First Squib in 33 Years
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Targa
Member
Yep, did that once myself.
AJC1
Member
That's a lot of travel for no .powder. in 9mm they only go about an inch. My dad loaded a bunch of 9mm on cancer meds and that ammo went away...
.308 Norma
Member
It must be the law of averages because I'm perfect, and I had something similar happen to me a few years back - after 30 some odd years of handloading.
Seriously, I'm glad you caught it. It could have been a disaster.
Mine was just a little different in the fact that I might have forgotten to put any powder in the case at all. Luckily I had a firm enough crimp that the primer alone didn't generate enough pressure to even push the bullet out of the case. As I said, that was LUCKY - I thought I'd had a misfire, so I foolishly just kept on shooting until my revolver ran empty. It wasn't until I got home and pullet the bullet that I saw its base had been burned black by the primer.
Weird thing is, I've always used an old desk lamp to peer into each case in the loading block after I've charged the cases with powder - I'm looking for powder charges that don't look the same as all of the others in that loading block.
I must have missed that one. I'm more careful now.
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ballman6711
Member
Glad it turned into a "nothing burger", could have been a lot worse.
chris
chris
Seedy Character
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Oops
One hell of a primer.
Or a diameter mismatch of bullet to bore.
Close enough for some pressure to remain, but not enough to obturate the bullet to bore and make a quality seal.
I have never had a squib in 46 years of loading.
Including 100's thousands of rounds of .45 ACP and .38 Super for three gun Bullseye competition.
Worst thing I have ever had happen was case splits in creating AI rounds for varmint rifles.
(.22-250AI and 6mm REM AI).
And even those never happened again after I started sorting brass by neck wall run out thickness.
If the neck wall variation was large, I checked for body variation a few times.
Satisfied the shells had high variation all the way to the head I started simply discarding them.
Not likely to perform all that well if they did not split when being expanded.
Yea, it was just a poof from the primer, I was surprised myself.
Just rechecked, no crimp, so that could of been the saving grace, sort of speak.It must be the law of averages because I'm perfect, and I had something similar happen to me a few years back - after 30 some odd years of handloading.
Seriously, I'm glad you caught it. It could have been a disaster.
Mine was just a little different in the fact that I might have forgotten to put any powder in the case at all. Luckily I had a firm enough crimp that the primer alone didn't generate enough pressure to even push the bullet out of the case. As I said, that was LUCKY - I thought I'd had a misfire, so I foolishly just kept on shooting until my revolver ran empty. It wasn't until I got home and pullet the bullet that I saw its base had been burned black by the primer.
Weird thing is, I've always used an old desk lamp to peer into each case in the loading block after I've charged the cases with powder - I'm looking for powder charges that don't look the same as all of the others in that loading block.
I must have missed that one. I'm more careful now.
Don't know if the primer has anything to do with it but it was a WSP.
I check the lands (grooves for the barrel) on the bullet when I got it out, bore dia. is .352, own that gun for over 30 years and never knew it was that tight,
Btw the bullet is a .38 hornady xtp which measured at .3565
Lennyjoe
Member
No squib yet (knock on wood) for me but did have one .45 ACP load with double charge once. Didn’t ruin the gun but did blow the Mag out and spit brass out in pieces….and the Kimber held up.
Glad you caught this before it caused any more damage.
Glad you caught this before it caused any more damage.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
35 years of reloading, and the only squib I've ever had was with (32 Auto) factory ammo. The trick is to STOP SHOOTING when one hears that odd report (or lack thereof).
I contacted the company, they made good. They paid for me to send the remainder of the box to them, and sent a chit for a replacement box.
Biggest hassle was getting the bullet out of the barrel. Kroil and a brass drift did the job, after a few hours soak.
I contacted the company, they made good. They paid for me to send the remainder of the box to them, and sent a chit for a replacement box.
Biggest hassle was getting the bullet out of the barrel. Kroil and a brass drift did the job, after a few hours soak.
Seedy Character
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I had a 333 bulk pack of .22LR, had 3 squibs in 50 rounds.
Contacted Company and they replaced the bulk pack.
Had 1 other squib, sort of. I was testing to see how low I could go. The squib was barely a "poof". Was only loading 1 round at a time and paying very close attention to the load.
Contacted Company and they replaced the bulk pack.
Had 1 other squib, sort of. I was testing to see how low I could go. The squib was barely a "poof". Was only loading 1 round at a time and paying very close attention to the load.
Had more squibs than I care to admit.
As mentioned before, knowing that you had/may have had a squib is key to keeping both you and your equipment in good shape.
I carry a small wooden dowel for checking pistol bores. For Rifles, I keep the larger/heavier equipment at the house (30 minutes from the Range )
As mentioned before, knowing that you had/may have had a squib is key to keeping both you and your equipment in good shape.
I carry a small wooden dowel for checking pistol bores. For Rifles, I keep the larger/heavier equipment at the house (30 minutes from the Range )
Try it again with a primer only load and I bet the bullet gets stuck in the forcing cone or first inch of the barrel. There's no way the bullet traveled that far with just a primer unless the rifling is completely worn away.
AJC1
Member
I am fond of keeping a transfer punch set in my range box. They are cheap and lots of sizes to get a good fit. Works well in auto pistols. Just started shooting revolvers so I dont have a fix for that yet.
Missed it by that much...
I only load for rifle, so my volume is small compared to most pistol shooters, but whenever I charge a case (dropped or weighed) I put it into a tray. When the tray is full I take it outside into the sunlight and look into each case to make sure that every piece of brass has about the same charge. No squibs yet--knock on wood.
Tim
I only load for rifle, so my volume is small compared to most pistol shooters, but whenever I charge a case (dropped or weighed) I put it into a tray. When the tray is full I take it outside into the sunlight and look into each case to make sure that every piece of brass has about the same charge. No squibs yet--knock on wood.
Tim
Hondo 60
Member
As the French say, "Poop Occurs".
Had a squib myself a couple of weeks ago.
45 Colt.
I was at an indoor range with a gunsmith on sight.
Sucks when it happens.
Just reminded me to double my efforts to stay safe.
Had a squib myself a couple of weeks ago.
45 Colt.
I was at an indoor range with a gunsmith on sight.
Sucks when it happens.
Just reminded me to double my efforts to stay safe.
FROGO207
Member
So far in 30+ years times was when loading down for a couple revolvers to see how low I could go before sticking one in the barrel. So I'll call it an intentional squib LOL.
Still have been able to help others at the range with my rods when they had problems. The key is to stop and check when something odd happens, every time.
Still have been able to help others at the range with my rods when they had problems. The key is to stop and check when something odd happens, every time.
I may, no other explanation, lands and grooves seem deep and sharp, unburned powder didn't go out the front of the barrel since bullet was blocking that. Opened the cylinder, ejected the cases and no powder and then tilted the gun up and no powder came out the back side of the barrel, through forcing cone. I'm just as puzzled as you especially when I check my powder 3 different times right up until the bullet gets seated. All I got was a poof of smoke from the rear of the cylinder, assuming that was the primer going off.
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Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
Interesting place to stop. It only needed a little bit more…
Also interesting, the color fill warning label. Not many owners of thirty year old revolvers that even like color fill, let alone the warning…
I’m glad everything came out alright in the end, even if it didn’t come out the end alright!
Also interesting, the color fill warning label. Not many owners of thirty year old revolvers that even like color fill, let alone the warning…
I’m glad everything came out alright in the end, even if it didn’t come out the end alright!
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