what if catridge with no powder was shot

[happymech1]

I loaded about 600rds 38spl last night on a single stage press. Actually only gave them powder charge and a bullet last night did all other steps earlier.

I found my self trying to remeber once if i had put powder in case after crimping a bullet in. I shook it could hear nothing so i set it asside and pulled it apart when i was done and i did miss powder in that case.

So my question is what would happen if i missed that fact and shot it out my revolver?

has anybody shot one before im sure it alot quiter. but would it leave the case or the barrel?

 

[ken158]

The bullet may stick between the cylinder and the forcing cone locking up the gun. The bullet may lodge in the barrel, you not know it, another round is fired and BOOM! You now have a worthless gun and may also get yourself hurt by flying metal. If you cant feel the powder when you shake it, take a round you know has powder, weigh it and then weigh your other rounds.

 

[Skip Sackett]

From experience: It stops in the forcing cone on an M586. If it does, that is a good thing. Locks the gun up, no subsequent shots follow them down the tube cause you can't turn the cylinder. If you shoot it out of the barrel, and the firearm is a good quality one, most likely you will "ring" the barrel. Many bullseye shooter still shoot theirs!

Weight will tell you nothing as cases and bullets can vary 1gr or more. Most likely your charge isn't more than 3-5gr in itself.

Get a bullet puller and go to town. That is the only safe way you can know you have powder in each and every one. You can't shoot them until you reload them though!

Maybe by that time you can figure out how on a single stage setup you missed powder in a case and keep that from happening again!

Have fun and be safe.

 

[JSR III]

My advice to all reloaders, new and experienced is to know the weight of a completed round. This can easily be determined by placing an empty case, a primer, a powder charge and a bullet on your scale.

When you have completed your reloading effort, place the loaded rounds on the scale in whatever groups your scale will accomodate. 5 rounds 10 rounds 50 rounds etc. Then multiply the individual component weight by that number and it should match the combined weight on your scale. You can also do this individually, but most folks find this too time consuming. Should the combined weight not match the added up weight for the number of cartridges that you are weighing, set them aside and weigh them individually or in smaller groups.

Firing an under charged or worse yet an over charged cartridge can be devastating to both you and your beloved firearm. The firearm can be replaced, however, not so easy for the hand or the eye.

We are all human and mistakes happen. Unfortunately, this is one area where you really need to be perfect. Do not watch TV, text or talk on the phone while reloading. Pay attention and double check every step.

As has been stated, a primer only round may go bang but most likely the bullet will not leave the barrel. If you are shooting rapid fire, which should only be done if you are practicing for a rapid fire match, you may not notice that the 3rd round only went pop instead of bang. Unfortunately, when round 4 is shot, you will usually hear a much louder bang and then may have to go looking for your fingers.

PS: smith crazy raises a very valid point about weights, however, when I reload, I weigh cases and bullets and group them in like weight groups. If I have either a commercial bullet that is way off or even one of my own cast bullets, I set it aside, as gross weight discrepancies will throw off your accuracy quite a bit. Certainly, if I find a round that is off by 3 or 4 grains, it goes to the bullet puller.

 

[cjw3]

From experience: It stops in the forcing cone on an M586. If it does, that is a good thing. Locks the gun up, no subsequent shots follow them down the tube cause you can't turn the cylinder. If you shoot it out of the barrel, and the firearm is a good quality one, most likely you will "ring" the barrel. Many bullseye shooter still shoot theirs!

Weight will tell you nothing as cases and bullets can vary 1gr or more. Most likely your charge isn't more than 3-5gr in itself.

Get a bullet puller and go to town. That is the only safe way you can know you have powder in each and every one. You can't shoot them until you reload them though!

Maybe by that time you can figure out how on a single stage setup you missed powder in a case and keep that from happening again!

Have fun and be safe.

I totally agree. Cases and bullets will vary in weight too much to rely on for this.

I charge fifty at a time in a loading block, then go down the line and look in each one individually. It doesn't take as long as it sounds, and so far me and my stuff are still in one piece.

 

[gwalchmai]

I look in the case after the powder drops and make sure I see powder. Works pretty well.

 

[ColColt]

I can't vouch for a revolver as I've never had it happen. I have, however, had a dud round from CorBon in .40 caliber that didn't go bang. It was in a G23 Glock. The striker fell and left it's mark but no action.

I've also had a squib in a 4566TSW from Federal...no or very little powder. The gunsmith at the range had to drive the bullet out of the barrel as it lodged just ahead of the chamber. I'm beginning to think the only reliable loads are my own. These two instances never happened with my reloads.

 

[dkizer22]

I have had it happen, many years ago. 4" model 28 the bullet was sticking out the end of the barrel like in a cartoon. In a 2" model 36 the bullet bounced off a dogs head. I am of the school that weighing will not work with the lighter target loads.

 

[happymech1]

From experience: It stops in the forcing cone on an M586. If it does, that is a good thing. Locks the gun up, no subsequent shots follow them down the tube cause you can't turn the cylinder. If you shoot it out of the barrel, and the firearm is a good quality one, most likely you will "ring" the barrel. Many bullseye shooter still shoot theirs!

Weight will tell you nothing as cases and bullets can vary 1gr or more. Most likely your charge isn't more than 3-5gr in itself.

Get a bullet puller and go to town. That is the only safe way you can know you have powder in each and every one. You can't shoot them until you reload them though!

Maybe by that time you can figure out how on a single stage setup you missed powder in a case and keep that from happening again!

Have fun and be safe.

what the heck does "ring" the barrel mean?

Ok I can shake and hear if there is powder. so I will check them all that way.

I moved the reloading stuff from garage into the house to a small desk .

press was to my near right, the brass was to rear right, the powdermeasure was to the left rear and bullets where left near.

I was realoading in to tight/cluter space. I should have had to cross over the podwer measure to get to press. that would have helped,

I think I will also use loading block. that way i can charge a whole block and shine light down all at once.

I alway use block while loading rifle. franky i dont find it cost effective to reload single stage pistol. i just happened to have most of parts already.

Oh yeah to those with experience Im sure you must have notice a slight difference in the BANG. thay alone would prompr me to unload and inspect.

 

[borntoraisehogs]

The bullet may stick between the cylinder and the forcing cone locking up the gun. The bullet may lodge in the barrel, you not know it, another round is fired and BOOM! You now have a worthless gun and may also get yourself hurt by flying metal. If you cant feel the powder when you shake it, take a round you know has powder, weigh it and then weigh your other rounds.

It sure does. Same as if you have contaminated rounds. Listen for unusual sounds such as softer report or hissing, and don't pull the trigger again . Thanks for bring this up, you may have saved a forum member from injury and damage to his weapon.

 

[john traveler]

"Ringing" the barrel means firing a live round through a barrel obstruction.

The fired bullet momentarily has no place to go, and the metal pushes outward, bulging the barrel. Sometimes it's a lump noticeable from the outside. Sometimes it shows only as an interior "ring" when viewed carefully.

By the way, firing a gun with a bore obstruction can be very dangerous. In muscular calibers or full-power rifle cartridges, it can result in a burst barrel, blown breech block, or instant disassembly of the action. The strangest one was a foreign military rifle where the barrel threads were completely sheared off and blew the barrel down range.

 

[Skip Sackett]

John,
I like to look at those barrels that look like Elmer Fudd's shotgun after Bugs got done with putting his carrot in it!

I saw a Ruger Super Blackhawk in 44Mag that had it's barrel just like that! Could you imagine? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIKES!


Mechanic,

As John has said, a "ringed" barrel has had a bullet chase a stuck one. There are a lot of shooters that have one and may not even know it! Unless you are the only one on the firing line, don't count on being able to hear your dud. You may not shoot competition but with hearing protection on and shooting light target loads in a heavy revolver, you just may miss the squib all together.

Listen, shooters more experienced than you or I have had it happen. Don't think you will be the ONE able to hear a squib.

I was shooting PPC awhile back. Rapid fire at 21'. I had a squib and it didn't exit the cylinder/forcing cone area. The range officer, who was standing right next to me heard it and yelled. Had he not yelled, and the cylinder would have turned, I would have "ringed" that barrel that night. Fortunately, the cylinder locked up.

Hope this helps.

 

[stevieboy]

I've had the experience. I was shooting a friend's reloads and I fired a round. Instead of "boom" I heard a soft "pfft". The bullet lodged halfway into the forcing cone, locking the cylinder. We were able to push the bullet back into the chamber with a cleaning rod.

 

[OKFC05]

"If it goes POP, STOP!"
Straight out of the Range Officer's training manual.
It's called a SQUIB, and if you shoot another round after it, the least you get is a damaged gun. Maybe personal injury.

At a sectional USPSA match last year, saw a shooter fire the second shot with 4 ROs screaming at him STOP! STOP!.
Blew the gun apart, but he still had all his fingers and most of his skin.
I really like the electronic earmuffs that allow the shooter to hear sounds like the POP of a squib or an RO calling STOP....

You're right to re-evaluate your loading procedures when you get a squib, to minimize the chance of a repeat. It is vital to visually confirm a case has powder before seating a bullet.

 

[Steve C]

Do yourself a favor and get a loading block. Set the cases in the block and charge them. Take the batch under a good light and look in the cases to make sure there is powder and the levels are the same to avoid double charges. This is standard practice when loading on a single stage.

 

[ajpelz]

Do yourself a favor and get a loading block. Set the cases in the block and charge them. Take the batch under a good light and look in the cases to make sure there is powder and the levels are the same to avoid double charges. This is standard practice when loading on a single stage.

This is what I do...

 

[happymech1]

I have a block

I went to a quite room last night shook them all one at a time all had powder.

I also do have a reloading block and have used it evertime up untill now, but I was looking to speed up the process and went right from measure to press. I wont do that again.

Thanks for all the info.
michael

 

[growr]

Interestingly enough, in my over 22 years of competitive shooting and being an instructor I have never seen a squib load make it far enough into the barrel to allow the cylinder to turn or the slide to go fully into battery.

I know it happens.....just have never actually seen one.

Had a student in the last class shooting his own reloads in his revolver that had a squib load.....what a great teaching opportunity for the class....being able to actually show them a real squib load and how to properly take care of it in a revolver.

No way THAT cylinder was going to turn....locked up solid. Had to use my brass rod to drive the bullet back into the casing and then open the cylinder ( S&W Model 29) to clear the gun.

Randy

 

[Skip Sackett]

Not to muddy the water too much but a squib can have powder in it too, just not enough. That is where the "ringed" barrels come from most likely. 1.5gr instead of 2.7gr or something like that. Enough to send them down the tube a bit.

FWIW

 

[frankw]

I have had it happen to me and have seen it a good many times as an IDPA Safety Officer.
A Progressive Loader is involved many times but not always.
If I am loading revolver hunting loads, I prepare and primer 100 cases max, That is about my limit. Then later I will charge all 100 cases with powder in a loading block. Visually inspect with a good light and then seat all the bullets and crimp. I find this to work fairly fast.
I load a lot on a Lee classic Turret, and before I realized it, a few rounds were not getting a full charge of powder. I was double checking with a scale every 10-15 rounds but never found a light load but they were there.
Every one made it out of the cylinder, most made it out of the barrel but a few stuck. The sound was enough to alert me not to fire again.
I found and fixed the problem and checked the powder in every case for the next two or three hundred rounds and everything has been OK since.
Those were my first squibs in 30 years of reloading but all before were on a single stage press.
You just have to always be cautious when reloading.