Out of spec ammo

[redbone]

I picked up a new 9 mm pistol last weekend and was running some Winchester White Box 115 grain FMJ thru it to get acquainted. One round caused a stoppage. The slide would not close, it was open maybe a tenth of an inch. Completely out of battery. I tried loading it in a couple of subsequent magazines, with the same result.

I have now carefully measured the case dimensions, and discovered that the offending case is 0.762 inches long. The remaining rounds in the same box are right at 0.745. The SAAMI spec is 0.754 - 0.010 inches. So the bad round is 0.008 inches too long, and the good rounds are just barely longer than the short end of the spec.

This all makes me think that we should check case dimensions on every carry round. Or maybe just carry revolvers!

Of course, this is really cheap practice ammo, I've just never run into this before. I suppose that higher quality, more expensive SD ammo may be subjected to better QA/QC during manufacturing.

Anybody had a similar experience?

RBH

 

[Snowdog]

I'm a broken record over here, but I haven't told the story in a few years, so I'll tell it again. Back in '96, I purchased a "blister pack" of American Ammunition 115gr copper washed 9mm.

I noticed right away many would not chamber completely. It turns out most were horribly out of spec and wouldn't fully seat in my Kahr K9 as they had not be resized and the K9s of those days had tight chambers.

I do believe American Ammunition either tanked soon after or manufactured under a different banner. My K9 worked flawlessly without any malfunction since.

 

[Old Shooter]

No. I've shot thousands of WWB in 9mm, 45acp. 38special, 45acp and (lucky me) never had a problem with any of it. Maybe you got an oddball round in an oddball lot but my experience with WWB has always been good. Others may disagree, but so be it.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Had one round of Rem UMC 9mm do that in my Glock 19 a few years ago. It just WOULD NOT fire with that round in the chamber.

 

[Zerodefect]

I've had tons of issues with WWB and RMC. WWB 9mm and .380 can be too weak for mouseguns.

But no issues with Federal, Am Eagle, and Blazer. (at risk for sounding like a shill)

 

[Panzerschwein]

Honestly, and I know I'm going to get flamed for this, but I've had better luck with foreign made ammo than some of the likes from Winchester, Remington, and Federal in recent years. Seems QC has really gone down across the board in the American sporting goods industry, for both guns AND ammo.

 

[BSA1]

Since the O.P. doesn't say what gun he was shooting it is impossible to know if the gun is one that needs to be broke in.

With my Beretta's they are disgustingly reliable. They shoot everything I feed them including some really old stuff without ever having a bobble.

 

[redbone]

Hk vp9.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've completely stopped using WWB or Rem 9mm for practice. They are usually underloaded and dirty.

I most commonly use Blazer (brass or aluminum) or Speer/American Eagle/Federal. For imported 9mm, I've had good luck with PMC and GFL

This all makes me think that we should check case dimensions on every carry round

Running carry ammo through a case gauge isn't a bad idea. Cheap insurance at < $18

 

[redbone]

That's a great idea. Just put one in the cart.

 

[MIL-DOT]

I've only had one for-sure out-of-spec issue.
Several years ago, on a freindly backyard shoot with several freinds, I was running some Rusky Brown bear 9mm through a gen 3 Glock 26, and had the pistol jam up hard, not going fully into battery.
I couldn't clear the round, so i called a stop to the firing and pointed out the issue to my buds (we were all standing abreast, shooting at cans and stuff in front of a dirt pile).
It was seriously jammed in the chamber, and I eneded up letting an older, more experienced friend take a look at it, and he managed to pull the slide free. As best we could tell, the round was a little too fat to fit in the chamber, and just jammed itself in there, real tight.
I had no other problems with that 1/2 case of brown bear, through several different weapons.

 

[redbone]

I tried the round in a 92FS and a BHP. Neither slide would close. Definitely the case length.

 

[WestKentucky]

I used to run WWB 9mm in my pistols until I nearly lost a keltec over it. Locked up tighter than a ticks patoot. The round was long as has been mentioned here, but the springs on that new gun forced it in tight. Wouldn't open, wouldn't close, gun not able to be disassembled due to slide position. We pulled a bonehead move that worked, wood dowel and hammer. A pew good whacks freed the round. We were lucky not to have split the dowel, or set the round off.

 

[JDR]

Last week I shot 200 rounds of filthy Win USA Forged steelcased ammo through my Gen3 G-17 and my Walther PPS M2. My hands turned black just loading this stuff into the mags. This ammo is accurate and reliable in these two guns, but I just can't get over how freaking dirty this ammo is!

 

[Stumper]

Demand is high, production is maxed out and the the ethos of our society has deteriorated.(Not to sya that no one cares just that the percentage who take pride in doing their best isn't as good as a couple of generations ago.)
I bought a 20 round box of premium self defense ammo and found a primer seated backward.

The good thing is that most of it goes bang and doesn't destroy the firearm. For the rest you had best know how to clear jams and hope the rare failure doesn't happen in a moment of crisis.

 

[BWB]

Newsflash. Folks who carry for keeps cycle every round through their gun before it goes to work. Been doing it for generations. Lots of things can go wrong - you don't have to do it to yourself.