What happened to this brass?

[Andrew Quigley]

Was at the range yesterday and picked up a bunch of rifle brass while there. About 60 rds were from CMP and are head stamped 66. Nearly half of them have have what looks like a magnum belt formed on the back of the cartridge. Not sure if the same rifle fired all of them but they were all in one pile.
My question is what causes the "belt"? Is the brass deforming and getting ready to seperate? Don't think I'd even try and put one in a resizing die cause I don't think it would go in or it might break off.
Can someone help my curiosty? Thanks

[G- Unit]

can you send a picture to see exactly what youre talking about?

[StarMetal]

Yes pictures would be nice. What I do with stuff like that is section one length wise to see what's it's construction is and if head separation is starting. Dremel with a cutoff wheel is good for this.

Joe

[xlrsgsw]

what cal. sounds like military.


George.

[dragonrider]

Knowing the caliber may help some, I am guessing 30-06? and pics for sure. Does the "belt" have an actual step formed in the brass. I have seen some brass that looks as though it has a belt but it is smooth to the touch. I usually discard such brass because I think it is very close to separating.

[chris in va]

Belt fed perhaps??

[Echo]

Or someone fired CMP -06's in a 300 Magnum - I mean, they are both 30 caliber, aren't they?

[JSnover]

Suppose someone tried to fire some milsurp in a belted magnum chamber?

[NuJudge]

If the brass is from "CMP", as in the Civilian Marksmanship Program, it is probably Greek-made .30-'06, which will have "HXP" and the last two digits from the date it was made. I have not come across any that was made in 1966, but there may have been some in the batch that recently ran out.

The Greek ammo has brass which is soft. It is good brass, it's just soft. The brass is the only .30-'06 I have ever felt the need to use a small-based full length sizing die on, because of how much it expanded at the head. The cartridge cases would be visibly expanded at the rear, where the cone breach of M1903 and M1917 rifles did not support it. Extraction from my Springfield rifles has also always been difficult. :mad: Sometimes it took both hands to open my favorite M1903 during the CMP Springfield match. No problems in the Garand, though.

CMP had some stuff made up for them by Federal years ago, but it had no issues. They also sold zillions of rounds of Lake City, but it had no issues also.

CDD

[StarMetal]

If, If it was fired in a magnum chamber, that is if it could even headspace proper enough for a firing pin strike...I believe that case would be greatly swollen if not split!

Joe

[azrednek]

Way back in the 70's i saw some 06 brass that looked like that. It had been shot in a 308 Norma chamber. If I remember correctly it was a sportorized 1917 Enfield that was purchased at a pawn shop. The barrel was not marked.

[smlekid]

I tend to agree with NuJudge the only HXP cases I have used were in 303 and they tended to do the same thing good brass though
of course that is providing it wasn't shot in the wrong calibre rifle!!!

[captaint]

If it is swole ahead of the extraction groove, I'd drop it in the nearest trash can. Sounds like it oughta be either 06 or 223 brass - either way ........ Mike

[Andrew Quigley]

I thought it was 30-06 brass till I laid one from Remington along side it. The length is the same but the neck is much shorter. It is stamped HXP 66. Don't have a way of taking a picture at the moment.
Some of the cases did have the look of a belt but nothing you could feel. But about 30 of the them had a belt you could actually feel.
Did find one 8mm Mauser close by. Wonder if someone could have shot a 30-06 in a Mauser. Don't have either so I don't even know if you can chamber either one in the other gun.

[Blammer]

3006 is longer than 8mm mauser, not likely

[mpmarty]

30:06 in a .30 magnum (belted case) would produce what you describe as well as making for one very short neck as the shoulder would flow forward too.

[doubs43]

Years back I bought .303 British cartridges made in Greece and headstamped "HXP". I used the brass for cast boolit loads and it was excellent stuff. I still have some and if I ever reload .303 again, that will be my choice as cases.

[flounderman]

the 06 is about 450 at the shoulder and the magnum is about 500. if you could get an 06 to shoot in a magnum, it would baloon and split. what you are seeing could be the solid part of the head. if the primers show pressure, could be a hot load. I have made some 8mm from 06 and had some swelling ahead of the solid part. check the neck with a 30 caliber and see if it's an 8 mm you have.

[243winxb]

Could it be? - HXP Greek Powder & Cartridge Company, Athens, Greece 30-06 http://cartridgecollectors.org/headstampcodes.htm

[c3d4b2]

If it is Greek ammo, it could be hot loads as suggested above.

There have been some complaints about the Greek ammo being on the hot side. The complaints have been sticky bolts on 03's and bent op rods on M1's

[BCall]

the 06 is about 450 at the shoulder and the magnum is about 500. if you could get an 06 to shoot in a magnum, it would baloon and split. what you are seeing could be the solid part of the head. if the primers show pressure, could be a hot load. I have made some 8mm from 06 and had some swelling ahead of the solid part. check the neck with a 30 caliber and see if it's an 8 mm you have.

It wouldn't necessarily baloon and split. The center case here was a 307 Win shot in a 7 mag, and the case formed a belt, but the neck didn't split. Billy

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh259/blcall/SN850280.jpg

[leadman]

BCall, good pics. Did the 30 caliber bullet make it all the way out of the 7mm bore?

I have some HXP66 I bought from the CMP. So far no issues with performance.

[BCall]

BCall, good pics. Did the 30 caliber bullet make it all the way out of the 7mm bore?

I have some HXP66 I bought from the CMP. So far no issues with performance.

Sure did, no harm found. Just glad I wasn't close by when it happened.