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Split Brass Case

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Lesau1 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lesau1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Split Brass Case
    Posted: Jul 30 2020 at 10:31pm
Took my universal out for its first range visit with me.  The new Korean mags worked pretty well but I did have several failures to feed.  Cartridge was going straight below the breech, well maybe halfway up, so it jammed against the ramp instead of going in.  I think I need to polish the ramp, any other ideas?  Also, shooting umc cartridges, they look kinda old.  One of the ejected cases I found was split about halfway up all the way to the top (where the bullet used to be).  Any idea how that happened?  There could have been others but I did not find them all.
Lesau
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lesau1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 30 2020 at 10:34pm
Also meant to say that I replaced the recoil springs so the bolt and slide work well.
Lesau
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Carl Bine View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Carl Bine Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 31 2020 at 12:46am
What kind of ammo are you using?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote floydthecat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 31 2020 at 6:47am
Split cases usually indicate an oversized chamber, weak brass from multiple reloading, poor quality brass as manufactured or ammo that was manufactured undersized to start with. If head space is seriously lose, thrust of the case to the rear could result in split cases as the brass is fire-formed to the chamber. Try different ammo, but might need to have head space checked as a precaution. 

The trigger housing might be setting too low for proper feeding, the mag catch could be worn or out of spec. or the mag feed-lips may need to be slightly opened up to allow the round to slip free. Generally, if the nose of the bullet is hitting at the point you indicate, the round is sitting too low in the action due to one of the above reasons and the assumption is the spring and follower are correctly installed. Push the magazine up with your free hand during firing. If it is fitted with a commercial housing, they tend to be a bit sloppy and USGI spec. mags can be a poor fit. Those polymer commercial magazines that most people love to hate actually work very well in Universal and Iver Johnson trigger housings, which tend to run a little large in the mag well. If it won't feed with anything else, it will usually feed with those.

Grinding on feed ramps should be a last resort.
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03manV View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 03manV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 31 2020 at 8:56am
What Floyd said, x2 about the trigger housings.
A GI mag will probably work a little better even in the loose housing, they tend to run a little larger and fit/feed better than the aftermarket mags.

I'm not as reluctant to re-shape the feed ramp though, some Universal carbines just did not get much
attention paid to the ramp at all; and enhancing/reshaping the ramp may be the only way to get it to feed, even with a GI mag.
Don
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lesau1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 31 2020 at 9:41am
Thanks for the replies and information.  I was using UMC ammo, at least that’s what the box was.  Some of the ammo that I DID NOT use was reloads of my father in law.  The reloads were in the GI mags and some were hard cast lead!  I opted to toss the reloads since I am hesitant to use anyone’s reloads other than my own.  It could be that all of the rounds were reloads.  I used the 40 rounds that looked fairly new.

The mags do fit loosely.  The one GI mag that I took would not allow a single cartridge to be stripped.  I took it apart when I got home and the spring is about shot.  

Any work on the feed ramp would be gentle polishing, nothing more.

I recently inherited this universal from my father in law and have no idea what he may have done to it.  Most of the rounds fed and fired fine.  Those carbines are sweet shooters.
Lesau
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03manV View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote 03manV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Jul 31 2020 at 11:43am
I had a Universal in the shop recently that would not feed, due to the ramp being not cut sufficiently.
It took a bit of grinding to get it to the correct depth and angle.
The carbine was "like new", and the reason was likely that it would not feed a cartridge consistently from the factory; previous owners just gave up.

Polishing just likely won't be enough; don't be afraid to reshape it.

If you have a GI carbine to look at, make the ramp similar in depth and angle.
Don
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