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Author Topic: Herter's 38 Special 158gr  (Read 3850 times)

Offline D1sclaimer

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Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« on: October 11, 2012, 10:39:20 PM »
I am taking my CCW class this weekend and needed to buy some ammo since my instructor doesn't allow reloads per his instructions.  I stopped at Cabelas today before heading to ENGC to shoot.

I bought 4 boxes of Herter's brass cased (manufactured by Sellier & Bellot) 158gr 38 Special ammo.  I've had good luck with their Herter's brass case stuff in the past so I figured it'd be fine.  I shot 2 boxes today to test the ammo out and the other 2 boxes were gonna be for the class.  I tried to pinpoint a specific slot on the cylinder, but on one occasion, 3 cases were split on the same cylinder loading.

This is just a heads up to stay away from this garbage.





One of the boxes had 10 case failures and 1 pierced primer.






Offline Randy

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #1 on: October 11, 2012, 10:51:06 PM »
Interesting thank you for the heads up.
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Offline D1sclaimer

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #2 on: October 11, 2012, 11:39:14 PM »
I've been doing some searching and it's popped up in a couple of threads that people have had cases splitting with new S&B 38 special brass.  I wonder if there was a bad batch of brass or something recently.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/ammo/263386-ammo-alert.html

Offline unfy

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #3 on: October 11, 2012, 11:44:19 PM »
Wow.

That's... atrocious.

Glad you're alright.
hoppe's #9 is not the end all be all woman catching pheramone people make it out to be ... cause i smell of it 2 or 3 times a week but remain single  >:D

Offline NE Bull

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2012, 08:19:24 AM »
WOW!
For some reason I have always been leery of Herters and S&B never really appealed to me. Gut Feeling?
(Maybe so, I tend to keep it happy with bacon. ;) )
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Offline SemperFiGuy

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #5 on: October 12, 2012, 08:43:48 AM »
D1sclaimer:

It would be a public service to shooters on your part if you would take this evidence back to Cabelas, get in touch with the store manager [not some clerk], and strongly recommend to them that they should take this ammo off their shelves and completely out of the store.

After that move, they wouldn't want to knowingly sell a known dangerous product to the public.

Some of the other yet-unsold brass might be even more brittle.   And more dangerous.

sfg
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Offline UPCrawfish

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #6 on: October 12, 2012, 09:34:43 AM »
+1 on Semper Fi Guy....     Get Cabela's involved - NOW !! 

I would not want to be in possession of this knowledge and not try to prevent someone else from having a similar or worse experience..

Be sure to explain to them that your experience did not reflect a gun or cylinder failure as you noted multiple failures in one loading.

Offline unfy

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #7 on: October 12, 2012, 08:59:53 PM »
SFG just got all kinds of oodles of brownie points from probably most of the people of this forum, and from those he hasn't met yet. I know he just got a bunch from me :3  ... speaking of which, I think there's a thread of his that needs updating... sifting through forum time...
hoppe's #9 is not the end all be all woman catching pheramone people make it out to be ... cause i smell of it 2 or 3 times a week but remain single  >:D

Offline unfy

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2012, 09:02:47 PM »
I've saved the pictures of the brass (but not the branding).

d1sclaimer: do you mind if I possibly use the pics elsewhere as examples of what to look out for with bad brass etc ?
hoppe's #9 is not the end all be all woman catching pheramone people make it out to be ... cause i smell of it 2 or 3 times a week but remain single  >:D

Offline SemperFiGuy

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2012, 10:49:51 PM »
UNFY........

Guess we won't be reloading any of that brass.

sfg
Certified Instructor:  NE CHP & NRA-Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Personal Protection Inside/Outside Home, Home Firearm Safety, RTBAV, Metallic Cartridge & Shotshell Reloading.  NRA Chief RSO, IDPA Safety Officer, USPSA Range Officer.  NRA RangeTechTeamAdvisor.  NE Hunter Education (F&B).   Glock Armorer

Offline RobertH

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2012, 06:09:22 AM »
wow... when you tell Cabela's maybe mention the NFOA?  just a thought.

i never had problems with their 9mm or 40 brass ammo.  maybe just a bad batch?
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Offline D1sclaimer

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Re: Herter's 38 Special 158gr
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2012, 09:00:24 PM »
d1sclaimer: do you mind if I possibly use the pics elsewhere as examples of what to look out for with bad brass etc ?

Feel free to.  I don't mind.