9MM Shell failure

[richs]

Guys, I need some help. Went to the range with the wife (her idea) and she had 2 failures that left her unhappy. Her Ruger SR9C kept having feed failures. I tried to detect the issue, but she HAD to have the shop look at it. I did manage to get the Ruger before she went to the gunsmith (@ $$$/hr) and discovered she had a shell separation. After clearing it, it happened again after 3 or 4 rounds. The first was one of my reloads, the second was factory load. The weapon has had maybe 50 rounds through it... my FNS9 had no issues with any of my reloads.
Any ideas out there?

Bad shell next to a normal 9MM

 

[eightnsand]

different ammo?! same result?! send that back to ruger asap. great customer service. had separation 2 separate times, a reload ammo problem. check barrel for symmetry. positive it was 2 different ammo batches? updates please.

 

[spencer60]

Interesting.

I had this same kind of failure recently in a 9mm revolver of all things. No issue with an unsupported chamber there.

It was Freedom Munition reloads so I guess it was probably overworked brass???

 

[hikingthehills]

With factory loads I wouldon't be sending it back as well.

 

[richs]

I managed to find the head on one, and it is indeed Freedom Munition. After some research, those cases have a long history on head separation.

 

[Twitch2120]

After I learned freedom munitions is USA ammo renamed I quit buying. They cut corners somewhere in the production line. It's the only ammo I've every had fail in my xdm and p380.

 

[TheAreopagite]

I'm still pretty new to reloading, but it looks like the separation happens right about where the base of the projectile is seated in the case. Hypothetically, what kind of reloading variables could make this occur? Could a post-seating crimp like the Lee Factory Crimp make this more likely to occur? It only sizes the very top rim of the case so that seems unlikely, but I thought I'd ask the more knowledgeable folks to chime in.

 

[dixieammo]

Fatigue overloaded brass will cause separations

 

[TheAreopagite]

Fatigue overloaded brass will cause separations

So overworked brass rather than something like a hot or compressed load? It makes sense: every firing expands the case, we size it back, expand it again, it would stand that the metal would weaken. Is there a particular reason it separates at that very spot (chamber face, projectile tail, etc.)?

 

[dixieammo]

So overworked brass rather than something like a hot or compressed load? It makes sense: every firing expands the case, we size it back, expand it again, it would stand that the metal would weaken. Is there a particular reason it separates at that very spot (chamber face, projectile tail, etc.)?

My guess is the resizing then expanding when projectile is loaded = fatigue brass is a very soft material