face side port

D

Del Martin

Guest
There has been a thread on one of the other forums that maybe wasn't the right place for the discussion so I will bring it up here. Face side port is common for us left handed shooters who shoot right handed rifles.
Currently I am shooting a Cooper 57 that I just bought in 17 HMR.
Five out of twenty-five cases are split almost half the way down. How much should I be concerned here? I'm using safety glasses of course but still this seems like a dangerous situation. If it was a centerfire rifle it would be unacceptable. What about this?
 
Send it back

Del:
That too high a failure rate. Very unsafe for a lefty looking at the port.
 
If 20% of the cases split that would indicate to me that you've got some bad ammunition. I'd contact the ammo maker with lot number and what you experienced. Contacting Cooper probably wouldn't hurt either.

Like you I'm left handed and my rifles are all right handed. I've blown primers and had case head separations, but haven't ever had anymore but a little puff of gas in the face. Wearing glasses whenever you shoot should be mandatory. I used to shoot with a guy who lost an eye when a primer blew and he got an eyeful of gas and solids including pieces of primer. He'd read the riot act to anyone he saw shooting without glasses on. Pitted glasses are much better than lost vision.

If the rifle has a catastrophic failure I don't think it'll matter much which side you're shooting from, although I suppose that a right handed shooter would be a little better off.
 
cases

Thanks to all. I haven't inspected the cases before firing but I am wondering if there might be a way to detect which cases will split?
Shooting other lot numbers just seems like looking for an accident.
Contacting Hornady would mean sending in cases etc. what a pain. Does anyone know who to talk with at Cooper?
Hope other RP LH shooters wear good shooting glasses.
 
Cooper test fires all there rifles. I highly doubt its a problem with the rifle.
Wasn't there a recall on that ammo?
 
It sounds to me like the cases were too hard from the manufacturing process. There's usually no way to detect this sort of defect until the cartridge is fired. The latest issue of HANDLOADER has a picture of some Federal revolver cases that failed on firing the factory load.

Sending a couple of cases to Hornady won't be that much trouble, and may help save someone else's eyes.

ANYONE who shoots should wear glasses while shooting. Since I have to wear them to find my way around I wear them while shooting. Those who aren't so, uh, fortunate may forget to put them on.
 
split 17 HMR cases

Well, after many phone conversations and internet research I have found that this is not an uncommon problem. CCI is actually the manufacturer of the Hornady brass.
Cooper told me they have had other calls about this and they would take the rifle back and check the chamber but that is not likely the problem.
I also went out and started examining new unfired cases. I could find 2 out of 25 that were already split. Each box of the same lot number.
So I got a Hornady number and they will take both bricks back and ship me new ones. UPS will come to my door with a mailing label and off it goes.
So the problem is solved but I still will keep an eye on cases fired from this rifle.
Thanks for you guys keeping me going on this.
 
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