Love my .17HMR but WTF…

[FISH BOY]

My CZ455 .17HMR has always been good to me - never had a drama and it’s done it’s job flawlessly - like a laser on small game. Sadly doesn’t get out as much these days due to bigger commitments.

Anyway, have a range day tomorrow and she’s going to fill in some gaps. Following on from other HMR threads, I thought I would check any potential split necks and potential dramas…

Made in 2018 and obviously sitting for a while, but stored well, 98 out of 200 were split

Quite frankly shocking. May be 5 years old, but they are going back to be exchanged.

Scraps of the older batch that I’ve been shooting successfully (without checking) just as bad - last photo, far right is the worse.

Having said all that, after probably a couple thousand rounds down the heavy barrel, I’ve luckily never had a issue.

Taking a newer box of the same ammo (blue box) I bought last year - not a single split.

 

[Overlay]

Good job checking on that lot Russ
I've never seen so many split cases, do you reckon they would all go Phutt

 

[foxhunter]

After reading this I thought I will check the 100 rounds I've just bought.
Guess what 24 were split.
What implications may this have ?

 

[Smellydog]

After reading this I thought I will check the 100 rounds I've just bought.
Guess what 24 were split.
What implications may this have ?View attachment 295479

A squib leaving a stuck bullet in the barrel.
If unnoticed damage will result if another round is chambered and fired.

 

[gonzo]

How many times did you fumble one, trying to stand them all up, and knock the lot over.

What's the issue with latterally split cases? Do these really leave the neck behind after shooting?
I had heard of case seperation issues with 17HMR in the past.

I would undrestand if they were split radially.
I've noticed lots of cases split that way after firing. Not seen any other problems.

 

[Smellydog]

How many times did you fumble one, trying to stand them all up, and knock the lot over.

What's the issue with latterally split cases? Do these really leave the neck behind after shooting?
I had heard of case seperation issues with 17HMR in the past.

I would undrestand if they were split radially.
I've noticed lots of cases split that way after firing. Not seen any other problems.

Any case that is split from firing is no issue.
Smokeless powders are propellants. Propellants unlike explosives usually require more to start combustion.
One of the requirements is the case neck holding onto the bullet. That concentrates the primers heat onto the powder long enough to start complete combustion.
Without that the bullet moves forward from the primer increasing case volume and lowering pressure and temperature.
Bullet gets stuck, case does not seal the chamber, incomplete combustion leaks everywhere it can.

 

[omulally]

Did a similar check a few weeks ago, found that roughly 70% of the 'old' boxes had split necks.

All purchased .17 ammo gets checked now, there will still be a few boxes of the old cartridges knocking around in the back of RFDs across the land.

 

[Smellydog]

I tested old Federal, Winchester and CCI ammo today sans split necks. All shot to 300yds with good results.
The CCI was split after firing but still performed very well.

Once the split necks are removed your good to go. If it gets that more than a few in a box take it back.

 

[wildfowler.250]

I’ll need to have a look. I’ve certainly had cases split after firing but never noticed them prior,(must check). Have had a hangfire with the .17hmr which was a bit of a fright. Only enough delay for me to start taking my eye off the scope,(still hit the crow I was pointing at) but it does make you wonder.

Love the round. Really accurate and fills a niche . But the ammo reports are questionable

 

[Smellydog]

Love the round.

Me too. It's incredibly efficient in its realm.

 

[Foxyboy43]

How many times did you fumble one, trying to stand them all up, and knock the lot over.

What's the issue with latterally split cases? Do these really leave the neck behind after shooting?
I had heard of case seperation issues with 17HMR in the past.

I would undrestand if they were split radially.
I've noticed lots of cases split that way after firing. Not seen any other problems.

The issue is increased potential ingress of moisture resulting in a squib load which only propels the bullet a few inches into the barrel and which in novice/careless/distracted hands may result in a second good round being chambered and fired .
I have seen the result of this once in the .17 - you would not comprehend the damage to metal and plastic that this tiny round can create. Believe me you do not want to experience it - big time - not for nothing is it known as the dead man’s click!
Golden rule - always listen for a click not a bang - if you get a click:-
keep gun safe-facing,
Pause and count to thirty,
slowly extract round,
check if bullet present in the case,
if yes remove it and put it somewhere safe (or give it to the RO),
if no bullet obvious/present remove bolt and empty case,
check chamber/barrel for obstruction.
It is at this point you realise what a clever boy you really are and just how good a reason it is to carry a cleaning rod. You do carry……?

 

[ashray]

that is the reason many people have and are still getting rid of the 17hmr rifles, the ammunition problem has killed its use and talk to any rfd and they will not be getting in any new stock, my local rfd says once his last few have gone he wont be stocking them again. <he can not get enough 22magnum to keep up with the demand ,perhaps people are going back to those.>

 

[FISH BOY]

Good job checking on that lot Russ
I've never seen so many split cases, do you reckon they would all go Phutt

Alert, I fired the old old batch (last pic - bar the end one I pulled) this morning with a rod at hand - no dramas and grouped as usual (well).


Played Dominos twice - highest score was thankfully only six.

How many times did you fumble one, trying to stand them all up, and knock the lot over.

 

[Foxyboy43]

that is the reason many people have and are still getting rid of the 17hmr rifles, the ammunition problem has killed its use and talk to any rfd and they will not be getting in any new stock, my local rfd says once his last few have gone he wont be stocking them again. <he can not get enough 22magnum to keep up with the demand ,perhaps people are going back to those.>

To be honest I have not seen any great abandonment of the .17 hmr over here in NI nor am I aware of local dealers placing an embargo on it.
To be candid, the .17 hmr does have a known issue with “misfires” but and it is a huge “but”, anyone who chambers, never mind fires, another round regardless of chambering, after hearing a click or more obviously, not hearing a normal bang is an utter idiot and must take full responsibility for their own actions, something which is in very short supply in this crazy world we now occupy.
Nuff said!

 

[Liveonce]

To be honest I have not seen any great abandonment of the .17 hmr over here in NI nor am I aware of local dealers placing an embargo on it.
To be candid, the .17 hmr does have a known issue with “misfires” but and it is a huge “but”, anyone who chambers, never mind fires, another round regardless of chambering, after hearing a click or more obviously, not hearing a normal bang is an utter idiot and must take full responsibility for their own actions, something which is in very short supply in this crazy world we now occupy.
Nuff said!

However it’s the inconvenience of it, if out in the dark and having walked a long way away from your vehicle to have to return to use a cleaning rod to knock the stuck bullet out. How many other calibres do you need to carry a cleaning rod for incase a bullet gets stuck? Best move i made was to get a .17hornet.

 

[Foxyboy43]

However it’s the inconvenience of it, if out in the dark and having walked a long way away from your vehicle to have to return to use a cleaning rod to knock the stuck bullet out. How many other calibres do you need to carry a cleaning rod for incase a bullet gets stuck? Best move i made was to get a .17hornet.

Absolutely fair point but if you check for splits beforehand……….

 

[Smellydog]

However it’s the inconvenience of it, if out in the dark and having walked a long way away from your vehicle to have to return to use a cleaning rod to knock the stuck bullet out. How many other calibres do you need to carry a cleaning rod for incase a bullet gets stuck? Best move i made was to get a .17hornet.

You don't need to carry a rod, I don't and there is not one in the car.
It is as simple a task, all be it annoying, to remove any loaded round with a split neck. No more worries.
Now I love Foxyboy but I do not believe the issue is ingress of damp.
It is so difficult trying to explain how in microseconds of the primer exploding the importance of the bullet not moving via the mechanical crimp from the case mouth. It is vital!! Without it we get all sort of potential issues. The fuel is not an explosive, it is a propellent.
Put in simple terms it takes more heat to ignite fully the charge where as if it were black powder a mere spark would work.

 

[Smellydog]

that is the reason many people have and are still getting rid of the 17hmr rifles, the ammunition problem has killed its use and talk to any rfd and they will not be getting in any new stock, my local rfd says once his last few have gone he wont be stocking them again. <he can not get enough 22magnum to keep up with the demand ,perhaps people are going back to those.>

WMR is a fantastic round and if my shots were always going to be under 100yds on Charlie I'd get one again.
But it does not beat the inherent pin point accuracy and flat trajectory that is very forgiving at night if range is misjudged a little.
It kills no better or worse. There is nothing in it.

If folk are trading HMR for WMR it is because they are either to lazy to inspect their ammunition or are to thick to get their head around the issue.
If it's because they want to try the daddy then rock on but remember, as with any rimfire you can get misfires. I also have somewhere a photograph of 22 subsonic cases split from top to bottom. I also have a photo of a center fire case split top to bottom. It happens.

 

[Foxyboy43]

WMR is a fantastic round and if my shots were always going to be under 100yds on Charlie I'd get one again.
But it does not beat the inherent pin point accuracy and flat trajectory that is very forgiving at night if range is misjudged a little.
It kills no better or worse. There is nothing in it.

If folk are trading HMR for WMR it is because they are either to lazy to inspect their ammunition or are to thick to get their head around the issue.
If it's because they want to try the daddy then rock on but remember, as with any rimfire you can get misfires. I also have somewhere a photograph of 22 subsonic cases split from top to bottom. I also have a photo of a center fire case split top to bottom. It happens.

Yep to all above - picking up the misfire point I was testing the new “wee rifle” this a.m. I had three 22lr duds - two CCI and one Winchester, same safety procedure as ever so no issues.

 

[Foxyboy43]

As a follow-on but not rimfire related - this is an interesting article - note particularly the para re not fully closing the bolt - perhaps relevant to an ongoing thread?

Understanding a Gun Misfire - Guns and Ammo

Gun misfires do happen, but a misfire due to a defective primer is incredibly rare. The most common cause of misfire is referred to as "insufficient indent," which means the primer was not struck with sufficient force. But, there are other reasons for gun misfires.

www.gunsandammo.com