Anyone else have this problem with Independence ammo?

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Blondie.357

New member
Bought 150 rounds for an advanced handgun course today in .40 cal and the whole time it looked like I was shooting a mini shot gun. There was the initial bullet hole yet all around it were irregular holes from fragments and at 3 yards there were noticable grey powder splashes on the target.

Is this the bullet disintegrating out of the barrel or is it the powder?

Or is it my barrel somehow ruining the bullet before it comes out the muzzel? I cleaned and looked down the barrel and nothing really seems to be wrong but I'm not an armorer and may not notice something that could be causing a problem.
 
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KyJim

New member
I probably don't have your answer but the type of handgun you are shooting would be helpful. Also, what type of bullets (lead?)?
 
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Blondie.357

New member
Smith and wesson M&P 40.

I shot some different ammo after I wrote this post and had no issues. It must of been the Independence ammo.

man that stuff is crap.
 
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Don H

New member
At 3 yards, the "fragments" may well have been bullet lube if you were shooting lead bullets. It would help a whole bunch if you specified exactly what Independence loads you were shooting and what kind of ammo that you shot later that didn't have this issue.
 
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dec41971

New member
Let me make a blanket statement: Independence ammo is crap. :barf:
No kidding. I have a Beretta that shoots everything I throw at it. It could literally shoot a stone:D, yet when I put Independence ammo into it, it jams like no tomorrow and the stuff is filthy too. Smokes like an overheating civil war era musket. :mad:
 
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44 AMP

Staff
Never fails to amaze me how people get "off brand" ammo, and then have problems. And while I have had (seldom, but it has happened) less than the best from Remington and Winchester bargin loadings, I've never had any problems with Federal.

Eerybody else I have used has at some point or other been a disappointment in some way. Maybe not this box, maybe not the next one, but sooner or later.....

Maybe thats why I shoot so much of my own reloads. At least then, when something goes wrong, I can gripe to the manufacturer! (and have him listen!)
 
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blume357

New member
Somewhere along the road of life I picked up a couple boxes

of Independence in .380. Never had a problem with it, shoots fine.

9ft is pretty dern close and I'm not surprised at the 'spray' on the target.

don't you watch the crime shows on TV? This is how they figure out how far away from the dead person the shooter was.... as well as the brand and year of manufacture of the gun and what the shooter was wearing and how they vote.
 
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Rich Miranda

New member
I've never had a problem with the Independence stuff. It's not my preferred brand, but I will shoot it, no problem.

Maybe you got a bad batch... stuff happens.
 
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softmentor

New member
I have had the same result with Independence. I don't consider it an "off" brand, but based on this same experience, I don't use it any more. It just seemed to me to be odd, and I didn't want the potential of excessive build up of some sort of fowling. I went ahead and used the 1,000 rounds I have but I don't look to buy any more.
 
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NYPD13

New member
I purchased a few boxes of their 45ACP a couple of years ago and had no problems with them. They were on the dirty side though. From my understanding they are made in Brazil by MagTech, which I've found to be equally as dirty. Not that it matters much to me, as long as the brass makes quality reloads I'm happy.
 
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