own hands, instead of some machine in some factory run by some dude who might be daydreaming.. or stoned.. or drunk.. or hungover.. or whatever.

Um.... Powder and primers sold as components can be bad, and be recalled, too. Just because you physically pour the powder in above a primer that you physically inserted doesn't mean there's no chance of something bad happening.

 

[Trent]

True.

There's been quite a few over the years.

Scott Doyle:
From the Alliant Powder Website: July 6, 2005

Product description: Unique® smokeless powder, LOT numbers 850, 859, 861, 868, 872, 876, 890, 898 and 907.

Warning:

Alliant Powder has determined a very small number of eight pound (8 lb.) Alliant Powder Unique“ smokeless powder containers may contain Alliant Powder Bullseye“ smokeless powder.

LOADING BULLSEYE“ SMOKELESS POWDER INTO ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION IN WHICH THE RECIPE CALLS FOR UNIQUE“ SMOKELESS POWDER MAY RESULT IN HIGH PRESSURE LOADS AND SUBSEQUENT GUN DAMAGE OR PERSONAL INJURY.

If you are in possession of an eight pound (8 lb.) bottle of Alliant Powder Unique“ with any of the above noted lot numbers, please immediately cease use of this product and notify Alliant Powder by calling 800-276-9337 or emailing [email protected]

Lot numbers are located on the bottom of each bottle."


http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/recall.htm

However, when I switch powder lots, I always start from the minimum load and work my way back up.

Starting load for Unique (in my book) is 6.0gr. Max load for Bullseye is 6.4.

Assuming you were loading Bullseye when you thought you were loading Unique, you'd notice something was going WAY south almost right away. If you work up loads carefully and observantly (as you should) you wouldn't be in any danger from that one.

I'm sure there's probably a recall on powder somewhere out there, that is dangerous even if you follow the most fundamental and basic safety precautions (such as re-proving a load on a new lot), but I haven't seen one personally.

In the case of the H4227 recall, it was a significantly UNDER-powered round that'd result in a squib fire. Again, that's something you can deal with, if you are observant.

Hodgdon Lil' Gun was probably one of the worst, but if you're starting load is showing overpressure signs, you should stop what you're doing immediately and not continue testing up...

As far as bad primers, duds or misfits are about the worst case scenario there. They are only so big, and can only hold so much compound. It'd be no different (assuming an overcharge) of shooting a magnum component in place of a standard one, something people do all the time. Again, that's a component change, and requires a new string of proof rounds.

 

[ngnrd]

True enough.

 

[newglockguy]

Man I have 100 rounds of the stuff. Good thing I kept the boxes to hold my buddies reloads

 

[Trent]

True enough.

Now, you DO bring up a good point - and I've even got in a hurry myself and done this on occasion (substituted without re-proving).

Bubba goes to buy some powder and components, gets it home, and resumes loading his Unique 8.4gr "UBER MAN STOPPER!" load that he's been shooting out of his hand cannon for the last 5 years.

He suddenly finds relying on his wife to open his jar of pickled pigs feet for the rest of his life. He resigns himself to the fact that his Hand Cannon has finally failed him, mounts the pieces on the wall in a little memorial, along with a picture of him holding up a large mouth bass with both hands, which he no longer has.

Eventually his wife tires of being asked to do everything and leaves him for his brother Earl, up the road.

So now Earl gets half of Bubba's reloading supplies in the divorce agreement. He proceeds to load up some "KISS MY BUTT BUBBA" rounds for his 357 Maximum, and never bothers to start loads out properly. That gun can handle anything I throw at it! He says with pride.

So now Earl loses HIS hand, an an eyeball to boot, and the piece that penetrates his eyeball hits an artery. Being alone out in the back "hollar" he bleeds out slowly, and dies.

So now Earl/Bubba's wife is a widow, and takes all that "gun stuff" over to the local pawn shop and sells it so she can buy herself a new pair of pretty boots and a dress.

Leroy drops by and sees the windfall at the pawn shop and proceeds to snatch up that hardly used 8 pound keg of Unique (minus a few grains, which he doesn't even notice). Leroy, he doesn't have Interwebs, and doesn't check for recalls when he buys stuff.

He loads up some little 380 rounds which had a .2 grain Min/Max difference and figures why bother loading up a starting load, and takes it out to the range. Holy SMOKES the barrel bulges and the slide locks back and the magazine done blew out the bottom!

He takes it to a friend of his with InterWebs and finds out that lot of powder was recalled several years ago. It's only cost someone a hand and a wife, and another man his life, and another man a gun, before someone caught it.

So, this is why we ALWAYS work up starting loads on a new component change.

And we check for recalls before using new ammo and components.

 

[GBMaryland]

Interestingly, I have 2460 rounds of this stuff.

Anyone actually contact Winchester and get a reply?

I've called a few times and haven't heard a thing....

Glad I checked the lot numbers.

It would take 10lbs of powder if I wanted to reload the stuff.