Wierd Case

I was at a CMP match and while searching during "Brass Call" I found the case on the left. It has dimensions of a 30-06 case at the head and shoulder. The ID is 0.309". The rim is slightly bent and there is a bright spot on the bottom of the rim. It is an HXP 78 and it still has the original primer in it. I have seen 308 in a 30-06 chamber do this but I do not know what you could shoot a 30-06 in and have it come out like this. A mystery to me. The one on the right is a normal HXP case fired in my M1.

Attachment 36652

Wineman

Somebody put a 30-06 in something they should not have, it looks like to me.

That's what appears to me too. If the only thing on the line was M1s then...but it's been fired in a chamber longer and the same base size. What could that be?

That's what I was puzzled by. It was not the same match so I have no idea what it was shot in. It was at the 200 yard line on a 1,000 yard range. There are many groups using the range. I do not have cartridges of the world so making a comparison is hard. Something the same size as the 30-06 but a third longer and still 30 caliber??? A barrel not installed properly or a chamber reamer out of control? Kind of like a Bigfoot sighting. Someone does this at home and then leaves it at the range to get people talking.

Wineman

I'll bet it was fired in a 300 RUM. If you look at the cartridge drawings, the numbers come close enough, and the rifles are popular enough to explain the presence of one. The other parts of the recipe are uncaring or unknowing shooter and a pile of ammo. You guys look at the cartridge line drawings together and see.

Thanks, I will look in my Sierra book.

Wineman

During brass police call I also found a strange spent case. A 5.56 fired in a 7.62X39 chamber.

:clap: Well done that one!

Could that first case be a 30-06 fired in a Navy 7.62mm rifle, converted to a 7.62 by using the insert, and the insert has come out? With many years of range officer experience, I have found that mny people believe that"if it fits -shoot it".

The 30 cal rifles were coverted using what appeared to be a separated casing. That is to say it's only half an inch. The front of the casing only. If they came out, the 7.62 would be 30 cal M2 in length. This is a 30 M2 that's wide open, therefore it's something longer than 30-06.

That is the best evidence I have ever seen that a case will not necessarily seperate because the headspace is a couple of thousandths of an inch above some gauge value. In this case, it's several millimeters above gauge value. Why did the cartridge fire at all - because it was held back by the extractor.

This photo should be required "reading" for all those who make newbies nervous by claiming that firing a tough old service rifle like an M1917 is dangerous if the headspace is a gnat's whisker too large.

Agreed. As long as the explosion is contained, directed forward, all will be sfae. Just hard on the resizing of brass. :madsmile:

I think one clue may be had by observing the blown out shoulder of the .223 case in Post #7. Minus bulging of the midsection the 30-06 case looks about the same. A 45-70 chamber might could keep the mid section swelling to a minimum. How off center was the primer indentation?

The case is on my desk at work and I will look at it in the AM. I am a bit doubtful of the 300 RUM as the body and shoulder are a gnats whisker from a normal 30-06 case. The RUM body is more like 0.500 with a rebated rim and this case body is not blown out.

wineman

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Skip

During brass police call I also found a strange spent case. A 5.56 fired in a 7.62X39 chamber.

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Two guys who I used to work with, who were both in the Army, swore that they AK was "designed" to fire a 5.56 round. One guy was croation and of course had a "thing" for the AK. I told him that was bunk and asked them if they ever tried. To which of course was A "no". But they both claimed the Army was the place that "trained" them to believe this.