case failure or headspacing issue??!? (pics)

[GLOCK.Perfection]

I took out my m44 today to try out the surplus ammo I just got in. I was shooting a mix of bulgarian heavy ball and russian light ball. I went through about 40 rounds and on the second to last one, I pulled the trigger, and got blasted in the face with gas. There was also excessive smoke coming from the chamber. I knew right away something didnt go right. When I pulled the bolt back the casing was kind of stuck to the back of the bolt and when I got it out it looked like this....




This one was a bulgarian heavy ball. I didnt fire another round after that, but the gun looks like its fine. Is the gun ok to shoot or should I check headspacing or something????

 

[vellnueve]

I'd probably invest in a field gauge to check for excessive headspace. It could just be a weak case (50s production and Bulgaria will do that to you) but that's pretty major.

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

yea this stuff was 1948. I know next to nothing about surplus ammo, or milsurp at all for that matter, but I got 2 250 rd cans of this heavy ball, and the papaer that the ammo is supposed to be wrapped in is like all falling off and the ammo is loose. I dont know if that means anything. the cases themselves look ok though, just some have a tiny bit of corrosion along the rim...

 

[jpattersonnh]

Com-blok cases weaken faster than anything else I've used. If your Soviet light ball is 1940's production, you may get a few split cases also. If you had a headspace issue the neck and shoulder of the case would be deformed, they don't look to be. This is why eye protection is so important!! My Dad had an '03 Springfield during the Guadalcanal, He had a real hate for that rifle, and the scars on his eyebrow to prove it, Major headspace issue.
jp

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

ya amen to eye protection. not that the blowback hurt, but I dont want to know what it would have felt like in the eye...

I found it really interesting how it split tho, you can see 2 of the holes in the pic, and there was one more identical one on the other side of the casing

 

[USMA-82]

Have you checked the headspace? Do you have the correct gauge, and do you know how?

 

[madmarc0]

It's the ammo's fault, I have seen it before. Some cases get corroded or hard inside and with the normal stretch of the case it happens.
Just to be on the safe side check your headspace.

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

yea... i dont have a guage so i havent checked it *flame suit on* I used the close my eyes and turn my head for the first shot method. lol

 

[SKS Ray]

I've had a few casings go bad before but not quite that bad. I agree in checking headspace. Any smith shop worth their salt will have a set of gauges on hand and will be able to do it for you in a few minutes.
FWIW, heavy ball ammo is mostly used in full auto guns where that extra power is used to cycle action. I try and stick with standard or light ball ammo when shooting bolt actions, and even semi autos like my SVT40.

 

[dsm]

yea... i dont have a guage so i havent checked it *flame suit on* I used the close my eyes and turn my head for the first shot method. lol

You could try the quick eyeball "grossly off" method of comparing that fired case side-by-side to an unfired of the same and see if the shoulder moved at all from the case stretching.

 

[USMA-82]

yea... i dont have a guage so i havent checked it *flame suit on* I used the close my eyes and turn my head for the first shot method. lol

That's the technique Sam White used in Virginia when checking out a 75-pound Civil War Naval cannonball:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080502/ap_on_re_us/cannonball_death

Good luck with that method!

By the way, do you prefer German Shepards for a seeing eye dog, or some other breed - just for future reference...

 

[SKS Ray]

Phil, did you ever make it to Strickland's yesterday?
If so, what'd he say about the rifle's headspace?

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

yea I did, as soon as he looked at the case he said it wasnt the headspacing. I had him check it anyway and he said its ok. I will hear back from XXXXX tomorrow hopefully and see if they will take it back..

 

[vellnueve]

DO NOT POST THE NAMES OF COMPANIES THAT WILL SHIP TO MA.

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

DO NOT POST THE NAMES OF COMPANIES THAT WILL SHIP TO MA.

why why why is it always assumed since I live in mass I had ammo shipped to ma? We went over this when I posted about my order with XXX.

XXX DOES NOT SHIP TO MA, THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUED.

 

[dreppucci007]

why why why is it always assumed since I live in mass I had ammo shipped to ma? We went over this when I posted about my order with XXX.

XXX DOES NOT SHIP TO MA, THEY HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUED.

Because we just don't. Please don't post names.