Squib load

[H Richard]

Been loading for about 40+ years so it was bound to happen some time. A load 38 Special, Hornady 135 Gr Jacketed over 5.5 Gr Accurate #5. A mild plinking load. Was loaded up maybe 10 years ago. Had two guns with me just burning up this ammo, Mod 60 stubby, and a Mod 15 2" stubby. Load fairly accurate and I'm keeping most of the in the "box" of the FBI Qual target. Then it happened, a puff rather than a bang. The bullet is sticking out of the muzzle, nearly 1/4". It's in a clamp with Kroil soaking now, but thinking would it be best to drive the bullet back through the 2" barrel, rather than attempting to try and drive it out the front. That J frame cylinder window just doesn't give you much room to work.

Any idea's of a better way?

 

[Protocall_Design]

It won't take much to knock it out the front. Maybe a hammer and a bamboo chopstick or something else mostly rigid but a little bit flexible that can go in from the back and still be tapped on?

 

[Krogen]

It’s better to keep “motivating” squibs in their original direction. Can you get hold of the bullet nose with some vice grips? I saw one of our PPC shooters get a muzzle-protruding squib. He just gave it a yank with vice grips and out it came. Just like a dentist! He declined to answer the question: “does this happen frequently, Tom?” Gotta wonder why a guy has vicegrips in his range bag . . . .

 

[TXBryan]

Good idea

It won't take much to knock it out the front. Maybe a hammer and a bamboo chopstick or something else mostly rigid but a little bit flexible that can go in from the back and still be tapped on?

I vote for this idea as surely worth a try. A bamboo chopstick sounds like just the right tool to me. Brass hammer; just in case. I'd start with breech to muzzle and it if doesn't move try it the other direction.

I have driven lead "slugs" through many a barrel to check actual diameter; generally rifle barrels or semi-auto pistols. I have always used eight-inch sections of appropriately sized oak dowel rod. Naturally I go from breech to muzzle but imagine muzzle to breech would be a little easier.

An alternative would be several pieces of oak dowel, placed into the forcing cone until one protrudes some fraction of an inch. Then place a piece of hardwood over it extending out of the frame to beat on.

Good luck! Bryan

 

[chief38]

Bamboo chop sticks are a staple in my workshop!!!! So are popsicle sticks. I have over a hundred in there right now waiting for one of a plethora of uses! They are flexible, strong and always come in handy. If it's sticking out a bit, knocking it out the last 1/2" should be a cinch.

 

[ReloadforFun]

Vise grips may do the job. Alternately, can you clamp the bullet with a vise and pull the gun off the bullet? This may offer a bit better control and leverage.

 

[robertrwalsh]

A pair of wire cutters might even do the job. Just grab on and pull and see what happens.

 

[H Richard]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The protruding nose was too tapered and too short to get any kind of a tool on it. I did find a metal rod, just barely this side of flexible, and was able to slide it through the window and down to the base of the bullet and then tapped, NO, "hammered" it out. it took quite a bit of driving to get it out. It had a long bearing surface and the rifling marks are very deep. That Mod 60 had a tight barrel.

All cleaned up and no damage to the gun. Now I think I'll pull the bullets from the remaining rounds in that batch.

 

[Model19man]

I had to use a brass punch to hammer one back into the shell. The primer had fired but there was no powder in the shell. The revolver was fine. It took one light tap with the hammer to move the 125 grain JHP back into the 357 magnum shell for about 1/2 of a six inch barrel.

 

[mikerjf]

Just ‘cause I “gots to know”… what about loading up a target load minus the bullet (kleenex wad?) and firing that to pop the round out? Bad idea? (Hoping to learn something)

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

All cleaned up and no damage to the gun. Now I think I'll pull the bullets from the remaining rounds in that batch.

I am thinking with very light loads you need a good crimp to be sure all the powder ignited.

Very light loads are better with lead. With the Hornady XTPs I never go below the book minimum.

 

[Nevada Ed]

One of my "Gunny" tricks was to drill out the center of the bullet to alow a
cutoff "Duplex" nail to slide down the barrel and exit the bullet.

Then the nail was put into a vise and a few back and fort "Jabs" usually freeded the bullet, that was "Krilled" for 4 hours.

Good luck.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm glad to hear you got the bullet out with no damage to your gun.

A 5.5gr charge of AA#5 really isn't that light a charge as to cause a squib. I'm guessing the primer somehow didn't do it's job or you didn't have any powder in that case and the primer almost got the bullet out of the barrel.

Either way, it's good the bullet is out...

 

[6string]

Just ‘cause I “gots to know”… what about loading up a target load minus the bullet (kleenex wad?) and firing that to pop the round out? Bad idea? (Hoping to learn something)

Something would likely be damaged. The problem is, the ignition creates the release of energy, building in pressure, that then encounters the stationary projectile.
This is different than having the projectile begin to move at the moment of combustion.

Many people have been surprised to see a barrel burst just from a small amount of snow in the muzzle.

But, a better comparison might be that of the practice of using an over-powder wad in a small reduced load with a cast bullet. Generally, a very loose bit of Dacron is not a problem. But, if the wad is packed tightly against the powder with a space between the wad and bullet, the result can be a "ringed" chamber. Even in the small confines of a cartridge case, pressure builds after the first instant of combustion. If it encounters a stationary obstruction after that pressure begins to build, damage to the gun is very possible.

The same sort of problem exists with muzzleloading black powder firearms. Experienced muzzleloaders will frequently use a ramrod that is marked in such a way that they can visually confirm that their bullet (including the wad or patch) is firmly seated on top of the powder charge. It's very important that there is no air gap between the powder and projectile!

 

[6string]

I'm glad to hear you got the bullet out with no damage to your gun.

A 5.5gr charge of AA#5 really isn't that light a charge as to cause a squib. I'm guessing the primer somehow didn't do it's job or you didn't have any powder in that case and the primer almost got the bullet out of the barrel.

Either way, it's good the bullet is out...

It's very possible the load was fine, but that the powder was forward in the case against the base of the bullet, rather than at the rear of the case nearest the primer.
This is a rare, but not unheardof phenomena.

The primer ignition can release enough energy to get the bullet out of the casemouth before the powder is fully combusted.

Spherical powders, such as AA #5, can be slightly more difficult to ignite than flake powders. While many prefer spherical powders for their ease of metering, this is the trade-off.

 

[mikerjf]

6string, thank you! An aspect I hadn’t considered…

 

[Nevada Ed]

This is one reason I try to get at least a 35% case volume with a seated bullet.
One never knows how the powder in a case, has settled from the last shot
or from the way the pistol is brought back to the firing position.
No powder near the primer is a very rare thing but it can happen.

I load X-lite target loads but have a minimum fps that I use with each bullet weight.
Even different fps are used with my 2" vs the 6" barrels in my 38 specials
so that a bullet will exit my barrels.

So far a hole in a target or dust flying has worked for me, over all the years of shooting light loads.

 

[Hondo44]

Burst chambers are always blamed on overloads. But that's not always the case. In particular Bullseye, a fast burning powder loaded too light is also a culprit. This is how a squib load can cause damage instead of a bullet stuck in the barrel:

As Nevada Ed described a too small powder load will lay flat in the case when horizontal in firing position. So instead of igniting the powder normally like when it's packed against the primer flash hole, the entire surface of the powder is ignited all at once. This causes a very high pressure peak that can ring or even blow chambers. I no longer reload with Bullseye powder.

 

[stansdds]

For my entire life of enjoying firearms I have heard the stories of light charges of Bullseye detonating and damaging or destroying revolvers. Is there any definitive proof of this? Given the millions upon millions of rounds fired with starting loads of Bullseye, why do we not see a ton of ringed or destroyed cylinders? My personal belief is that it is not a case of powder detonation, but a case of a small charge of powder in a large capacity case and a double charge in one case went unnoticed by whoever was reloading the case.

 

[Jaco1234]

How about a wallboard screw threaded in to provide a purchase for vice grips.