Sidearms & Scatterguns Hmmmmmm........just a little......

[hangunnr]

........or a lot over pressure....

Took a new shooter out yesterday for some informal target shooting. Grabbed a bag of leftover IPSC major .40 S&W loads. These were last used at an indoor shoot about 2 years back with no issue. Well......it was 95 degrees yesterday at the range and it became painfully apparent that the much higher ambient temp took these loads to near nuclear level.
No one was hurt and no damage other than the above pictured brass.

Amazing how the extractor groove shortened up before finally rupturing. A beautiful example of brass flow.

 

[Shankoltd21]

Good thing noone was hurt. What was the recipe?

 

[hangunnr]

WSF and a 175gr bullet

 

[mrdrar]

Not a reloader here, but I have followed some issues with .40: is bullet set back a possible cause?

 

[Shankoltd21]

Wsf is considered a pretty "safe" powder. I think setback due to lack of neck tension could be the cause.

 

[Diablo]

Agree, likely setback.

Curious, what is headstamp on those cases?

 

[Mike Casselton]

Glock?

 

[BullGear]

Zoinks. Even Scooby Doo knows that's dangerous.

 

[Shankoltd21]

For reloading. 40 I would recommend using the EGW U-die. It helps prevent setback

 

[hangunnr]

Not setback, you’d have to try awful hard to accomplish that with a hard cast and a Dillon taper crimp die. More along the lines of about a 40-50 degree temp swing from when the loads were originally worked up. Setting on the tailgate of a truck wasn’t my best move for ammo handling on a hot day, I know better but it happened......

They were fired in a Kimber stainless target with a fully supported chamber. Likely would have been firearm damage if a Glock would have been used.

R-P and Federal brass and Win SR primers.

 

[isofahunter]

Glad all ok, similar experience years ago with 9mm reloads, case head got ejected but the body was stuck in chamber. It was a hot day and the bag laid on the tailgate. Have a white towel now to cover ammo from sun.

 

[gunsandgear]

Wow. Did you notice any issues while firing the pistol or did you have to examine the brass to see you were getting close to something potentially catastrophic happening?

 

[isofahunter]

Worked fine then funny recoil. It was a 40 I thought it was 9. Here is result. Found case head 15 feet away.

 

[hangunnr]

I did get a little blowback on one shot, didn’t notice on the other. Found the second ruptured case while policing up the brass. Had fired four or five 5 round strings prior to the blown case. Never knew the first one had happened.

 

[ShtrRdy]

The groove flattening is interesting. Thanks for sharing.