Defective KF ammo in the market

[TC]

Friends,
Since a large number of handgun owners in India use the .32 ACP and .32 S&W Long ammo made by the Indian Ordnance Factory (the KF brand) I thought it is necessary to share this vital information.

About 2.5 lakh .32 ACP pistol cartridge has left the factory and entered the market with oversize rims. People who have bought these rounds are facing problems with feed and ejection. Dealers and gunsmiths have come up with a rather crude solution - to file off a fraction of the circumference of the rim and reduce it.
Many people are actually doing that - buying fine files or water papers and rubbing off some excess brass along the entire circumstance of the rim.

The problem with a certain batch of KF revolver ammo is quite different, but luckily too many of these are believed to be in circulation. I was recently shown a dozen odd cartridges that had "extra hard" steel primers that did not go off when hit by the firing pin. In fact I was quite surprised to see the barely visible mark of the firing pin although the revolvers used were new and there was no problem with the firing pins or hammer springs.

Hope this helps.

TC

[Katana]

Can you find out when these were made? I mean, the month and year of manufacture is usually stamped on the paper cases. I have purchased some this year. Maybe I could cross check.

[farook]

It would be a great help if you tell us the date of manufacture. For now think we should look for older batches. Since the ammo has a six year shelf life don't think this should be an issue with the performance

[dr.jayakumar]

2 years back i had problem with ejection and had to file the rim size,but never had firing problem so far.
regards
dr.jk

[TC]

Friends,
I will check with dealers and find out the batch details. From what I have been told so far the .32 pistol ammo with oversize rims were produced in the last six or eight months. When contacted by some of the dealers, the ordnance factory acknowledged the matter and said that about 2.5 lakh ammo with oversize rims have left the Khirki plant and they were rectifying the problem. That means pistol ammo produced in 2012 or before should not have the problem. But then if Dr Jayakumar faced the same problem two years ago then this thing needs to be looked into. Is it possible that during routine maintenance or overhauling of dies and cutters, they are leaving a gap of a fraction of milimetre while resetting them ? Just my guess

As far as the problem with steel primers in the .32 revolver ammo goes I don't think it is very rampant because so far I have heard this only from one dealer.

I will try and find the batch details as fast as I can.

Regards

TC

[Katana]

Just got me thinking, don't they test fire randomly from a particular batch before dispatching the ammo?

[mundaire]

2010 made paper shotshells (12 ga birdshot) seem to have a relatively frequent (1-2 per box of 25) issue with the primers. The primers seem to be "short" and when struck by the firing pin, they get marked AND pushed in further into the primer pocket, resulting in misfires.

Pl. NOTE: This is based on just 4 boxes from the same batch that I purchased (so may not be widespread), the lot number is smudged but the mfg. date is listed as 09/10

[nagarifle]

while back was using KF .22 rounds, every 3rd or 4th shot seems to fisfire.

then i wondered why the the brits dump 6millon 9mm round from India into the North Sea?

[TC]

Just got me thinking, don't they test fire randomly from a particular batch before dispatching the ammo?

Katana.... if our wishes had wings, just try and imagine what the IOF plants with all those fully computer controlled latest machines might have produced

TC

Friends,

I checked with a couple of dealers who contacted IOF to discuss refund of the defective ammo. Nothing came out of it so far. However I came to know that all the ammo with over size rims belong to the last two batches... i.e. the boxes should be marked 2013. I have seen these ammo. They are bright and shiny, wearing the factory fresh look.

TC

[TC]

while back was using KF .22 rounds, every 3rd or 4th shot seems to fisfire.

then i wondered why the the brits dump 6millon 9mm round from India into the North Sea?

Fisfire ? Those must be real real old ammo Naga... maybe from the same time when Brits dumped all those 9mm ... or may badly preserved ones
My experience with .22 KF ammo is not bad at all. In fact I saved some from the 80s that came in Red and Yellow boxes.. ( I am sure some guys here remember them) and they still perform as good as or maybe even better than new ammo that come in white boxes and give good groups at 25 m... no fisfires


TC