Procedure for squib

qwert65

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Jan 26, 2008
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So I bought a new gun - Taurus 856, bc I’ve never had a 3inch barrel revolver - I went to shoot it and I got a squib load on like the 3rd shot and the gun is locked up

Brand new gun - and it was Winchester target ammo - I’m not sure who I talk to first bc the gun is still loaded and I can’t get the cylinder open / I don’t think it’s the guns fault but it will need repair and I think Winchester should pay for it - I shot the rest of the box in my kimber k6s and everything shot fine except one other round was a FTF

So who should I call first? Gunsmith?, Winchester? Taurus?
Thanks in advance
 
The bullet is probably stuck partway out of the case and partway into the forcing cone .
This happens when a primer and no powder is loaded and the primer drives the bullet partly out the case ... It's an ammo problem ... the gun ignited the primer .
You have to move the stuck bullet back into the case far enought so the bullet clears the forcing cone ...
I used a alumn. 38 cal cleaning rod to tap the bullet back ...Some of my first reloads , over 50 years ago ...I missed putting powder in that one ... learned the hard way .
If you don't have a soft/safe rod to insert into the gunbarrel ... take it to Gunsmith and have him clear it ...
Better safe than damage your revolver getting the bullet back and the gun clear .
Don't worry , they have seen it all ... the faulty round wasn't your reload ... like mine was !
You're Good ,
Gary
 
I bought some 12” lengths of solid brass rod as close to .223, .357, .410, .454 bore diameters as I could find off Amazon after I stuck my first .38 Spl bullet. Only used the one .357 rod once, but they’re in the drawer just in case.

Good luck!

Stay safe.
 
I made rods, bought brass rods at the local hardware store, 1.5" dowels for the handles. Inlet the handles about 1.5", a little epoxy.
cut the handles about 5" long for a good grip, sanded, painted yellow so they stick out., keep them in my shooting boxes. If I really wanted to get fancy I could make palm pieces,
 
I would buy a section of hardwood 1/4" diameter dowel from Home Depot or similar. Cut it about 1" longer than the barrel. Use a small rubber mallet to force the bullet back into the case. It won't take much.

Then send the defective ammo back to where ever you bought it.
 
I keep an Arredondo squib rod in my range bag. I have in the past actually experimented with squibs since everyone seems to associate them with the Plague and there wasn't enough solid information for me to find.

Drive the bullet back into the case with some sort of rod and a mallet or hammer. It's only a 3 inch barrel, so no sweat finding something - it doesn't have to be anything dramatic. You will be surprised how easy the bullet goes back into the case.

Also as a side note, the gun may still have live rounds in it, but it certainly can't fire again until you get the bullet out, so functionally it's about as safe as a firearm can be.
 
Did you fire the gun after the squib?

Have you checked to see where the bullet(s) is?

When they "lock up" a revolver they are generally right at the throat of the barrel and the base of the bullet, still in the cylinder, is what keeps it not only from turning but opening as well.
 
I agree with other posters.

The gun is almost certainly not damaged. Tap the bullet back in with a dowel, or take it to a gunsmith.

I would not bother contacting Taurus. I don't see how any of it can be their fault. If you're truly concerned they probably would offer to inspect the gun for you (after the squib has been remedied and the gun unloaded), but I suspect that would be a waste of time and money.

Two failures from a single box of factory ammunition is alarming. I certainly would contact Winchester; it's unlikely that they will pay you anything, but replacement ammunition is likely in the offing - and you may be doing them (and their consumers) a service by alerting them to the possibility of a run of defective ammunition.
 
Just a reminder for any new shooters...

If you were to take this to a smith then remember that it is loaded. Put in in a case and tell them exactly what is in there and let them open it. Even tho it won't shoot as it is, you don't want to wave it around the gun store.
 
I have a old cleaning rod set that I cut down for brass squib rods. They're about 5/16". I keep one in the range bag.

Like others have said, push the bullet back into the cylinder and you should be good.

You just had the one squib, right? The rest were hits on the target?

The first squib I ever had was a friend shooting my model 10. He said "I must be rusty. I'm not even hitting the target." I looked at his target 5 yards out. Before I could stop him, he fired one more time, and told me my gun was locked up. Had 4 or 5 bullets stacked up in the barrel.
 
I put one of these on my last Midway order. Tossed it in the range bag and hopefully I'll never need to use it.

They are super handy for a variety of range tasks actually.
 
Had 4 or 5 bullets stacked up in the barrel.
A late buddy fired 5 rounds, one atop the other, in a rapid fire stage in a Bullseye league. I hope you were able to rescue your M10; my buddy's .32 barrel was plugged beyond redemption. And the barrel is too uncommon for an easy replacement.
Moon
 
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