Squib Research

The overwhelming majority of squibs are not caused by the equipment; it is the operator.

Reloading for half a century with a single stage press. Zero squibs.

My squibs i had. Were not a result of the press used. Distractions was the reason. I forgot to charge the casing. This happened with 10 mm loads for my PCC. Since then the door gets locked and no phone when im loading. No more squibs to date.

I have been reloading on my Dillon 650 for 25+ years and no squibs yet. I do have powder check dies for 9mm and .45acp heads but not for the other half dozen cartridges I reload.

No and I’ve been reloading well over 5 years. Will it happen someday, maybe?

I have a very systematic approach when I reload. I’ll spare you the details, but I load on a single stage and I measure every powder drop. Yes, I’m that anal.

p.s. rifle and pistol both.

One squib on a Dillon 550. Happened during 9mm load work up. No powder in case, definitely my fault, not the equipment. Guessing that I dumped a weighed load into the trickler instead of back into the case.

Been reloading for 8 years on a single stage Rock Chucker haven't had a squib yet....

I had one a few years back press used was a Dillon 550 ,

I faithfully use a powder check die on station 3 if I can’t EASILY see the right level of powder in the case at station 4 or if I’m using a bullet feeder. Not a substitute for paying attention but it gives single fault safe coverage.

MWC1974 said:

No and I’ve been reloading well over 5 years. Will it happen someday, maybe?

I have a very systematic approach when I reload. I’ll spare you the details, but I load on a single stage and I measure every powder drop. Yes, I’m that anal.

p.s. rifle and pistol both.

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Change this to "I've been reloading for 3 1/2 years" and it could be me. No squibs, and I also load on a single stage and weigh every charge.

chris

The squibs I have experienced have been the result of me, I will list them for posterity

#1 colt commando I stuck 5 158grain swc in the gun. No bullets were hitting paper and I was a terrible shot at age 13 so I did not notice until pistol locked up. No damage done , just alot of work to drill and pull 3-4 inches of a lead rod. Problem was a weak load using Unique.

#2 ruger sec 6 I was loading 38 special on a ch auto champion and had fired a few hundred rounds and the last cylinder a bullet stuck in the 2.75 inch barrel. IDK what happened but I quit using those machines because my trust was not there in powder measure. I was loading full power loads

I pick me as the reason the squibs happened

I now only use dillon or star presses and powder measures. My dillons sport a powder check die and I have not had any issues since changing.

Actually no squibs in 35+ years reloading. However I was experimenting with revolver loads and trying to stick a bullet in two layers of cardboard at 3 YDS or so with a 357 revolver. I would either stick a lead SWC in the barrel or it would go through the cardboard. Never got one to stick in the cardboard in 150 rounds. Fun afternoon learning about things reloading though.

ETA: I forgot to say this was all on a single stage and now mostly use a turret press.

I tried to choose both the first and last choices.

I have been loading for over five years, but not as long as many. I have not had any hand loaded squibs, yet, even though I keep looking for them when I pull the handle or trigger. I’ll keep looking for them anyway…

I did have one factory squib, if rimfire counts. The bullet was stuck in the breech, but was worried out easily enough. Remington Thunderduds anyone?
It was strange because usually there’s powder, they just don’t prime them…

I have had two factory duds, but no squibs. One primer didn’t have compound in it, the other seemed to burn but just not work.

And, besides rimfire, I no longer shoot factory made ammunition.

webrx said:

I would double like this post if I could, I am anal when I reload as well and I throw and weigh each load.

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Same here, every single round gets thrown and weighed. And as soon as it is weighed and poured in with the funnel, it goes right into the press to get a bullet seated. Anal? Yes. Time consuming? Yes. Makes me not doubt things? A little less. Lol. More time in the shop to myself doing something I enjoy? Definitely

I’ve had exactly one squib with .38 Special. When I first started reloading I didn’t have a tray for my brass. I would pick up one piece, fill with powder, cap it with a bullet, and set it aside to seat the bullet. My phone rang while I had a piece of brass in my hand, and while I was talking, I capped it and set it aside with no powder. It was readily apparent when I fired it from my revolver that it wasn’t right, and when the cylinder wouldn’t turn or open, I knew I’d royally screwed up. A quick trim of a stick with a pocket knife, and I pushed the bullet back into the case far enough to open the cylinder and pull out the offender. After that I changed my process, bought a good tray, and visually inspected all brass to see that the powder was uniform before capping with bullets and seating.

Too bad you can't pick two.
I have had two stuck bullets in my career, one was a water damaged factory load, one was an intentional light load thrown together hastily. The latter was a 125 gr bullet with 158 gr OAL and powder charge, demonstrating that you can get the powder too far away from the primer to ignite.

I also bought a rifle with bulged barrel from shooting out a stuck bullet or maybe a patch. Hard to bring a cleaning rod to a gun show to check such things.

Squibs are more a function of individual process than equipment. The key thing is that you have to have some step in your process that verifies there is powder in the case, either automated (powder check) or visual, preferably both though that isn't always possible. It's very very difficult to have a squib with an autoindexing progressive, but it can happen. Same with a single stage, but it can happen. Probably the easiest platform to squib or doublecharge is a manual indexing progressive. All 3 systems require a verification check. If you single stage load, then you have lots of opportunities to do a visual check....you can check when you fill a case, again when all your filled cases are in a load block......easy to spot a double charge or an empty when you can look down into all your filled cases at once. You get to check a third time when you pick up the case to seat the bullet. On a manually indexing progressive, you've got to visually inspect the case for powder as you index it. Look before placing the bullet....the manual index step is your fail point here...index it twice, you get a squib, forget to index it, you get a double. You still need to make a check on an auto indexing press, but it can be harder to see inside a case. Some guys rig up cameras or mirrors if they can't get a eyeball in there, or run a powder check. The fail point on a auto indexing press is some sort of failure on the plate that causes a stoppage. The extra anal OCD of us will completely clear the shell plate for a stoppage, thus making sure that you don't skip the powder station, or inadvertently send a case through twice. Distractions, being in a hurry, or not maintaining your equipment are all factors that can contribute to a squib or a doublecharge.

I have been loading for almost 50 years.

I have had 6 squibs, all .22LR and all from the same bulk pack.

I was intentionally loading, to see how low in could go, for Cowboy shooting. Using 95gr RNFP in .38 brass. Book starting load was 1.8 gr. Loaded 5 rounds at 1.8 and 5 it 1.7.

The 1.8 gr shot fine, like a .22LR.
First round of 1.7gr, I could SEE the bullet floating to the 7 yard gong and hit the Hong, fall to the ground. Barely heard it hit.
Second round was a repeat of first.
Third round stopped at the muzzle, did not clear barrel.
Took other 2 rounds and pulled bullets.
I do not load less 2.0 gr, now.

The only squib I've had was some Russian ammo for my 357, fortunately I haven't had one with my handloads.

Back when a Squib was a light load for low noise, low recoil practice, not a careless omission of powder, NRA said how to develop it. Assuming .38 Special, lead bullet, and Bullseye powder, reduce the load until you stick a bullet. Then add back a quarter of a grain of powder. Shoot slow fire, spotting every shot on target.

sugarmaker said:

I faithfully use a powder check die on station 3 if I can’t EASILY see the right level of powder in the case at station 4 or if I’m using a bullet feeder. Not a substitute for paying attention but it gives single fault safe coverage.

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Same here. I sent my RCBS lockout die where it stops my lnl dead in its' tracks when case is 2.0 grains low or high. I also verify powder in stage 4 before manually placing bullet.

When I started reloading around 1980, I had a squib or two loading on a single stage press. I’ll admit to some inattention on my part. I improved my operation and I did not have another squib until I transitioned to a progressive press.

Again, I improved my operation by separating sizing from loading, priming off the press, and adding a powder cop die. Also, when I have an upset in the process, I clear out the cases in the press so that I do not miss a case that has not been charged.

No squibs since.

I’ll never say I’ll never have another squib load, but I’ll do my best to prevent them.