Thanks for the Squib Warning

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Tallball

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I was at the range yesterday, shooting my Ruger SP101 4.2" in 327 magnum (poorly). I was with my FiL, shooting his reloads, putting a box of 32 S&W long through the revolver to see if I could ever figure out how to shoot it well. I shot four rounds, "Bang, bang, bang, bang!" and then I heard a "pop". My hands were getting ready to shoot again, I was focusing on the front sight... and then I realized that something wasn't right.

I set the revolver down on the bench, opened the cylinder, and immediately noticed that no light was coming down the barrel!

Yeah, it was a squib. I'm guessing that it didn't have any powder in it and all I heard was the primer going off. The bullet was wedged in there pretty tight. I knocked it out after I got home.

Thanks to the board member who posted a thread about having a squib. I think it was a month or two ago. It's nice for us to remind each other of things like that. I think that thread kind of came to mind as I was lowering the revolver.

I don't think that mildly-loaded 32 longs would blow up an SP101 or break my hand or anything, but I'm grateful that I didn't have to find out one way or another.

 
Squibs will definitely get your attention, or should at least. I had my second ever this weekend with factory ammo in an M1 carbine. Granted, it was 20 yr old ammo, but it was the only round I had issues with. The primer sorta, kinda detonated...just a soft pop, and jammed up the action. I yanked back on the charging handle, the case ejected, slung unburned powder from the top of my head to my chest and the bullet was just stuck on the rifling.
Fortunately, I had not removed my eye protection before inspecting...that powder starts to burn the skin after a little bit, that would not have been fun in the eyes.
 
I have only had this happen one time.
It was with a Taurus 709 Slim. The fault was mine. It was a case with no powder. The primer was just enough to push the bullet out of the case.
Fortunately, mine wasn't dangerous, as the bullet wasn't far enough to allow another round to chamber.

I'm glad. At the time I don't know if I would have had my wits about me enough to realize it. I was pretty new.
 
Good catch. I did that loading for my .44 Spl. Bulldog. An eye opener for sure. Now I triple check to make sure cases are charged before loading bullets.
 
Now I triple check to make sure cases are charged before loading bullets.
I have a couple of buddies who load "by the round" (throw the charge and immediately seat the bullet), and insist that they cant screw up by doing it this way.

I load "by the block", 50 rounds at a time, which allows you to stop and visually inspect the cases after charging and before seating the bullets. While, so far, Ive yet to find a case without powder, on the rare occasion, I have spotted cases that didnt look right on the comparison check, and when pulled and weighing them, they were in fact "light", for whatever reason.

Being able to inspect/compare things is just another level/layer of safety and QC you dont get by doing the above "by the round" thing, or using a progressive press.

That said, it still doesnt necessarily completely stop the squibs/semi squibs from occurring, so you still need to be paying attention, no matter what youre shooting. I still on occasion encounter them, usually with my revolvers (doesnt seem to be an issue with the autos for some reason), and mostly with my 38/357 mag loads, which I believe is due to crimp issues with brass thats at or towards the end of its life, more than anything else. Usually, the rounds just feel/sound off, yet still clear the barrel, but there is still a noticeable difference in how the round went off. Once I start to see them in a lot, Ill scrap that lot at that point. Brass cases seem to last a lot longer and have the issue less, than the nickel cases too.
 
I had a 45 Colt squib on me while shooting my 460 magnum years ago while I was shooting milk jugs.

It certainly woke me up.
 
I have never had a squib with my reloads. I load on a single stage and load 50 at a time, like AK103K mentioned.
I have had squibs from reloads that I bought at a Cowboy Action match years ago. I left my ammo at home and there was a guy selling ammo at the match. Lucky Me...
I have also had squibs from remanufactured ammo.
I have witnessed many squibs at matches and nearly every time the person loaded their own and they used a progressive press - not trying to bash progressive reloaders, just stating a fact.

Glad you caught your squib and realized there was a problem.
 
the block method saved me a double charge loading 45 last week. 12 grains of w231 instead of 6. I think it happened when i got a call from work and became distracted.
 
IMO you should never shoot someone else's reloads. At least that's a rule I follow. When reloading , every case should be inspected visually for powder before a bullet is inserted in the case. IMO. In 46 years of reloading I've never had a squib or an over charge. :)
 
Many many years ago I had a squib on a factory 300 Weatherby Mag. I also had a primer only load on a 44 special. The primer pushed the bullet just enough to bind the cylinder. At the time I was batch loading and evidently did not see the missing powder [titegroup] in one round. There was someone in the room with me and that is my excuse but I should have caught the missing powder whether anyone was there or not.
 
I have witnessed many squibs at matches and nearly every time the person loaded their own and they used a progressive press - not trying to bash progressive reloaders, just stating a fact.

Glad you caught your squib and realized there was a problem.
I load on a progressive and it is certainly easier to produce a squid or a double charge if interrupted or distracted while loading. For this reason if I have a stoppage, the first thing I do is remove all the cases from my press.
 
The only squib I have had with my firearms was with ammo I handloaded on a single stage press. Timeline: approx. May 22, 2014 at roughly 19:10 hours. Would anyone would like to know the model, caliber and barrel length of the handgun I was shooting at the time and/or the load/press and die manufacturer and/or the particulars of the actual squib removal? If so feel free to ask!
 
Now that you have the "paying attention" part down how about the shooting your new revolver well part?

If you are new to revolvers I suggest a lot of dry-firing to learn about DA revolver trigger control. But a set of snap caps and have at it for 1,000 pulls or more. The added benifit, a smoother trigger.

Again, good catch!
 
I've had the 327 SP101 ever since they came out and just don't shoot it well. I got a 357 version recently, and haven't shot it well, either. I think it's a combination of size, shape, and trigger. On the same outing I shot my Rossi 720 quite well. Maybe I'm just spoiled. Most of mine are nice DA Smiths or Ruger SA's.
 
Maybe I'm just spoiled.

You probably are!

Just kidding I think the solution to the problem is a lot of practice and trigger time. The practice should have a purpose, not just pulling the trigger. We tend to like things we are good at and dislike things we are not so good at. Make peace with your SP101, win the mental game first.

I shot a steel challenge match a few weeks ago. Usually I shoot optical sight revolver and iron sight revolver. This match I shot optical revo and carry optics with a 9mm G17. First time shooting the carry optics division, shoot like a rank beginner. I could take it one of two ways, find something to blame (the gun, the sights, the holster, my ammo and so forth) or I can make a commitment to the gun, put in the effort and see future results. Not trying to lecture you and have no idea what your particulars are just saying mental attitude and hard work.
 
Fortunately I have never had a squib...had a couple of near squibs that made it out of the barrel. But thanks to posts like this... it keeps me on high alert when shooting...subconsciously listening for for something unexpected.
 
Thank heavens, I've never had s sauib. Like Pat, I use single stage, one at a time, drop the powder, look, seat bullet. Once the powder goes in, the case doesn't leave my hand til the bullet closes the case. No chance of a double charge or squib like using a block and getting distracted.

I don't shoot others loads and I don't let my loads out.
 
I have had several. Never with my Dillon Square Deal B. It is automatic rotation and the powder drops with a pull of the handle. The only way to mess that up is to run out of powder

Now my 550 I have had a couple. Since it is rotated by hand it isn't hard to forget where you are and push an empty case by the powder measure. I probably have forgotten to put more bullets in the primed and powder filled cases than no powder.
I did have a double load on the 550. Just pulled the handle twice without thinking. That was an eye opener. Lucky it was a double charge 38 in a Redhawk 357. Now I make sure any powder I use will overflow with a double charge. No way to mess up that way.
 
Glad you didn’t damage your firearm, but more importantly you didn’t get hurt. We are all glad that you picked up a piece of knowledge that was useful to you.
 
Tallball,

You're welcome.

As to not shooting others reloads.... a buddy that got "smart" and talked his little brothers into doing his reloading for him had squibs and near squibs. By near squibs I mean a bullet and unburnt powder sort of going "THUP!" and the bullet falling to the ground five to ten meters away from the muzzle. Best I could figure it was oil contamination of the powder. We pulled the rest of the batch and disposed of the powder, popped all the primers and disposed of the cases. The bullets were used in new reloads and worked fine. We considered tumbling the cases but had plenty of .38 Special cases as back then that was what the local LE folks left laying on the range.

People do some amazingly stupid things if you let them and using someone else's reloads lets them do amazingly stupid things to you.

I have had a number of hangfires (there is a delay of some notice between primer strike and actual firing, some times several seconds long) in some older mil surp rifles with ancient and unaccountably stored mil surp ammo and while rifles are not the topic in this thread I have often wondered about folks that get a failure to fire in a revolver that turns out to be a hang fire. One of the "benefits' of running a revolver over a semi auto pistol is that if for some reason a round fails to fire the wheel gunner can just pull the trigger again and thus clear the stoppage. Having had a chain fire in a BP revolver, where a chamber other than the one aligned with the barrel also fires, I have to wonder what a chamber going off not aligned with the barrel on some modern magnum blaster because of a hangfire might be like.

No doubt I will now start another bout of name calling and insults.....

"It never hurts to help.....AAAAAHHHHH!"

-kBob
 
I have had exactly one firing my reloads, and it rattled me a little bit for a while.

My friend had one while we were shooting in a class. It rattled him really good, and the instructor. He almost couldn't finish the class. He just didn't trust the ammo.

Always good to pay attention. If something doesn't seem right it generally isn't.

-Jeff
 
I'm pretty sure that this was the second time that my FiL made a reloading mistake. Nobody's perfect.

I'm not too worried about shooting the SP101's any better. I'll drag them out every once in a while, just for a challenge, but they just don't seem to fit my hands very well... or something. I have plenty of other handguns that work a lot better for me.
 
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I'm pretty sure that this was the second time that my FiL made a reloading mistake. Nobody's perfect.
Not to be mean but as a reloader we are responsible for the safety of those around us we are supposed to catch our mistakes before they make it into the gun and for sure before you pull the trigger.

You are correct, no one is perfect. I know I'm not. I have made mistakes but because I have a good system of checks in place I catch those mistakes before that mistake leaves the reloading bench. If he keeps making mistakes and they continue to be fired its only a matter of time something catastrophic occurs. Hopefully without injuries but that's also a possibility. I would not take this lightly, mistakes that make it to trigger are unacceptable and make the person who is loading that ammo unsafe too.
 
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