Heads up on Walmart Federal .22 Target Match Ammo

[wjh2657]

Watch out for bad .22 ammo at Walmart. I bought two boxes of the 325 rd Federal Auto Match a couple of weeks ago. 1 out of 4 (25%) were misfires! I checked the lot numbers and they are part of a bad batch that Federal put out several years ago. So this is known bad ammo. The 550 round packs seem to be of newer maufacture and I've had no problems with these. I suspect some of the 325 stuff got put up in the warehouses and not sent back to Federal. With the shortages now, I further suspect Walmart put the stuff back on the shelves. It is several years old so I find it hard to believe Federal sent it out at this time. I buy only the 550 boxes now.

Edited September 4, 2009 by wjh2657

[ttocswob]

Can you post the lot number? I bought a couple of boxes, so far they're just fine. The other box is unopened, and I bought them at different times and locations.

Thanx

[wjh2657]

The lot I have is 1BW424 but from what I understand the entire issue of 1BW4XX lots are bad. Mostly way underpowered. Phfffts instead of bangs! Check link below:

Federal Auto Match .22LR - RimfireCentral.com Forums

Everybody thought the problem had gone away but more boxes are suddenly appearing on the Walmart shelves. . I can still use them (the 325s) in my S&W 317 (2" barrel) but it is still sort of disconcerting (bang,bang,phffffft, bang, bang, phfffft.) I am not even going to fire them in any rifle barrels. Banging squibbs out of barrels is not my idea of fun. It was an honest mistake and Federal did recall the ammo, but it has suddenly reappeared.

[digger]

Watch out for bad .22 ammo at Walmart. I bought two boxes of the 325 rd Federal Auto Match a couple of weeks ago. 1 out of 4 (25%) were misfires! I checked the lot numbers and they are part of a bad batch that Federal put out several years ago. So this is known bad ammo. The 550 round packs seem to be of newer maufacture and I've had no problems with these. I suspect some of the 325 stuff got put up in the warehouses and not sent back to Federal. With the shortages now, I further suspect Walmart put the stuff back on the shelves. It is several years old so I find it hard to believe Federal sent it out at this time. I buy only the 550 boxes now.

I know that Walmart never holds anything in their warehouses. They send anything that does not sell in ? days back to the vendor and doesn't pay that vendor. They only pay vendors in 60 to 90 days. If anyone held that ammo it was the vendor. Maybe you got a bad batch but knock on wood I have never had a bad Federal round in rimfire or center fire. That is my opinion.

[wjh2657]

Read post above. I was one among many. To set the record straight, this is the first bad ammo I have ever gotten from Federal and Federal is my primary in .22 LR. That still doesn't change the fact that Federal themselves are saying that the lots of 1BW4XX were bad. It doesn't make much sense to send ammo you know is bad back out to your market. Maybe somebody between Walmart and Federal? I honestly don't know. Just saying to check lot numbers on that particular packaging (325) for awhile.

[extremescene]

I fired a 325 round box of AM22 yesterday that I purchased a few weeks ago at wal-mart and they were all flawless.

[wjh2657]

Only the 1BW4XX lots have been found to be defective. No other lots have beeen reported bad. I myself went back and bought some more AutoMatch (different lot) and they worked fine. The post wasn't slamming all of the Federal AutoMatch ammo, just the bad lots. They are a couple of years old now and should have dissappeared from most stores. I just happen to get some at my local Walmart.

[Guest 22-rimfire]

The Auto Match is one Federal load I do not shoot. Generally I'm anti-bulk pack and it is packaged in a milk carton plus it cost more than the other bulk packs. I will shoot bulk pack ammo for general plinking however on occasion, but it is not what I normally take with me to shoot.

[Guest tnvolfan]

Thanks for the heads up, wjh2657! I for one appreciate it when someone takes the time to keep others from having problems with things that CAN be avoided -- this is the sort of thing that forums are for!!

[Guest canebreaker]

I see a lot of misfires and shells jamming at the gun range. May be the powder load or the pressure spring in the gun. Could be a dirty gun. It seems that remington 550 bulk pack is the leader.

[MCSCOTT]

I see a lot of misfires and shells jamming at the gun range. May be the powder load or the pressure spring in the gun. Could be a dirty gun. It seems that remington 550 bulk pack is the leader.

I got a bad batch of the Federals just a couple of weeks ago, kinda wish I woulda seen this thread sooner. Same story, bang, bang, phfffft. I was beginning to think it was my 10/22 that was the problem even though I regularly clean it every time it gets fired. I also had a couple misfires with other brands, but this box of Federals had more problems than I've ever seen. Went through the gun, new firing pin and checked/cleaned everything, and it still didn't change a thing.

Switched to the Remington 550 bulk packs and haven't had one single misfire or any other issues.

[Guest super99gm]

I have had good luck with the Auto Match, but the box of Remington Golden Bullets I'm working on now is full of duds. Some will work with a second firing pin hit if turned. I have better luck with any Federal 22.

[Guest 1817ak47]

I have had good luck with the Auto Match, but the box of Remington Golden Bullets I'm working on now is full of duds. Some will work with a second firing pin hit if turned. I have better luck with any Federal 22.

regarding those rems, I pulled the heads off the ones that didn't fire the 3 or 4th try and there was no primer in the rim, clean and bare as can be seen with fresh metal:poop: