Was sorting my 9mm range brass I had scrounged, and came across some very weird stuff:
UPDATE #2!! A few more of these cases have showed up in ANOTHER batch of 9mm brass from Oakdale!! It may be that from now on, if you're picking up range brass, you're going to have to look out for this stuff!!
UPDATE!! Just came across a 45ACP Ammoload case, and it has the same weird ledge inside the case in the lower half of it. As with 9mm, if you do reload this stuff, you're going to have to develop a whole new recipe for this reduced powder volume case. If you don't find 200 0r 300 all lying there in a pile, then you better make sure this doesn't get in with your other brass!!
These cases have a ledge and thus a substantially thicker base to them, which will make them VERY different from any other 9mm brass, and if you mix this stuff in with your other 9mm, you are asking for trouble. I went to the trouble of weighing the cases, and on average, they are 8.8% heavier than the average of 6 other popular brands, which is what you would expect with that extra brass in there. I then did a volume determination with water, and found out these cases had 4.4% LESS volume that standard 9mm cases. That's misleading, however, as the front half of the case is taken up by the bullet, so as far as the space for the powder is concerned, Ammoload cases have about 9% LESS internal volume than other cases. That's significant, and if you're loading full power loads with a quick burning powder like 231, something could go KABOOM on you. As such, if you run into this stuff, segregate it and make sure it isn't loaded with anything ELSE!!
That's the warning.
Now then, Ammoload is a company that makes ammunition loading equipment. That's their primary business. There is info out there that Ammoload is responsible for making the Raufoss 9mm Super incendiary ammo, http://gunshowgoods.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36&products_id=145&zenid=p9jq0c0odiug8l98ilveq1u1v2 and this stuff is indeed super incendiary. Very exotic mixture of pyrophoric metals in the tip, and it supposedly generates a temp of 5,000 F. when it strikes a hard object. I haven't seen any claims of super velocity needed to go with this bullet.
There have been some reports that people have come across a fairly large amount of these cases, which would indicate that some of this may be coming from something other than $4 a round specialty ammo. No info out there to indicate which is the case right now.
There is a LOT of speculation out there that the case is super strong for some sort of hyper velocity ammo, and also that the ledge is there to keep the bullet from setting back. Either or both could be true. The gamers are speculating whether it would be easier to make Major with this 9mm case, but at this point it's just pure speculation.
So that's what's floating around out there in cyberspace, but what IS clear is that if you're loading hot 9mm loads, you do NOT want to let these cases get mixed in with the other stuff!!
