Yesterday was a Work shooting day and for the drills we were supplied with new Winchester Q3131 55 FMJ in commercial white boxes and white cardboard commercial overpack boxes lot HA03 2972.  I think the same packaging you can get at Walmart’s.

Lots of ammo quality control issues.

Approx 240 rounds expended.  Yeah not much but in that batch we got three rounds that were damaged out of the box that were not chamberable.   One of those were found via stoppage and a strongly hit forward assist.   I got to show a few people how to “mortar” that out of the gun.   ETA the neck was badly wrinkled and folded over that it was much too wide to chamber.  If you did you would would have some spectacular spike in pressure.

The prize round was the primed case without powder and bullet in a box.   That’s not even trying on QC.    At least the ammo with wrinkled and bent necks were present and complete in the box.   I was one of the shooters to find a horribly formed and wrinkled bent neck after the “mortar” clearing drill.  At least I found mine during the magazine loading session. Talking to the range cadre this has been going on all week with that ammunition.

Anyways this is the worst I have seen in a while.  It appears that there is zero effort into the QC right now.   Watch yourselves.

Sorry about the lack of pictures.

A good way to teach new shooters about visually inspecting rounds and clearing jams. Unfortunately at the cost of confidence in the whole platform.

Keep us informed. I try to avoid Win Q3131 ammo at all cost.

The head range man said he was going to contact big W but I doubt they will say much.

I did some quick checking.  The HA lot series might be January2014 make so in my opinion peak lack of QC time period.  Not sure if this was in our warehouse or theirs all that time but it is garbage.

I will accept a little neck wrinkle but the one I pulled was not a complete formed neck as in the brass had a layered look from bad brass and was crunched and doubled up and the bullet was obvious out of bore line.  The one I mortared out of another shooter’s gun was the same.   Others were similarly found damaged in the box.

Like you said it is not confidence inspiring.  As a kid we only had cheap .22 LR this bad.   Centerfire then was virtually flawless.

What gives me concern is the flaws you cannot see like powder charges.

There was similar problems with Q3131 about 15 years ago.
I always stocked and shot Q3131A which were made in Israel using Winchester components and I never had any problem.
I still keep Q3131A in my SHTF bandoliers.

My last box was my last box...

Way, WAY over crimped.
I expect the projectile to come apart. Measuring the crimped area of the case is only .231
I just rebarreled my rifle, and I'm not even going to shoot them.
Rolling them on the table, you can see the wobble.
I will let someone with a cheap barrel unload the brass for me.

Lot # ME51K 3899

Yuck

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WTF is up with American M193 QC?

Had 2017 AE XM-193, Q3131, and IMI M855 out today helping someone sight in their 1st AR. Had 3 duds in his very first magazine of XM193, then 2 more that fired after 3 hammer drops verified in my AR out of 90 rounds. Gave him some Q3131 and lol 2 duds in 60 rounds. We then split 500 rounds of IMI M855 with no issues. Went and bought 100 rounds of PMC Bronze .223 for troubleshooting and ran fine through both ARs.

I'm going back to Prvi and IMI for all my M193 needs.

it's been crap for several years, I wonder if it's even made here, seems I bought some made in s Korea, shot minute of target.

Crapchester strikes again.

if you ever hunted you'd see why you wanted one, Are you going to sneak up to your stand and slam you bolt home? Or do you want to release your bolt slowly

to pick up a round and let it chamber nice and quiet, and then make sure the bolt is home with the FA? I know how I do it. Maybe you don't hunt, than don't get it.

I think you are both right.

I have done the press the bolt fully closed while quietly chanbering a round.

I have pressed and thumb pushed but not banged the FA.  I don’t think in the Marines they ever suggested not to bang it.    It may have b en said to hit or tap the FA.

While I am not an instructor I might suggest they discuss it.  Like most agencies we have some prior mil and gun heads but 87% are not.  We have only been issuing the carbines for a few years now.  There is still some fumbling hands and questions on the buttons.    I roll my eyes at that but I have owned shot the dang things since the mid eighties, 9 years of mil time, owning my own, etc.   I have to keep it in perspective and be assistive.

I haven't seen Q3131 in years.  Probably just before the big scarcity.

Good to keep in mind that it's junk ammo.

The last lot of .224 55gr projectiles from Winchester was enough. None were remotely concentric. It was like a copper cup with lead wire jammed in there..  crooked. The only other projectile that came close in crappiness was the Philippine stuff.