How Old’s Too Old?

[MeatBuck]

2 3/4” 12g, no idea how old. Was in a mix of old shells I’ve had laying around for years. Said 7 1/2 so I tossed it in with some other old loads to shoot. This one had some kind of an issue.

Any ideas?

 

[Modoc]

Are you fanatical about your trap/skeet/sporting clays score? If not, shoot them for practice. It depends on what I am doing. A match with a couple hundred dollars in registration fees plus travel and lodging? Shoot quality handloads or factory new. Goofing in the back pasture? What’s in the questionable box.

Hunting is either known handloads or factory.

 

[Muddyboots]

Nah, I look at shooting clays as tune up like prepping for a hunt. Restore muscle and instinctive memory plus a good time harassing friends. Or they were before harassing.... If in a league, different story and likely looking at shotguns 3x my average build cost

 

[MeatBuck]

No. Definitely dicking off in the orchard kinda stuff.

More so wondering what happened with the case.

 

[Muddyboots]

Looks like its been reloaded few times from condition of the plastic. Usually high brass like that tougher than most. If reload, high brass resizing can mess with the brass integrity since it is so thin.

 

[Muddyboots]

BTW I recently bought 2 bags to support my slug loads. Perfect for that but also heavier shot loads.

Cheddite 12ga 2.75 25mm ultra-brass primed/skived (bag/100)

Contains Fiocchi 616. Mfg: Fiocchi Hulls are not regulated under 49CFR Special Provision 50.

www.ballisticproducts.com

 

[Handgun400]

I agree with Muddyboots. Looks reloaded a few times. Age alone shouldn’t split the brass, I don’t think.

 

[Farleg]

Gday

I’ll agree the plastic looks like it’s been worked a bit but the brass cracked like that isn’t only related to overworking

I’ve seen a few like that in factory , brand new to 20 plus year old shells

so I’m not saying it’s not been worked to much as you can’t have one without the other in shotshells from my observations anyway


I’m just pointing out for the new to sport just look @ the whole picture yes one sign is helpful but it’s not always the root of the issue

For what it’s worth I’d Shoot them & then in the bin they’d be

Here’s a few old ones you guys may have not seen before

Cheers

 

[Farleg]

More so wondering what happened with the case.

Hey meatbuck it split lol
Cheers

 

[gltaylor]

Gday

I’ll agree the plastic looks like it’s been worked a bit but the brass cracked like that isn’t only related to overworking

I’ve seen a few like that in factory , brand new to 20 plus year old shells

so I’m not saying it’s not been worked to much as you can’t have one without the other in shotshells from my observations anyway


I’m just pointing out for the new to sport just look @ the whole picture yes one sign is helpful but it’s not always the root of the issue

For what it’s worth I’d Shoot them & then in the bin they’d be

Here’s a few old ones you guys may have not seen before
View attachment 1093
Cheers

Very nice Farleg!
Meatbuck,
It's not uncommon to see brass split. I manage a gunclub. We have quite a collection of both new and fired cases with split brass. Some we have on display have split brass that have been loaded a few times. We also have a number that came new in the box split! One of my favorites has NO brass! Another has half (one side) brass.
Ammo manufacturers are trying to cut costs (my take) and have thinned their brass too thin. They split easily at few firings. Apparently QC and quality itself is suffering. And this is premium ammo - Remington & Win AA. Federal, Estate and European shells also show up.
Not to worry, brass actially serves little purpose on modern plastic compression formed hulls- other than a lip for ejection.

On another note, thought some of you might enjoy some images from my shotshell collection.Farleg got me thinking....
Let's see...
First is a picture of shell boxes from my early days. You'll note, the 16ga (my first repeater) was chambered in then then standard 2 9/16" chambering. They ultimately standardized to the American 2 3/4" chamber.
Roll crimping , paper shells and shot size stamping used to be common.
Then Remington came out with their New folded and wax sealed crimp (standard today).
Next was the introduction of "New Plastic Hulls!" Actually quite revolutionary and stopped scuffing and swelling common on paper hulls that rattled around in your damp game hunting coat pickets!
Corrosive primers were another nuisance that was corrected. Note the inscription "rustless" on a Peters" shell.
(More to come)

 

[gltaylor]

Enlarge each photo and read carefully.
Another thing...the idea of color coding different gauges used to not be a thing
. Note in the photos a Red 20ga shell, blue, red, tan and green shells of mixed gauges. Mishaps generated the color coding of today. A 16 ga shell down the tube followed by a 12ga was usually catastrophic.
As an old waterfowler, I couldn't resist a photo of my call lanyard. I don't even know how much banding is still done today. Years ago I helped a wildlife biologist friend of mine band wood ducks . It was a very interesting endeavour.
I've been blessed to hunt waterfowl in some very special places over the years. Used to carve my own decoys. Got about 300 collecting dust in my barn now

 

[riceman]

Those are cool Gl.
Here's a couple of pictures of some form late 60's manufactured by Wanda.
My dad almost lost a eye from one ruptured around primer. He was shooting his winchester 97 pump. They dug a piece of plastic out of his eye. He never shot that gun again.
I play with it on occasion.

 

[MeatBuck]

I was looking through a couple of the others I had from that batch and one is definitely going to split the same as the other one did. But at least I know now that it’s not a big deal.

Thanks guys. Your collections show your age hahahah

 

[257 Ackley]

Enlarge each photo and read carefully.
Another thing...the idea of color coding different gauges used to not be a thing
. Note in the photos a Red 20ga shell, blue, red, tan and green shells of mixed gauges. Mishaps generated the color coding of today. A 16 ga shell down the tube followed by a 12ga was usually catastrophic.
As an old waterfowler, I couldn't resist a photo of my call lanyard. I don't even know how much banding is still done today. Years ago I helped a wildlife biologist friend of mine band wood ducks . It was a very interesting endeavour.
I've been blessed to hunt waterfowl in some very special places over the years. Used to carve my own decoys. Got about 300 collecting dust in my barn now

Any pictures of your decoys? I carved a few myself that I hunt over.

 

[gltaylor]

Just saw your post.
Let me get some out and clean the dust off.
Maybe Mon/Tues (my days off).

 

[257 Ackley]

A few of mine. Only the redheads are still in my possession. The brant was donated to University of Alaska for a fundraiser and the wood duck was carves for a friend.

 

[gltaylor]

Beautiful! Good job, and Way past my skill level!
All I made was hunting blocks. Good enough to fool ducks, good enough for me .
Mine were used. Handled and sacked up when nearly dry. Some are a bit scuffed up from use.
Wait til I can get out to the barn. I'm almost embarrased to show them now

 

[257 Ackley]

I like old hunting blocks. My hunters aren't nearly as good as that wood duck.

 

[gltaylor]

OK, here's a few of my hunting blocks. Had to scoot them off with the hose. They were covered with dust in the barn.

 

[257 Ackley]

I really like the divers!