Cracked necks on 1x fired Lapua

R

RAG2

Guest
I am perplexed and could use a little feedback as to why my Brother would have got split necks (actually, it's more like short little "fractures" in the neck of brand new Lapua 223 Rem Brass...not at the end, of the necks, but the middle). You can actually see light through the cracks. The brass was ordered 7 years ago (1000 pieces) and was fired a few years ago...I was just going through his brass for him and noticed it. About 1/2 the brass showed demonstrated this issue. I had assumed it was defective brass, and it may be, but I have 100 pieces I fired in my 223 AI that I suspect must have came from the same lot, and the rounds I fired show now cracking. The ammo was loaded with AA2200 (a lot from 2003 I recall), and the fired rounds do not show excessive pressure signs of any sort. The diameter of the necks on the loaded rounds is .248 and the neck chamber is .254, so the fit isn't all that bad for a factor jobber.

I'm wondering if it was simply defective brass, or maybe it was caused by a wierd culmination of atmospheric conditions? The gun has only been fired about 600 times, so I can't imagine there is excessive carbon build in the neck or anything like that.

I don't know. THANK YOU.
 
brass back then was not made by lapua, but by a sub contractor, and to say the best ...it was not very good brass.
thier current 223 brass is marked "match", and is made by them....
i have some of the early stuff...i think they sold it thinking it would be used as blasting brass in ar's.
it sucked.
mike in co
 
Did Hirtenberger make the 222 & 223 brass at that time? I remember purchasing Norma 222 brass because the Lapua brass made by Hirtenberger was inferior.

GW
 
Wow, I didn't know that!

Wow, that would explain it, cause I have thousands of pieces of 6BR and 220 Russion (6PPC) brass that lasts forever. Now I feel bad, as I was supposed to be the family "expert", so I told my brother to spend the extra money and get Lapua .223 brass, only it wasn't "Lapua."

Thanks!
 
There was a fella at the range today complaining about split shoulders on his lapua 6BR brass during the match. I have never had this issue myself! lee
 
A friend in Seattle bought some Lapua brass probably 15 or 20 years ago and complained that it was no better than domestic brass, although a whole lot more expensive. I've never had trouble with their .220 Russian or 6 BR brass though.
 
Yep bad brass

I had that experience with some 6mmppc brass made by someone for Lapua that split on the shoulder. Another similar experience from brass made by FC Lovelock but in .25/06 calibre. Not even sure if they exist any more. It's a case of brass ain't brass.
Andy.
 
Sounds like the brass is not annealed properly.

I would hazard a guess that if you annealed the brass the problem would be solved both the 223 and 6mm.

George
 
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