The brass-cased HST that I've got is in immaculate condition.
Best, Jon
Could I ask, what is the purpose of nickel plating cartridges?
Is that generally for corrosion resistance?
I shoot rather a lot of Federal HST in various calibers in the 50-rd boxes, and have never once encountered that.
AFAIK the greater per-round price on the commercial market stuff is just a combination of a greater markup and those goofy jewelry boxes that show off the pretty hollowpoint so Cletus will know what his BBs will look like without having to tear a box flap.
Looks like the suspect ammo has been pulled from their site while they check it out.
Have shot a few hundred 147gr 9mm and 180gr .40 HSTs in the last few months. All rounds were in impeccable condition. Your ammo just sounds old/oxidized. Good to practice with but I would probalby not carry it as a first, second, or third resort...
I'll just echo some of the commentary already expressed based on my own personal experience;
- I've never heard of "Seconds" being offered by any of the major domestic players and the reasons for that should be pretty obvious.
- Trade-in ammo is a pretty common practice when LE agencies make changes. This stuff is usually re-sold at steeply discounted prices and while it may show signs of handling and storage, that should be extent of the wear and tear. Broken cases are accepted in trade-in situations so anomalies in the condition described by the OP may certainly exist, but I don't think it's the norm.
- In some cases, LE packaging can be plain-Jane compared to the same loading bound for the commercial market, but the product itself is the same.
Last edited by 41magfan; 10-13-2016 at 11:14 AM.
The path of least resistance will seldom get you where you need to be.