Will a squib cycle an automatic?

[Johnnn01]

I just made a little over 100 40 s&w 165 gn rounds on a rcbs pro 2000progressive press and had a hang up on loading a primer, and found a spent primer was the cause, it was in there sideways.
So I missed somehow sizing the case and removing the primer, or it did not fall down the tube, leaning to the primer got hung up and did not make it down the tube.
So I might have made a squib,, I weighed all the rounds I made and nothing stood out as being too light.
Will a squib cycle an automatic?
Just wanted to know what to look out for

 

[ImjinScout]

Not sure I totally understand your post as you might have a squib. First thing though, you can't rely on weighing the rounds to determine if you have a squib. A squib can cycle a semi auto gun and I have had it happen to me, in my case the charge was to light which is the main cause of a squib round. Also missing the powder drop will also cause a squib. The way I look at things is when in doubt pull the rounds that you have made as that is the safest way to make sure.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Do a "recall" on your own ammo. The safety risk is too great to be a "cheapo" when it comes to losing some components. Lesson learned.

 

[BSA1]

Just stand close enough to the target so you can see the bullet cut the paper or kick up dirt on the backstop.

 

[Arik]

It's possible. If you're unsure re do

 

[SMSgt]

Your post doesn't make sense. You say you had a spent primer stuck in the case. That wouldn't make a squib. A squib is caused by low or missing powder. Primers either fire or don't.

 

[much ado]

Squib Load?

As said previously: You don`t have a squib because it won`t fire without a good primer. I`ve been reloading since 1978 and early on I loaded (on purpose) a 45ACP with "just" a primer and a 200 gr LSWC. It exited the barrel and went about 5 ft in a rainbow arc. It did not cycle the slide which is the good news if you ever do load a squib. You might wind up with the projectile in the barrel =Super Bad News if you happen to be shooting a revolver or if the auto slide did cycle out the empty. I`m saying it won`t cycle the slide with "just" the primer as the propellant.

 

[Mcwsky09]

If the spent primer didn't come all the way out (preventing new primer from going in) then some powder might have fallen through at the charging stage so if you pulled the spent primer and set a new one without disassembling the round and running it all the way through again then that round could be a squib. As already posted squib is generally at least a good primer but could also be light charge.

A bad primer would result in a failure to fire - but not a squib - a squib means that there was enough energy to propel the projectile into but not all the way through the barrel - which may or may not be enough to cycle the next round into the chamber - more likely a more serious failure - but there certainly have been cases of a tap rack bang which turned into a tap rack BOOM. always better safe than sorry.

 

[Ceapea]

As said previously: You don`t have a squib because it won`t fire without a good primer. I`ve been reloading since 1978 and early on I loaded (on purpose) a 45ACP with "just" a primer and a 200 gr LSWC. It exited the barrel and went about 5 ft in a rainbow arc. It did not cycle the slide which is the good news if you ever do load a squib. You might wind up with the projectile in the barrel =Super Bad News if you happen to be shooting a revolver or if the auto slide did cycle out the empty. I`m saying it won`t cycle the slide with "just" the primer as the propellant.

I agree. I have had light loads for PPC that wouldn't cycle the slide on a few semi-autos. But they still expelled the bullet. Even light loads have substantially more 'umph than just a primer alone. I say that a primer only loading, will not cycle the action. Now, a way under charged load, and primer, it might! But I have never seen it in many, many 1000's of light loads. Unless springs have been replaced, you just about have to meet, as a minimum, the starting loads listed in the load manuals, to reliably cycle semi-autos.

 

[fredj338]

With a stock recoil spring, not likely. Just pay attention. If you have a squib, stop & check the bbl with a range rod.

 

[hkcavalier]

Saw a squib a couple weeks ago, friend firing a PPK with "factory reloads". The empty case didn't show evidence of any burnt powder, just a primer. The 95gr .380 made it about 2/3rds the way down the barrel, did not cycle the gun.

Of course, this is anecdotal evidence. It's absolutely possible for a squib to cycle a semi given the right conditions. A new, tight gun with a strong spring? Very unlikely. A range gun with a round count in the four or five figures? Definitely possible.

 

[MichiganScott]

I always check the barrel if a round doesn't appear to go off. It's possible for a bullet to stick but not work the action. If you eject the case thinking the previous round didn't cycle the action but sent a bullet down range and then shoot an additional round, exciting things will happen. My biggest concern has always been with revolvers and fast double action shooting.

 

[scott1970]

My buddy had a squib load in a 1911. It did not cycle the slide.

 

[SAFireman]

I have had one in a Sig p229 40S&W. It had enough oomph to cycle the slide and load the next road.

Be careful! it can really hurt if you fire a round on an obstructed chamber....don't ask me how I know....

 

[Jellybean]

The term "squib" has several different definitions, which all refer to low powered loads. I'm not sure what you mean or how you would have made one based on your post.

If you have a round made with a spent primer seated sideways it's not a squib.

 

[H Richard]

It is extremely doubtful a squib load would cycle a semi-auto center fire. There just isn't enough pressure created to move the slide back far enough to pick up another round, or probably even enough to eject the empty.

 

[Nevada Ed]

In a 3" barrel 9mm..............

I had a 115gr plated RN (fmj) type bullet exit the barrel five times at only 784 fps average.
Low was 735 fps, high was 816 fps and I had only one "stove pipe".

To me, these are "Blooper loads" but at this speed in a 4" barrel may become a Squib ?

A load with a primer loaded sideways should not go off.....
and become a "Dud" if all things work correctly.

As mentioned..........
see a hole or dirt fly before pulling that trigger again or.....
pull the bullets which is not a big thing with an Auto.
Now if it were a revolver with a crimp on the bullet, that's another thing !!


One BIG reason I like the single stage loader.............
where I can look into ALL my cases in the loading tray and inspect them for.......
correct priming........
later, powder in the cases...........
before finally adding the bullets.

 

[David Sinko]

I have experienced numerous "squib" loads over the years, through both my own carelessness and the carelessness of others. In no instance has the slide cycled when a bullet got stuck in the bore. If you're using an auto and you get the click when you expect a bang, ALWAYS stop and check the bore. Sometimes you can't hear that faint "pop" and you won't realize there's a bullet in the bore until you actually take a look. You might be surprised by what you see. The revolvers scare me more, since if I'm shooting fast I can not react quickly enough to stop my trigger finger. I recall one range session where I could've blown up my nice 940, except that the squib was number five of five in the cylinder. I was shooting fast and wouldn't've been able to stop if it had been one of the first four.

Dave Sinko

 

[Ceapea]

I have experienced numerous "squib" loads over the years, through both my own carelessness and the carelessness of others. In no instance has the slide cycled when a bullet got stuck in the bore. If you're using an auto and you get the click when you expect a bang, ALWAYS stop and check the bore. Sometimes you can't hear that faint "pop" and you won't realize there's a bullet in the bore until you actually take a look. You might be surprised by what you see. The revolvers scare me more, since if I'm shooting fast I can not react quickly enough to stop my trigger finger. I recall one range session where I could've blown up my nice 940, except that the squib was number five of five in the cylinder. I was shooting fast and wouldn't've been able to stop if it had been one of the first four.

Dave Sinko

It's tricky to stop when shooting fast, for sure. I got lucky once. I was shooting the 12-in-20 in PPC when I had a squib. The guy shooting next to me yelled out "check your barrel". I had already stopped and was opening the cylinder when he got the word "your" out. Shooting HBWC's, the bullet depth and crimp combo actually created enough pressure to send the bullet bouncing down range. I thought that I had seen it come out (literally, bouncing along the floor). But in the very fast time that it happened, I wasn't sure. So I stopped and checked. I knew something definitely wasn't right at the time the primer went off. No bang, just a dull pop. But, the bullet exited the barrel. Needless to say, I dropped a few points that stage.

 

[johngalt]

I've only had a couple squibs (primer but no powder), none have cycled the gun enough to eject the empty and feed a fresh cartridge.

Like others have said, what you describe isn't a squib, but a incorrectly seated primer. A sideways primer may not (probably won't?) go off at all when fired.

An incorrectly seated primer is a different issue than a case with no powder.

Weighing loaded cartridges will not tell you if a cartridge is missing powder due to the small weight of the powder compared to the variation in brass and bullet weights.

From the OP, I don't really understand what was done to correct the issue, but it is unsafe to seat a primer in a case that has powder in it. Dump the powder back in the hopper before seating a primer.