Rangemaster Ammo Rupture

[Dustbowl]

Had a gentleman bring me this box of Rangemaster 9mm ammo saying the ammo is dangerous. He had fired 12 rounds and 4 ruptured like this.



He claims it was fired out of a Smith and Wesson M&P Proformance Center . I fired 20 other rounds in the box with 2 other guns and couldn’t replicate the failure. In my opinion his feed ramp is cut too deep causing the cases to fail. But I’ve only ever seen this in 10mm. Figured I’d throw this interesting failure up and see what the collective here can figure out.

Edit: He also says the only indication he had of something wrong was he got some blowback in the face. They didn’t eject the inserted magazine and it cycled the next round.

 

[Rule3]

What ammo is Rangemaster?? I tried looking it up and only found PPU rangemaster??

Box looks like re manufactured or something??

 

[Blue68f100]

Need to inspect the gun that was having the problem with them.

The only experience I've had with remanufactured ammo was years ago. I was shooting at my local indoor range where the shooter next to me was having problems. He had a squid, the next round did not fully load or it may have not been good. I inspected the ammo and OAL was all over the place. I removed the barrel from his gun and did the plunk test. Over 1/2 failed, I told him to return to mfg. He said it bought the ammo at a gun show in Ok, while on the road. I told him if the round does not hit the target check to make sure the bullet cleared the barrel. It shot what was left that fed, and did not have another squid.

 

[reloaded_in_pa]

I think I would have stopped shooting after the first until I knew why it did that. Looks like out of battery.

 

[Dustbowl]

Yes it is remanufactured ammo. I think it might be an out of battery. I haven’t gotten a look at the pistol yet.

 

[twarr1]

+1 Looks like out of battery.

 

[Docendo Discimus]

only indication he had of something wrong was he got some blowback in the face

I would imagine that the frame has brass shards all over in it also. Scary stuff.

 

[rbernie]

I'm squarely in the 'it's the gun, not the ammo' camp. Look at the bulge and blowout of the base - the gun was firing the ammo when it was not fully chambered, or somebody throated the barrel so badly that it's unsafe.

 

[Rule3]

Yes it is remanufactured ammo. I think it might be an out of battery. I haven’t gotten a look at the pistol yet.

Why even bother with it??

May be the gun, may be the ammo, may be not worth the risk involved.

People always state they will never shoot any else's reloads, yet the shoot their own (which of course are perfect) and shoot some unknown name in re manufactured??

Could be the gun but we can speculate till the cows come home (when is that anyway?)

 

[retDAC]

Any chance those were fired in a .40 S&W or 10mm?

 

[mjsdwash]

thats some pretty over the top primer flow for an O-O-B.

 

[docbrown]

Look at the cratering on those primers! My vote is those are loaded too hot. Might also be an issue with an unsupported chamber? Not sure on the chamber of that particular pistol, but the primers tell the tale I do believe.

 

[Shivahasagun]

S&W M&P chambers support very well from those I've looked at. Much better than Glocks. (.357 gets good support though)

I'm guessing old brass loaded too hot.

 

[EricBu]

Out of battery........reman maker didn't fully process that brass would be my take. Bulk range pickup brass always has plenty of brass that was bulged by unsupported chambers, as well as brass left behind by reloaders. If you don't bulge bust it.......you'll end up with a few rounds that won't go completely into battery...which is what happened here IMHO.

 

[jmorris]

I think I would have stopped shooting after the first until I knew why it did that.

Reminds me of someone once saying, “Here, try this.”
“Why?”
“It’s absolutely awful!”
“Um, no thanks.”

The mixed headstamps, is another reminder for me to not shoot others reloads….

Try factory ammunition in the firearm and see if it has issue.

 

[mdi]

Yes it is remanufactured ammo. I think it might be an out of battery. I haven’t gotten a look at the pistol yet.

Two reasons for the failure. Who "remanufactured" it? Did the shooter try other, factory ammo? I'd measure a few to see if any bulges were adding to the "out of battery" idea/problem...

 

[docbrown]

Might be interesting to chrono a couple of those rounds...from behind a steel plate...with a string...with someone else's pistol...

 

[FROGO207]

The good remanufacturers use a roll sizer to process their brass. Wonder if these guys did. We had a local remanufactrer that only stayed in buisness for 5 years due to the poor quality ammo made. Some of the 9MM had more squibs than good ammo in the several boxes a friend purchased. He gave me 2 boxes and I broke them all down. Out of 100 rounds had 64 with no powder. Kind of steered him to NOT buy any more even if they only cost half as much as WWB at the time. He called the guy about six times over a month and crickets. Was never at "shop" either, he checked. So 25 years later I always question any reman ammo!

 

[Jim Watson]

I fired 20 other rounds in the box with 2 other guns and couldn’t replicate the failure. In my opinion his feed ramp is cut too deep causing the cases to fail.

You are a braver man than I, Gunga Din.
My S&W barrel is as well supported as any I have, but who knows how his might be wallowed out.

I have not seen a description of "out of battery" discharge that accounts for a centered firing pin strike in a Browning type tilting barrel. I have some range pickup rounds with light dents very far off center... that did not fire.

Primers have an odd teardrop shaped crater. Let me go look at my breech face...
By gum, MY Plastic M&P has a teardrop shaped firing pin opening. So we have primer extrusion from high pressure.

 

[docbrown]

Now that I am awake, another couple of thoughts occurred to me.

1. That box looks like it might be older? Could be a recalled powder or primer or could have been stored improperly causing deterioration and a corresponding pressure spike.

2. Might be that the company changed powder between runs but did not recalibrate the powder measure resulting in too high a powder charge.
2A. Powder measure malfunction resulting in a double charge with no check mechanism to catch it.

Bottom line is there are a lot of "might have been's" as to the cause, but the result is way too hot of a load for the brass.

 

[docbrown]

You are a braver man than I, Gunga Din.
My S&W barrel is as well supported as any I have, but who knows how his might be wallowed out.

I have not seen a description of "out of battery" discharge that accounts for a centered firing pin strike in a Browning type tilting barrel. I have some range pickup rounds with light dents very far off center... that did not fire.

Primers have an odd teardrop shaped crater. Let me go look at my breech face...
By gum, MY Plastic M&P has a teardrop shaped firing pin opening. So we have primer extrusion from high pressure.

Then probably too hot a load combined with the chamber of that particular pistol being a little "wonky" creating the perfect storm.

 

[FROGO207]

The remainder would be "parts only" and fertilizer if I had them.

Or relable them 9MM MAG!