Poll: "Factory Blemish" ammo - shoot it or not?

[ZoidMeister]

Gents,

I picked up a few boxes of ammo that was being sold at about 60% of it's normal retail this week. I just got these boxes in, not knowing what to expect, and having never purchased this kind of ammo before.

Now if this was .22LR, I wouldn't give it another thought, but this stuff is a little more potent than your average plinking ammo.

The boxes are clearly marked "factory blemish" but the photos on the interwebs just showed their normal packaging. The term "factory blemish" was listed against the really good price, and I figured, what the heck . . . . . 60% is 60% - 40% off.

What say you? Has anyone ever purchased and shot "factory blemish" ammo before?

Should I approach this stuff with fear and trepidation?

Zoidian minds need to know . . . . .

Z

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[nvshooter]

Maybe call them and ask them why it's "blemished?" Might be something as innocuous as the brass isn't as nicely polished as is found on unblemished brass. I doubt the powder charge is too much or too little. Maybe weigh a shell, record the weight, pull the bullet, weigh the powder charge, record that weight, then weigh each intact round. If you find ones that are "too" out of line with your recorded data, those shells might certainly be suspect.

 

[Ridgeback]

If it is a legitimate company and it is factory ammo , they would not sell it if there is a chance of it blowing up or hurting your gun.
I would shoot it.
I wouldn't necessarily carry it for self defense but for target it should be just fine.
More than likely it is tarnished or has small nicks or dings in the case.
it should be perfectly fine to shoot.

 

[ZoidMeister]

Maybe call them and ask them why it's "blemished?" Might be something as innocuous as the brass isn't as nicely polished as is found on unblemished brass. I doubt the powder charge is too much or too little. Maybe weigh a shell, record the weight, pull the bullet, weigh the powder charge, record that weight, then weigh each intact round. If you find ones that are "too" out of line with your recorded data, those shells might certainly be suspect.

Even if this stuff had a power factor of around 200, I wouldn't be too worried about it, but with power factors near or above 600, I get worried, especially out of a handgun.

Z

 

[ZoidMeister]

If it is a legitimate company and it is factory ammo , they would not sell it if there is a chance of it blowing up or hurting your gun.
I would shoot it.
I wouldn't necessarily carry it for self defense but for target it should be just fine.
More than likely it is tarnished or has small nicks or dings in the case.
it should be perfectly fine to shoot.

Dings and nicks in the cases are one symptom. I found a few slugs that had small voids in them as well.

 

[Ridgeback]

If it fits in the chamber it should be fine.
I have shot dinged and dented ammo quite a few times and never had a problem.

 

[Jory45acp]

Blemished is fine to shoot. They wouldn't be selling ammo that has a danger of incurring injury or damage to a firearm. The liability is too high. Usually blemished is listed by manufactures as cosmetic issues only. Usually when a run is first started for a line of production or when a supplier forces change of a product. Several of us for years waited every fall for the blemished varmint rounds to be released. We'd grab all we could at huge discounts. Makes volume loading ammo much much cheaper.