Question about splits in handgun brass

[barnfrog]

Tonight as I was doing my final inspection of the .357 rounds I loaded, I noticed splits in two cases. I think they split when I seated the bullets, but it is certainly possible that I missed them when I did my initial inspection of the brass. Not sure if you can see the splits in the picture below.

I'm going to pull the bullets and toss the brass just to be safe, but I'm wondering what others would do. Is there much risk in firing handgun rounds with split brass? If it makes any difference, these will be fired from a revolver.

 

[AJC1]

My brass splits most and are discovered at expanding. The round is scrap either way. They split when firing sometimes and that's the nature of the beast. I'd probably mark the case. Shoot the round and leave it in the range bucket.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Tonight as I was doing my final inspection of the .357 rounds I loaded, I noticed splits in two cases. I think they split when I seated the bullets, but it is certainly possible that I missed them when I did my initial inspection of the brass. Not sure if you can see the splits in the picture below.
View attachment 1113544
I'm going to pull the bullets and toss the brass just to be safe, but I'm wondering what others would do. Is there much risk in firing handgun rounds with split brass? If it makes any difference, these will be fired from a revolver.

Hot gas can escape through the crack, travel rearwards and blow into your face. And thats not the worst case scenario...

Pull the bullet, dump the powder, load in the gun and set off the primer. Save powder if you know exactly what it is. Reuse soon. If you want to save the primer, do so at your own risk.

I have a ton of 30 Herret with split necks that ive slowly been demilling. Inherited from my grandpa so i have no clue when the cracks happened.

 

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Toss them not worth shooting if something goes wrong

 

[dartor]

Put a big X on the case head with a sharpie and choot 'em. Toss the brass in the recycle bucket after fired. I do it all the time.

 

[Bazoo]

If probably disassemble and save the primer and powder. But I don’t think It would be unsafe to shoot, and if primers werent scarce I’d shoot them instead of disassembling.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I'm going to pull the bullets and toss the brass just to be safe, but I'm wondering what others would do.

Exactly that. I would dump the powder into the scale pan, punch out the primer and seat it in a different case, pour the powder and seat the bullet. It might take all of five minutes.

 

[Walkalong]

Hot gas can escape through the crack, travel rearwards and blow into your face

Worst case scenario yes, if the crack goes far enough down, which that one doesn't seem to best I can see, but the safest thing to do is break it down and reuse the primer. It is bad for chambers as well anyway.

The more you handle cases during the reloading sequence, the more likely you'll find them before you load them, and as @AJC1 posted, it happens when expanding sometimes, but you may feel that when it happens. I don't size while loading, I use pre-sized/hand primed cases for pistol loading, so the sizer isn't in when the rounds are loaded, making it easier to feel things like funny expanding or seating.

 

[barnfrog]

Bullets pulled, primers salvaged, lesson learned. Didn't bother to load up two more rounds, since now I have 48 which is an even eight cylinders worth.

 

[AJC1]

Bullets pulled, primers salvaged, lesson learned. Didn't bother to load up two more rounds, since now I have 48 which is an even eight cylinders worth.

If your anything like me, rimmed pistol cases should be 60 vise 50

 

[Charlie98]

The 'pull and dump'ers are correct... that is the safe thing to do. I would shoot them, depending on the load and the firearm they are going into, but I've pulled enough rounds in my day that I've done both. FWIW, I DON'T fool around with rifle brass, if it's compromised in some way... it's done.

 

[FROGO207]

That small a crack I would risk shooting them. That however is your choice and I see that you already broke them down. That is the safest way. Seems I find a couple every reloading cycle so always have spare brass prepped just in case.

 

[CQB45ACP]

Do what you want of course, but remember, the ones telling you shoot ‘em are the internet.

 

[Random 8]

Going forward, do a thorough inspection after expanding. I catch probaby 90+ percent of splits at this point by holding them up to a light and rotating. Some DO split during bullet seating. I have this occur most commonly in 9mm. Some will make it through the process and split during firing. Disassembly is the safest call. That being said, I've had numerous splits during firing with no ill effects to myself or firearm. I have had a couple split further down the case, just above the web. Those are hazardous.

 

[edwardware]

I'm going to pull the bullets and toss the brass just to be safe,

There's no impact on safety whatsoever; the brass's contribution to strength is too small to be noticed.

Firing with a split case will be a bit rough on the cylinder, but not enough to notice for hundreds of rounds.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

If I see them I pull them, but I agree that small of a crack probably won't hurt anything. Those little mouth splits are hard to find unless you do full inspection which many of us are guilty of not doing, me included.
Large body splits, I can hear when they come down out of the case feeder. When they hit the metal feed ramp on my Hornady ap they make a distinct tinny sound.
Very easy to find that way.

 

[243winxb]

Is there much risk in firing handgun rounds with split brass?

I fired these 44 magnums yesterday. They caused no problems. 250 gr lswc & 17.0gr Accurate No 9. . Cracks found after firing, when wiping with a rag. Cleaned, sized & flared for photo.
Best to scrap all 4, now.


New Remington brass in 1989. Loaded many times.

 

[Charlie98]

Do what you want of course, but remember, the ones telling you shoot ‘em are the internet.

I'm not denying the safety factor, here... but if you think about it, how many times have you found a split or cracked case after firing? I've had case head separations in my M1a (.308) and I'm still here to tell the tale... FWIW, I've had case head blowouts in the M1a, which is why I'm so picky about my rifle brass, but that is a tale for another day. I've had all manner of cases fatigue from firing... during firing.

If you are talking a case wall split... no, I wouldn't shoot it, but if you are talking a starting case mouth split, and it isn't a case full of W296, then I'd probably shoot it, then scrap the case.

 

[Charlie98]

Large body splits, I can hear when they come down out of the case feeder.

I can hear split cases when I throw them in the fired brass bucket, or when I'm rolling them around in the sifter getting the media out, or when I'm sorting cases. They make a very distinct sound.

There was a previous thread on case headstamp separation... sorting by headstamp also gives me the opportunity to find those cases deadlined from the last firing. Good light and patience usually finds 99% of them.

 

[mcb]

If I saw these little splits in my ammo I would separate them out for the practice box. I would not want to shoot that ammo in a match or carry them, say in my woods gun, but for range fodder I would definitely shoot them up and then throw the brass in my recycling bucket. I have had heaps of cases split in a variety of pistol cartridges over the years of shooting/competing and I have yet to have a split case cause a problem for me.

 

[doubleh]

I have had some cases split over the years and never knew it until I inspected them before reloading. If I found a split one after it was loaded I would break it down just to be on the safe side.

 

[CQB45ACP]

I'm not denying the safety factor, here... but if you think about it, how many times have you found a split or cracked case after firing? I've had case head separations in my M1a (.308) and I'm still here to tell the tale... FWIW, I've had case head blowouts in the M1a, which is why I'm so picky about my rifle brass, but that is a tale for another day. I've had all manner of cases fatigue from firing... during firing.

If you are talking a case wall split... no, I wouldn't shoot it, but if you are talking a starting case mouth split, and it isn't a case full of W296, then I'd probably shoot it, then scrap the case.

I agree completely but still don’t trust people I don’t know and even some of them…

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I can hear split cases when I throw them in the fired brass bucket, or when I'm rolling them around in the sifter getting the media out, or when I'm sorting cases. They make a very distinct sound.

I can't tell a difference in sound with a tiny mouth split, but my hearing isn't what it used to be. To many years in load factories.
I hate it when I'm dumping about 800 9mms in a container and I hear it. Now I have to go them one at a time and check them all. AARG!
The bad part is they are always someone else range brass I picked up. They usually have the wrong firing pin depression to be mine or don't have my Titegroup scorch on the side of them.
If I just picked up my own I wouldn't have that problem, but I can't resist getting free brass when it's available.

 

[Charlie98]

I hate it when I'm dumping about 800 9mms in a container and I hear it.

True that!!!

 

[243winxb]

44 mag i fired . Did not notice anything different.
Annealing the remaining 30 with my candle/wet sponge method, to see if it helps this very old brass? Don't think I got enough heat on them?