AR Guys? Slam Fire...YIKES!

[Craig T]

Anybody had this happen? Felt like an M80 went off in my hands. Blew the magazine to pieces out the bottom. Live rounds scattered everywhere? Luckily, only minor damage to the spoon.

I bought 500 rounds of Federal "once fired case" reloads on Spoonbroker. This one was round 73. I put the remainder through my L.E. Wilson case gage. 40 were oversize! 11 were so large at the base they were 1/4" from fitting in the case gage. I pounded them out an resized to a Redding small base die.

Looks like the seller of my reloads picked up some military brass and only neck sized. That's the last time I buy somebody else's reloads.

[John Rogers]

We have those happen once or twice a month at our range in Dulzura. Most times it is the same story as yours OR the person just started reloading and did not do proper case prep, overloaded the powder or other things. That's why I shoot muzzle loaders......

[Bill Douglas]

I would never fire someone else's reloads. And it sounds like this guy was pretty rough with his reloading.

[on2wheels52]

I'd be somewhat surprised if any of them chambered if they were only neck sized, but who knows. I hope they were cheap.
Jim

[berettafan]

The only way I'd EVER shoot someone else's reloads is if I were pinned down in a ditch with bad guys coming at me and that's all I had left.

[Aragorn]

That looks pretty bad. Definitely a brown shorts moment.

bullet exploding in chamber!!!!!

Slamfires on an SKS usually are caused by the pin not fully retracting causing the round to go off as soon as it loaded. This causes the gun to empty the clip in quick succession.

Slamfire - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Never had it happen on my SKS but it would definitely be an eyeopener at the range.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by berettafan

The only way I'd EVER shoot someone else's reloads is if I were pinned down in a ditch with bad guys coming at me and that's all I had left.

So many forum posts turn into lectures.

The Spoonbroker seller has over 1500 successful ammo auctions and 100% positive ratings. I didn't buy these from some guy on the corner with a bag of bullets.

This is a lesson learned for sure. I'll stick to my old Winchesters, silhouette matches, and low volume hand loading of my own ammo. The millennials and zombie warriors can shoot the AR's.

[71scgc]

It's not an AR issue, it's an ammo issue.
I've shot literally millions of rounds through an AR (M16A1/M16A2 actually).
Never once had a "slamfire". Neither did anyone around me.
There's so much crappy ammo out there now, it's hard to trust any of it.
I only shoot verifiable gov't ammo or very high grade ammo from reputable manufacturers. If it has an odd name, or one I don't recognize, it stays on the shelf. Even if it's U.S. made.
Carter

[berettafan]

Sorry to lecture but given recent attitudes about stockpiling ammo how many of the 1500 sales have been all shot up? I'd suspect most are sitting in safes and closets.

It's just such a huge potential danger and I can't see trusting some guy who reloads in his basement to follow every safety protocol.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by berettafan

Sorry to lecture but given recent attitudes about stockpiling ammo how many of the 1500 sales have been all shot up? I'd suspect most are sitting in safes and closets.

It's just such a huge potential danger and I can't see trusting some guy who reloads in his basement to follow every safety protocol.

I know stockpiling is an issue, but you wouldn't know it by the looks of the Angeles Shooting Range in Los Angeles. When we drive past the main range on the way to the Silhouette Club, there are a 100 guys with AR's out there blasting aways thousands of rounds. It's the same for the pistol range.

You're probably right about the sellers product. Most buying bulk ammo at a bargain are stockpiling. Who knows what they're saving it for.

[legion]

Let me see if I understand the mechanics of this:

The base of the round was too wide, so the cartridge did not fully enter the chamber. As the bolt moved forward, it was suddenly stopped by the wide base of the round, but the firing pin kept moving forward and set off the primer?

Maybe also look into a stiffer return spring on the firing pin?

[Lothar]

legion,

AR firing pin is free floating. No spring.

[Rick V]

I have had this happen to my AR a couple of times, never fired off the round but the bolt stopped a quarter inch from closure and locked up. Being unable to pull the bolt back with the charge handle I had to remove the upper with the round kind of chambered. I ended up driving the bolt closed, reassembling the gun and discharging the round. These were also reloads from someone I trust, and have never had an issue, but I won't ever use them again. I gave them all away

[HHI944]

On a rifle length gas system, the brass is beginning to withdraw from the chamber before the rounds passes the gas port....

Basically, the brass may have been sized appropriately, but weakened for some reason.

[flatbutt]

maybe reloaded more than once?

[legion]

Originally Posted by Lothar

legion,

AR firing pin is free floating. No spring.

You know, I typed that and then wondered. Not being at home, I couldn't disassemble an AR to check.