Bad batch of Federal 556?

[Cmor1701d 0]

Having an issue with primer blow outs and dropping into the lower of my AR. Seems all the blow outs are from my Federal 556. So I pulled the remaking ammo out of the mags to check them. Then I opened a new box and saw the same defects. Thoughts?

 

[ogfarmer 138]

 can you clean your camera lens and try taking clearer pictures, also hold it still

 

Cant really make anything out

[JT Custom Guns 957]

DAM!

[HuntingPaper 62]

Looks like reloads... Some cases are crimped others not, some primers are silver other golden, different years on the lots if LC. If you reload many times the same case the primer pockets enlarge and won't hold the primers anymore. Where did you get that ammo?

[Cmor1701d 0]

All true, but the full box was just opened, factory fresh. I bought 4 boxes at the same time.

[njJoniGuy 2,131]

...Thoughts?

You've been ripped off

These pics are definitely NOT factory new ammo

[HuntingPaper 62]

I'm a reloader and I can tell you for sure that is not new factory ammo. Sorry man...

[checko 180]

Never heard of that from factory fresh. Call federal and tell the the lot number

[GRIZ 3,369]

Where did you get this ammo? There is no way you can buy factory fresh ammo that's going to have mixed headstamps, some from other manufacturers.

 

These appear to be reloads as others have said.

[DSD1026 48]

is it possible that you can take a picture of the box that those came in?  and perhaps the link to the item that you ordered?   would like to see what these actually say

[Vlad G 345]

Where did you buy them, that doesn't look like factory ammo.

[Old School 611]

Looks like reloads... Some cases are crimped others not, some primers are silver other golden, different years on the lots if LC. If you reload many times the same case the primer pockets enlarge and won't hold the primers anymore. Where did you get that ammo?

 

Luis - look at pic 1 with the primer blown out.  Check out the heavy duty ejector hit.  High pressure load!

[raz-0 1,259]

Luis - look at pic 1 with the primer blown out.  Check out the heavy duty ejector hit.  High pressure load!

 

Exactly what I was thinking.  Those are reloads, and it looks like poorly made ones at that, which is why the primers are popping. Definitely over pressure. Mixed years in a box. VEry weird. 

 

To the OP, What vendor did you get the boxes from? Were they sealed? IF not, total scumbag vendor. If they were sealed, I'd contact federal and let them know which vendor you got them from. 

[Old School 611]

Exactly what I was thinking.  Those are reloads, and it looks like poorly made ones at that, which is why the primers are popping. Definitely over pressure. Mixed years in a box. VEry weird. 

 

To the OP, What vendor did you get the boxes from? Were they sealed? IF not, total scumbag vendor. If they were sealed, I'd contact federal and let them know which vendor you got them from. 

 

This, I bet, is "Gun Show" stuff!

[Cmor1701d 0]

So at first I thought they were from reloads that came from Freedom Munitions.  Look at the middle picture.  That is a box of Federal 556 that I opened to check and I see the same defects as the box on the right (the one with the blown primer).

I have two more boxes of Federal that I have not opened yet.  I'll call Federal when I get home and can get the lot numbers.

 

Thanks.

[ogfarmer 138]

Freedom would use their own boxs not Federal's box's

[Cmor1701d 0]

That's correct, Freedom packages are 50 rounds/box.  I might still have a couple of boxes from Freedom.  I'll pull those from the safe and post a pic.  

All of the Freedom Munitions ammo is .223.

[Cmor1701d 0]

Ok, here's a pic of the 3 boxes I have left from Freedom. See the difference between these and NIB Federal?

[GRIZ 3,369]

Freedom would use their own boxs not Federal's box's

I have seen commercial reloaders reuse boxes from others but always pasted a label with their name on it.

 

FWIW I looked at Freedom's website and they sell reloads and new ammo. To qualify as new they only have to use new cases. Their new ammo would be subject to whatever quality control they exercise.

[vladtepes 1,060]

where did you make this purchase...

[raz-0 1,259]

where did you make this purchase...

 

Ditto. Anyone can shove a bunch of crap ammo in an open box. Specifics would be good. 

 

ATK is a big company, with fancy machines. The box contains a mixture of swaged and reamed primer pockets. They would have to actively go out and handmake that crud in order to mistakenly put it ina  box. Which isn't a mistake. 

 

Which leaves deliberate sabotage of retail ammo, someone making off with some box material from ATK and trying to make some esxtra cash with it by filling it with reloads, or someone obtaining retail ammo and swapping out junk ammo for good stuff for some other reason. 

 

All of which I would classify as low odds relative to someone wanting attention on the internet or trying to make trouble for a company. The only thing I would put even remotely close is someone bought hard into reloading with zero skills during the panic, made a pile of crap, and decided to rectify their mistake by carefully opening boxes and swapping their stash of crud for the real deal and making up the difference reselling the resealed boxes.

 

Which leads me to the question of the plastic inserts. My federal boxes that are the brown cardbord 20 rounders have cardboard inserts to separate the shells. Has that changed? (mine are a couple of years old).  

[Cmor1701d 0]

The full box was opened by me. It is all new Federal purchased at lgs. The other box is what I pulled from my mags. Combination of Federal and reloads.

Didn't get a chance to Federal today. Hoping I can fit that in tomorrow

[Smoke Eater 0]

What lgs?

[ogfarmer 138]

local gun shop

[GRIZ 3,369]

The full box was opened by me. It is all new Federal purchased at lgs. The other box is what I pulled from my mags. Combination of Federal and reloads. Didn't get a chance to Federal today. Hoping I can fit that in tomorrow

All the ammo in the photos looks like reloads to me even the ones with Federal headstamps.

 

You say you bought the ammo at a lgs.

 

Don't be surprised if Federal doesn't do anything to appease you. I can't see how it can be their fault. Have you ever been to an ammo factory. The ammo is manufactured and packaged without anyone really touching it except for QC checks.

 

My guess is:

 

1. The lgs bought the ammo from some source that told them it was factory Federal but was actually reloads. Were the boxes the type the end flaps are glued? Do they appear to be reglued?

2. The lgs put the reloads in the Federal boxes.

 

If you go to the lgs I wouldn't expect satisfaction either. Unless you can prove you bought the ammo there and those were in the box when you bought them. I don't think you can do that and you have a case of he said, he said. Do you know anyone who has bought ammo there with the same results?

 

If you get the lot numbers from the box Federal might be able to track where that lot was shipped to. Maybe not.

 

IMO there really isn't much you can do except dispose of the ammo and be leery about dealing with that lgs.

[vladtepes 1,060]

what shop did this ammo come from.. 

[Smoke Eater 0]

Vlad its been asked like 15 times.... i dont think we are going to get an answer. Maybe hes trolling who knows. A simple " i bought it at ________" would surfice. We all wanna know so we can stay clear, or if we do choose to buy from this shop we inspect the ammo first. That over charged load could of been alot worse then just a popped primer pocket. You lucky dude. Just let us know where you bought it. Thats all we ask!

[blksheep 466]

+1. We dont want to give business to a place that purposely tried to deceive someone, if that is the case.

[checko 180]

Why do people insist on keeping where they buy crap a secret. It happens constantly

[Respect2A 0]

Why do people insist on keeping where they buy crap a secret. It happens constantly

Paranoia or they think they will get ridiculed. Or.. they are full of shit.