PMC X-TAC 55gr, a bit on the spicy side.

[One More Time]

Ran across this today, no one sprung a leak but the upper is done for.
Lot # in link with pics, some pretty spectacular carnage.
https://www.northwestfirearms.com/th...fle-up.451096/

[markm]

Ammo quality has suffered recently.

[Disciple]

What's the mitigation? Weigh every cartridge individually to check for over-charge, or would that be paranoid?

[georgeib]

What's the mitigation? Weight every cartridge individually to check for over-charge, or would that be paranoid?

Didn't think you could dramatically overcharge a rifle round as the case is almost full as it is.

[Disciple]

Didn't think you could dramatically overcharge a rifle round as the case is almost full as it is.

What else would cause this? I don't see how you would have only one cartridge out of a box with the wrong powder unless deliberate sabotage.

[kerplode]

I dunno...I'm always a little skeptical of these reports.

Last time I saw an AR blown like that it was because a dude's "friend" fired a 300BLK in a 5.56 chamber. I saw that one in person and it was pretty similar damage. The bullet was sticking out of the muzzle and was like 2.5" long. Upper was blown to shit.

To get those pressures in a 5.56, it'd have to be a completely inappropriate powder, obstructed bore, oversized projo, or somebody not telling the full story...

[markm]

Didn't think you could dramatically overcharge a rifle round as the case is almost full as it is.

Depends on the powder. Some of the faster powders are high "ullage" where they're at max with a good bit of room left in the case.

[georgeib]

Depends on the powder. Some of the faster powders are high "ullage" where they're at max with a good bit of room left in the case.

Ah, okay. Any idea if that's what PMC uses? An overcharge would definitely be the simple way of explaining it.

[bfoosh006]

Ammo quality has suffered recently.

Kinda seems to run in a 5-7yr cycle... if not one manufacturer, it is another.

[MarshallDodge]

I don't know about PMC's stuff. I'd guess it's a ball powder. Depends on the burn rate of the powder and how much could be in there. We shot the overcharged AAC ammo that's actually a compressed load, it didn't blow up any guns. I'm guessing AAC's powder is a slower burn, because if it was that overcharged and fast powder, it'd have at least ruptured a case head.

But to the points made, if the damage is that bad, you would be worried about an obstruction or something.

Something fast, like H322 or H4198, would have some room left in the case for an overcharge, but I'm not sure it would be able to generate enough pressure for a kaboom.

Sometimes I wonder if the manufacturer was loading pistol rounds and didn't get it all that fast burning powder cleared out of the hopper before running the rifle rounds.

PMC has a really good reputation but I've seen a lot of turnover in manufacturing since the pandemic.