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Lake City "Match" brass problem

rchawk
Ran into a problem with later dated lots of "once fired" LC Match .308 brass. Upon close examination, I can see a band of "knurling" near the base of the case. Several of these cases separated during extraction in a friend's Super Match SA M1A. Lots dated prior to 1985 do not have this band and none of those cases ruptured. Several that have the band that did not separate showed signs of imminent rupture and cracking just at the top of the knurled band.
Here is one just for you Lefty.
Thanks again all,




Hawk


I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!
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Comments

11 comments

Date Votes
  • Laredo Lefty
    Hi Hawk,,,, I have not seen that problem with 7.62 brass.
    One of my shooting team members had that problem with 5.56 brass after the first reload.
    As near as we could figure he may have ran the brass too far up into the resizing die and compressed the case stressing the side. He had a couple of cases separate just above the base. Upon inspecting his loaded rounds we found some with the mark you mentioned around the case right where they were splitting.
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  • rchawk
    Sorry if I wasn't clear, the "knurling is manufactured into the cases. It is/was there before we resized the brass. Full length resize, small base dies. It is not a defect, and only is present on lots dated after 1984. I tried to put up a pic, but there are no 12 year olds around to show me how.
    Thanks again Lefty

    Hawk


    I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!
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  • cpermd
    All the LC match after the early 80s has the knurling.
    A lot of it has been fired in a MG unfortunately,even though it is not supposed to be done.This way overexpands the case
    If so and you use a SB die it is prone to separate.
    Try a regular sizing die and that helps,though you may have to do them twice.
    cpermd
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  • Matt45
    Rich- I thought the problem was going to be not enough brass.

    Any idea what the purpose is behind the knurling?

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  • rchawk
    Hey Matt,
    Ther is NEVER enough brass. But that was not the problem this time.
    I have no idea what the knurling is for, but I don't like it. Having to use a broken case extractor after every 5th or 6th shot slows down the practice sessions. Anybody want some LC Match brass?

    Hawk


    I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!
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  • NOTPARS
    I was just wondering if Lake City still makes ammo or are they long time history? I was wondering because I live about 5 minutes from Lake City and shoot at the State Range sometimes.
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  • GPWEAPON
    rc this might help, take a fired case from the springfield get a go no go gauge for the .308, wilson makes a good one. put the case in the gauge and see how much it protrudes. now compare it to the cases you have resized, they should not be far off from the fired case from your rifle maybe .003 for best results. You should stick with your small base dies for reliabilty in cycleing. There is a common problem with springfield chambers being to the max or greater on the headspace. you could be overworking your brass. Also the once fired brass you have should show signs of the origional annealing around the neck shoulder area. if you don't know where it came from i.e. you or someone you know got it directly from the shooter it may have been reloaded once before. but chances are your overworking your brass. If you take one of your once fired cases then put a little bend on a paper clip you can scratch inside the case down near where the failure occures, if you can feel it catch on something you have some more than once fired brass that could have been mixed in with the good stuff, or that was put thru a machine gun but not likely since it does not come linked.
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  • bolthandle
    NOTPARS, SAY A PRESS RELEASE SOME WEEKS AGO ON HOW MANY MILLIONS OF ROUNDS OF AMMO THEY PUT OUT A WEEK AT LC BUT THATS AS MUCH AS I KNOW. DONT KNOW IF THE STILL MAKE MATCH AMMO THERE. I HAVE SEEN THIS KNURLING ON BLANKS FOR 223. ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR HEAD SEPERATION IF IT WAS PUT ON LIVE BALL AMMO.

    PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIRE POWER
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  • rchawk
    GP, thanks for the input. All of MY LC Match brass came from a military range a few years ago. It is all "once" fired, and I have had zero problems with it using a SB sizer, etc.
    My bud and his new Super Match SA M1A is having the problem ONLY with the "knurled" cases. All of his brass has been obtained through the acutions and some small lots via the web. I suspect much of it is not as advertized. Maybe even reloaded blanks.???????

    Hawk


    I would rather be tried by 12 than carried by 6!
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  • bama55
    Seems I recall knurling on 7.62 blanks also, from a M-60
    belt.

    "Don't send flowers when I die. Send money now so I can buy more guns and ammo."
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  • beachmaster73
    Lake City ball ammo doesn't have the knurling at the base. The knurling just indicates that it is match brass and made a little stronger and with closer tolerances than the ball ammo. I seriously doubt that anyone has single loaded 168 grain BTHP's into machine gun links for firing. I have only ever seen LC Match ammo(M852) and Lake City "Long Range" Match (M118) with the knurling. M80 and M648 doesn't have it. I've reloaded thousands of rounds of M852 and several hundred rounds of M118 with nary a problem such as you described. I'd bet the farm house your problem is with your weapon and not the ammo. Beach
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