Bulged barrel or normal Shield 9mm

[Wareagle92893]

I just got the dreaded squib load on my shield. Looks like one of my rounds didn't get charged. I know what a squib feels like and immediately ceased firing. Upon inspection of my barrel there's a slightly raised ring about the last 1/4 inch of the barrel. The squib barely made it a quarter of the way into the barrel. This is the only SW pistol I own. Is this ring part of the barrel or do I have a bulge? I've never really had reason to inspect the barrel in depth until now, so I'm a little unsure. Thanks in advance.

[tbgunner88]

Just checked my shield and it has the same ring you mentioned toward the end of the barrel, so I think yours is ok and I'm glad you noticed the squib before sending another round.

[Saudade]

Here's a pic of the barrels. They are the fullsize, compact and Shield. The all have a bit of a swell at the muzzle.

[Wareagle92893]

Phew that's relieving I appreciate it guys. Definitely a wake up call to be more aware with my reloads. Stayed up way too late Friday trying to reload. Broke a major safety rule of not reloading while tired. Live and learn.

[motorcyclejoe]

Hmmm.. what is a squib load?

[TX-Dennis]

Usually a round that was inadvertently loaded with no powder ot very little powder, motorcyclejoe. The bullet usually gets stuck somewhere in the barrel. The primer alone has enough power to get it into the barrel, but usually not out the muzzle. Firing another round behind it can lead to disaster.

[Shooting Padre]

Wouldn't a squib load fail to operate the slide, thus failing to chamber another round, preventing a follow up shot? I had some weak loads when I first started reloading. I had loaded them "light" as a safety measure to my rookie attempt. These had way more power than just a primer but still could not operate the slide enough to pick up the next round. Really interested in the answers to this.

[scattershot]

That "bulge" or boss on the end of the barrel centers the barrel in the slide when the pistol returns to battery. No harm done.

[Saudade]

If the round jams in the barrel, the gasses have nowhere else to go but out the chamber end. It's usually enough to cycle the slide.

If you're not paying attention or rapid firing, it could go kaboom.

[moxie]

Originally Posted by Shooting Padre

Wouldn't a squib load fail to operate the slide, thus failing to chamber another round, preventing a follow up shot? I had some weak loads when I first started reloading. I had loaded them "light" as a safety measure to my rookie attempt. These had way more power than just a primer but still could not operate the slide enough to pick up the next round. Really interested in the answers to this.

You are correct.

What happens is, with a squib, the slide doesn't fully cycle, no new round is chambered, the bullet is stuck in the barrel, so the reaction can be rack it and pull the trigger. Oops! Bulged barrel. If it's just a squib with the bullet in the barrel and no new bullet fired on top of it, it's not a problem. Just tap it out with a wood dowel or brass rod. No harm done except to one's pride.

[growr]

None of the squib rounds "I" have seen had the bullet go far enough into the barrel to allow the compete chambering of another round behind it...

Usually in a revolver the round goes far enough into the forcing to lock up the cylinder rendering it impossible to do anything other than drive the bullet back into the casing and then open the cylinder.

Randy

[hoc9sw]

The pictures posted earlier are consistent with the barrel of my Shield 9.

A squib is sometimes a disaster because the shooter clears the empty, and tries to fire again, not thinking that the bullet might be lodged in the barrel.

Being a living example of Murphy's Law in action, I tend to assume that anything unexpected is there to kill me. That has saved my arse more than once, in many diverse situations.

[uechikid]

OP, I'm glad you got you question answered and hope you don't mind that you thread got hijacked. This question about weather a squib will cycle the slide on a semi auto handgun has been on my mind lately.

[marine6680]

Squibs are bad if you do not pay attention, assume it was a failure to feed, and do a malfunction drill... Now with a fresh round in the chamber, if you pull the trigger with a stuck bullet in front of the new round, it will be a bad day.

[macski222]

Originally Posted by Wareagle92893

Phew that's relieving I appreciate it guys. Definitely a wake up call to be more aware with my reloads. Stayed up way too late Friday trying to reload. Broke a major safety rule of not reloading while tired. Live and learn.

Good on you OP for acknowledging what went wrong and owning your mistake. As others have said, the slight diameter increase is normal at that part of the barrel. Hopefully you get that thing back to operating condition soon. Stay safe.

[Rick_A]

Unless another round is fired behind it and as long as the barrel isn't damaged in removal of the round there is no harm done.

[jrd1976]

Welcome to the forum. This is a great place to hang out.

It's good no harm was done to you or your Shield.

What a squib load will or will not do, depends on how much powder was loaded in the case. It also may depend on how much powder ignites, because it may have become contaminated. It may or may not allow another round to chamber. It may or may not eject the empty case.

I once had a bullet stop at the muzzel with only about 1/10 of an inch of the base holding it in the barrel.