Have a look at this misfire...

cogito

New member
This is a Federal .22lr bought at Walmart (one of their bricks of about 500 rounds). It was shot from a fairly new Browning Buckmark Hunter.

No problems with any other rounds, either before or after this one.

When I fired this round, a plume of smoke came out of the breach and my right hand was covered in metal shards.

I'm not sure if the casing was defective or if the bullet wasn't properly seated. If the former, nothing for me to do (other than avoid the brand/source). But I wonder if the round wasn't sitting properly.

Can anyone deduce what happened given the image?

Thanks.

34hi4no.jpg
 
If the other empty cases look alright, especially fired after that one, you can likely rest assured that it was a faulty case that ruptured. Inspect the chamber rim and the empties and if there is no apparent cause, you can just forget about it. An anomaly.
 
Contact Federal. Their QC people will probably want to know about it and will probably ask you for the lot number on the box. I've heard of people doing this that got freebies for doing it (like free ammo or at least some discount coupons).
 
Looks to me like out of battery firing. The breech was not fully closed, but the gun fired anyway (that should be tested). The inward bending of the rim indicates that it was not against the chamber edge when the round fired.

Why did the breech not close? Could have been a buildup of dirt/grease/wax in the chamber, an oversize bullet, or some other reason. Anyway, there was enough support that the firing pin fired the primer, but the unsupported part of the case blew out. Which way the gases went, I don't know for sure, but probably upward since the OP doesn't mention damage to the magazine or grips which would usually result if the gas escape was downward.

IMHO, there was no defect in the cartridge unless the bullet was oversize causing the failure of the slide to go into battery. As to why only that round? I don't know. Something might have kept the slide from going fully closed - the thumb, a part of the clothing, I don't know.

Jim
 
I'd like a few more photos of the case . It may also be a defect in the brass near where the firing pin struck it.
 
Looks more like a double chage of powder, pressure's want sky high.

Had that happen with a Winchester case the rim blew out, lucky it was in my 77/22 with a locked in bolt.
 
Add another vote for out of battery firing. I would be taking a very close look at the Buck Mark and trying with all my might to get that hammer to fall with the slide out of battery to attempt to "re-create" the failure (but without live ammo) Because THAT is a serious problem and if it's something that can happen again, it needs to be addressed.

I would have no solid reason to blame the ammo with the evidence that's been provided.
 
Cheap Bulk Ammo

cogito
I'm so glad you entered this post/picture, as it exactly the same thing that happened to me and yes, with Walmart Federal bulk pack. Mine came in the silver or grey packaging. The only difference is that my case actually seperated from it's base. Never did find the base or rim, but the case cylinger, got stuck in the barrel and eventually got pushed out and stuck in the target. I still have that sample. I was shooting a 10/22 and prior to this, noticed some inconsistencies while firing. Later I inspected some of the cases and on some, I could actually pinch the open end with my fingers. Later tried this ammo on other Semi's and ran into some problems here as well. I marked the box and only shoot these in non-semi's. .... ;)

IMHO, there was no defect in the cartridge unless the bullet was oversize causing the failure of the slide to go into battery.

IMHO, just another example of inferior bulk ammo ...... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
Pahoo said:
Never did find the base or rim, but the case cylinger, got stuck in the barrel and eventually got pushed out and stuck in the target. I still have that sample.

:eek: How many rings did you get in the barrel as you pushed that obstruction through?
 
No pressure, no harm done !!

How many rings did you get in the barrel as you pushed that obstruction through?
When I realized what had happened, I check the barrel and actually found no rings or damage. I suspect it was because I actually did not create any excess pressures. The next bullet just pushed the casing cylinder out and into the target. I still have what's left of it. .... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
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