Wallmart 45ACP

[Boatsman]

I recently managed to find several of the Federal 45 ACP 100 rnd count boxes at Wallmart and grabbed 2. The first trip to the range with the ammo produced some interesting results.

The rounds were incredibly dirty, looked like black snow after each round, even severfal pieces of primer ended up on my arms. It also looked like most of the rounds keyholed. Has anyone else had the same problems with the ammo. The rounds were shot through a 5.1" barrell.

 

[LightningMan]

The only thing I've heard about the Federal special Wal-Mart ammo is that it is not FMJ but plated ammo. I can't verify this, its just what I've heard, as I don't buy the stuff. LM

 

[Inebriated]

What kind of target were you using?

Majority of "key-holing" cases are people using paper targets that don't have a cardboard backing or anything like that, so the paper moves when the bullet hits.



Anyway, I've shot thousands of the Federal WM stuff in 9mm and .45 ACP. Never experienced the primer pieces... just all the filth.

 

[firesky101]

even severfal pieces of primer ended up on my arms.

I have had far fewer problems with federal, than with their competition. I will give you that it is dirty. Are you saying you were having primers fragment on you?

 

[highpower]

I've shot the heck out of it. No problems in any of my 1911's as far as accuracy or primer fragments. I couldn't tell you about keyholing as I just shoot steel plates.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

I've been having problems with the Federal Champion ammo. Dirty is an understatement and I can't get it to feed properly in my FNP-45 or my S&W 1911.

 

[340PD]

People come into our range with buckets full of Federal ammo from WalMart. No more issues than with any other ammo. If you have any definite proof of defects, I would contact Federal with pics and lot numbers. Nobody makes everything perfect every time.

 

[Boatsman]

It does seem like there are small pieces of primer hitting me on my arm, i will pay more attention and see if it is in fact a hard metallic fragment or what it is.

The ammo is by far the dirtiest I have shot, requires serious cleaning.

The keyholing was most likely as described from a loose paper target with no backing.

 

[Drail]

Factory ammo today seems to be made with little or no quality control. I have seen new sealed boxes of big name brand ammo that contained rounds with no primer, no flash hole in the case, or primers seated sideways and upside down. As well as bullets that are so loose in the case you can pull them out with your fingers or rounds that setback dangerously the first time you chamber it. If I have to give up handloading one day I think I will also give up shooting. It really is unbelieveable how bad it has become. I have to wonder what kind of stuff our military is being sold after seeing all of this. Probably a good thing most of our military"s small arms ammo comes from Israel and South Korea. (at least as long as they don't get invaded.)

 

[Formula94]

I've been having problems with the Federal Champion ammo. Dirty is an understatement and I can't get it to feed properly in my FNP-45 or my S&W 1911.

I also have an FNP 45 and regularly shoot Federal ammo and haven't had any problems with it. It is dirty, but at least it's not as bad as Tula or Wolf. It is also nice that it actually feeds through the FNP since WWB will not feed reliably. I typically shoot Federal or Blazer at the range.

 

[TheMercenary]

Next time get some PPU from Aim Surplus, it's good stuff and probably better and cheapet than the WWB

 

[PabloJ]

I recently managed to find several of the Federal 45 ACP 100 rnd count boxes at Wallmart and grabbed 2. The first trip to the range with the ammo produced some interesting results.

The rounds were incredibly dirty, looked like black snow after each round, even severfal pieces of primer ended up on my arms. It also looked like most of the rounds keyholed. Has anyone else had the same problems with the ammo. The rounds were shot through a 5.1" barrell.

It's been several months since I nixed by S&W 457s, but the Federal Champion did not give me any problems. It had plenty of flash going off but that is about it. Honestly I was surprised my plastic front sight wan't burned off.

 

[mec56]

just finishing 5 boxes of ww fed. no problems ln colt 1911 and still a great price

 

[JERRY]

ive been shooting "cheap" .45acp ammo bought from wal-mart for years without problems. including wwb, fed champion, rem green box and tul ammo.

out of all of it Tul is the only one to give me a problem and that was a single dud round with good primer indentation.

this was from 5" 1911 RIA GI and Kahr pm45.

is the ammo dirty? i guess so, but i clean my guns after a range trip anyway so that doesnt matter to me.

 

[BCRider]

Check the empty brass. If the primers are intact then it's not bits of primer hitting you but something else.

If the outsides of the empties are highly sooted up then the pressure of the round isn't enough to expand the brass far enough for long enough to achieve a good seal in the chamber. The particles hitting your arms COULD be bits of the sooty fouling being shot back and out the ejection port due to this sort of bad sealing. If the action around the slide and upper frame is more sooty than normal then this is another indicator of a bad case seal.

 

[Just One Shot]

That's where I buy just about all my range ammo and it works fine for punching holes in paper.

 

[old fart]

i was talking with my local gun shop guy the other day and the topic of quality control came up. he said he expects alot of complaints in the future on ammo like there have been on guns this year. he said he has returned more taurus, smith, and other guns than at any other time he's been there in 25yrs. he said the buying of guns caught the company's off guard and they aren't checking as good as they should, he said ammo is going to be the same. he told me i might buy $200 in ammo and all be good then come back and spend $50 and it be crap. thanks