I had a squib today

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martinbr

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I went to to the range to try out my second batch of reloads and had a squib. Luckily I caught it because the gun wouldn't go into battery. If the squib was down more in the barrel, I might have not been so lucky.

This is scary! I don't want this to happen again. This was from a batch of reloads that the powder hopper went dry when I was loading and didn't know which rounds were affected. I pulled all the loads and reloaded them again.

Since the cases already had live primers in them I didn't resize them. I just charged the cases and ran them thru the bullet and crimp die.

Can round with not enough crimp cause a squib?
martinbr
 
Martin,

When you refilled your powder measure, did you cycle it a few times to get powder through the measure? If not, it's likely it didn't drop powder in your first couple of rounds.

If your press has room for a powder check die, buy one. If not, get yourself a good light and get into the habit of checking each round visually.

Regards,

Dave
 
reply on squib

Dave, I am loading with a Lee Pro 1000. I try to look at every round that goes thru, but this one got thru some how. The only thing I can think of is that at one point in the session, I noticed that the powder hopper wasn't screwed all the way down tight to the die. Maybe it wasn't giving it a full charge.

I have since weighed each round again. Will go back to the range to give it another try in a couple of days with caution.
thanks,
Martin


Martin,

When you refilled your powder measure, did you cycle it a few times to get powder through the measure? If not, it's likely it didn't drop powder in your first couple of rounds.

If your press has room for a powder check die, buy one. If not, get yourself a good light and get into the habit of checking each round visually.

Regards,

Dave
 
martinbr said:
Can round with not enough crimp cause a squib?
Click to expand...


martinbr,

The answer to your question is no. Had the neck tension been loose enough to allow the bullet to move in the magazine then it would have seated deeper that would have increased the chamber pressure and the bullet would have cleared the barrel.

Most likely Dave nailed it and the first couple had a light load. However, measuring loaded cartridges isn't very good and finding squib loads especially with pistol rounds because brass and bullet weight vary as much as most powder charges. The only way you will be 100% secure it pull every bullet.

One thing that can help in the future is routinely measure your powder charge while your are reloading and don't solely rely on your powder measure because you can run out of powder like you did or the powder measure can malfunction. So if you routinely check your charge you'll know exactly how many shells you will need to pull. I weigh the first and last round I reload plus for ball powder I check every 50th and for flake every 25th and I don't use extruded on my progressive.
 
My Lee measure was shorting me every eleveth round or so with Clays, down to around one grain, maybe a touch more. I missed one, but got lucky in that it evidently had enough to propell it out the barrel. Suffice to say, the different feel and sound of the projectile whizzing down the lane made me check my bore. I eyeball every charge before I place the bullet, and I've also got a tap rhythm I use on the dispenser to fix the consistency.
 
martinbr
Since the cases already had live primers in them I didn't resize them. I just charged the cases and ran them thru the bullet and crimp die.
Click to expand...

When loading for Semi-Auto cartridges that use a taper crimp you should always resize. The case tension or neck tension is what will prevent bullet setback (not crimp). Bullet setback can cause dangerous pressures. You can remove the decapping rod from your die and then resize your cases that have live primers. I wouldn’t shoot any taper crimped cartridge with out proper neck or case tension.
 
I have an RCBS uni-flow / the baffle. I have noticed that when the powder gets low (down to the baffle area) it won't load the full amount of whatever you ahve it set at. Maybe that happened to you? Also, if you have progressive it's hard to get a squib. I did get one, because i was an idiot. I was checking powder charges and wasn't being careful enough... long story short powder got weighed and not put back in..... 1911 squibbed... I swore. Long story short, if you are gonna check powder on a progressive, but the brass in a loading block and don't put it back till you dump the same powder back in. I got in trouble cause I was simple pumping the press's handle again and dropping a new charge. Hope that keeps you (and me) from squibbin again.
 
I don't want this to happen again. This was from a batch of reloads that the powder hopper went dry when I was loading and didn't know which rounds were affected.
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There is the answer guys, read his post. Get a light, check each round visually, and get a low powder sensor if you are lazy. A progressive press does not make mistakes, an inattentive loader makes mistakes. Second, you should have heard the squib, which would have made you avoid putting another bullet into the bore. If you can't tell the difference then you must be really tuned out during shooting. A primer only, a partial filled case, and a real round sound and feel nothing alike.
 
What's a "squib"??? Never had one in over 20 years of reloading...It does seem to take me longer to reload then it takes others though...Not sure why that is...I bet I know...I pay a lot of attention to what I'm doing (lots of eye-ball inspections and no distractions) and I don't use a progressive press.:D
 
Unfortunately, I can say that I haven't had a squib load. Mine happened 15 years ago with a 45 loading on a single stage press. Stuck the bullet good in the end of the barrel. Back then I would load a blocks of rounds in stages and some how I missed dropping powder in one case. However, knock on wood I haven't had one since or in the last 5 years using a progressive. Since I moved to a progressive I have tailored all my loads around powders that fill the case by 70% or more to prevent double charges and it makes it easier for me to see.
 
I had a squib load with production Magtech ammo in my model 10 .38 special. Unfourtunatly The gun was in the hands of a friend of mine while I was teaching him how to shoot and since he was new, he pulled the trigger again.


BOOM

the barrel blew, he was okay.

I now reload all my ammo, and before i seat bullets I take a quick peek in every case to make sure they all have powder, and all the same level of powder.

I havnt had a squib since.
 
I’ve had 2 squib loads using listed data from loading manuals. One was years ago before the warnings not to reduce H110 or 296 below 3%. This was in a 44 Mag load. The other was in a 38 Special load using a slower powder (still a listed powder & charge). I called the powder manufacture and told them about their listed load that was a squib. Their reply was did you use a magnum primer with this load, to which I replied no I didn’t, I used the primer you listed. Not sure if this is still in the manual.
 
How many different forums are you going to post this question? Same person and same wording on the Ruger Forum under Reloading Section.
Click to expand...

Why the frownie face? Sounds like intelligent research to me.

pax

In a multitude of counselors, there is wisdom. -- the Bible
 
However, measuring loaded cartridges isn't very good and finding squib loads especially with pistol rounds because brass and bullet weight vary as much as most powder charges. The only way you will be 100% secure it pull every bullet.
Click to expand...
I've found that for finding a well defined problem with a loaded round, weighing works pretty well. The loaded rounds generally shake out around the same weight, based on case. I needed to find one with a decapping rod stuck in the flash hole recently. It was pretty obvious which one it was when I weighed all of the rounds I'd loaded so far.
 
loadedround said:
May be that he just likes to see his name in print.
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I think the same could be said of you, and the disparagement would be far more accurate. Why do you even give a darn where and when he asks questions that are important enough to want several opinions on?
 
Yea, let him ask in more than one place. Smart folks are all over. Smart to look in more than one place. :D :uhoh: ;)

Never had one in over 20 years of reloading...
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Me either. Anal about cleanliness and seeing the charge under each bullet. I believe a poor crimp could cause a squib in certain loads.
 
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