Split brass damage?

I’ve reloaded about 1000 rounds of 45 ACP brass about 8 times and have had 3 split cases when examined for next reload. Is there a possible damaging effect on the pistol when a case splits when fired?
Should I get rid of this brass and start with a new batch?
Thanks for your input in advance.

I would shoot them until they all split. Use for short line. Get some newer brass for the long line; new or once fired.
Old brass will still give respectable groups at 50 yds but better off with newer brass. If you load a split case just shoot it and throw away the case afterwards.
Jon

If a case starts to show weakening and you notice before loading throw it away.
An unseen split case can do damage to the shooter and the gun.
Had one get by me a few years back. Blew the mag out, breech to half cock and a lot of powder back in my face. 
There is a thread here which shows a separated case after firing. Good reading and dovetails nicely.
Forgot to mention. Any case that shows any sign of damage or is suspect, throw away!

When you inspect the cases after cleaning, or later, throw away ANY split brass no matter how insignificant it looks.  The case mouth is usually where splits begin.

Some think the brass case is a independent, self supporting, pressure vessel, like a fire extinguisher, or a CO2 cartridge. This is nonsense of the most dangerous type.

A cartridge case is best thought of as a gasket. It must be supported by the firearm, and only a little can be unsupported. If the case head ruptures, gas will come out the breech and what happens afterwards is most unpredictable. I had a case head blow in a RIA GI 1911. Bullets were clearly impacting the feed ramp, and being shoved in the case.  That is until I purchased a EGW higher magazine release. At the time of the case head blow,  I pulled the trigger,  the magazine base blew out,  the grips cracked, something hit the bench and hit me in the chin. Thankfully I was wearing safety glasses and the chin was bruised for a week.








The RIA 1911 has a forged 4140 slide and a cast 4140 frame. It is probable that a vintage 1911, especially one of the un heat treated, plain carbon steel ones from the WW1 era, would have been permanently damaged. Modern alloy steels protect users from incidents that would have destroyed an early 20th century firearm.  While the slide was jammed back about a half inch, I was able to clear the weapon, remove the slide and barrel, and examine things. Everything looked OK after wiping and reoiling. And, I continued shooting after picking up all the rounds and magazines pieces off the floor.

I have fired probably 1000 rounds in that pistol since then, with a new magazine release and new grips. Before the new higher magazine release I could feel the bullet hitting the feed ramp, the pistol had a clunk, clunk feel as rounds when in the chamber. Now, only one clunk.

But, the moral of the story is, a blown case head has the potential to cause damage.These are examples of over pressure rounds (not mine) and you can see, the case head expansion of the unsupported part of the case.













those shooting this brass are lucky that the cases were made of excellent brass that did not rupture.

this is an example of factory brass that did rupture the case head, and it damaged the firearm





If the case has body splits, case head splits, the case should be discarded. Pre existing brass splits have the potential to propagate through the case head. As a general rule, it is galactically  stupid to use a structurally compromised case. If the case will not hold a primer because the pocket is large, the case should be discarded.



I have had enough case splits, in the chamber, or in the cylinder, to conclude that in limited quantities, I am not going to see any damage to my firearms. Perhaps if I was shooting a chain gun, I might see some gas cutting somewhere, but I am not shooting 6000 rounds a minute.

I agree, shooting a round with a split case is dangerously stupid. I’m talking about a case splitting when fired. Of course, reloading the case fewer times would result in a lower possibility of a split case due to weakened brass. I started seeing a few split cases after 8 reloads.

You can almost always detect a split case when it goes through the sizing die; there is almost no resisitance.  When that happens I dump that case and move on.

I deprime my 45 brass. I usually hear that tell tale jingle when I throw it in with the rest. If I miss it I usually hear it when it drops from my case feeder.

Bill

If I find a case split before reloading I will toss it, but if not I have no problem shooting one I have missed, the 45 is a low pressure round. 

I think it’s a leap to compare case mouth splits to a case head separation.

expendable wrote:If I find a case split before reloading I will toss it, but if not I have no problem shooting one I have missed, the 45 is a low pressure round. 

I think it’s a leap to compare case mouth splits to a case head separation.

+1

expendable wrote:

I think it’s a leap to compare case mouth splits to a case head separation.

I have had body splits that propagated all the way down to the bottom of the case. I don't have pictures of those failed pistol cases.

But I do have pictures of cases that did fail through the case head:














This one occurred during a 300 yard rapid fire stage. This was fired in a AR15. The magazine, or bottom of the magazine, was blown out, I don't remember which. And this will bake your noodle, the next round in the magazine chambered!  Impossible you say, right?  Well, I don't know how it could happen, but happen it did.

If you reload those aluminum cases enough times, I am certain that not only will you have a lot of body splits, but you will have the occasional split through the case head.