taurus 17 hmr

[doncisler]

i posted this under general handgun but decided it would fit here better.
i purchased a taurus 17-hmr revolver and when i tried to sight it in (18 shots) i noticed that the cases were expanded at the necks.  two were even split.
i returned it to taures and received this reply.  "notes from gunsmith.  firearm needs to be cleaned after each use.  our 17c revolvers are designed to expand the bottle necks when fired for easier extraction".
they replaced the firing pin with no explanation as to why.
has anyone else experienced this?  is it really normal or are they feeding me mushroom chow?

[CDA]

I have no direct experience with the Taurus .17, but I remember reading somewhere that during a test, someone had many split casings. (Maybe it was from Gun Tests a few months back) I am not sure if it would be designed that way. I would think that would affect the accuracy???

[BlkHawk73]

  What ammo are you using?  Some .17m2 will do this.  I've had a lot of this with Hornady ammo.  It's something to do with the annealing process used to neck/size the brass.  It's a bit thinner than a .22lr case because of the sizing process I'm told.  I'm using Remington .17M2 now with my 10/17M2 conversion and have no case issues.

[doncisler]

this is not a 17-m2 it is the 17-hmr but same principal.  the cases are expanded full length just as if the chambers were cut for 22-magnum but thru-bored at 17 cal.  never heard of such a thing.  never heard of split cases being normal in any gun.

[jcn59]

Not clear to me but are you saying that the bore is .17 cal. and the cylinder will chamber .22 WMR?

[The Old Redneck]

   I have had a 17 HMR Tracker with a 8" barrel for years, and shot several thousand rounds through it. Every now and then I will have a split case, but it seem to be more the ammo lot than anything else. On the 17 HM-2 with the split necks some lots of ammo have splits before they are fired. I haven't looked at the 17 HMR ammo to check because it happens so seldom with my gun. A chamber should be cut so that the fired case looks like it did before firing less the bullet.

[doncisler]

no, a 22-mag will not fully chamber in the cylinder - almost.  the bullet stops it, not the case. 
when the round is fired the shoulder is blown out almost full length to a 22-mag profile - the neck is gone and what had been the shoulder is full diameter and some are cracked.  basically the empty casing looks like a cracked 22-mag.  i'll see if i can't post some pictures.  doesn't sound safe to me.

[jcn59]

WILL A FIRED .22 MAG CASE FIT?

  The neck on a Hornady .17 HMR measures .191 ".  I suppose the bullet measures around .177 "  The holes on the muzzle end of the cylinder should be within a couple thousandths of bullet diameter.  Any larger, and you've been "Tauresd", which is why most of us who have owned a few Tauri, don't keep buying them.   

For what it's worth, my .17 HMR Taurus Tracker NEVER split a case & ALL fired cases looked virtually identical to unfired ones.  It is also very accurate.  I'm sorry you weren't so lucky.   

[The Old Redneck]

  17 caliber bullets are .172, and if the shoulder of the case is blowing out like that send it and the fired cases back to Taurus.

[jcn59]

That's what I was trying to say, Redneck, but the right words wouldn't come out!

[doncisler]

i did send the cases back.  that is when they wrote the note.

[The Old Redneck]

   Sir, find some fired 17HMR cases that have come out of a good gun where the shoulder looks like an unfired case. Take the gun , cases from your gun with the shoulders blown out, and the good empty cases and show them to your dealer. Explain that even after the factory had the gun you still have a problem that you believe has some "LIBILITY SAFETY issues. Ask for your money back, or a trade for something that gives you credit for what you have spent. I have bought a lot of Taurus guns and been lucky that all were good guns. The number of people having problems with them now is a shame. Greybeard, is right  about their quality going to crap. I love the guns I have that was built by them, and would like a few more, but not until quality returns, and customer service gets to be that, Customer Service, not the Excuse Department.

[Inrut24/7]

My fired brass from my taurus 17s looks exactly how yours does, I never noticed a split neck and never thought it to be a problem since it shoots great. 

[doncisler]

1) mine doesn't shoot for shi*
2) i've found that it is one cylinder that splits the case
3) taurus has not intention of making it right (or even safe in my opinion)
4) i will NEVER buy another taurus.

i just wish someone else would make a nice 17hmr revolver.  it still sounds like a great idea

[Graybeard]

Ruger makes one, dunno how nice it is.