Anyone see this....Houston Cartridge Company 10mm FAILS

[DenStinett]

I guess they're having some ISSUES with their 10mm ! ! !
http://sigforum.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=674608412&f=430601935&m=2350060723&r=1870060723#1870060723

[The_Shadow]

I'd be will to bet it was bad brass, if that company was using used brass, it may have been compromised or just a an over load from powder bridging. (this is where powder sticks in a drop and then falls on the next cartridge)
I wish he would have listed measured powder charges and posted pictures of them to gain more info.

[cmemiss]

Den & Shadow,

Unfortunately I have seen this a couple of times before, but in .40 S&W ammo manufactured by the same HCC.  About 1993 or so I bought 1k rounds of .40 which I proceeded to shoot for a while before getting diverted to something else.  I had 2 (I think) case head failures in a Sig 229.  One was pretty simple with a bit of gas and unburned powder blown back, and the other springing a Hogue grip out of shape.  Later I had a problem with the same ammo in 2 STIs, a 1911 and 2011.  At the risk of being edited, it is a hell of a surprise. 

The company--Houston Cartridge Company, used range pick up brass that must have been de-Glocked, as it chambered in all the weapons I shot it in and the STIs had very tight chambers (fired brass still fits easily in a cartridge gage) so I know it was well resized.  These rounds were loaded with lead 180 gr. TC bullets, but the charge and velocity is unknown.  I have seen other similar failures, all in .40 S&W in which a small piece of brass is blown out which corresponds with the ramp relief.  I did find purely by accident what I think may be the cause.  During a run through on some reloaded ammo with the case gage, I discovered a hairline crack in the extractor groove of a round.  The crack corresponds with the blown out area on some cases I have saved.  I think what happens is that hot loads may cause hairline cracks in the area of the extractor groove and may be unseen when doing case prep.  Both the 10 mm and 40 S&W are high pressure loads which I think is a contributory factor, as the 45 ACP doesn't seem to have this problem with a similar bit of unsupported head.

At the college where I worked, the LE program was using 40 S&W Berettas with reloaded ammo.  They had problems with kabooms and switched over to all factory ammo for all range work (LE, CHL, Security Certification, etc.) to guard against law suits.

[DenStinett]

The company..... used range pick up brass

Kinda what I figured
Over shot Range Brass that has turned brittle