Strange squib loads...

[essayons21]

At the range today I was shooting one of my 1911s, a custom Springfield Champion, trying to tune a finicky extractor, shooting a mix of my reloads and factory.

In the first magazine of reloads I had a squib. Wasn't even a pop-no kick with smoke, wearing my peltors it sounded just like the hammer fell on a empty chamber, but when I inspected the gun and case the primer had ignited and the powder was gone, but sootier than usual, and the bullet was lodged just barely into the lands of the barrel.

After pounding the bullet out, checking and lubing the barrel, I chalked it up to sloppy reloading and started shooting with factory loads. Later, after firing about 50 rounds of the same reloads with a different 1911 (RIA Tactical) with zero problems, I went back to the Springfield. 2 magazines later, I had an identical squib and decided to put that gun away for the day. I then fired another 100 or so of the reloads through the RIA with no problems.

The load is 6.3gr of Clays Universal with a 200gr plated RN. CCI primers, mixed brass. Its on the low end of the spectrum for a .45, I use these as a low recoil range loading, but I've probably loaded and shot 1000+ of these rounds with no problems. I use a single stage press and am meticulous about checking my powder charges. I have probably loaded close to 10,000 rounds of various calibers in the short time I have been reloading and never had a squib.

I'm trying to figure out what went wrong, since these loads work fine in 2 other 1911s, one of which is a factory Springfield Champion, if maybe the load is too low pressure in a gun that may have tighter tolerances? Or did I just screw up and out of 1000 rounds in 3 guns, both the squibs were in the gun with the lowest round count. Another theory I have is that the crimp is too loose and the primer is unseating the round causing the powder to burn off without being contained. If so why would it only do that in one gun?

I have about 600 rounds left of this same loading and am very nervous about shooting them out of this particular gun.

Opinions and advice needed.

 

[Jim Watson]

I inspected the gun and case the primer had ignited and the powder was gone, but sootier than usual, and the bullet was lodged just barely into the lands of the barrel.

There was never any powder there to begin with. This is a textbook description of a no-powder "squib."

did I just screw up and out of 1000 rounds in 3 guns, both the squibs were in the gun with the lowest round count.

That is the case. Just by chance, you stuck both bullets in the same gun.

I don't THINK you could double charge 6.3 gr Universal with the powder left out of those two. So it should be safe to shoot the remainder in slow fire, being aware of the possibility of another powderless round and stuck bullet. But I don't know that for sure.

 

[essayons21]

This is a textbook description of a no-powder "squib."

Thanks. A wakeup call to be more vigilant. Trouble is I loaded these rounds so long ago I can't remember what I did to screw up. I did however burn up all of the rounds that I know I loaded during the same time period with no other problems. Probably 300 rounds total, crazy coincidence that both squibs were in the less than 30 rounds I put through the Springer.

I don't THINK you could double charge 6.3 gr Universal with the powder left out of those two.

I could probably get 3x that in a .45 case if I tried, 6.3gr of Universal doesn't take up much space.

I usually charge then immediately seat because I am paranoid about double charging, and I always visually inspect the case for powder before seating. Chalk this up to another example of why not to get distracted while reloading.

Thanks for the advice.