Idle curiosity on my part, but what powder are you using for the .410, Shotgun?
I've had and seen the AA 28's w/split brass heads NIB, before ever firing! I attributed it to a finer gauge material being used initially, but discovered for whatever reason that those not split reloaded just fine & for multiple times, so I've made no finite conclusion about the causal issue. I do know it happens, or was in any case. I've not shot nor ordered any new 28 AA's in well over a year now, so can't speak to present status.
For reloading both 28's & .410's, I like the older Federal hulls and send them to the trash bin when they get ugly looking or split at the mouth. I also like the now unobtanium Federal .410 primers for both. I use 296 in the .410's and Unique in the 28's.
On FTF's [failure to fire], I've had very few over tens of thousands of rounds, inclusive of new ammunition and reloads. I recently had the very first reload using Fiocchi 616 primers fail to fire. I suspect, but can't prove that the hull may have had some water/moisture in it when reloaded and the primer was compromised rather than any 'defect' being involved at all.
In the FWIW Dept.. I suspect that most reloads experiencing 'issues' were either loaded on machines that did not seat the primer like a MEC single stage does, applying pressure directly to the base wad on a hull that was just resized by a 'ring-type' sizer or it involved a contaminated hull when it was loaded. Residual moisture or other contaminate(s) could affect either powder or primer or both. I can remember when the word was that primers w/o covered holes were prone to becoming filled w/ball powders & failing because of it. I never experienced that phenomena once. I also recall that the old Alcan 220 Max-Fire primers had covered flash holes when no others did. I bought and loaded the components most readily available to me at the time and w/the most attractive prices. Still do.
Personal opinion is that both ammunition and components presently available to shooters is of very high quality,if one is buying quality ammunition and components to begin with. Go to items being made to a 'price point' and you may not get the same level of performance or reliability. Stated issues w/AA28 heads splitting points to cross-over thinking, IMHO w/less than acceptable results, for a time at least.
addendum: I too have seen AA hulls get longitudinal splits in the plastic body, but only in 12 ga. and only when the person loading was using very 'hot' loads, like 1350fps+ in 24gram Bunker loads. Have never had it happen to me w/a 12 nor seen that in a AA28 hull, but mine are limited to 3/4oz. target loads and not being loaded for pheasant, duck or larger game birds. #7.5 is the largest shot size I've ever loaded in a 28ga.
Last edited by tw; 11/15/17 04:58 AM. Reason: addendum
