300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

[Heat]

Hey all, I've got a strange problem. I'm doing load development for a 300 WSM with 208 Amaxs and H4350. This is new Winchester brass I'm using and on a couple cases I have vertical cracks at the base of the neck where it meets the shoulder. Now, my primers are a little flat, but I didn't have any sticky bolt lift. Anybody have any comments on this?

Thanks,
stovetop

 

[-edgecrusher-]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure

do you have any pics, it would make it easier to diagnose...sounds like something you would get from work hardened brass, not new brass. I would say neck sizing could be an issue, but as stated it is new brass.

 

[Guest]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure

WRA brass is harder than others. I'd try neck annealing it before loading it. You may also want to create a false shoulder for your first load to avoid issues caused by minimum brass in a maximum chamber.

 

[Heat]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ekbgr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">WRA brass is harder than others. I'd try neck annealing it before loading it. You may also want to create a false shoulder for your first load to avoid issues caused by minimum brass in a maximum chamber. </div></div>

What do you mean by "creating a false shoulder"?

 

[tfsron]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**


I had some brass that developed cracks like that on firing.

I checked the rest of the loaded rounds and found that a good number of them had very fine cracks in the neck area that I missed when loading.

It was old brass that had never been fired.

It is my understanding that brass stored in a unheated building expands and contracts with temperature changes.

The expansion and contraction results in work hardening and eventually cracks.

I would seriously consider discarding all of this brass lot and starting over with new.

Good shooting
Ron

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

WSM brass is very thick brass. It gets work hardened quickly. You need to anneal them when new and then every few firings to keep this from happening.
WSM brass, in my experience is built like a tank.

 

[Heat]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

Ok thanks guys.

 

[mdesign]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

Had the same problem with my WSM and WW brass. There are a combination of things that case necks to split but annealing will help. I do mine about every 4 firings.

In this article I describe the method I use, you may find it useful.

300 WSM Article

 

[Heat]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mdesign</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Had the same problem with my WSM and WW brass. There are a combination of things that case necks to split but annealing will help. I do mine about every 4 firings.

In this article I describe the method I use, you may find it useful.

300 WSM Article </div></div>

Thank you sir!

 

[E4300WSM]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

Great article, love the 300

 

[ramiller]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

I had the very same problem with the 223 wssm on the first firing of new brass. I also used imr 4350 powder.

 

[popapi]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mdesign</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Had the same problem with my WSM and WW brass. There are a combination of things that case necks to split but annealing will help. I do mine about every 4 firings.

In this article I describe the method I use, you may find it useful.

300 WSM Article </div></div>AWESOME thanks!!!

 

[54express]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

What was the difference in neck size from a loaded round and a fired round? It looks like it was reamed to large as the neck did not seal based on the carbon below the shoulder..

 

[mdesign]

Re: 300 WSM Brass Failure **Pics Added**

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 54express</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What was the difference in neck size from a loaded round and a fired round? It looks like it was reamed to large as the neck did not seal based on the carbon below the shoulder.. </div></div>

Good observation! It will look that way when the brass gets work hardened and takes a little more pressure to seal off. Really noticeable when you compare the carbon seal on a case that was just annealed and one that needs it.