Squib load!

Experienced a squib for the first time the other day. Never had this happen in probably close to 2000 of my handloaded .38s I have put through this revolver.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...fbadab1328.jpg

Was shooting 125 grain plated bullets over Accurate #2. I had loaded up 250 of these and was down to the last 50.

Bang Bang Bang pop, ejected the cases and unburnt powder came out with them. I think that case may have had a little water in it left from cleaning when I charged the case. The power of just the primer going off must have been enough to send the bullet into the barrel just beyond the forcing cone.

Embarrassing, and proof it pays to pay attention when loading and shooting


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Hey, that revolver looks familiar!

Sounds like you diagnosed it correctly. A primer does have enough power to launch a bullet into the barrel and then stick it. The unburnt powder says you didn't fail to load it up, so dampness is about the only thing I can think of off the top of my head that would cause it. Water likes to stay in the primer cup and the flash hole. I usually don't use wet-cleaned brass for at least a week after tumbling it and then it stays spread out on a wire rack to dry. My preference is a two-week drying time in a good environment to be sure.

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Originally Posted by AB

Hey, that revolver looks familiar!

Sounds like you diagnosed it correctly. A primer does have enough power to launch a bullet into the barrel and then stick it. The unburnt powder says you didn't fail to load it up, so dampness is about the only thing I can think of off the top of my head that would cause it. Water likes to stay in the primer cup and the flash hole. I usually don't use wet-cleaned brass for at least a week after tumbling it and then it stays spread out on a wire rack to dry. My preference is a two-week drying time in a good environment to be sure.

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Yeah, I either spread the brass on a towel and let set for a few days, or bake in my salvation army powder-coating toaster oven. I guess this one just made it past my check.

Scary stuff. Glad you were paying attention.

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Originally Posted by e.money83

Scary stuff. Glad you were paying attention.

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yep, me too. I had shot some primed cases with foam earplugs in them in this revolver before, and the squib sounded just like that. Just the pop of the primer.

One more trigger pull could’ve been really bad. Glad you were paying attention as well. I’m also glad you posted this I never thought about moisture/water sticking around in the primer pocket. I always use dry media but good info for the future.

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Originally Posted by Mad Man

One more trigger pull could’ve been really bad. Glad you were paying attention as well. I’m also glad you posted this I never thought about moisture/water sticking around in the primer pocket. I always use dry media but good info for the future.

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yeah, I have found shaking a coffee can full of brass, water, dawn, and lemi-shine to be adequate for cleaning, and have never had this happen in the few thousand rounds I have loaded and shot. But i'll be sure to pay closer attention from now on for sure

Now you know why full auto may not always be so much "fun"...

I wonder if a squib would cycle most machine guns. I mean, if it's gas operated ass gets past the port obviously, or blowback sub guns that more or less work like a pistol, but if it stops before the port it should just halt the process, right?

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Originally Posted by e.money83

I wonder if a squib would cycle most machine guns. I mean, if it's gas operated ass gets past the port obviously, or blowback sub guns that more or less work like a pistol, but if it stops before the port it should just halt the process, right?

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"gas operated ass"-?

Apparently I type ass more than "and" and I got the autocorrect.
If the bullet gets past the port before getting stuck and it's gas operated I can see a machine gun cycling, but if it stops short it is just going to halt the system until you recharge and resume fire and kb the thing, right?

Very few MG's are gas operated. Eats where it shits is bad juju in a FA weapon. Obviously the AR pattern is one big exception. However I would think you are right, I wouldn't think most FA's would fire on a squib like that, not enough power to cycle.

However I don't know that most operators would pick it up as a squib, and would just think its a FTE/FTF or something and recycle and pull the trigger.

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Originally Posted by polebarn

"gas operated ass"-?

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ya, that was me. Sorry.

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Originally Posted by Dale Gribble

Very few MG's are gas operated. Eats where it shits is bad juju in a FA weapon. Obviously the AR pattern is one big exception. However I would think you are right, I wouldn't think most FA's would fire on a squib like that, not enough power to cycle.

However I don't know that most operators would pick it up as a squib, and would just think its a FTE/FTF or something and recycle and pull the trigger.

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Piston is still gas operated. Gas has to reach the piston to cycle. But I'd think you're right about the operator just running it after a squib being highly likely.

lets not forget that squibs aren't all that common with factory ammo that's mostly free from human error

in that same vein, I wonder how MG owners deal with cheap surplus ammo that may be of questionable quality, I guess hangfires aren't catastrophic, but I have seen firsthand some Egyptian surplus 9mm that tended to stick bullets with their tips sticking out of the pistol's barrel.

A hangfire on an open bolt gun with a fast cyclic rate would be exciting if nothing else. Especially if you get some bolt bounce that causes the hung round to start ejection.

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Originally Posted by Dale Gribble

Very few MG's are gas operated. Eats where it shits is bad juju in a FA weapon. Obviously the AR pattern is one big exception. However I would think you are right, I wouldn't think most FA's would fire on a squib like that, not enough power to cycle.

However I don't know that most operators would pick it up as a squib, and would just think its a FTE/FTF or something and recycle and pull the trigger.

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PERZAKLY!

And, I saw a M-16A1 blow all to hell and gone over a squib round in 1971, however, I have no idea if it cycled itself or if it was hand-cycled. The result even from that tiny round was quite impressive, though. The shooter was near the center of about a platoon sized firing line and I saw shit flying through the air both left and right virtually all across the line. Miracuously, it seemed to me, nobody was even slightly injured, including the shooter, though as I recall he was sent off to the post hospital... probably to have his diapers changed. :banana:

“Pop no kick” is taught for a reason.

Smith and Ruger revolvers are very strong. I seem to remember an old ad from Smith where they would stack bullets in the barrel and blow them out with a full power round to demonstrate the strength of the barrel. With the rise of "everyone can build an AR" and fly-by-night ammo "manufacturers," I've actually seen several come-aparts on the range on mostly AR's but I have seen one lever action go. No one has ever been injured, though. Looks like a parts fountain but it seems the strong parts of the system deflect the debris away from the shooter.

I also found this:

https://gizmodo.com/what-happens-whe...you-1657411557

Saw a glock 19 have two squibs followed by a live round. Didn’t hurt it that I could tell; wasn’t mine btw.