New Hampshire Gun Forum

Had a case failure.

Cause? Primer not seated correctly in primer pocket. Loose primer in primer pocket. Or hand load failure? Result: blow back?

Here's what happens with a 9mm case failure - primer blew out and case was crushed in the barrel - blew apart the left side of my Glock and the trigger, and slide catch - no injury but a miracle the nothing worse happened. Believe this cartridge was a 9mm federal 115 grain and not my reload.

Ouch! Expensive failure! I'm glad to say I never had such a thing happen to me or to anyone I know. Glad you were not hurt.

Years ago a buddy of mine bought a box of Federal 9mm ammo and fired the first round in his new S&W model 39 9mm pistol causing damage to the pistol which S&W fixed even though it was not their fault. S&W said the round pressure was way too high. For some reason he kept the box of ammo in his shooting box with a big X across the top of the ammo box. A couple years later a friend of his ran out of ammo for his Browning Hi Power pistol and asked my friend if he had any 9mm ammo. My buddy said yes and told him he could take a box. He did not think of the problem Federal Ammo still in the his shooting box so of course his friend took THAT box and loaded up the Browning Hi Power. His first shot tied up the Browning with a split cartridge case but there was no permeant damage. For years I would not use Federal Ammo but seeing huge amounts of different boxes of federal ammo I am sure that was just that single box that was the problem. I have seen other problem rounds like a couple upside down primers in a box of Winchester Ammo. But for the most part I do think the Factory Ammo is very safe to use.