Case Splitting

[EclipseDS]

These are not my shells and I didn't shoot them, but what causes it? Too much powder? Old brittle case?

I shot some hot loads once and the more pronounced recoil is definitely noticeable. I wonder why the shooter continued shooting 'em up.

[J-cat]

Manufacturing errors, most likely. Brass needs to be of the correct alloy and hardness, else it will split.

Ammonia in contact with the brass will make it brittle as well.

[1bulletBarney]

I wonder what the headstamp is on that brass, those look horrible...

[mjmagee67]

What is the history of those cases? Reloaded too many times? I shoot a lot, I do not keep track of how many reloads cases get, I have a few that split like that when they have been reloaded1 too many times.

[EclipseDS]

G.F.L head stamps. I picked them up at an indoor range, so not sure if they've been reloaded to their limit. I wonder if there's any indicator, just by feel, if the case splits as you fire. I'd think it would sound different but I have yet to see this happen

[johnthomas]

I bought some Polish 7.62x25 that had about half of them with tiny cracks. When they were crimped, they also put three or four dimples where the bullet meets the case. The experts said it was fine. I never had a problem with them. I also have some brass cased 7.62x54r that has mall cracks at the neck which I will not use. I don't reload but wondered if every time a case is used it has to be trimmed, the metal is stretching, coming from crucial parts of the shell making it thinner than when they were made. When cases are made, do they make them as cheaply as possible? Is re loading taken into consideration when the cases are made?

[CGT80]

Are those 38 super cases? If so it might be from an open gun running a comp, which means loads hotter than the max published loads, so that the comp will work. 38 super brass seems to handle the hot loads better than what they have to push a 9mm to, for an open gun, but it could have been well used brass or loaded way too hot, or chemical problems as listed above.

I shot some 44 mag loads that my grandfather loaded and I had splits similar to that. It was a max load of fast pistol powder and the ammo had been loaded for 10+ years. I think the brass was too brittle for that much of a fast powder.

[RR.44]

Reloaded too many times or they came in contact with ammonia at some point causing them to become brittle.

[EclipseDS]

These are 9mm GFL brass.

@CGT80, did it feel or sound anything out of the norm when you had splits? Just wondering how dangerous it can be. If this happens to me, of course I'd stop shooting immediately the moment I notice.

[mjmagee67]

These are 9mm GFL brass.

@CGT80, did it feel or sound anything out of the norm when you had splits? Just wondering how dangerous it can be. If this happens to me, of course I'd stop shooting immediately the moment I notice.

I get a few of these a month that I know of, they don't sound any different, they don't shoot any different, they don't eject any different, hell I've had a case or 2 split when Chrono-ing loads and there was no change in velocity.

Why would you stop shooting? I would fire away, I've never heard anyone say that a split case hurts you gun, I know I've fired quite a few out of my guns and have never seen any damage to the camber/barrel.

On a side note, I've never had an issue reloading 9mm GFL brass, I have some that have probably been reloaded 10-12+ times.

[EclipseDS]

Thanks. I just have a feeling this is half way to KB, so trying to avoid that happen altogether. But if there's no indication, then nobody can tell it's happening, I guess.

[EclipseDS]

I have a few GFL cases too and I'm not going to stop using them. I think this is due to user, not the brass.

[CGT80]

These are 9mm GFL brass.

@CGT80, did it feel or sound anything out of the norm when you had splits? Just wondering how dangerous it can be. If this happens to me, of course I'd stop shooting immediately the moment I notice.

I didn't know there was a problem until I looked at the brass. I stopped shooting them after a few split. My grandfather liked to load hot, so I needed to check the loads............yep they were max. A fellow shooter told me that some rugers were oversized at the chambers. To find out, I shot some winchester white box 44 mag in that gun and they looked fine. My light reloads were fine as well.

I have had a few case head separations in my Mini 14 target model and AR 15, due to using range brass. I didn't know it happened until I saw the brass come out, or noticed the new round would not chamber. One separated in my 30-30 lever gun as well. That one took chamber cast material to get it out, but there was no damage or problem with any of the guns afterwards.

My reloads are usually on the lighter side, and sometimes a medium load. I never load mine to max. I do load my dad's 9mm ammo beyond max, but it is a race gun that is built to run that type of ammo for the comp.

To me, the brass is a package to contain the components to fire a bullet down range. The gun has to support the brass to be safe. If the brass fails, it is not the end of the world to me, but I try to avoid it if at all possible. Some cartridges are more prone to cracking than others. I have had a lot of 38 spl brass crack with light to mid loads. It had been shot over and over. I look over the brass real well before I load it and toss anything questionable.