doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Split cases.

I was cleaning out my day pack, and found the 5 empty rounds of Heavi-Metal 16 gauge ammunition I used on my last few trips grouse hunting. I noticed something I hadn't seen when I pulled them out (non ejector gun, no excuse to leave 'em in the woods).



One has a nasty split down the side. ALL of them have a split that starts near the crimp.

I measured the chambers on the gun, and, near as I can tell, it falls into spec, including the .005 per inch of taper in the chamber. It is a Nitro Special, and I doubt much time was spent on the bores or chambers in this gun, not my slickest, by far.

The hulls themselves, seem incredibly cheesy. They are old, maybe ten years, they were also purchased from someone who bought them and never used them. Four of the hulls were fired in temps of around 5-10 degrees, one was fired in bluebird weather, perhaps 60 degrees.

No flattened primers, and these rounds were used in both chambers, and all have either a split, or, the beginning of one. Never seen the gun do this with any other ammunition. But, I haven't looked real hard before today, either.

Any thoughts?

Best,
Ted

Temperature has a major effect
and
time hardens the plastic

Combined, they crack, but no harm, throw them away
and do not look back.

Mike

I would say it was the age. There is not always a formula to explain why plastic deteriorates sometimes and not others. I once had an old bag of Remington plastic shotcup wads that became so brittle they would crumble to pieces upon handling them, and others that were just as old but were still pliable.

Go figure.

SRH

No need to toss them. Bit of Scotch tape will take care of that. I knew an older gentleman years ago that would do that until the crimp area fell off. No problemo.

We reload AA 28 &410 till the bitter end! It has been determined that blue masking tape patterns better than tan when you seal bad crimps.

bill

My emojis are giving you a thumbs up and extended clapping.

In the FWIW Dept., I've had OLD Federal plastic 20 ga. field loads that were loaded w/7/8's oz. of #6 shot start to split at the fold while still in the box. Yellow plastic 'high brass' hulls using the two piece plastic wads. Great ammunition too. Just used it in double guns where I could help manually guide it into the chamber w/those rounds that had started to expand toward the mouth due to the plastic cracking.

I expect they were made w/the assumption they would be fired within a couple of years of being manufactured. That wasn't the case w/all I'd bought. Me culpa, stuff happens. And it is more likely to if you wait long enough.

I've seen and purchased AA 28ga. skeet rounds that had the brass split in the box before firing. Two years back, now. I'm of the opinion that issue got resolved.

I've seen those longitudinal splits like you depict on some AAHS 12ga. hulls that were reloaded multiple times w/VERY hot bunker loads.

Just saying.

Look like some Remington 16 gauge game load hulls, after 1 reload. Crispy critters and embrittled.

I've had some do that, mostly Euro style hulls, when I looked at them it looked like a thin area of the hull, I just assumed it was the way they were made, like they rolled the plastic into a tube and that was the seam.

TM

My guess would be thin, cheap plastic. I have reloaded 20 and 28 gauge AA compression formed years ago and would get 14 reloads especially with the 20 gauge. The only thing that ever split was the crimp after a while.
Now I just use Remington Gun Clubs in 12 gauge and they go longer but I have not had a crimp split on these. I prefer them over the Nitro Gold and STS. As to the Winchester AAHS not nearly as good as the old ones. For 12 gauge I will stick with the Remington's. I have not seen where cold affects the hulls.