[spud]

Talk about being scared poopless...

Took my monthly trip to the range today to play long distance hole punch in some targets. Everything went great with the XD 45 (As always, love that gun.) untill it was time to shoot my P3AT. I figured it was time to change out my carry ammo (Corbon DPX) witch I do every 2-3 months. The gun has had the same clip of amm and 1 in the chamber for 2 months now. Ready to save my life if need be.

Took aim at target,
Squeeze trigger,
Pop?
Wha? No boom?
Drop the clip, rack the slide to eject the brass.
Look down barrel....
Hello DPX half way down the barrel.

There is power all over the gun, was all over the place. Almost like it didnt ignite...

Either way, If it was a a problem arises situation, I would be on my way to the coroner's office right now.

Since I have never had this issues, Im not real sure what I should do. I need the bullet removed from the barrel. Then is it still useful? Or should I retire it and replace it? Then comes my issues with DPX. Should I call them ? Im not sure I want to carry it anymore. Not even in the 40 and 45.

Has anyone else had any issues with DPX? Or was something else to blame?

Any input would be great.

Thanks.

 

[Nakanokalronin]

It sounds like the ammo. Never heard this happen with DPX before though. If you find out its the ammo I would write or call Cor-bon about it. Its sounds almost like the powder was wet or something and only the primer shot the bullet out, but then again that sounds off to me.

If the barrel is screwed after removing the round call Kel-Tec and tell them what happened and the ammo that was used, I'm sure they'll replace it free but it still sucks.

 

[wheelguy]

Hmm, DPX uses solid copper - wonder if it is more difficult to swage tight than jacketed lead? Sounds like an idea for a test  . Soak various brands of ammo at the bottom of the pool for 30 days, then see which ones still work. Ok - who has a pool? No, really, I am serious  8)

 

[rcmodel]

Oil or gun solvent got to the primer or powder I betcha. No ammo is immune to solvent or oil penetrating the primer seal and killing off the primer.

You can drive the bullet back out of the barrel with a wooden dowel rod, or brass rod, and hammer. The barrel will not be harmed.

rcmodel

 

[spud]

That brings up a good point wheelman. My ammo usually has gun oil on it, and the rounds that stay in the clip start to get tarnished or dis-colored. COuld that be a issue?

 

[rcmodel]

My ammo usually has gun oil on it,

Well, that right there is your problem!

rcmodel

 

[spud]

Ahh, i guess im using too much oil and it saturates the round.

:-/

 

[rcmodel]

Hmm, DPX uses solid copper - wonder if it is more difficult to swage tight than jacketed lead?

If anything, I would think the solid copper bullet would have a tighter fit then a Jacketed lead bullet.

First, the sized case is a very tight fit on any bullet when it is seated. But then, applying a taper crimp can damage a jacketed lead bullet, squeezing it down, if the taper-crimp is over-done.

I think that is much less likely to happen with the solid copper bullets.

rcmodel

 

[wheelguy]

Got 'em water soaking in a jar right now. Found some references to this technique as a method of ammo disposal (1 week soak), but - really - I can't let my ammo get wet; or can I?

 

[rcmodel]

Never use oil or solvent anywhere around ammo.

Not in the mag, not in the firing pin channel, and most of all, NEVER on the ammo itself.

Corrosion will take years to ruin a loaded round. You should be shooting your carry ammo for practice way before it would ever be a problem.

 

[rcmodel]

You can soak properly loaded factory or mil-spec ammo in a jar of water forever and it will not ruin it.

Whoever said you could dispose of ammo that way is so full of BS, their eyes turned brown!

Even soaking it in oil or solvent will only work sometimes, but never always.

rcmodel

 

[wheelguy]

Good to know - difficult to avoid the rain sometimes. A link to a humerous post suggesting the use of water to dispose of ammo: http://forums.speedguide.net/archive/index.php/t-78891.html

 

[Bitswap]

I used to use a solution to etch copper boards for electronics. 20% hydrogen peroxide, pool acid and warm water. Stuff etched a board in seconds but not sure what it would do to the barrel.

I know ammonia eats copper. That may work better than water.

I've seen this happen before in BMG and after extracting the bullet, the barrel was fine. BMG bullets have steel cores.

I'd probably just try to knock it out with a wood dowel as stated before.

 

[rcmodel]

Good to know - difficult to avoid the rain sometimes.

Consider that GI's in WWI, WWII, and Vietnam often spent weeks or months in the rain, and days on end up to their azz in swamps.

You think their ammo all went bad because it got wet?

rcmodel

 

[wheelguy]

I shall NOT be surprised when I am able to successfully test fire them all next weekend.

 

[dawgfvr]

What you experienced was the "pop and no kick" scenario that we always taught to look for in the military. I've only experienced one in my 22 year career with M16A2 5.56mm round. The primer ignites (pop) but the powder inside the case does not. This will lodge the bullet inside the barrel. Failure to remove prior to the next round coming down the tube could damage the weapon and/or the firer in the process. This is an exceedingly rare incident. How smart you were to stop, look, and remedy the problem.

 

[rcmodel]

+1 dawgfvr

I have only had one in 50+ years of shooting, and it was also a military load .223 (LC68 ) in an M16.

Pop, no bang.
It didn't lodge the bullet though.

Turned out the case didn't have a primer flash hole drilled in it!

rcmodel

 

[spud]

I feel much better after those 2 comments.

I was blown away that it happned, But im glad it did at the range.

Im waiting on a call back from Corbon right now to see what will be done..

 

[rhinoh]

Corbon may laugh at you if you told them you oiled your ammo- as mentioned that is a big no-no

Many years ago when a young squirt I had an old Cool Whip container full of .22 ammo. In my ignorance I hosed all the ammo down good with WD-40 for "preservation". Months later probably 90% of them wouldn't fire. Learned a lesson that day about penetrating oils and powder and primers :-/

 

[spud]

I didnt oil my ammo. Oil got on the ammo.