What does this brass mean, if anything?

[workinwifdakids]

A friend suggested I show these pictures to an experienced reloader to determine what, if anything, they indicate. Does this brass mean anything to you? He thought it may be symptomatic of something wrong with my rifle, even though the rounds are factory new (i.e., NOT reloaded).

Winchester Super-X Ammunition 30-06 Springfield 165 Grain Pointed Soft Point Box of 20 new-in-box fired from a bolt-action .30-06 with 1:10 in a 22" barrel...

[AJAX22]

do they have the stripe before they are fired? or does it just appear afterwards?

Does it bulge at all?

[aplinker]

If they aren't shiny like that before firing it's indicative of case head elongation.

A very big problem, indeed.

[bruce381]

dirty chamber imprinting on the case is normal

[polygunner]

They don't look abnormal to me.
Not all of the case expands to seal the chamber, the area nearest the head is very thick.
If you suspect there is a head space issue or that a head separation is possible, use a paper clip and see if you can feel a grove on the inside of the case just above the head.
pg

[workinwifdakids]

do they have the stripe before they are fired? or does it just appear afterwards?

I just compared a new-in-box unfired to the brass in the photos, and there is NO similar stripe in the unfired cartridge.

Does it bulge at all?

There is no bulge at all I can feel. I do not have a caliper, but there's no bulge.

If they aren't shiny like that before firing it's indicative of case head elongation.

A very big problem, indeed.

I Googled "case head elongation," and had zero results. I tried other variations, but all dealt with reloading brass, not with anything wrong with my rifle that causes this condition.

Please define "very big problem," over.

[workinwifdakids]

If you suspect there is a head space issue or that a head separation is possible, use a paper clip and see if you can feel a grove on the inside of the case just above the head.

I did as you recommended, and there is no groove I could feel.

[CSACANNONEER]

It's time to take some very careful measurements of the brass and maybe, cast the chamber with Cerro cast. If you don't know what to look for find a competent gunsmith to give it a once over.

[LGB Loader]

Originally Posted by polygunner
If you suspect there is a head space issue or that a head separation is possible, use a paper clip and see if you can feel a grove on the inside of the case just above the head.

I did as you recommended, and there is no groove I could feel.

My opinion (but cannot be 100 % certain since I do not have these in hand) that these are okay to handload with caution, as always. insuring proper size length is correct, tumble, neck size to proper spec and re inspect. process brass necks, mouth, primer pockets and flash hole as normal. Re inspect again. If all appears normal, reprime charge and seat bullet.
Final inspection.

LGB

[polygunner]

That's good. A grove will form when a case head separation is immenent.
Seems like your beass is ok.

When a round is chambered, and the firing pin hits the primer it pushes the cartridge foreward in the chamber as far as it will go. The foreward motion is stoped by the shoulder of the case hitting the shoulder of the chamber. Then the brass expands and seals the chamber. As the pressure builds the brass stretches readward until the head stops at the bolt face. If the chamber is too long(excessive head space) or the cartridge is too short, the amount of stretch is too mch for the brass to handle and the head separates from the body of the case. In extreme cases this will happen on the first firing but it's more common after the brass has been reloaded a few times.
The more precise the sizing of the brass to the chamber the longer the brass will last.
hth
pg

[Beelzy]

Normal.

[Crownless]

They look normal to me.

[God Bless The Mauser]

I have a Lee-Enfield that does that. I put a straight edge on the side of the case and could see it was a bulge. This is typical of Lee-Enfields but I'm reloading and I need my brass to last longer so I'm going to try and fix it with a longer bolt head and I may even have to get a longer bolt.

[ar15barrels]

A friend suggested I show these pictures to an experienced reloader to determine what, if anything, they indicate.

The primers have indentations and the bullets are missing.
Those cases have been fired.

[ar15barrels]

That's good. A grove will form when a case head separation is immenent.

Only after multiple reloads.
I have never observed a groove in once fired brass.