Scare on Savage 99

[TNsailorman]

I had a brass failure in a WW II .30 Carbine case. It split in the extractor groove like it had been cut with a hacksaw. Just one side split but it was all the way thru the rim into the primer pocket and rear base of the cartridge itself. As far as I can remember, that is the only case I ever had fail like that. I have seen cases on the range that had split neck, case body splits but that is the only time I ever saw a complete failure in the web area. I had shot hundred of rounds thru that Inland Carbine before and hundreds after the failure but it never happened again. Just a bad piece of brass was my guess (L C brass by the way). james

[Stephen Cohen]

Marcopolo hit the nail on the head that corrosion is a dead giveaway, I have had old 303 Brit brass do the same when it is corroded like that.I bet the corrosion started from inside. Regards Stephen

[Safeshot]

Second the: The - Brass "formerly fired with mercuric primer" and the "very old brass" answers.

[ascast]

There was some 45-70 blank ammo around about 20 years ago that would split exactly like this on almost every shot: "blank" meaning loaded blanks or salute loads. Safe to shoot in Trapdoor or whatever.
I think you have some bad brass.

[Bill*B]

Will chime in with a story that just backs up what everyone has been saying - I once had a 6.5 Mannlicher that I scrounged up some ancient "Dominion" factory loads for - every other case split lengthwise. Some brass does not age gracefully.