Bizarre primer strikes

[icanthitabarn]

The firearm that fires these is new. I think it is a LCP and the owner is a gun noob more or less. I have never been there when he shoots but I recognize his brass . What do you experts think? My guess might be a crooked firing pin channel. The one primer there is pierced and others are all angled.

 

[Poper]

FWIW, my guess would be either a bent firing pin or an off-center firing pin channel. I would definitely send it back to Ruger 'cause that is just not right.

Poper

 

[MtnCreek]

Before I started reloading, I don't think I ever looked at my fired brass. I guess I didn't know there was any info to be gained from checking it out.

 

[49willys]

Could be an ammo issue too.at the rate they are making guns and ammo these days,quality control cant be as good as it used to be.

 

[345 DeSoto]

My money is on a broken firing pin...

 

[Shimitup]

Yikes, looks to me like it's firing out of battery.

 

[Jim K]

It looks like there has been some damage to the breech face, allowing the primer to back up into a hole or depression. The firing pin imprint looks very odd also. The one cartridge case in the back was fired in a dropping barrel pistol and has the common drag mark from the firing pin not retracting fast enough, but it is otherwise normal and doesn't seem to have been fired in the same gun as the others.

I don't know of anything about an LCP that could cause the first condition. Those rounds look like ones I once fired in an old .38 revolver that had a missing firing pin bushing.

Jim

 

[Drail]

That sure looks like a firing pin issue to me. I wouldn't trust that gun for any serious business use until it is checked out by Ruger. If the gun were firing out of battery the cases would not look anything like that. The case headstamp appears to be "Herters". I don't think they are even still around any more. The primers look really weird also. Does your friend have this problem with any other brand of ammo? Could these be someone's old reloads? Ruger definitely should examine that gun.

 

[1SOW]

Either out of battery OR heavy Overpressure .

Are they reloads?

 

[icanthitabarn]

Update. This is a Cobra .380.Not Ruger. The not-poor owner will be showing it and his brass to the dealer. These are from his 1st box and the unfireds look normal.

 

[Jim K]

I am not familiar with the Cobra .380, but would it be possible to learn what the problem is?

Jim

 

[rcmodel]

The Cobra .380!

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/12/jeremy-s/gun-review-cobra-ca380-cheapest-handgun-america/

rc

 

[icanthitabarn]

I don't have a clue on these, but I googled it. lol I will re-update when I hear the outcome. I have already tried to gently steer him towards. ...other stuff.

haha I ended up same as RC.

 

[deadin]

I think rcmodel may have found the problem...

Cobra CA380 – The Cheapest Handgun in America!

 

[Scooter22]

Semi automatic/hand grenade. Just don't know what you have until you pull the trigger.

 

[788Ham]

Drail, post # 8 : Yes, Herter's is still around, I have 300 rds. of factory loaded .38 Spl. dwnstrs, just reloaded 100 rds of it last week.

 

[Jim K]

OK, the picture jogged my memory. Some of those cheap guns had a non-steel slide with a steel insert behind the primer*. If that is the case and the insert was driven back what you would get is just what is seen. The normal case was not fired in the Cobra; it was fired in a dropping barrel pistol (LCP?) as indicated by the firing pin drag mark, and the Cobra is blowback.

*Colt did just that with the 1911 pistol before they came up with the hard slide; WWII vintage GI 1911A1 pistols had a hardened firing pin bushing.

Jim

 

[icanthitabarn]

I just picked this brass off the ground, so I guess someone else shot the normal brass and happened to use Herters.

 

[Jim K]

Or someone had two (or more) guns.

Jim