Ammo warning!

Ed · March 29, 1999, 11:35 AM

I am posting this on every gun forum I visit. A couple of years ago I bought some PMC 6.5x55 ammo on sale, and just recently got around to trying it out. I have been shooting and reloading for over forty years, so I should have caught the danger signs on the first shot, but I guess I wasn't expecting any problem with factory ammo. The recoil seemed a little much, and the bolt was hard to open, but I didn,t inspect the cases until after I fired the fourth round. When I fired that one, my right hand was knocked off the trigger and stock, and I felt a sharp rap on my thumb. When I finally pried the bolt open I found a blown primer and black soot in the reciever. Then I checked the other fired cases and found badly flattened and cratered primers. There were no bright rings that would indicate excess headspace, and I have not had any problem with other factory ammo in that rifle, so I believe the powder charge is the problem. I pulled the bullets on the remainder of the rounds and found 43 grains of a very fine grain ball powder. I reloaded the cases with a safe load of 4350 and everything works ok.

All I got was a very sore and swollen thumb where it was struck by the cocking piece, so it could have been much worse. But, if you have any of this ammo, don't fire it, you may not be as lucky as I was. The lot # is 6.5MA-030, and it is 144 gr FMJ in a green camo box. I'm not trying to knock PMC, just a friendly warning on this particular lot.

Walt Welch · March 30, 1999, 03:37 AM

Ed, please excuse me for asking a stupid question, since I know you to be a thoughtful, careful, and clear thinking person.

However, you HAVE notified PMC of this so that they can start a recall, right?

Ed · March 30, 1999, 11:40 AM

Walt- Yes, PMC has been notified via confirmed fax. I have since learned from another website that PMC is aware of this problem, although no recall notices have been adverised as far as anyone knows. Apparently this info was on several firearms websites back in 1995-96.

In retrospect, I realize that I handled this incident very poorly. If I were actually the thoughtful, careful, clear thinking person you say I am, in jest no doubt, I would have done several things differently. First, I would have notified PMC immediately, then I would have saved the unfired rounds and returned them to PMC for evaluation instead of pulling them down and reloading the cases. Now I have no proof that the incident actually occurred, other than the range officer who also examined the fired cases and saw the blown primer. It will be interesting to see what PMC's response will be.

**Dennis** · March 30, 1999, 06:39 PM

Ed,
You may have been victimized by your expertise! I, for one, would not have had the know-how to re-load factory ammo.

More importantly, look at the benefits you have given newbies like me by sharing a very dangerous situation. I know better what to look for, and how to react.

Thanks, Ed. You just might have saved some people (on and off TFL) some real injuries!

Walt Welch · March 31, 1999, 04:00 AM

Ed; every careful, thoughtful and clear thinking has an occasional brain fade.

I remember trying to get max loads from my M1 Carbine a very long time ago. The ammo seemed to function well, but I gathered up a number of cases, and arranged them in my hand so I could view the case head of each cartridge. I immediately noticed light shining through the primers from the sunlight on the ground. Yep, every single one of those puppies had pierced the primer.

So, please don't think I am or will ever be casting stones. Signed DUH (Walt)

cornered rat · March 31, 1999, 09:36 AM

British .303 with "52" on the headstamp is no usable either. It is a tribute to the P14 that I did not realize that the cases were splitting badly at the shoulder till I fired several and noticed sticky extraction.

British '45 and Pakistani '68, all made the same way on the same equipment were fine. That one box (along with Pakistani) was a gift...

Hiker · March 31, 1999, 09:49 AM

There is also a bad lot of PMC in .223 that I have heard of from some AR guys. They are having the same problem with blown primers due to excessive load. I don't know the lot # of the ammo is.
FWIW

March 29, 1999, 11:35 AM	#1
Ed Member Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Geogia, USA Posts: 85	I am posting this on every gun forum I visit. A couple of years ago I bought some PMC 6.5x55 ammo on sale, and just recently got around to trying it out. I have been shooting and reloading for over forty years, so I should have caught the danger signs on the first shot, but I guess I wasn't expecting any problem with factory ammo. The recoil seemed a little much, and the bolt was hard to open, but I didn,t inspect the cases until after I fired the fourth round. When I fired that one, my right hand was knocked off the trigger and stock, and I felt a sharp rap on my thumb. When I finally pried the bolt open I found a blown primer and black soot in the reciever. Then I checked the other fired cases and found badly flattened and cratered primers. There were no bright rings that would indicate excess headspace, and I have not had any problem with other factory ammo in that rifle, so I believe the powder charge is the problem. I pulled the bullets on the remainder of the rounds and found 43 grains of a very fine grain ball powder. I reloaded the cases with a safe load of 4350 and everything works ok. All I got was a very sore and swollen thumb where it was struck by the cocking piece, so it could have been much worse. But, if you have any of this ammo, don't fire it, you may not be as lucky as I was. The lot # is 6.5MA-030, and it is 144 gr FMJ in a green camo box. I'm not trying to knock PMC, just a friendly warning on this particular lot.

March 30, 1999, 03:37 AM	#2
Walt Welch Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 1998 Location: Alamo, CA Posts: 425	Ed, please excuse me for asking a stupid question, since I know you to be a thoughtful, careful, and clear thinking person. However, you HAVE notified PMC of this so that they can start a recall, right?

March 30, 1999, 11:40 AM	#3
Ed Member Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Geogia, USA Posts: 85	Walt- Yes, PMC has been notified via confirmed fax. I have since learned from another website that PMC is aware of this problem, although no recall notices have been adverised as far as anyone knows. Apparently this info was on several firearms websites back in 1995-96. In retrospect, I realize that I handled this incident very poorly. If I were actually the thoughtful, careful, clear thinking person you say I am, in jest no doubt, I would have done several things differently. First, I would have notified PMC immediately, then I would have saved the unfired rounds and returned them to PMC for evaluation instead of pulling them down and reloading the cases. Now I have no proof that the incident actually occurred, other than the range officer who also examined the fired cases and saw the blown primer. It will be interesting to see what PMC's response will be.

March 30, 1999, 06:39 PM	#4
Dennis Staff Join Date: November 23, 1998 Location: a small forest in Texas Posts: 7,095	Ed, You may have been victimized by your expertise! I, for one, would not have had the know-how to re-load factory ammo. More importantly, look at the benefits you have given newbies like me by sharing a very dangerous situation. I know better what to look for, and how to react. Thanks, Ed. You just might have saved some people (on and off TFL) some real injuries!

March 31, 1999, 04:00 AM	#5
Walt Welch Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 1998 Location: Alamo, CA Posts: 425	Ed; every careful, thoughtful and clear thinking has an occasional brain fade. I remember trying to get max loads from my M1 Carbine a very long time ago. The ammo seemed to function well, but I gathered up a number of cases, and arranged them in my hand so I could view the case head of each cartridge. I immediately noticed light shining through the primers from the sunlight on the ground. Yep, every single one of those puppies had pierced the primer. So, please don't think I am or will ever be casting stones. Signed DUH (Walt)

March 31, 1999, 09:36 AM	#6
cornered rat Senior Member Join Date: November 30, 1998 Location: Minnesota Posts: 921	British .303 with "52" on the headstamp is no usable either. It is a tribute to the P14 that I did not realize that the cases were splitting badly at the shoulder till I fired several and noticed sticky extraction. British '45 and Pakistani '68, all made the same way on the same equipment were fine. That one box (along with Pakistani) was a gift...

March 31, 1999, 09:49 AM	#7
Hiker Member Join Date: January 20, 1999 Location: Virginia Posts: 77	There is also a bad lot of PMC in .223 that I have heard of from some AR guys. They are having the same problem with blown primers due to excessive load. I don't know the lot # of the ammo is. FWIW