Prvi Parizan .38 strikes again!!

[Rick the Librarian]

If you look at my post from a week or so ago below, you'll note I had a squib round from a box of Prvi Partizan .38 Special ammunition that I bought new from Wideners maybe a month ago.

Today, I took my pistol to the range and ran the rest of my box of shells through it, as well as some reloads I cooked up. The reloads did fine.

However, after about 6 rounds of PP, I noticed one of the fired cases refused to get pulled out by the hand ejector. I finally poked it out with a dowel. As you can see in the picture below, the case had a jagged crack in the middle about 1/2" long.

I think a squib and a cracked case is unacceptable for one box of factory ammunition! (The other 48 rounds did work all right, to be fair, but that's still a 4% failure rate!) I already emailed Wideners about the squib but heard nothing back. Should I contact them again?

The headstamp is 1 (or I)K 03.

I was going to use these to reload but I'm starting to have my doubts!

http://www.fototime.com./F0FDE9C3907E754/standard.jpg

[Art]

Dang Rick! That looks just like a case rupture I had many years ago in a box of Winchester +P semi wadcutters.

you're right, a squib and a ruptured case in one box is too much. I'd fire a note off to the importer as well.

[amber]

If you look at my post from a week or so ago below, you'll note I had a squib round from a box of Prvi Partizan .38 Special ammunition that I bought new from Wideners maybe a month ago.

Today, I took my pistol to the range and ran the rest of my box of shells through it, as well as some reloads I cooked up. The reloads did fine.

However, after about 6 rounds of PP, I noticed one of the fired cases refused to get pulled out by the hand ejector. I finally poked it out with a dowel. As you can see in the picture below, the case had a jagged crack in the middle about 1/2" long.

I think a squib and a cracked case is unacceptable for one box of factory ammunition! (The other 48 rounds did work all right, to be fair, but that's still a 4% failure rate!) I already emailed Wideners about the squib but heard nothing back. Should I contact them again?

The headstamp is 1 (or I)K 03.

I was going to use these to reload but I'm starting to have my doubts!

http://www.fototime.com./F0FDE9C3907E754/standard.jpg

Looks like they are NOT usingnew brass. No telling how many times that brass was reloaded before it got to you. A 4% failure rate is HORRIBLE!! They should refund your money and pull that ammo from their stock.

Years ago, I reloaded 38 special using wad cutters for indoor practice in my S & W Model 19. I had picked up about a thousand or so once fired cases off the McDill AFB, FL range in early '68. I have forgotten the bullet weight and the powder weight, but it was Bulls Eye powder. The brass was RA 67. I loaded these cases many many times before I started getting cracks just like the one you have showen us.
Since I was using fairly light loads (for indoors - 50 feet), I never had a problem mechanically or an injury. Many cases did split after all those loadings, but I never noticed anything wrong while actually shooting. Prior to reloading, I gave each case a visual inspection, discovering the cracks. I hate to think of what might have happened if I was using a hot load. Check your remaining brass from that box to see if others have split.

[Rick the Librarian]

You better believe I did. I had a couple of people who asked me if this was reloads and I saw new - factory ammo. I did hear from PP's U.S. distributor and they have promised me a replacement box.

[Art]

This kind of rupture absolutely can happen with new brass, it is due to a flaw in the brass during the manufacturing process. The Win case I had with an almost identical split came in a brand new box of Winchester cartridges.

[Rick the Librarian]

Out of the millions of cases made, they're bound to have some "duds" - as I said, I just got concerned when they were two failure (or different kinds) in one box!