The first step was admitting we had a problem.

[pairof44sp]

Hi you all.

I wasn’t going to say anything on fear of outing myself. Who knows when they’ll start scouting the gunforums for old admissions of less-than-perfect mental acuity.

But dang it, it happened again, and I’ve got to admit that I am helpless.

Yesterday, I got another squib at the range. This happens at least 50% of the times I shoot.

It’s kinda funny, but a little voice — one that I had presumed was insanity — told me way back when I got started shooting last July to only buy guns in matched pairs, never singly. So that’s what I did, and it has turned out to be the only reason I stay shooting.

Am I the only one who feels like he’s been trying to shoot Ever Givens thru a Suez? Going sideways all pluggy uppy?

For now, I’ll keep blaming my Lee powder throw, cause facing reality and switching to factory ammo is a no-go.

By the way, I’ve never overcharged a case so please, easy on the scolding and cautions.

 

[webrx]

I use a Lee PPM, usually throws within .1, but I also weigh each and every charge before dumping it into a funnel I have on my powder die on my turret press. If it is light when I weigh it, I dump it back in and drop another one. If it is light or heavy it is usually only off by .2 but I have seen an occasional .3.

I set my pan on my scale, zero it
decap, resize, and prime brass
Drop a charge in the pan and weigh it (if high or low, power it back in the measure) and drop again
Pour weighed charge in funnel
put pan back on scale, should read zero, if not, the charge gets dumped and I do it again
add and seat bullet
Crimp

This takes a few seconds per round longer when I load, but, it keeps my mind at ease when I am loading and (knock on wood). No squibs so far after several years of reloading. Overall it may add a few minutes to a 100 rounds of ammo doing the, maybe even 5, but it is worth it to me.



d

 

[DukeConnor]

I actually had a squib today. First one I've had in years.

Slight pop, unburned powder every where.

If you're getting that many squids, you need to stop shooting and reevaluate your process.

Not sure what the matched pairs means but you need a matched pair of flashlights to look into the cases to verify charge before you seat the bullet.

This is a serious and dangerous issue. You are going to hurt yourself or worse a innocent bystander.

Reloaing ain't for everybody.

 

[pairof44sp]

I use a Lee PPM, usually throws within .1, but I also weigh each and every charge before dumping it into a funnel I have on my powder die on my turret press. If it is light when I weigh it, I dump it back in and drop another one. If it is light or heavy it is usually only off by .2 but I have seen an occasional .3.

I set my pan on my scale, zero it
decap, resize, and prime brass
Drop a charge in the pan and weigh it (if high or low, power it back in the measure) and drop again
Pour weighed charge in funnel
put pan back on scale, should read zero, if not, the charge gets dumped and I do it again
add and seat bullet
Crimp

This takes a few seconds per round longer when I load, but, it keeps my mind at ease when I am loading and (knock on wood). No squibs so far after several years of reloading. Overall it may add a few minutes to a 100 rounds of ammo doing the, maybe even 5, but it is worth it to me.



d

“it is light or heavy it is usually only off by .2 but I have seen an occasional .3. ”

This never occurred to me — I just assumed that my squibs had zero powder.

Can a light charge such as you describe also produce a squib?

 

[mdi]

April Fools?

Not bragging, but my last squib was in 1970 and since then I have looked in every case I charged with powder. For two reasons; to make sure there is powder present and not a double charge. Not one squib since and no Kabooms...

 

[DukeConnor]

just the primer going off is enough to seat the bullet in the barrel.

My squib today wasn't from no powder. the charge just didn't ignite for some reason.

look into each case before you seat the bullet. you'll keep your fingers longer.

 

[Zendude]

Some powders don’t meter well and some just will not ignite at all if it’s a very light throw in a large case like 38 special. Give the powder hopper a couple of taps every few throws. I’ve also found that an aftermarket baffle in the Lee hopper helps prevent powder jams.

 

[mokin]

How long have you been handloading?

It's been a long time since I've had a squib. Not that it has ever been common. I remember changing procedures from one step at a time, sizing/recapping, repriming, charging, visually inspecting each case, then seating the bullet.

I've modified my procedure to incorporate different equipment, but after finding "light" loads with big flaky powders ( I'm thinking Blue Dot and 800-X), I usually weight those as well as rifle cartridges. Most handgun cartridges are loaded on a progressive press.

I suggest slowing down and analyzing your loading process to figure out why you end up with so many squibs then adapt your practice to mitigate the cause.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Hi you all.

I wasn’t going to say anything on fear of outing myself. Who knows when they’ll start scouting the gunforums for old admissions of less-than-perfect mental acuity.

But dang it, it happened again, and I’ve got to admit that I am helpless.

Yesterday, I got another squib at the range. This happens at least 50% of the times I shoot.

It’s kinda funny, but a little voice — one that I had presumed was insanity — told me way back when I got started shooting last July to only buy guns in matched pairs, never singly. So that’s what I did, and it has turned out to be the only reason I stay shooting.

Am I the only one who feels like he’s been trying to shoot Ever Givens thru a Suez? Going sideways all pluggy uppy?

For now, I’ll keep blaming my Lee powder throw, cause facing reality and switching to factory ammo is a no-go.

By the way, I’ve never overcharged a case so please, easy on the scolding and cautions.

You need to check your process.
Make sure you aren't getting powder bridging in your measure. (This shows up as a lite charge followed by a heavy one).

If you aren't getting bridging. Then your powder charge choice is suspect. What cartridge, powder and bullet are you using? Starting charges of ball powder has given me squibs.

 

[webrx]

“it is light or heavy it is usually only off by .2 but I have seen an occasional .3. ”

This never occurred to me — I just assumed that my squibs had zero powder.

Can a light charge such as you describe also produce a squib?

If you are loading at the bottom end (light loads) and you come up extra light, it could, depending on what you are loading and what powder you are using and what size case. I suspect, as noted above, that bridging is most likely the cause, I didn't mention it, but I also made a powder baffle that I put in my PPM, it's made out of heavy cardboard, you could also use other materials, I have seen some on line if you don't want to make one, I put it there to stop bridging and to prevent powder weight from affecting the charge. It is just a little upside down V-shape with semi-circle cutouts at the sides to allow powder to flow around and down in and to not allow "powder weight" to affect the charge as much.

example of a baffle https://www.rcbs.com/priming-and-powder-charging/scale-and-powder-accessories/powder-baffle/545.html
d

 

[reddog81]

How many squibs have you had? Is this all from the same reloading session?

There are a couple of things that can cause a squib but all are preventable. If it’s a lack of powder that a pretty easy fix. How far down the barrel did the bullet make it?

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
Had a squib last year sometime.
.45AutoRim in my revolver.
Primer ignited but the powder didn't. Bullet lodged in the forcing cone. Unburnt powder in the case. No idea why.
Loaded hundreds of rounds in that batch with no other misfires.

 

[FROGO207]

Are you using a single syage press or progressive. If a single stage it is time to put the brass primer up in one loadimg block. This verifies empty, correctly primed brass. Then charge the brass with propellant and put it in a diffetent loading block on the othet side of the press. When all the block of brass are full use a flashlight to check inside of ALL the brass. It will be easy to see if any charges are wrong when comparing. If you have a hard time seeing differences tilt the loadimg block slightly and shake gently. The propellant will apear oval and all of them should look the same distance to the case mouth. When all checks out OK seat your bullets. I will not load a single round at a time as it can cause problems IMO.
ETA: If you still have a squib then raise your charge amount. Obviously if you are working up loads make a row of each, skip a row use the next higher charge and so on. You have to develop a safe method of your own and use it always to stay safe.

 

[Dudedog]

Yesterday, I got another squib at the range. This happens at least 50% of the times I shoot.

One is bad 50% of the time is a major cause for concern IMO.

Do we know why it was a squib, ie no powder (assuming the load is just not to light) or bad powder? Using a progressive press?
Bad powder, toss the powder, no powder is a problem with your process so you need to rethink your process.


I had one when I first got my progressive, got a powder cop and RCBS lockout die afterwards.
Still my fault for not looking in the case to check powder so a process error.
(even if the powder measure is not working right not checking for powder somehow is a process error)

 

[Ranger99]

I guess I've been really lucky.
In the decades I've been loading, I've yet
to stick a bullet in a barrel.
I do load the old fashioned way I was
taught to, and check everything at every
stage of the process, sometimes double
checking. Still using the same old faded
green Rock Chucker I started with, and the
same scales and dippers and Uniflow

 

[PapaG]

April Fools?

Not bragging, but my last squib was in 1970 and since then I have looked in every case I charged with powder. For two reasons; to make sure there is powder present and not a double charge. Not one squib since and no Kabooms...

This is imperative. Look.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I had issues with a LPP. Guess i wore it out. I upgraded to their newest Auto drum. It has a metal blade. I use it for pistol. I have a LED shop light over my bench. I can see in the cases as i go if it dropped a charge or not. For rifle and stick powders i use my Lyman brass smith powder measure. I had 2 squibs in my 10mm carbine. Low or no powder charge. Since then i lock the door to the area where my man cave is. (Wife liked to bug me sometimes) And the door for it too. No cell phone either. I do like to play the radio while loading.

 

[Riomouse911]

I haven’t had a squib load that I’ve loaded myself. I load on single stage presses and seat the bullet right after charging the case with powder. It’s a bit slow, but it’s worked very well for me. (I started reloading in 1995 so I’m not as experienced as most of the others on THR.)

I’m doing all I can to keep that success streak going, Knock on wood!

I almost loaded a short case a week or two back. I looked up after seating a bullet and didn’t like the position of the powder measure handle. I pulled the bullets from the last three rounds I loaded and the most recent one I had loaded was light. The other two were good. This would explain the out of-position handle. I don’t know how I booted that case charging step, but whatever I did something was amiss so I stopped.

Reloading isn’t rocket science, it’s about paying attention to details and feel...so be sure to eliminate distractions first and foremost. Then, as you’re loading if something doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t. Stop, reassess the steps you’ve taken and (if warranted) pull the last few bullets to see if your gut was right. More often than not you will be.

Stay safe.

 

[Walkalong]

See every powder charge you seat a bullet over.

 

[Skgreen]

Squibs don't bother me much. Hurt's my pride more than anything.

Double-charging is another story,,, One I haven't experienced yet and hope that I never do,,,,,,

 

[Goneshoot'n]

In addition to everything mentioned above, if you wet tumble are you making certain your brass is completely dry before loading?

 

[GW Staar]

I don't trust myself to always look at a charge, unless it's big and in my face. That's why I found some cheap Chinese things....5" video monitor and a spy camera or even a cheap bore scope......so now I see every single load......and it helps to not think you have to produce 100's of rounds every hour....I take my time.






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[bullseye308]

I have had 3 squibs in about 30 years. 2 were factory Winchester, one was mine. You either need a mirror to see into the case or better lighting, or both.

 

[P Flados]

A number of years ago, I had a few batches a few of the loads had no powder in the cases. On occasion a bullet would make it into the barrel far enough to run a risk of a second round firing into an obstruction. I changed my methods/focus and have not had any repeats of "no powder" loads.

I have had some "fail to ignite" loads since then.

Quite a few were from one batch of H110 that seemed to only work properly with optimum circumstances (hot primer, heavy bullet pull/crimp, full case, not cold). That jug of powder is seldom used anymore. I decided that my standard powders really ought to be less finicky with ignition. I am currently using either Shooters World Heavy Pistol (slightly faster) or WC 680 (same as AA 1680, slightly slower) for stuff that I used to use H110 for.

A couple of other "fail to ignite" events have been from a 7 TCU with cast bullets, a little less fill than optimum and WC 844 (similar to H335) ball powder. I am working on figuring out how to get both accuracy and better fill for this gun.

Any event that could leave a bullet stuck in a barrel should be treated as near miss on a major fubar. I have messed up, gotten distracted, put a loaded round in the chamber, and was about to put a finger on the trigger before I stopped and confirmed that the barrel was not clear. If you are having squibs (either no powder or no ignition), take it serious, figure out what caused it and fix the underlying problem.

 

[792mauser]

I've had a few squibs over the years. Most were factory ammunition malfunctioning and only 2 were my fault.
Both were very early in my reloading hobby and were 38 spl with sized roundballs and tiny charges of red dot.

Now I check everything with a loading block and a powerful flashlight. Very easy which isn't the same unless it's a tiny charge in a big case.

Then regardless, if you don't think it's right... re weigh it.