First Squib

[moxie]

Top went bang fine, bottom was stuck halfway down the barrel. It may be hard to see in the pic, but top is a deeper hit and around the dimple from the firing pin, the primer skin (outer part of primer cup) is also now concave. I will try to find some clean brass and get other photos.

If the bullet went halfway down the barrel you DO NOT have a primer problem. You either have no (or virtually none) powder in the case or the powder is bad. All the data about dimples, etc., is irrelevant. The primer functioned. The problem is elsewhere.

 

[Prestonj12]

It happens. I've probably had a half dozen squibs in 300,000 rounds. Worse has been the two revolvers I've blown up over the last 40 years. Anything you can do to check your charge is a good thing.

 

[Warren Sear]

Previous poster is being somewhat alarmist. If you have shot factory was all ok? If so..check the load you are using. If on the low end of the scale bump the load to mid range on the powder charge. If all is ok..Ta Da... If not change primers. Use mid range of the powder charge again. If still strange change powder to a aster one. Sounds as though the charge weight is too low..but I haven't looked it up. Have used many 1000s of S&B primers with no problems. Previous poster is correct on anything added to the load. It can jump pressures significantly

"Alarmist"? Oh, I don't think so. I'm just hoping to help prevent some one from wrecking a gun or injuring themselves. But whatever...

 

[TazTJ]

Cases look dry before I reload them, powder is stored in the factory jugs with the lids tightly screwed down. The primers seem to be seated fully, but I will double check that. I have been checking the powder charge visually with each round loading the 38 specials, so I know there is powder, trying to rig up a light for the LCT so I can get a better view into the case.

I will try some with CCI primers, and make up some rounds with Bullseye. I think I have some 125gr JHP bullets around that I can try, too. The 160gr LSWC I loaded with 4.3 gr Universal all shot well, no squibs with those, but noticed unburnt powder. I did load some 158gr FMJ SWC's that I got a while back and those shot OK, but they were with CCI primers and Titegroup in my first batch of 38 special.

I know HS-6 likes hotter loads to fully burn the powder and some guys use magnum primers with the HS-6 to get a more complete/consistent burn.

I will try to get some pics of the 9mm primers with Universal powder and the S&B primers; they were fairly strange with cratering/primer flow showing when the rounds wouldn't even fully cycle the slide.

 

[Skeet 028]

A bit alarmist. OP stated he had shot Bullseye loads with no problem.. So not a gun issue. I also don't put any "filler" in my loads but it has been done for years without a lot of issues so not "extremely dangerous" I guess. Just shooting factory would let you know it was a reloading issue ...Looks like a primer seating problem or a powder issue such as too light a load or actually IMO the wrong burn rate powder. Powder could also be contaminated. For very light loads I always use a bit faster burning powder. Surprisingly I do not use Bullseye..but am going to try it. I always used Red Dot because as a shotshell loader I ALWAYS had it in the inventory. Universal is in the burn rate of Unique and with a mild primer may be a bit too slow. Wasn't dissing you. BTW I loaded some 125 gr plated yesterday with S&B SP primers with my standard Red Dot load and they shot extremely well.

 

[TazTJ]

Powder choices I have on hand for pistol:
TiteGroup: 2#
Bullseye: 1#
AA5: 2#
AA7: 1#
Universal: 2#
HS-6: 2#

I am going to try to get to Cabelas in the next week or so and see if they have any others in stock. I am trying to work up loads with powder I can find locally and it's slim picking in CT lately Some stores only have rifle powders available still.

 

[TazTJ]

9mm primers fired that didn't cycle the slide. 4.0 and 4.3gr Universal.

 

[Skeet 028]

Jacketed 115 gr starting is 4.5 gr universal..so I suspect too light on the load. Seriously you need to bump up the loads OR use a bit faster powder. BTW another little thing..if you were using Kleenex bits to hold powder down in the case on 38s..some Kleenex has hand lotion(oil) in it..contamination?? Learned this when I wiped my glasses with 'em. That sucked

 

[AlHunt]

9mm primers fired that didn't cycle the slide. 4.0 and 4.3gr Universal.

I don't use the powders you mention so I can't speak to the charges you're using. But none of the pics you've posted show signs of high pressure to me.

If I just re-read the thread right, all your squibs have been with Universal. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me that if the primer detonates, that's the end of primer problems.

I'd stay away from the Universal for a while and see if the squib problem goes away.

 

[guidedfishing]

If you can't find a good load out of the powders you listed on hand, then you probably are not working up the right loads.

My personal favorites depending on bullet.
Bullseye - 115gr target
Accurate 7 or HS 6 - 124 gr competition loads near max
Accurate 7 - 147 gr competition loads near max

Both HS-6 and Accurate 7 run better for me with warmer loads and heavier weight bullets. I like the above mentioned powders because they all meter extremely well which is important. I also like HS-6 and Accurate 7 because its just about impossible to double charge a case since any double charge in a 9mm case will spill over the top.

If the primer is going off in your loads and the rounds are not going out the barrel something else is going on. I would change your powder / load.

Also do not put a filler in the case to hold powder near the primer, this can cause other problems and there is no reason to introduce that variable.

good luck

 

[TazTJ]

I went to CCI primers and the same load in 38 special (4.5gr Universal) and the 125gr plated. No squibs, shot sounds were very consistent loudness wise, very accurate loading in my 19 and my moms brand new 686+ 4". Tried some 125 JHP bullets under 5 grain Universal and CCI primers, no issues. Tried 125gr JHP bullets with the same 5 grain Universal and S&B primers, all fired fine. I did have some unburned powder still, but all of the shots were much more consistent and accurate.

Checking my load books, Hodgdons data and Hornady's data were grossly different for 125gr XTP bullets in 38 special. One was like 4.7-5.2 (Hodgdon) and the other was like 4.8-5.6 or something like that. The 5gr Universal was still pleasant to shoot and very accurate in both of our revolvers, so I will keep working with the plated bullets and work my powder charges up now that I know that Hodgdon's is on the light side to begin with!

 

[kwh]

A different kind of squib?
Bullet lodged in barrel due to Blue Dot powder failure to ignite.
158 gr. Lead SWC loaded in .357 case to give .38 Spl. velocity. (Load recommended in reloading manual.) Clear Autumn day, temp in mid 50's.
I know powder was in case. When I opened the cylinder,the powder fell out and gummed up the crane,thus preventing the cylinder from closing.

 

[njl]

TazTJ, have you chronographed any of these loads giving you trouble? It looks like your squibs have been more or less minimum (or below) powder charges. My experience with plated bullets has been that they behave much closer to jacketed bullets than to cast&lubed lead. I bet you're getting well below the published expected velocity, and this is why you're sticking bullets in the barrel.

Additionally, Universal does very badly (incomplete combustion) at low pressure, so if you're at or below minimum, in .38spl (which is a low pressure round to begin with), I'm not terribly surprised that you're getting squibs, and I bet when you do, there's a mess of unburned powder left behind.

 

[subvet69]

I had a squib from a factory cartridge. I also have a bad case of Remington primers that wouldn't fire the Bullseye in .38, worked okay in 9mm. Sent some reloads to them and, of course, they found nothing wrong. 3,000 .38's loaded and fired prior to this batch, no problems. Subsequent batches have all ignited the powder. I look into every powder load, so that wasn't the problem.