Squib Alert!

[Scarface]

Squib Alert!

Pfsst! Went the round and smoke curled up from the breech of our Kel Tec P3AT. After dropping the mag and visually inspecting the breech, I was able to probe the barrel and determione it was a true squib, with the bullet lodged halfway up the barrel. Let me emphasize, this was a squib, with only the primer firing. The pistol did its job, but the round failed.

I just had my first squib in 47 years of shooting. We were teaching some new shooters and thank goodness, the squib happened while I was shooting. Had I been quick firing (Mozambique, etc,) or had the new shooters been firing, we could have easily bulged the barrel or worse.

This happened with .380 Winchester White box 100 round pack from Walmart. I didn’t think until too late to save the box so I could tell Winchester what the lot number was.

I would really like to see a sticky started for reporting and tracking squibs, to alert other shooters and to make a record for manufacturers. If we were to see a pattern emerge, I’m sure we could bring market forces to bear to correct a trend. In any case, for people who CCW, knowing what brands/calibers have had squibs could be a life saver by avoiding that brand.

Any interest in a sticky?

Be Well,

Scarface

 

[Spot77]

Good idea.

I used to shoot a lot of the WWB 380 from Walmart; not so much anymore though.


Glad you (and the gun?) are ok.

 

[1911 guy]

Good catch!

Glad you caught it instead of it catching you.

 

[R.H. Lee]

I had a first-ever FTF WWB .45 acp yesterday. Ran it through a second time and a even a third time in another gun. Nice deep firing pin strike, but no bang.

 

[JMusic]

This is a good idea. a few years ago during the winter I was practicing drawing and double taps on multiple targets. The distance was close. I was using cb caps in a S&W model 617, tuned. A few days later I was shooting at a target 25 yards away with the same revolver with long rifles. I couldn't hit the target. After shooting off of bags I determined this revolver was now shooting 14 inch groups. After cleaning I noticed a ring in the bore about 1 inch from the muzzel. Taking a 22 cal. pellet I pushed the pellet through from the bore and shure enough I had damaged the barrel. The cb cap did not make a bulge but apparently opened the bore up enough to affect accuracy. I did not notice any difference in the sounds but I was firing very fast and the noise from cb caps are not loud. I wish I had done as you suggested and sent the lot number to CCI. It would have saved me 150 bucks.
Jim

 

[Jim K]

Just a little something for the "life on automatic" guys to think about when doing their mindless "tap rack pull" thing. May be necessary in dire combat, but not on a range.

Jim