Damage To Swift Moderator By Hmr Bullet - Update

[kenj 131]

Yesterday afternoon with half a dozen rabbits on view at one of my permissions, I sighted on the first rabbit and click. The Remmington HMR round failed to fire. I'd fired over twenty rounds since my last problem. Following the advice from my last post, I waited to see if it was a slow burn, like before, but nothing. I ejected the bullet, but only the case came out. There was the smell of a discharge, but the case still had unburned grains in it. This time I took off the mod and removed the bolt. Looking down the breech, I could see the copper tail of the bullet about two inches down the barrel. I carry a couple of 4mm brass rods as target supports and tested to see if the bullet would push out from the breech end, pushing on the tail. It wouldn't budge. I packed up.

I had some more brass rod at home and taped it at intervals to protect the barrel. With gun oil from both ends, I was able to tap the bullet out. It wouldn't push out.

 

 

Following the various replies to my recent post on the subject, I was surprised as to how tight the bullet was in the barrel and the force needed to push it out.

 

I'm now left with the remaining batch of bullets and don't want to chance it again. Any suggestions regarding disposal?

 

[hutchey 147]

return them to store or are they home loads

[dadioles 68]

Unburned grains suggests that possibly your bullets have got a bit damp. Another possibility is that the primer fired but there was too little powder in the bullet for it to fully combust as it was not packed tightly enough. I cannot think how a fault with your gun could cause this so it has to be bad ammunition. Incorrectly loaded or improperly stored.

 

Returning the whole batch to the supplier seems sensible.

 

In my experience of the hmr, the ammunition (I use Hornady) has proved to be extraordinarily reliable and consistent.

[Alsone 789]

Oh well at least you have a cause. It seemed very unlikely to me that a bullet would be left in the barrel but obviously this is some seriously bad ammunition. If it only got a few inches I would have though that was almost primer alone. Are you sure these cartridges have actually been filled properly? Either way, I'd do what others have suggested and return the batch as they are of seriously poor quality.

[Deker 3,478]

return them to store or are they home loads

 

I suspect you could count the number of people with equipment to home load HMR in this country on less than 1 finger!

Edited August 13, 2013 by Deker

[kenj 131]

I've only got 26 of this batch left, could have been two suppliers. I always take out two full clips and around twenty spares and some time back tidied up the ammo box, which meant two batches got mixed up making up boxes of fifty. I've had at least a dozen click-bangs from these. The ejected case looked almost full of grains. After each session the barrel is boresnaked and the bullets returned to the cabinet in my modern centrally heated house, so damp is unlikely.. I think I'll label them up U/S and leave it at that.

 

I went out this evening with some Hornady rounds, shot some targets, five of five within the bull at 60 yards, then moved out to the field and head shot a couple of rabbits before it started raining. I was worried my rifling had been damaged, but all seems well.

[Elliott 436]

The same happened to me and I has rounds that were duffs. I returned them to the shop and was given a replacement batch. Funnily enough it was the first time I'd tried the blue tipped variants of the Hornady's. The shop mentioned that they may be 'old stock.' Apparently there's no difference between the blue and red tips but apparently the blue tips were originally designed for the HMR Mach2

Edited August 13, 2013 by Elliott

[PLEDGEY 495]

A couple of months ago fired 6/7 rounds, no problem, then 'CLICK'. Ejected a case with unburnt powder still in it, and there just inside the barrel was the bullet. Used my cleaning rod, which has a threaded female end, to push it out. The tip of the bullet fitted nicely in to the threaded end. Just gave it a couple of good hits with the palm of my hand. Have used all the other rounds with no problems, just one of those things.

[OzTerrier 21]

I had the same problem with my HMR when I used a box of Federal. Cracked necks on the cases 'hang fires 'dud rounds 'and then one round that sounded funny when I shot at a fox 'I ejected the case and tried to cycle another round but was unable to push the bolt forward all the way 'I pulled the bolt out looked down the barrel and could not see out the other side. I knew it was the pill straight away. I just gently pushed the cleaning rod from the muzzle end down the barrel and tapped the projectile out. Closer examination of the case revealed that the powder was all molded together 'which makes me think that at the factory they have not seated the projectile properly and air or moisture has got into the case and ruined the powder. Heaps of fellas over here have had the same problem when they were using federal too. Some were not as lucky as me though and managed to blow their rifle up because they have cycled another round and then fired. Very dangerous indeed. I use nothing else but Hornady now never had a problem with them.

[danw 1,748]

Seems Charlie caller and the op where spot on then and a 17bullet can and will lodge in a barrel after a miss/hang fire

[Deker 3,478]

I had the same problem with my HMR when I used a box of Federal. Cracked necks on the cases 'hang fires 'dud rounds 'and then one round that sounded funny when I shot at a fox 'I ejected the case and tried to cycle another round but was unable to push the bolt forward all the way 'I pulled the bolt out looked down the barrel and could not see out the other side. I knew it was the pill straight away. I just gently pushed the cleaning rod from the muzzle end down the barrel and tapped the projectile out. Closer examination of the case revealed that the powder was all molded together 'which makes me think that at the factory they have not seated the projectile properly and air or moisture has got into the case and ruined the powder. Heaps of fellas over here have had the same problem when they were using federal too. Some were not as lucky as me though and managed to blow their rifle up because they have cycled another round and then fired. Very dangerous indeed. I use nothing else but Hornady now never had a problem with them.

 

It happens to them all, not just Federal. Split cases are also common in all makes of HMR and plenty of calibres have hang fires and dud rounds!

 

The Majority of these are Hornady...........

 

Edited August 15, 2013 by Deker

[Deker 3,478]

Seems Charlie caller and the op where spot on then and a 17bullet can and will lodge in a barrel after a miss/hang fire

 

Did I miss something, which part of that comes as a surprise to you. The same can potentially happen with any calibre!

[danw 1,748]

 

 

Seems Charlie caller and the op where spot on then and a 17bullet can and will lodge in a barrel after a miss/hang fire

Did I miss something, which part of that comes as a surprise to you. The same can potentially happen with any calibre!

Yep you missed something, it didn't suprise me in the slightest (seen the consequences twice before) others however in the original thread may have argued that a lodged bullet was nigh on impossible. Edited August 15, 2013 by danw

[Deker 3,478]

 

 

Seems Charlie caller and the op where spot on then and a 17bullet can and will lodge in a barrel after a miss/hang fire

Did I miss something, which part of that comes as a surprise to you. The same can potentially happen with any calibre!

Yep you missed something, it didn't suprise me in the slightest (seen the consequences twice before) others however in the original thread may have argued that a lodged bullet was nigh on impossible.

 

 

Seems like some people have a lot to learn then.

[rimmer 33]

as i remember it was the end result that was in question