Almost a disaster today

[glenns]

Was shooting my SA RO 1911 .45 ACP today and shooting lead, RN bullets - loaded with 4.2 grains of Bullseye, 230 gr bullet (can't recall primer - I'll check when I get home). Loaded 8 rounds and thought I fired all - target was shot up so I could not count. Changed magazines and the first round would not load. Took gun apart and found the last bullet still in the chamber. I was so nervous at the thought of firing another round with the prior bullet in there.

I've been reloading about 4 years and this has never happened to me. Have used the bullets before with no problem.

What would cause the bullet to lodge in the barrel?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Not sure I understand. Was it the bullet, or the cartridge that was still in the chamber?

If it was the bullet only, two things might have happened:

1. You loaded one round without powder. The primer drove the bullet forward to lodge in the rifling. (Most likely.)

2. Your overall length is so great that the bullet lodged in the rifling when the round was chambered, and when the slide was retracted, the extractor pulled the case out leaving the bullet stuck. (Least likely.)

 

[jr_watkins]

powder charge

Most likely the absence of an appropriate powder charge. I don't load for 45acp so I won't comment on the load you were using.

The primer itself is usually powerful enough to get a bullet into the barrel, but not out of.

I'd say you were lucky to have the bullet lodged close enough that chambering the next round was impaired.

I'd recommend checking the rest of your loads for correct powder charge. At the very least, shoot slow and confirm impact before pulling the trigger on the next round.

 

[glenns]

I'll have to inspect the bullet when I get home tonight to learn more. I double check my powder loads: (1) load powder and put in tray; (2) using a stick I measure the powder level in each brass (I mark the stick to a level commensurate with the amount of powder I want).

Very lucky to have not shot another round.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Glad you caught that and didn't get a KA-BOOM.

 

[HKGuns]

Usually a squib won't fully cycle the slide....I'm betting you missed something key before moving on......You didn't notice the slide didn't lock back on the last round?

You were lucky as it would appear you missed several clues before getting to the point where you were unable to chamber the next round.

 

[twofifty]

How did you get the squibbed bullet out of the barrel?

 

[glenns]

HKGuns - you are right the slide did not lock and I had to manually lock it. I believe the brass came out so I thought it was OK. I also looked at the ramp area and did not see the bullet.

twofifty - I took a thick hex wrench and just tapped it with a hammer. Popped out easy.

Very grateful for no KA BOOM.

 

[45_auto]

As others have stated, what you are describing is the result of a 45ACP with no powder in the cartridge.

If you don't believe what you read, then try it yourself. It won't hurt anything. I purposely did it once just to see what the base of the bullet looked like due to a discussion on another forum (note: the base of the bullet will have soot on it).

I double check my powder loads: (1) load powder and put in tray; (2) using a stick I measure the powder level in each brass (I mark the stick to a level commensurate with the amount of powder I want).

Sounds like you either need to triple check them and hope you don't miss another one, or change your process for double checking to make sure that you don't miss another one.

 

[ku4hx]

Sounds like you either need to triple check them and hope you don't miss another one, or change your process for double checking to make sure that you don't miss another one.

When I load using a single stage press and a loading block, I use the old flashlight and fingertip verification: touch each case mouth and actually put eyes on the powder using the flashlight since I trust only what I can directly see. I also use powders with sufficient bulk so double charges are easily detected. Obviously, this will also detect a no powder condition.

When using my progressive loader, I have a small LED light that shines into the charged case in the bullet seating station. Again, eyes on the powder (ever single charge), or lack thereof, before setting the bullet in place. For tall skinny cases, .357 Magnum for instance, you have to be a bit more over the case mouth but that's not a show stopper.

Other than that, always listen for the boom and feel the gun jump. No boom and no jump means stop immediately.

 

[cfullgraf]

Took gun apart and found the last bullet still in the chamber.

As said, it sounds like a round with no powder.

I am sure, when you fired the cartridge it sounded different and felt different than the previous cartridges. It is a good idea when things don't sound or feel right, stop and check the gun out.

Most importantly is to make sure the barrel is not obstructed.

Good that you found the problem before it got to be a real problem.

 

[Fishslayer]

HKGuns - you are right the slide did not lock and I had to manually lock it. I believe the brass came out so I thought it was OK. I also looked at the ramp area and did not see the bullet.

Squib. What I got was "click" and when I racked the slide (my first thought was primer not seated) out came an empty case. My .452 LRN bullet was driven just into the rifling by the primer. Like yours, another round would not have chambered if I'd tried. Couple light taps with a rod popped it right out.

No idea where the powder went on that round. I load on a Lee Classic Turret with Auto Disc which is about as idiot proof as it gets. Except for a die setup round that found it's way into my bag (my first batch of reloads) that was my only squib in 4 years of reloading.

 

[glenns]

I have to agree it must have been a squib.

I learned quite a lot through this experience and thankfully no harm. I guess the 'big guy' was looking after me.

thanks for all your input.

 

[Cosmoline]

The powder must not have been there. I've had an unburned powder squib once. It was very odd and unlike anything I've seen before or since. The powder was perfectly compressed into the barrel throat, and came out in a compacted wad. The primer pressure blew it in there but for unknown reasons didn't ignite it. So if you see only the bullet, there was no powder.

 

[BP Hunter]

This has happened to me twice when I was new in reloading. The primer "spat out" the projectile into the throat of the barrel preventing few chambering of a new bullet.

 

[mgmorden]

It should have been a bit more than a "click" if you had a round with no powder. Just the primer makes an audible noise.

I've never had one myself but I've been next to a guy that did and it sounded a lot like how a suppressed gun sounds like in a movie.

Listen for odd sounding reports, and any of them that sound "off" you should stop for. Field strip the gun, look through the barrel and make sure there's nothing lodged in there.

 

[Chuck357]

Squibs

Your powder load for that bullet should have been fine. Sounds like a squib to me. I always take a wooden bbq skewer with me when I go shooting and if anything sounds or feels wrong with a shot, I wait 30 seconds or so and then run the skewer down the barrel to make sure it's clear before I shoot again. Never found any blockage yet, but then I never worry about the next shot either.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

squib-tacular for sure.

I had one once with a 45 colt that was loaded in my .460 magnum. Next round to fire was a .454 Casull. Way happy the person shooting didn't pull the trigger again and realised something was wrong.