A new use for Don's Guide Rod! (Feel free to skip my experience if you wish) - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

KYDoc · 12-27-2006, 03:13 PM

"Pfft." - no bullet. Slide didn't cycle. Damn.

I know how the squib happened, too. I'm new to reloading, and I was working up light loads of titegroup. Fiddling with +/- 0.1 grains, I kept removing the cartridge, dumping/measuring the powder, and replacing the case in position 2 to re-charge it. Took a few charges each time I changed it to get it consistently where I wanted it.

And I had obviously indexed it and set a 185 precision moly without charging a case.

So there I was at the range, 1/2 hour from home.

To make matters worse, I had taken the brass cleaning rod out of my range bag to leave it on my bench, since I've never used it at the range anyway. Screwdriver? Too short. Leatherman tool? Nope. All I had left were pliers, (helpful when I put DGR in backwards last month... I seem to be stuck on stupid)

lots of mags,

hmm... Nothing. Just the pen I was using to record my velocities.

I could see the bullet in the barrel, about a quarter of the way in. I put a pen in the muzzle end and tapped it on the table where I was shooting. Didn't budge. Harder. Broke pen/ink everywhere. Damn.

OK, time to pack up and go home. Or to lowes to get a wooden dowel in 40 calibers or less.

All of a sudden, while I was reassembling and packing up, the setting sun sun glinted off the bright stainless steel beauty.

There it was. The answer to my prayers, and my key to happiness.

So I put DGR in the muzzle end. It touched the bullet and stuck out about an inch.... perfect.

One slam on the table (using my other index finger to hold it in place until impact) and I was home free. Bullet out, reload, and back in the game!

Can't do THAT with the stock recoil assembly!

Thanks, Don!

slugger6 · 12-27-2006, 04:11 PM

Now that is an amazing tale!

rcsnpr · 02-12-2007, 04:27 PM

Necessity is the Mother of invention!

puma85 · 02-12-2007, 04:49 PM

better to undercharge, than to blow your hand off. just gotta be more observant as your reloading because the next one may not be a squib.

so the dgr just went from a guide rod to a multiuse tool, don i think you need to pattent that

Collander · 02-13-2007, 09:42 AM

lol, well done!

**jonny4523** · 02-13-2007, 09:53 AM

Good think you noticed the bullet was in there before you shot another. We had a shooter a few months back who had a misfire. Probably a round without powder. Bullet got lodged and the shooter didn't think anything about the wierd sound that the gun made. So he keeps shooting. This is the result:

The gun is one of our nicer Kimbers.

KYDoc · 02-16-2007, 02:43 PM

Yeah... it was pretty obvious b/c the brass didn't eject and if I cycled the slide, the next one wouldn't fully chamber. I would have had to force the next round in and somehow manhandle the slide into battery. Hard to go through all that without noticing. Fortunately the primer charge wasn't enough to cycle or send the bullet further down or it would be easier to KB.

I had one other squib since then, and when I ejected the casing, a hunk of unburnt/semiburnt powder flew out with it!

So maybe my loading technique wasn't totally at fault. The only thing I could think of is if I got a squirt of case lube directly into the case and loaded on top of it, wetting the powder.

This ever happen to anyone? I usually only use a little squirt of Dillon's case lube and shake 'em up in a big ziplock bag... but maybe I should be more careful not to get it around the case mouth/inside.

But DGR in the XD Tac worked just as well for this one!

rgeliske · 02-17-2007, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KYDoc

Yeah... it was pretty obvious b/c the brass didn't eject and if I cycled the slide, the next one wouldn't fully chamber. I would have had to force the next round in and somehow manhandle the slide into battery. Hard to go through all that without noticing. Fortunately the primer charge wasn't enough to cycle or send the bullet further down or it would be easier to KB.

I had one other squib since then, and when I ejected the casing, a hunk of unburnt/semiburnt powder flew out with it!

So maybe my loading technique wasn't totally at fault. The only thing I could think of is if I got a squirt of case lube directly into the case and loaded on top of it, wetting the powder.

This ever happen to anyone? I usually only use a little squirt of Dillon's case lube and shake 'em up in a big ziplock bag... but maybe I should be more careful not to get it around the case mouth/inside.

But DGR in the XD Tac worked just as well for this one!

Carbide dies no case lub needed. Best method for case lub if you must use it is to damped, not soak, a couple layers of paper towel (the heavy duty blue stuff works best) with case lub and roll a bunch of cases at a time across them. Then place them on a couple layer of dry towels. You don't have to through the damp towels away unless they get really dirty.

KYDoc · 02-17-2007, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rgeliske

Carbide dies no case lub needed.

That's what "they" say but they still recommend it. I compromise but doing a little light spritz. I think I'll set up a poll.

Your way just takes so long. but you're right.. it's hard to keep it out of the case mouth my way.

12-27-2006, 03:13 PM	#1
KYDoc XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 1,025	A new use for Don's Guide Rod! (Feel free to skip my experience if you wish) "Pfft." - no bullet. Slide didn't cycle. Damn. I know how the squib happened, too. I'm new to reloading, and I was working up light loads of titegroup. Fiddling with +/- 0.1 grains, I kept removing the cartridge, dumping/measuring the powder, and replacing the case in position 2 to re-charge it. Took a few charges each time I changed it to get it consistently where I wanted it. And I had obviously indexed it and set a 185 precision moly without charging a case. So there I was at the range, 1/2 hour from home. To make matters worse, I had taken the brass cleaning rod out of my range bag to leave it on my bench, since I've never used it at the range anyway. Screwdriver? Too short. Leatherman tool? Nope. All I had left were pliers, (helpful when I put DGR in backwards last month... I seem to be stuck on stupid) lots of mags, hmm... Nothing. Just the pen I was using to record my velocities. I could see the bullet in the barrel, about a quarter of the way in. I put a pen in the muzzle end and tapped it on the table where I was shooting. Didn't budge. Harder. Broke pen/ink everywhere. Damn. OK, time to pack up and go home. Or to lowes to get a wooden dowel in 40 calibers or less. All of a sudden, while I was reassembling and packing up, the setting sun sun glinted off the bright stainless steel beauty. There it was. The answer to my prayers, and my key to happiness. So I put DGR in the muzzle end. It touched the bullet and stuck out about an inch.... perfect. One slam on the table (using my other index finger to hold it in place until impact) and I was home free. Bullet out, reload, and back in the game! Can't do THAT with the stock recoil assembly! Thanks, Don!

02-13-2007, 09:53 AM	#6
jonny4523 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Lafayette, IN Posts: 1,913	Good think you noticed the bullet was in there before you shot another. We had a shooter a few months back who had a misfire. Probably a round without powder. Bullet got lodged and the shooter didn't think anything about the wierd sound that the gun made. So he keeps shooting. This is the result: The gun is one of our nicer Kimbers. __________________ -XD40 Service (Feb 2002) Springer Precision Carry Trigger, USPSA Production -Remington 870 Mag, 12g, my hunting companion -Thompson/Center Triumph (June 2007) -Ruger Mark II (Oct 2004) Gvt Comp Model -AR build (Sept 07 - May 08 ) Essential Arms lower, RRA LPK 2-stage NM trigger,RRA upper, Troy handguard, Troy BUIS NRA, USPSA #A60062 -If guns kill people, then spoons made Rosie O'Donnel fat! -When seconds count, the police are only minutes away

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12-27-2006, 04:11 PM	#2
slugger6 XDTalk 10K Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 17,886	Now that is an amazing tale!

02-12-2007, 04:27 PM	#3
rcsnpr XDTalk Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 72	Necessity is the Mother of invention!

02-12-2007, 04:49 PM	#4
puma85 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tennessee Posts: 143	better to undercharge, than to blow your hand off. just gotta be more observant as your reloading because the next one may not be a squib. so the dgr just went from a guide rod to a multiuse tool, don i think you need to pattent that

02-13-2007, 09:42 AM	#5
Collander XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Snohomish, WA Posts: 734	lol, well done!

02-16-2007, 02:43 PM	#7
KYDoc XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: The Bluegrass Posts: 1,025	Yeah... it was pretty obvious b/c the brass didn't eject and if I cycled the slide, the next one wouldn't fully chamber. I would have had to force the next round in and somehow manhandle the slide into battery. Hard to go through all that without noticing. Fortunately the primer charge wasn't enough to cycle or send the bullet further down or it would be easier to KB. I had one other squib since then, and when I ejected the casing, a hunk of unburnt/semiburnt powder flew out with it! So maybe my loading technique wasn't totally at fault. The only thing I could think of is if I got a squirt of case lube directly into the case and loaded on top of it, wetting the powder. This ever happen to anyone? I usually only use a little squirt of Dillon's case lube and shake 'em up in a big ziplock bag... but maybe I should be more careful not to get it around the case mouth/inside. But DGR in the XD Tac worked just as well for this one!