First Squib!!

[68Dave]

I’ve reloaded around 3,000 rounds , but not many 38/357’s , and today I got one stuck in the barrel of my 19-3. First shot of second cylinder sounded different. I lowered the gun and thought about what may have just happened. The previous shots had gone in the center of my 3 inch target. The 3.4 grains of tite group seemed to recoil like a mere .22. I emptied and left the cylinder open before looking down to see the shining 125 gr.
xtreme squib.
I don’t know if I want to pull down the rest of the bullets from that session, or just shoot them very carefully.
I’m assuming the case wasn’t charged. I load on a Lee Turret and
may have not pressed the lever to activate drum when I sized that case.
Sorry to ramble, but most of the people I know have no idea what I’m talking about.
David

 

[MRH]

I always wonder if there is a cartridge in that lot that has a double charge since there was one with no charge. If using a slow powder and all the same brass I will just weigh them... with fast powders, I pull them.

 

[Carrier]

Oh there are more than you think. I had my first a couple weeks ago. Mine was a fizzle then smoke coming out between the cylinder and forcing cone with the bullet just past the forcing cone.
This was a 357 using Winchester magnum primers.
One of two things happened with me. Either the primer was bad or most likely it was one of the rounds that I pull from my LNL when loading to check that the powder throw is throwing what I set it to and I put it back without putting the powder back in.
All the other rounds shot with no issue.

 

[RGVshooter]

I had a squib once while shooting my reloaded 38 special wadcutters. 148gr bullet with 2.7grs titegroup. (nice loads btw) But the one squib was most likely due to me being inpatient and loading my cases before they were fully dry from cleaning in my Hornady sonic cleaner.
I would just shoot the rest of your batch, and next loads maybe up the charge a wee bit more.

 

[arjay]

carry a quarter inch x 12" piece of dowel in your range bag to poke it out with and you'll never do it again ;-)

 

[Peak53]

I think I would tend toward shooting the rest of the batch very carefully. Sort of unlikely that you double charged the next round with that set up. If I'm wrong, chalk this up to "don't believe everything you read on the internet."

 

[k22fan]

A length of 5/16" solid brass rod seems to have done the trick since I've not assembled a squib since adding it to my "range bag" 35 years ago. However, I have used it to knock out other reloader's squibs. Ace Hardware has the brass rods. Retired aluminum cleaning rods work but the mass in a brass rod makes it easier.

 

[rwsmith]

Disappointingly.....

I've had at least one. I've had a few duds. I've got a string of checks that I do while I'm reloading. If I get lax and miss a key check, one gets though.

 

[oldbrownhat]

68Dave,

I just had a similar problem, loading some 148 gr HBWC with 231 for my Model 14. Hadn't been visually checking for powder, but eventually figured I should. Had a BUNCH of squibs. I picked out 3 or 4 from the recent reloads and fired them into a box of phone books. Bullet just made it into the forcing cone!

I had recently disassembled my Lee Pro Disk and cleaned it out. What could be wrong? Well, it turned out that a stray primer had made it into the hopper (?!?!?!?) and was blocking the free flow of powder, so I'd ended up with just a few flakes of powder in a bunch of cases. I gave it another cleaning, put a little graphite on the relevant sliding parts and resumed loading- but checking the cases. No problems for the remainder of the loading session. But I figure I should pull and check most of the remaining loads in the box. I'll b taking a brass range rod and a small hammer to the range next time, though, just in case.

 

[Wise_A]

That load is a smidge lighter than what I'd use for .38 Spl with a plated bullet. If it was in a .357 Magnum, then it was way too light.

I always wonder if there is a cartridge in that lot that has a double charge since there was one with no charge. If using a slow powder and all the same brass I will just weigh them... with fast powders, I pull them.

Simply put, the variation in weight between bullet and case will easily conceal an overcharge. It's not possible to weigh the cartridge and determine if there's an over- or under-charge. In .38 Spl, the case alone can be as much as +/- 10 grains, more than enough to present a dangerous situation with even the slowest of powders.

 

[gwpercle]

It's good to talk about these things....we know. Load long enough and most have done one.
50 years ago my bullet lodged in the forcing cone, so the cylinder wouldn't turn. That was the Good Lord looking out for my dumb ignorant self....He stopped me from doing any harm.
No powder in case. That incident has made me very aware of the importance of the charging step. I look into the case, 3 different times before the bullet is seated . I have stayed with a single station press just so I can clearly observe and double check the powder or lack of powder in the cases.
I have forgotten a lot of things...but not that stuck bullet and how close I came to pulling the trigger again.
You did well when you caught it before firing another shot. Good Job.
Double check those charged cases , and remember if one case got no powder, did another get a double charge ? You have to be careful when charging cases on the press (turret or progressive) it's all to easy to mess up. Load Safe.
Gary

 

[Hasbeen1945]

This is what keep me on my single stage press. I have a Harrell’s pistol measure on a stand above my Range master 2000. Drop directly into the pan. Weigh each charge. Visually check each cash before I seat the bullet.

 

[k22fan]

I used to shoot beside the the best bench rest shooters in the state. While testing rifles if they could not get 1/4" 10 shot 100 yard groups the first day firing a potential match rifle they considered it junk or in need of repair. All the serious competitors were turning in ten shot groups under 0.2" (2 tenths inch) at 200 yards. They did not weigh powder charges because it was a waste of time. Consequently, I do not see how weighing individual charges for service grade handguns could be worth the effort.

 

[Hasbeen1945]

K22. It’s peace of mind. Most of the time the Harrell’s is right on the money. But sometimes depending on the powder used it drops a partial charge. The next one usually makes up for it being heavy.
That being said I can load 50 pretty quick.

 

[H Richard]

Way back in the 80's when I first started reloading and had a squib I made up a "pud popper" as designed by one of my shooting buddies. Solid brass rod with a large wood ball glued to the end. One in size for a .38 and one for a .45. They ride in my range bag, and have only been used (by me) once since then, but have been loaned out a few times.

The rod diameters are 5/16" on the 38 rod should fit a 9mm also, and 3/8" for the .45 rod. Wish they would have had the "sets" available back about 30+ years ago.

 

[gwpercle]

K22. It’s peace of mind. Most of the time the Harrell’s is right on the money. But sometimes depending on the powder used it drops a partial charge. The next one usually makes up for it being heavy.
That being said I can load 50 pretty quick.

In the powder charging step of reloading it's perfectly OK to be both anal and OCD...you can't be too careful at this stage .
I dip all of mine with a powder scoop....I don't even trust my powder measure...the scoop is so simple there isn't anything to mess up and gives me that peace of mind.
Gary

 

[amarin]

I’ve reloaded around 3,000 rounds , but not many 38/357’s , and today I got one stuck in the barrel of my 19-3. First shot of second cylinder sounded different. I lowered the gun and thought about what may have just happened. The previous shots had gone in the center of my 3 inch target. The 3.4 grains of tite group seemed to recoil like a mere .22. I emptied and left the cylinder open before looking down to see the shining 125 gr.
xtreme squib.
I don’t know if I want to pull down the rest of the bullets from that session, or just shoot them very carefully.
I’m assuming the case wasn’t charged. I load on a Lee Turret and
may have not pressed the lever to activate drum when I sized that case.
Sorry to ramble, but most of the people I know have no idea what I’m talking about.
David

Best way to determine if you have more bullet issues is to weigh them. You should know what the bullet and powder weight are - then weigh an empty case and a primer. Combined should equal what the round ought to weigh and if when you weigh the round you find one off by the subtraction of the powder weight would give you a suspicion to pull that bullet and check. The Lee Loader (Turret) style helps to prevent powder not loading and allows you to remove the casing before you put in a bullet and crimp it so that you can visually determine if your powder system is working which prevent squibs.

 

[Model52guy]

Welcome to the MSC (Made a Squib Club). I’ve been reloading for 40 years and have made a couple in that time. I’ve even seen it with Factory rounds. If you shoot enough years, you will eventually find a Squib.

 

[Calliope]

I load on a turret press and did the same thing, forgot to cycle the powder measure, squib in my 9mm CZ75.

Since then I've added a 'light station'. My turret is 7 stations, so I mounted a pen light in a die body and put that in the station right after powder charge. So after I charge a case, the light swings over the case, reminding me to look inside while giving perfect light on the powder charge.

For revolvers though I still charge 50 cases at a time and put them in a loading block to compare charges.

 

[hdwhit]

68Dave wrote:
I don’t know if I want to pull down the rest of the bullets from that session...

You can try weighing them as has already been suggested provided the cumulative variation of the weights of the components is not enough to disguise another uncharged case.

Because of the potentially catastrophic consequences of not catching one when they occur and firing the next round, squibs should be regarded as an "all hands on deck" call for a thorough review of your reloading procedures to make sure this doesn't happen again.

One thing that has helped me over the years has been a printed checklist of my reloading procedures that is prepared for each batch of cartridges. The one I use calls for no fewer than three separate visual checks for the presence of powder before the bullet is seated. But then, that's a luxury I have that comes from using a single stage press.