Hi all

Although this is an ammo issue, I also felt it was a safety issue (especially for those who shoot autoloaders...and I believe there are a few here).

On June 8th, I purchased ammunition at the Costa Mesa gun show:

PERFORMANCE AMMUNITION Lot 2235301
.223 REM/100 rnds
69 Gr Sierra Match King $46.95

I tried it out Sunday and to my surprise, after a few rounds the rifle did not fire and experienced a failure to chamber. Luckily, a bullet had lodged in the barrel in such a way that no more ammunition would chamber. The bullet pushed out easily, and I suspect that it was forced into the barrel by primer detonation alone.

Anyway, I checked my ammo at the range using the old shake method, and about 45 rounds did not feel loaded at all. I removed the moly-coated bullet from one of the "shakeless" cartridges and all I saw inside was the shiny Winchester brass.

My brother then weighed his box at home, and found about 20 or so cartridges in his box were about 23.85 grains light. He apparently had a better box than I had! One consolation is that those rounds which were loaded varied by about 1.6 grains, which was only a tenth of a grain more than those rounds which were "powder-free."

Still, if you were at the Costa Mesa gun show and bought the same ammunition, check it first. I am attempting to contact the fabricator of this ammunition, to both warn him and seek compensation (ie., I would prefer cartridges with powder).

no problem, i wouldn't have paid 46.95 for 100 rds of .223 to begin with.  expecially when i can get black hills for about $12/box of 50.

still sucks for you.

Uhhhmm, yeah.  

Same here on Gunshow reloads.  Ask 1GUNRUNNER about the problems he experienced.

I bought 1200 rounds of reloads for 85.00 at a gunshow back in the spring.  It was fun ammo, but you never knew what the round would do when you pulled the trigger.  Some were loaded HOT.  Others were tracers.  Yup, tracers.  No orange tip either.

Fun stuff, but I think I will stick with military surplus or Wolf for plinking.

TheRedGoat

I just wanted to caution folks.

But to answer some of the comments so far, I think you owe it to yourself to try different ammo. My Colt really prefers Federal GM 69 g Sierra Match Kings (and 75 gr) much more than BHA red box 68 grain. Federal tends to be pricey, so I'm always looking at alternatives.

This ammo had 69 gr Sierra Match Kings (that BHA has recently begun to offer). Winchester Brass. I forgot the primers. And it came in a great box LOL! Anyway, it seemed worth testing a box of it, to see whether it shot with precision equal to or better than Federal. I was not really expecting not firing at all... but I guess we learn...

Still, if anyone else attended the Costa  Mesa gun show and bought some of this stuff, be warned. But, the box is still really nice....

Oh. And if the vendor does not return my calls or e-mail, I think I'd better inform the gun show people...

Edit: The vendor returned my call. He seemed apologetic and unsure as to how this could have happened. He said he will send two new boxes (different lot #) out to my brother and me by UPS. He wants us to return the unspent ammo after receiving the two new boxes. He also said he would check his other loads. I'll see what he ships... Only time will tell.