Bad Winchester 22lr ammo - update

[bbqncigars]

On the range yesterday, I had two boxes of Winchester Super X 22lr that was very erratic in POI and report. Some of the ejected brass had domed bases. Worst thing was two brass failures resulting in powder spewing out the back and into the mag well. This is the first time I've had 22lr ammo do that. I would have been a hurting shooter if it weren't for my safety glasses. Lot number 2KH52M. I will update thread if I get a reply from Winchester.


ETA: A nice lady from Winchester called me yesterday (6/6/16) to see if I'd kept the failed/domed cases or had any left unfired. No to each, and I really wanted to see the ruptured cases, but couldn't pick them out of all the rest. She said she'd pass that info along. A surprisingly fast response to an email. Also, beware of the Winchester made Browning 22lr.

 

[AveragEd]

I gave up on all things Winchester years ago except for the Winchester-branded powders marketed by Hodgdon's. Maybe ten years ago, I bought 100 pieces of new W-W 7mm STW brass and found the necks cut off at an angle and no less than .035" shorter than the trim-to length. It took several attempts to get their attention and a registered letter finally yielded consent to return it for replacement.

The replacement stuff was exactly the same! I would have expected that it would have been checked, given that it was a warranty replacement. When I brought that to their attention, they told me via a letter that they no longer sell brass or loaded ammunition for that cartridge and sent me a check for $35. I spent $12 returning the two defective batches to them.

Months after that, I bought 100 pieces of their .243 WIN brass and found it at least .030" longer than the maximum case length. It took over an hour with my RCBS power case trimmer to get it cut to specification and that was the last W-W reloading component I have purchased or plan to purchase.

Ed

 

[GaryS]

You will get a response, a pre paid UPS label, an "Cartridges, Small Arms" label, and once they get the ammunition back, a check.

I had a similar experience with the same ammunition (different lot#) on Wednesday. Mine were in the red 100 round plastic boxes. I had a failure to fire rate of about 25%.

I went to their website and filled in the form at http://www.winchester.com/Product-Service/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx
and I was contacted the next morning by a very nice young lady.

I had used two boxes and had six left. They wanted the six unused boxes back so that they could look at them. Those are sealed boxes, so there's no question of my doing anything to them.

Anyway, the ammo is on it's way back to IL and they will be issuing me a check. The nice young lady told me that they didn't need a receipt and since I bought at Walmart, they could figure out pretty much what I paid.

 

[Barrie]

Just about all of their powered product line has fallen on very hard times as far as quality goes. Some of the worst junk on the marketplace to-day it seems.

 

[hoc9sw]

Same experience as GaryS. Filled out the online form, got a call, it went back, they sent a check.

 

[Engineer1911]

If you bought Winchester 22 LR ammo 10 years ago you wouldn't have this problem.

I have not had any problems with any brand 22 LR ammo that I bought in late 2004 to early 2006 time frame. Stuff manufactured since 2014 is another story.

 

[Ascension]

This is no joke guys!! There are several folk who have had hand injuries from this ammo with the little North American arms mini revolvers. Here is one thread in particular from the NAA MINI forum on this subject with photos of a nasty hand injury from this same ammo. Cartridge blow up I personally got stung firing one of these little pistols with this ammo. Mine was minor some have not been with a couple actually firing adjacent rounds out of battery they were so over charged.
It's not just the .22 that we are seeing issues with. I have also seen one Winchester white box .40 that was noticeably HOT and several boxes of 9mm that was noticeably undersized on the brass and was ballooning cases. All was bought at Wallmart so something has gone wrong at Winchester on their ammo quality control over the last couple of years.
Ran the stuff regularly for years without any issue on the range until about 2 years ago when I had issues on the range with a 915 that I had suddenly not ejecting just the Winchester 9mm. It was then we started looking closer that we found the undersized brass thin ejector rings and the ballooning.

 

[smokindog]

Do you know about when you purchased the problem ammo? I've got "a number" of those little red boxes up in the stock closet

You will get a response, a pre paid UPS label, an "Cartridges, Small Arms" label, and once they get the ammunition back, a check.

I had a similar experience with the same ammunition (different lot#) on Wednesday. Mine were in the red 100 round plastic boxes. I had a failure to fire rate of about 25%.

I went to their website and filled in the form at http://www.winchester.com/Product-Service/Pages/Contact-Us.aspx
and I was contacted the next morning by a very nice young lady.

I had used two boxes and had six left. They wanted the six unused boxes back so that they could look at them. Those are sealed boxes, so there's no question of my doing anything to them.

Anyway, the ammo is on it's way back to IL and they will be issuing me a check. The nice young lady told me that they didn't need a receipt and since I bought at Walmart, they could figure out pretty much what I paid.

 

[SevenMilePete]

On the range yesterday, I had two boxes of Winchester Super X 22lr that was very erratic in POI and report. Some of the ejected brass had domed bases. Worst thing was two brass failures resulting in powder spewing out the back and into the mag well. This is the first time I've had 22lr ammo do that. I would have been a hurting shooter if it weren't for my safety glasses. Lot number 2KH52M. I will update thread if I get a reply from Winchester.

Which Super X? LRN?

 

[Ascension]

Which Super X? LRN?

What stung me in my NAA mini was indeed the super X LRN.

 

[GaryS]

At least two years ago. The lot # is different than the OP reported, but I forget off hand what it is.

I bought them when ammunition in general was very hard to get. Which is why I bought them as I generally like to buy boxes of 500 or so.

Do you know about when you purchased the problem ammo? I've got "a number" of those little red boxes up in the stock closet

 

[smokindog]

Darn, that's about when I got mine as well

At least two years ago. The lot # is different than the OP reported, but I forget off hand what it is.

I bought them when ammunition in general was very hard to get. Which is why I bought them as I generally like to buy boxes of 500 or so.

 

[GaryS]

I don't think you have anything to worry about. They'll pay for the return shipping and send you a check. That's if there is a problem with the ammunition.

Darn, that's about when I got mine as well

 

[Ascension]

At least two years ago. The lot # is different than the OP reported, but I forget off hand what it is.

I bought them when ammunition in general was very hard to get. Which is why I bought them as I generally like to buy boxes of 500 or so.

Yep was about 2/3 years back when I bought my box also hmm.