"squib like" loads

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CZDave

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I was shooting earlier today and encountered two "squib like" loads I've not yet seen. The bullets cleared the barrel but the charge was obviously under powered. Felt like and sounded like squibs but technically they were not. My question is what might cause this?

I've loaded several thousand rounds using same bullets, powder, primer, press combination and this is the first time Ive seen this happen. Im not entirely positive its not the result of a mis thrown powder charge but that seems unlikely. Any ideas?

Thanks!
 
My guess would be that your using a progressive press and got a low charge. Anyone I've talked to that has had a squib has loaded from a progressive press. Just my guess tho...Not bashin progressives as I have one also.
 
I had a similar experience after loading many thousands on a turret press.
In this incident the 9mm bullet went down the barrel and stopped near the barrel crown--approx 4.5" down the barrel. The sound was also different from a primer-only squib. Enough pressure built up behind the bullet to sound like a bottle rocket when it leaked back out the chamber. CZ 75B pistol

In another discussion the possiblity of primer or powder contamination came up.

I didn't get to look in the barrel for powder residue after driving the bullet the rest of the way out of the barrel. We had soaked the barrel in oil before driving it out. I continued shooting with no problems.

I still don't know exactly what happened.

P.S. the next round did chamber, so I'm VERY lucky it made the wierd sound, and I didn't pull the trigger again.
I
 
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What caliber, bullet, & powder? Rifle, pistol or revolver?

"Felt like and sounded like squibs but technically they were not." As far as I know a squib is just a reduced load even though it seems to be used more to explain a stuck bullet.
 
Absolutely one needs to know the powder charge, etc.
Sometimes oil-grease contamination can result in a squib round even when there was sufficient powder.
 
It would be nice to know what the "same bullets, powder, primer, press combination" were. That would let us discuss bullets that seat with low bullet pull, powder that does not measure precisely, primers that don't pop the same, and presses that skip steps.
 
Most squib/like loads I have encountered at the range (yes, including me too :D) were attributed to user/procedure error and not equipment failure.

When I generated squib rounds (years ago :D), it was due to interruption/disruption of the progressive process and "I" caused rounds with no powder charge.

To prevent squib rounds, when I help setup new reloaders on progressive press, I have them clear the shell plate and start over with a new case on station #1 when they run into any problem. Since I started doing this, I haven't seen a squib round with them (Hooah!).
 
Check your powder dispenser to see if there isn't something caught in the funnel that is restricting powder flow. Could be a piece of lint, some corn cob media--anything. Heck, could be that your powder clumped up on ya. Check that anyway, it's certainly misthrown powder.
 
230 gr LRN / Missouri Bullet Company
4.2 gr BullsEye
CCI 300 primers
loaded on a Lee Classic Turret press.

I appreciate the feedback and I certainly do not rule user error, but I wanted to ask in case there is something i haven't considered.
 
bds:
To prevent squib rounds, when I help setup new reloaders on progressive press, I have them clear the shell plate and start over with a new case on station #1 when they run into any problem.

When I mulled over my 'squib', I came to the exact same conclusion with a turret press.

If for ANY reason there is a break (cleaning, adjusting, oiling, inerrupted, etc.) in the cartridge loading sequence, take the case out of the press and start over if no primer, if it has the primer then start at the powder/bell die.

I have been guilty of not doing this in the past---but not any more.
 
Bullseye meters pretty well.
No-powder rounds that stick a bullet are much more common than low-powder true squibs.
I am not familiar enough with a Lee powder measure to know how it might throw say one grain of Bull. (I have had enough one grain loads of 700X to take me clear off of it for .38s and to take extra care in .45.)
 
I've seen that happen with bulleye. Usually it's from letting the powder level in the measure get too low.

Also, if left in the measure for a prolonged period of time, Bullseye can "clump" which can casue flow problems resulting in a "light charge".

Also, if you run the press to fast, you might not be allowing all the powder to flow and fall into he case before you cycle the press leaving powder in the measure/cavities. This won't result in the next round having too much powder, but will result in a light charge.

Slow, down, pay attention, and stir the powder well before starting a loading session...... I ususally remove the measure from the die, pour the powder out into a container, then pour it back into the measure.....
 
I had a similar experience after loading many thousands on a turret press.
In this incident the 9mm bullet went down the barrel and stopped near the barrel crown--approx 4.5" down the barrel. The sound was also different from a primer-only squib. Enough pressure built up behind the bullet to sound like a bottle rocket when it leaked back out the chamber. CZ 75B pistol

In another discussion the possiblity of primer or powder contamination came up.

I didn't get to look in the barrel for powder residue after driving the bullet the rest of the way out of the barrel. We had soaked the barrel in oil before driving it out. I continued shooting with no problems.

I still don't know exactly what happened.

P.S. the next round did chamber, so I'm VERY lucky it made the wierd sound, and I didn't pull the trigger again.
I

From my experience with reloading mishaps I'm doubting that a primer would get the bullet that far down the barrel. I've had 2 screw ups so far where I had no powder in the case. one in a 9mm on a .308. Both times I heard and felt nothing(wearing ear protection). So thinking I had a bad primer I opened the action to find a case with no bullet and a dented primer. In both cases the bullet was less than a quarter inch onto the barrel and popped out easily with a cleaning rod pushed from the muzzle.

My guess is you had a tiny bit of powder in the case.
 
Hornady 6th Edition reloading manual uses a starting load of 4.5gr of Bullseye with their 230gr swaged lead round nose bullet, giving 750 fps from a 5" barrel. QuickLOAD's computation is consistent with Hornady's data.

At 4.2gr, you've got a pretty light load. It wouldn't take much of a "lighter-than-normal" powder drop to put you in "bullet stickin' territory." Personally, I'd bump up your powder weight a couple of tenths. And if you haven't yet, put a light source next to your press to make it easier to check powder drops. Mine looks like this:

sn850700.jpg
 
Goose mentioned that powder can clump if sits a while in the hopper. Mine never sits beyond a reloading session but i wonder if high heat or humidity can cause this as well?

Ridgeway - I also have a small light attached but I admit I dont look 100 percent of the time. Could be that those two got past me, but even when I do look its still possible that if the powder had clumped causing a smaller than usual charge, on an already light charge, I may have looked right at it and not seen the difference.

You all have offered some good explanations and advice. Since this has only happened once I will just keep my eyes open a bit more during next few reloading sessions and see if I encounter it again.
Thanks again!
 
I think your charge weight is good & should give you some room to very a few grain. I only use 4.0gr with 185 & can go down to ~3.0gr.

If your using a powder through die is there any oil in it that could have caught some of the powder?
 
Did you happen to look at the brass that came out to see if there was unburnt powder?

By the way 3.0gr will function my gun but it is very dirty.
 
I haven't cleaned my die for several reloading sessions so i doubt there's any oil in it but i suppose anything's possible. I did look at the brass and it did appear to have a little more residue on the exterior than usual, but otherwise nothing remarkable, no unburnt powder from what i remember. However I did notice more 'crud' in my barrel than I thought there should have been at that point which was less than 50 rds fired. ( 230gr LRNs ) Could that indicate something?
 
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