Do split cases damage the chamber?

[virulosity]

My initial guess would be no, but what if you were using steel cased ammo?

[Pthfndr]

As a general rule an occasional split case will not harm the chamber.

As long as the split does not go into the case head, there won't be any damage to the rifle. This is assuming it's just from weak, stretched or over worked brass.

NOT from a serious over charge of powder, excess head space, things like that.

A steel case could conceivably scratch the chamber but it's not a common occurence.

[virulosity]

The reason I ask is that I was shooting some wolf out of my .45 HK yesterday and this happened to me.

[wutzu]

You split a steel case? i wouldn't have thought that could happen. Could you post a picture?

A case rupture can do different things in different guns: In the glock .40, a case head rupture can kB the gun, since the chamber is unsupported. In an AR, a case head rupture can permanently wedge the extractor into the locking lugs, effectively preventing that barrel and bolt from ever being used again.

In a fully supported chamber not in an AR, i don't see the possibility for that much damage, unless it's such a huge powder overcharge that the gun just kBs.

[lawnrevenge]

My Mosins split steel cases all the time (they've all been checked out by gunsmiths and headspacing, etc. is right on) The explination is that the cases are just expanded beyond their limits and the steel splits. Though I agree, that in a pistol round that seems odd.

[M. Sage]

+1, steel splits easier than brass.

Brass can stretch a lot farther, steel can't stretch very much.

But you need to find out if it's an out-of-spec chamber, or what. If it's one case out of a whole lot of rounds fired, I wouldn't worry too much.

[virulosity]

It was one case out of 1000 rounds. I think it was just a flaw in the material. If the steel wasn't hardened, it should be plenty flexible. To clarify what happened: The gun jammed, so I dropped the mag and rammed the palm side of the pistol grip into a firm object while holding the slide. This cleared the jam. The case that came out had a crack in it that extended from about 2mm away from the edge of the case to about 5mm away from the rim.

[M. Sage]

Yeah, steel cases are flexible... Steel is just not anywhere near as elastic as brass.

I realized last night that I've got a 7.62x54R (steel) case that I pulled the bullet out of. Just from working the bullet back and forth in the neck to get it loose enough to pull with pliers, the case cracked and split a little around the mouth.

[virulosity]

interesting. I wonder if it is because the steel is strain hardened when the case is stamped.

[M. Sage]

Possibly...

Plus, in my case it's Communist-produced steel from the '50s.. not exactly "high quality."

[packnrat]

be safe and get your chamber checked out, ie over sized.

but if only 1 in a 1000 then shound not be a problem,