First Breach new MD component manufacturer not ready for prime time!

[357Max]

I'll be the guinea pig. Ordered 500 5.56 cases to give them a try. Pricing is reasonable for new "match grade" brass, that is if it's good. $84.00 for 250.
More products to come online shortly to include primers.

Here is a link to them. Located in Hagerstown in one of the old Fairchild aircraft plants.
https://www.firstbreach.com/

Anyone used there brass yet or know anything about them?

 

[erwos]

RSP Gun Shop supposedly sources some stuff from them. I am a little skeptical of the business model, given that 30c per case for 223 is considerably more than Starline's new brass. I guess I'll keep an eye out for their primers.

 

[ironpony]

The website does not give much info, I learned more about the building than anything. If you are deemed a "Qualified" person or Company you may be granted a tour. Seems too corporate to me, however, they stress relationships and say they have industry experience. I get the impression they have deep pockets, Hunter Biden is probably on the board? Now if they offer a way for locals or visitors to pickup on-site then I might think about switching component manufacturers.
I followed the RMR company emails for years and they seemed like down to earth people with a huge following.
That's my first impression, I wish them luck!

 

[atblis]

The pictures of the cases are renderings.

 

[outrider58]

Looks scammy to me. Components are way over priced. Who the hell shoots "match grade" 9mm?

 

[blazing lead]

"Government " pricing maybe? They got the money for it, We keep giving it to them.Hopefully the OP has a good transaction with them.

 

[teratos]

Looks scammy to me. Components are way over priced. Who the hell shoots "match grade" 9mm?

If you want sub-MOA 9mm….

 

[Harrys]

You can always tell the pioneers; they are the ones with the arrows in their backs.

 

[357Max]

Yeah the brass pictures are renderings for sure. Hope the flash hole isn't that yuge in the finished product.
I went with 5.56 on the hunch the base will be a little harder.

I do like that they are producing everything in house & all equipment is new.

I'll give my honest take once I've shot some in gas & bolt gun. They won't be mild loads either. 77SMK @ 2750 18" gasser/ 77RDF @ 3000 26" bolt.

I've got a a good selection of brass to compare to.

 

[357Max]

As for the sub moa 9mm

 

[outrider58]

If you want sub-MOA 9mm….

[Chuckle]

 

[Rockzilla]

Optic planet has some of their stuff
Interesting the FB website 22 FMJBT $13.49?
Optic planet $23.99 both for quantity 100

Hmmmm....

I'll pass for now..

Primary Office

• 8402 Topping Road
• Baltimore, MD 21208
• United States

+1 (410)

-Rock

 

[Rockzilla]

Yeah the brass pictures are renderings for sure. Hope the flash hole isn't that yuge in the finished product.

You've heard small n large primer 45acp
You've heard small n large primer 308
Now you have small n large primer 223.

-Rock

 

[357Max]

Update on the 5.56 brass.

Don't BUY!! QC is pathetic. Every case is manually inspected my ass!

They spent some serious $$$ on machinery. If I was running that place heads would be rolling!

All below is for the primed 5.56 brass
I was initially put off by the random willy nilly annealing job.

They don't provide any useful specs for this on their website. Just a useless MSDS.

The below issues are from the first 77 pc's pulled out. Only 70 were loaded.

The primers appear to be cci#41 (Gold cup with Red compound). All good there. Most are seated .0025 -.005 below flush. All must be checked as 1 of the 77 was flush & doesn't look installed square.

But wait it gets worse. My process for new brass is to first run a small mandrel through necks by hand to remove any dents in the neck, followed by inside/outside chamfer. Final mandrel .2225 is done with dry graphite in press.
While inserting the small mandrel I had 3 that stopped dead in there tracks at the neck shoulder junction (Bad Doughnut WTF). If you look close in the picture you can see an odd step on the outside neck shoulder junction.

Next on to the press for final mandrel where I had 3 x that wouldn't fit in the shell holder do to damage @ the rim. I fixed these with a file.

Now I don't trust this stuff at all so decided to check head space on all & sure enough more problems. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect head space to be held to a range of .005 for new brass. Lapua is half that.
First picture below is for reference and is new Lapue 223. Fired brass in this 223 W chamber reads 34.5 on the guage, so the new Lapua is giving me .002 HS. Blue Box goodness!

Most of the First breach was averaging 30 on the guage +-.0025.
4 of the 77pc where out to lunch. I don't even know how it's possible to screw up this bad on automated equipment. That's .026 HS + .004 recessed primer = .030.
My firing pin protrusion is only .031

In all so far I've culled 7 of 77 as unusable. Literally the worst brass I've dealt with hands down.

Very disappointed to say the least. I'll still be shooting some of it in 2 different guns tomorrow. Bolt & AR, both .223 Wylde.

I didn't bother weighing cases for comparison as I wasn't expecting "match grade", just functional grade. 10% culled is completely unacceptable.

I might fill out the request for a plant tour. Reason: to get an understanding of how such poor quality can be produced from such nice equipment. I kid, sort of. This is my fun hobby. I actually due QC for my job & visit plants all the time. Germany 2 weeks ago. They should pay me to spend a weekend or 2 there getting the machines tuned correctly. Until someone does, stay away from First Breach.

 

[4g64loser]

They should definitely refund you. Then pay you for qc process review. That's garbage.

 

[boule]

Interesting anealing job - do you have any way to measure neck tension? Would love to see how much variability is there once you load a bullet.

 

[357Max]

They should definitely refund you. Then pay you for qc process review. That's garbage.

Yeah this stuff is a hot mess. I want them to succeed. Always good to have more component manufacturers & in MD to boot. I'll try giving them a call this week.

 

[357Max]

Interesting anealing job - do you have any way to measure neck tension? Would love to see how much variability is there once you load a bullet.

They are all annealed @ the neck, but I'm baffeled as to why some are half way down the body & some just stop right below the neck. It seems there may be multiple annealing lines that are adjusted very differently.

The rounds I've loaded so far 77 RDF's have had a very consistent feel during seating.
I think that has more to do with my procces & that I culled those cases with a doughnut.
I don't have the automated AMP seater or even a hydro press to measure.

 

[blazing lead]

That's disappointing for sure, hopefully they make it right for you. With QC like that they won't be in business long I would think.

 

[outrider58]

Great write-up. Thanks for being our Guinea pig.