Lesson learned, be cautious

[John J]

I purchased approximately 120 loaded 500 Jeffrey cartridges from a member here. I dug some out to let a few friends experience the rifle and recoil. With some pre shot coaching they handled it well! However before the first round was fired I noticed high primers. Sorting through the cartridges many were in the same condition. Referring back to the ad some of them were from an estate sale. I do not hold the seller responsible, he did represent as such. The boxes were from reputable companies but obviously not factory. One would think with such a cartridge, an experienced person would be loading them. Taking no chances I pulled and deprimed 86. Weighing the bullets and charges (unknown powder type) they seemed to match up to manuals, and 9 had cracked case necks. I did fully seat a primer and I did go off, but I tossed them in a bottle of water. All brass was Jamison and were virgin. The dates on the custom boxes was from 2010. There were 12 that has some sort of filler above the powder. I made up a few dummies for friends, still have the components to reload, but I'll anneal before I do anything with these Jamison cases. When something isn't right, or don't seem right step back for a moment. It's not worth injury or destroying a rifle. John

 

[Newboomer]

I purchased approximately 120 loaded 500 Jeffrey cartridges from a member here. I dug some out to let a few friends experience the rifle and recoil. With some pre shot coaching they handled it well! However before the first round was fired I noticed high primers. Sorting through the cartridges many were in the same condition. Referring back to the ad some of them were from an estate sale. I do not hold the seller responsible, he did represent as such. The boxes were from reputable companies but obviously not factory. One would think with such a cartridge, an experienced person would be loading them. Taking no chances I pulled and deprimed 86. Weighing the bullets and charges (unknown powder type) they seemed to match up to manuals, and 9 had cracked case necks. I did fully seat a primer and I did go off, but I tossed them in a bottle of water. All brass was Jamison and were virgin. The dates on the custom boxes was from 2010. There were 12 that has some sort of filler above the powder. I made up a few dummies for friends, still have the components to reload, but I'll anneal before I do anything with these Jamison cases. When something isn't right, or don't seem right step back for a moment. It's not worth injury or destroying a rifle. JohnView attachment 487627View attachment 487628View attachment 487629

That could have proved interesting or worse.

 

[TucsonFX4]

That’s unfortunate, but well done not compromising your safety or someone else’s.

 

[tombkeeper]

Good call to disassemble all of them for peace of mind.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

I have an RCBS bullet puller with many different caliber collets in my 50 year old RCBS Rock Chucker press next to my Redding Turret Press. I readily pull bullets of any of my loads that I deem questionable, or those loads I find to be inaccurate.

For anyone else' reloads, I pull the bullets and throw away the powder. How could I verify the type of powder? If for practice, I will shoot the primers that are loaded in the cases.

 

[Luvthunt]

In today world I usually salvage the primers for target/practice

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

I purchased approximately 120 loaded 500 Jeffrey cartridges from a member here. I dug some out to let a few friends experience the rifle and recoil. With some pre shot coaching they handled it well! However before the first round was fired I noticed high primers. Sorting through the cartridges many were in the same condition. Referring back to the ad some of them were from an estate sale. I do not hold the seller responsible, he did represent as such. The boxes were from reputable companies but obviously not factory. One would think with such a cartridge, an experienced person would be loading them. Taking no chances I pulled and deprimed 86. Weighing the bullets and charges (unknown powder type) they seemed to match up to manuals, and 9 had cracked case necks. I did fully seat a primer and I did go off, but I tossed them in a bottle of water. All brass was Jamison and were virgin. The dates on the custom boxes was from 2010. There were 12 that has some sort of filler above the powder. I made up a few dummies for friends, still have the components to reload, but I'll anneal before I do anything with these Jamison cases. When something isn't right, or don't seem right step back for a moment. It's not worth injury or destroying a rifle. JohnView attachment 487627View attachment 487628View attachment 487629

@JohnJ
I make it a habit of not firing any one else's reloads unless I know then and trust them.
Those fillers could have been detrimental to your rifle by giving you a ringed barrel at the least.
Bob

 

[shotgungibbs]

Good choice! I won't fire anyone's reloads, if I don't know who loaded them.

 

[Sourdough]

@JohnJ
I make it a habit of not firing any one else's reloads unless I know then and trust them.
Those fillers could have been detrimental to your rifle by giving you a ringed barrel at the least.
Bob

I'm brand new to reloading. Could you please explain why the fillers are bad in this instance and how they could damage a barrel? Thanks.

 

[John J]

I wasn't aware the ammo was handloaded till I saw the high primers. They were boxed in Superior and Hendershots which meant nothing. Due safety and due diligence was a must after that. I'm sure I pulled 12 that were "probably " safe. The crimp was extremely tight and not a roll crimp, every thing pointed toward factory. But they were in the box with the rest so they were pulled too.

 

[fourfive8]

Like most have posted, stay away from someone else's reloads. I will not shoot or pass along someone else's reloads. Why should I think anyone else is or should be responsible for me or my well being? High primers are no good and are a clue in plain sight.

 

[michael458]

I'm brand new to reloading. Could you please explain why the fillers are bad in this instance and how they could damage a barrel? Thanks.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Don't shoot old (or handloaded by God Knows Who) ammo.! Learned long ago w/ OLD factory Wby (Norma) and A-Sq ammo (overpressure, primers pop out, split necks, flames out the muzzle, etc.!) 'Not even worth screwing up the gun, let alone the other possibilities! That's some good, expensive, hard to come by brass-Preserve It!

 

[Woodcarver]

Good to hear you caught this before you had what might have been a real problem. I made the mistake, once, of firing an unknown reload. Fortunately no harm was done except for the self lashing I received for doing something stupid. Somewhere on AH I posted a thread about it.
As to the cracked necks, I bought some 300WSM ammo that was factory loaded. Out of 60 rounds fired, I had 19 split necks. No visible problem prior to shooting it. What I suspect is that lot did not have the case neck properly annealed. Your plan to anneal those that aren't cracked is a good one.

 

[Daveboone]

This time last year I arrived at our local range to find a shooter staggering around dazed, holding his L arm up, with a heavily wrapped blood soaked bandage. I quickly inquired if I could help...he stated "I blew up my rifle". His friend was loading the vehicle quickly, and they were heading to home nearby to call 911 (no cell reception at the site). After they left I found a chunk of rifle reciever (Springfield 1903), the magazine floor plate...and lots of blood.
Fast forward to a couple months ago. Surprisingly enough I bumped into the same fellow, and luckily he has full use of his hand except for some missing muscle tissue. He told me the story. He was shooting his sporterized 1903 Springfield with some reloads he was given....
I have had a couple guys think I was a jerk because I wont share/reload for others. Tough. At the same time, I will not touch anyone elses. A friend recently gave me three full boxes of loaded .308, which I was happy to get, not that I really need them being a long time reloader. They were reloads. They all were crimped with a pair of pliers and thrown out.

 

[fourfive8]

Most modern firearms have quite a bit of built in engineering overkill strength. But some more than others. I still see quite a few sporterized 03s and custom rifles based on the 03 action. I also hear and read the scoffs when someone points out to be cautious with some of the 03s. Pays to be educated, educated and educated about reloading and the detailed history of the 03 from both US armories if shooting them.

The 03 failure just described sounds classic and caused by one of two possibilities or combination of both. Fast and loose reloads with a tad too much pressure in possibly a low serial numbered 03. While a modern high strength bolt gun may well have withstood a slightly high pressure load with the only symptoms being a stiff bolt lift.,, that particular 03 obvious didn’t. One reason I always avoided low serial numbered 03s. And of the two I’ve had that were theoretically stronger, higher serial number guns with better heat treat, I never pushed the envelope and stayed well under max recommended 30-06 pressures- always staying in the 30-40 kpsi range.

Restating the 03 serial number warning won’t hurt. Caution is advised with Springfield 03s below serial approx. 800,000 and Rock Island 03s below serial 285,507. Add to that complication the fact that much mix and match of bolts and receivers has taken place over the years.

 

[Mark A Ouellette]

Most modern firearms have quite a bit of built in engineering overkill strength.

Very correct fourfive8!

That stated, many do not realize that once ammunition maximum mean working pressure is exceeded, the peak pressure often rises exponentially! Add one or two extra grains of powder and pressure may rise from 60,000 psi to 70,000. The results are often flattened primers, flattened case headstamps, sometimes blown primers, primers, and the ever-annoying sticky bolt.

What was the Sergeant's fictional name on the TV show Hill Street Blues who would wrap up their morning meetings with, "Let's be careful out there."

 

[crs]

On the other hand, --sometimes all is OK.
On two occasions, I have bought ammo from shooters that sold their Winchester 1895 .405 rifles.
In one of the deals a box of loaded 300 grain Barnes ammo was included with documentation of date loaded, number of times loaded, powder charge, muzzle velocity and primer used. The seller verified the documentation and I shot a few test rounds in my 1895 .405 -- very accurate!
Thus far, four rounds have taken a Nilgai, a 300 pound red deer cow, and two deer. No bullets recovered as all were shoot throughs.
If this run of luck continues, the remainder of that box will still be around after I am gone!

 

[fourfive8]

Another way to look at this is to calculate the "potential" savings when playing the roulette of shooting someone else's reloads. Estimated average value for the questionable components (powder and primers) in an average box of 20 reloads is about $6.50! I don't get the "math" for playing that game. IMO and best advice- pull down the ammo, pitch the primers and powder, inspect the brass. If brass is usable, start over as with any fired brass. Measure and weigh the bullets and use as per normal for the bullet.

Also, the spit necks as pictured in the OP are troubling and worth having someone qualified carefully look over both the gun and and questionable ammo.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

Golden Rule: Either use factory loads or hand load your own. NEVER EVER use another person's handloads. You don't know how they were loaded.

I recently bought some paper cased Sellier & Bellot 12 gauge L.G shells from an estate sale, which had some rather suspicious looking roll turnover top wad cards. So I opened one up. And inside, I found 36 grams of no. 8 birdshot instead of eight L.G pellets. Imagine trying to go shoot a wild boar with one of these shells! I'd probably suffer one painful goring...