What the hell happened

Bghunter338

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I was going through some of my father in laws reloads and found this. In all my years reloading I've never seen anything like it. Sure would like to know what caused this.
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It looks like some sort of a stress fracture that over time corrosion found its way into the micro cracks. $64,000 question is why? I would not have been surprised if at the web area but on the shoulder is perplexing. Old military stuff that was corrosive primers and not cleaned off?
 
Possibly the nitroglycerine in double based powder decomposing into nitric acid, which reacts with the the copper in brass quite nicely. Look at the base of the bullets - do they have corrosion too?
Did it appear that any were also pushed out a little from the case because of the pressure of the gas buildup?
 
It looks like some sort of a stress fracture that over time corrosion found its way into the micro cracks. $64,000 question is why? I would not have been surprised if at the web area but on the shoulder is perplexing. Old military stuff that was corrosive primers and not cleaned off?
It's Winchester, and it blows me a way that its just in the shoulder.
 
Possibly the nitroglycerine in double based powder decomposing into nitric acid, which reacts with the the copper in brass quite nicely. Look at the base of the bullets - do they have corrosion too?
Did it appear that any were also pushed out a little from the case because of the pressure of the gas buildup?
Yes the bottom of the bullets where all that greenish blue color and granules of power stuck to them. And it's also weird that the powder formed like a rock and is stuck in the case's.
 
One other thing to consider is a "carbon lock" on those Sierras. My Dad told me about it many years ago. When neck sizing only we used powdered graphite (like motor micah). He got it front plant he worked at. Obviously I have no idea what was used for lubrication in this instance.. It may be somewhat of the same situation.

Can you tell if the loads were compressed to start with?
 
One other thing to consider is a "carbon lock" on those Sierras. My Dad told me about it many years ago. When neck sizing only we used powdered graphite (like motor micah). He got it front plant he worked at. Obviously I have no idea what was used for lubrication. It may be somewhat of the same situation.

Can you tell if the loads were compressed to start with?
Yes I believe they where. I don't know what powder he used, it looks like H4350 to me. I was able to dig out one of the case's and it had 49grs and the bullets are 165's.
 
That's caused by the powder deteriorating I believe. When I recently got the notice that IMR4007SSC was recalled I still had quite a bit on hand. It was already bad when I checked it with a red dust coming off it and smelled awful.
Only ammo I had loaded with it at the time was about 100 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor. When I pulled the bullets they had that green on the base and there was some green in the shoulder area of the cases internally.
 
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