.380 issues

[CSACANNONEER]

OK, so I've probably loaded a couple hundred thousand round in my life but, I just started loading .380 and I'm finding an exceptional number of split cases. The splits run longitudinally almost the full length of the case. I'm using mixed headstamp range pick up brass. I'm finding some split after firing but some after just FL sizing. So, it probably doesn't have anything to do with my load or the firearm since, most of the brass hasn't been cycled through it yet. It is a mix of headstamps splitting. Has anyone else experienced this?

The backstory is that I had a 5 gal. bucket of .380 brass laying around and no gun chambered in .380. So, a few years ago, I bought a $95 Hi Point from another member here just to play with it. I finally got around to pulling it out and developing a load for it and, it shoots great but, the brass splitting is bugging me.

[ojisan]

I was given a big bag of .38 Special cowboy action brass.
Black powder shooters had it before.
Many cases were split full length, many had hairline cracks that I could feel by squeezing the cases with my fingers.
The brass felt brittle and thin in the hand somehow, even if it was not cracked.
Mixed head stamps, too.
The bad ones were obviously different from the good brass in the bag.
Some sort of chemical reaction?
I threw lots of it in the trash.

Checking more, my guess is the bad cases were cleaned with ammonia.
From a "Science Madness" thread:
"Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide will eat into the copper in brass, and probably the zinc too. Rather slowly, though."
(Copper is what gives the brass its flexibility).

Black powder shooters sometimes clean their guns with water and ammonia.
Maybe someone tried to clean some brass with the same mix.

Is there any chance your brass got something spilled on it?

[sofbak]

^^^ This is what I was thinking-some sort of chemical exposure that got after the copper. Sure sounds like "brittle" brass.

Where was that bucket during all those years of inattention?

[bubbala]

you gotta bring it out. just got my cz 83

[CSACANNONEER]

The bucket has been stored in several locations including outside. It had a lid on it so, no rain water got into it.

bubbala,
If you want some, I'll give you 500 or 1000 rounds of it. Most of it seems to load and shoot fine but, the potential for splitting is something you'll have to keep in mind and watch for during loading.