First squib

[shil]

I thought I'd share an experience. I've been successfully reloading for over 30 years, with thousands of pistol reloads through my progressive loader and just as many through my single-stage.
Today, I was firing .38 Special. One shot didn't sound right. I stopped shooting and tried to open the revolver, but it was firmly jammed. I found a bullet lodged in the barrel breech, tying up the cylinder. Squib! I suspect I lost rhythm when I stopped to check a charge and probably missed charging the case. I'm about to begin pulling apart the remainder of the box of 50 in case there's another mischarge. Guess there's always a first time! Be careful!

 

[cptdco]

I had the same thing happen to me recently. After 25 years of careful reloading I had a squib in a .38 or .357 that lodged across the B/C gap and tied up the gun. Don't know why or how, but like yours, the shot just didn't sound right. I didn't pull the rest of the box apart...I didn't have any reason to think it was anything other then a one-time operator error.

 

[kennyb]

yep...i too had a recent squib in 41 mag.it was a one time thing...so far

 

[novalty]

Were you able to dislodge the boolit and did it damage anything?

 

[Wee Hooker]

If your going to reload, sooner or latter your going to have a squib. I always keep a 7" section of 5/16" ( for 38) and 7/16" (for 45) wooden dowl in my shooting bag for just this sort of thing. Just slide the dowl into the barrel, put the other end on a table and slide the gun ( barrel down) up and down to tap the bullet back.

 

[Titegroups]

I've had quite a few, my powder measure doesn't return all the way sometimes to pick up another charge. I also keep a piece of wooden doweling in my range bag to tap the bullet back. The trick is if it don't go bang...Stop!

 

[shil]

Were you able to dislodge the boolit and did it damage anything?

The in-house gunsmith at the range took care of it. I presume he used a range rod to tap the stuck bullet back into the chamber enough to free the cylinder. No damage.

 

[blujax01]

So since I'm a newbie and already had one squib, does this mean I have 25 - 30 years to wait before the next one?

 

[cptdco]

"So since I'm a newbie and already had one squib, does this mean I have 25 - 30 years to wait before the next one?"
Well. maybe...but it's like living in the 100 year flood plane. If you get washed away on Monday the odds are that you are OK for the next century, but you might get washed away again next monday.
Try to figure out what went wrong...In my case I gave it considerable thought and still have no idea.

 

[Cpo1944]

I thought I'd share an experience. I've been successfully reloading for over 30 years, with thousands of pistol reloads through my progressive loader and just as many through my single-stage.
Today, I was firing .38 Special. One shot didn't sound right. I stopped shooting and tried to open the revolver, but it was firmly jammed. I found a bullet lodged in the barrel breech, tying up the cylinder. Squib! I suspect I lost rhythm when I stopped to check a charge and probably missed charging the case. I'm about to begin pulling apart the remainder of the box of 50 in case there's another mischarge. Guess there's always a first time! Be careful!

You don`t have to pull the bullets, just weigh them and then you`ll see if you have any light loads.

 

[Skip Sackett]

Shil,
Thanks for your honesty. Some folks act like they will never have a squib because of their superior loading practices. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hopefully it will never happen but you can never know.

Ever had a factory round squib on you? Yep. Ever had a handload from a single stage squib on you? Yep. Had any from your progressive setup? Yep. They can happen to anyone at anytime and we need to have a "back up" procedure to take care of it.

Stuff like this is why Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch says: Guns, one is none, two is one and three could get really interesting!

Be prepared.

 

[Jeff423]

You don`t have to pull the bullets, just weigh them and then you`ll see if you have any light loads.

I tried this once after a squib. However due the variations in once fired mixed brass, cast bullets and the low charge weight of 2.7 gr. I was not able to consistently identify an undercharged case.

Jeff

 

[shil]

So since I'm a newbie and already had one squib, does this mean I have 25 - 30 years to wait before the next one?

I most sincerely hope you NEVER have another squib!

 

[kingranch]

I never go to the range without my brass punch and a ball hammer. It is better to have a squib stuck in a barrel from time to time then a piece of a cylinder firmly wedged in your face!

 

[Wee Hooker]

I tried this once after a squib. However due the variations in once fired mixed brass, cast bullets and the low charge weight of 2.7 gr. I was not able to consistently identify an undercharged case.

Jeff

Agreed. It's tough with mixed components in a small handgun case. Even cast bullets can vary by 2-3 gr. Sometimes you can hear the powder if you shake the round but that only tells you if your empty vs short of powder.
If it were me, and your sure you didn't double charge one, I'd just shoot the rest of the 50. A couple of squibs is not going to damage the gun. Heck I had about 50 one year when I was having issues with my Dillon Square B.

 

[bigmoose]

FWIW,
I had a squib once with my single stage, due to reloading more than 50 shells when I only had a 50 hole block. I must have not been paying attention and one got through with no powder. I now only reload 50 at a time to completion. Also, once all 50 shells are sitting in the block ready for bullet seating, I take a penlight and visually confirm powder in each shell. First, row by row, and then column by column. This takes less than a minute. This method won't work for progressive presses, but for a slowpoke like me it has kept me out of trouble.

Cap

 

[ColColt]

I've been most lucky as the only squib I had was at the range and I was shooting the 45 Auto...fortunately not rapid fire. The bullet tied the gun up as it just did make it into the lands but I couldn't retract the slide. The gunsmith had to remove it for me. It was not a reload, however but a factory round.

This is why after I charge a series of 50 cases I always take it close by to another light source and scan over the cases to see if something got missed or worse yet, go double charged. With 90% of the powders I use I don't think I could miss a double charge easily.

 

[11B Lifer]

Hang fires

I've been running ranges where it's happened with a .38,357,5.56 and .380. The revolvers had the slug stopped between the cylinder face and forcing cone, an M16 had a slug just beyond the chamber, the .380 auto poofed the bullet out about there feet.
The first consideration is how to make the gun safe-while taking care of the problem-determining that that is in fact the problem, getting the gun off the line to an area where it can be worked on without posing a hazard, clearing the slug, then function checking. What you want to avoid is taking a jammed up pistol or rifle in a car.
If it's a misfire-wait at least 10 seconds before opening the firearm-or ejecting/extracting.

 

[bnewc75]

squib?????

oh yea had a few.... check, check, and double check your loads along the way,,,, and be tuned in at the range

 

[Peter_S]

FWIW,
I had a squib once with my single stage, due to reloading more than 50 shells when I only had a 50 hole block. I must have not been paying attention and one got through with no powder. I now only reload 50 at a time to completion. Also, once all 50 shells are sitting in the block ready for bullet seating, I take a penlight and visually confirm powder in each shell. First, row by row, and then column by column. This takes less than a minute. This method won't work for progressive presses, but for a slowpoke like me it has kept me out of trouble.

Cap

Cap - I'm pretty much a fifty-at-a-time slowpoke too. So far it's worked for me but whenever I read these threads I realize one can never say never.