First .357, First Kimber, First Squib.

Well, that is EXACTLY why I reload. Or, reason #1. I trust my "quality control" 100% more than any automated machinery, or worker working for wages. If I ever get a failure to fire, I can only blame myself. I've only had one, and could find nothing wrong. Primer had the anvil and priming compound in it, but did not ignite. Wasn't a light primer strike either.

Every round I load, I can/do check every primer for priming compound, and anvil, every charge is weighed, every case inspected before seating a bullet. The main difference between cheap ammo that usually works, and quality ammo that almost always works, is that squibs and duds are "more rare" than the cheap ammo. But they do happen.

But yes, all good advice above.
 
Tinman357 said:
A double load 38spl probably won't grenade a well built 357mag like the Kimber, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere near it when that primer gets popped off.
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Well don't bet on it. Double charges do pack a punch. Pistol belonged to a friend. Took two days of searching to find the bits and pieces of the cylinder. Sometimes reloading is not for everyone.
 

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NIGHTLORD40K said:
That one may have been made prior to S&W heat-treating cylinders, but ya double charges are bad ju-ju.
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It sure was a nice old pistol. What a waste. I have one just like it, we got them both off the same table at a gun-show. I think he may have been trying to hot-rod it, (don't know that, but it would fit his personality) which didn't help. !!! I shoot light loads in mine. :)
 
I've shot a few hundred rounds of Ammo Inc ammo, with no problems, but they were 45 acp. I wonder if all these squibs came out of the same batch/lot?

I had a run of squibs some years ago, out of my own reloads. I shoot fairly slowly, so I was always able to catch it as soon as it happened. I don't know how/what happened, but I started carrying a piece of shotgun cleaning rod, and a small hammer in my range bag. I also make double sure I check the powder charge in the case before seating the bullet. Apparently it was just one batch of reloads, since I've never had the problem again. Or before for that matter.
 
CajunBass said:
I've shot a few hundred rounds of Ammo Inc ammo, with no problems, but they were 45 acp. I wonder if all these squibs came out of the same batch/lot?

I had a run of squibs some years ago, out of my own reloads. I shoot fairly slowly, so I was always able to catch it as soon as it happened. I don't know how/what happened, but I started carrying a piece of shotgun cleaning rod, and a small hammer in my range bag. I also make double sure I check the powder charge in the case before seating the bullet. Apparently it was just one batch of reloads, since I've never had the problem again. Or before for that matter.
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Oily fingers can deaden primers. Something I pay very close attention to also. I try never to handle or touch them, but if so make sure I wash my hands and dry them very well. Of course squibs require a good primer.

Did you ever figure it out? Did the powder fail to ignite? That can happen with powder that is not appropriate to the cartridge, charge weight, bullet weight, etc. etc.
 
Ugly Sauce said:
Did you ever figure it out? Did the powder fail to ignite? That can happen with powder that is not appropriate to the cartridge, charge weight, bullet weight, etc. etc
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Nope. No powder. The only thing I could come up with was, at the time I just loaded, and dropped the loaded round into a coffee can with all the others. I must have missed a group of 10 or 12 cases and never charged them, then seated a bullet. Dropping them into the can mixed them up with all the others, so they came out randomly. After that I started using a loading block to hold the charged cases, then physically checking them with a flashlight, then seating the bullet. I also don't store rounds in loose coffee cans anymore. I use slotted cartridge boxes.
 
Lots of things can go wrong and its not always our fault. Ive had more of this with revolvers than I have autos.

The pic above with the bullet stuck in the barrel of my Glock was part of a test to see if leaving loaded rounds in water for a while would cause issues. They just happened to be some reloads, and for the most part, they all fired, but a couple were quieter than normal and that one squibbed.

If you didn't charge the case in a revolver, the primers will usually have just enough to drive the bullet into the forcing cone and most likely tie the gun up. Better than that it went in enough that it would let the cylinder turn though. Autos will usually drive it into the barrel a little and when Ive had that happen, the guns wouldn't chamber the next round. They also didn't cycle. Autos usually give you a bit more warning before you do something stupid. :)

Ive found too that with the revolvers, you need a good, solid crimp. Ive had issues with worn out cases not holding the crimp and it seems the primer started to ignite things but also must have pushed the powder charge and bullet forward enough that it didn't burn fully. The bullet squibbed and there was burnt and unburnt powder left in the gun.

Stuff happens. I think we all try to be as careful as possible while reloading and shooting. As long as you're paying attention to either, your chances of problems are pretty low, but no matter what, are always going to be there.
 
An interesting historical note. Squibs were originally light loaded gallery cartridges. The first Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook identifies several bullets designed for squibs.
Non-related but using "Nimrod" as a derogatory term is also wrong. Nimrod in the Bible was a great hunter.
 
I've had one squib reload in 45 Colt. No powder! The large pistol primer pushed the copper plated bullet about 2" down a 5.5" barrel. It was stuck! I used a carriage bolt with the threaded portion cut off and wrapped it in Gorilla tape to knock it out of the barrel. I didn't use a hammer, I placed the bolt in the barrel against the bullet and slammed the gun and bolt down on an anvil. I wasn't hitting it with near the force you'd get from a hammer and it took 30-40 wacks to dislodge it.
 
Who hasn’t shot a squib? shot one in my dads 1894 in 44 mag. Shooting with recoil, recoil, and recoil, then wimpy sound and recoil. Stopped and looked down the barrel, no light. Fixed it with a hammer.
 
+1 for never having a handload squib.

But several with the old WWB from Walmart and the Federal Champion purple box stuff from Wally as well. Those squibs didn't allow another round to cycle.... LAX remans from around 2009 had a squib that went further than that and I was able to rack another one, but thankfully didn't pull the trigger.
Talk about ammo that's as gritty and dirty as .22LR, man o man.
 
I ordered some primed 38 Special "mixed headstamp" brass from American Reloading recently and the headstamps were all AMMO INC, so they may have had some bad batches that they sold off to American Reloading to disassemble and sell as components. If that's what happened and they knew there were was a bad batch out in the wild, I think they should have had a recall.

I also got primed 380 ACP brass from American in another order and it was all AMMO INC headstamps, as well, so the issue may not be limited to 38 Special.

Whatever happened, hopefully they've got it figured out by now.

(As an aside, Ammo Inc. acquired Gunbroker.com in 2021.)
 
I’ve not added powder to a 38 special reload and 10 mm reload and had a squib in a 4 inch 686 and Glock 29 barrel. I was able to easily pound out the bullet with a brass rod. The Glock was easier to fix as you can remove the barrel and work on it. The revolver involved removing the cylinder and placing the revolver in a padded vice. I took each as the best reminder to pay attention while reloading- no permanent damage, but enough of a pain in the butt to fix that they stay in the forefront on my mind when I reload. In each case I had gotten distracted by something. I would MUCH rather have a squib than a double charge.
PS: to the OP - nice purchase - those K6Ss are nice little shooters!
 
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I loaded up in Ammo Inc recently (357 and 44) bc it was cheaper. Bought like 8 boxes of each. Now this thread has me nervous. I shot one box of each last weekend with no issues. Matter of fact, the 44 seemed to hit harder than the Magtech or Winchester white box. Maybe my imagination but my hand sure felt like it.
 
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