Ok so I've been reloading for roughly 2-3 years and have easily shot 2500 of my own loads with no issues what so ever. Today I go to the range and have not 1 but 2 squibs out of the first 10 rounds I shot. I know during my last reloading session I caught that the powder die had come loose in the reloader. I weighed a bunch of the rounds and found some on the light end of the spectrum and pulled them. My only guess is there were a few I didn't catch. Both of the rounds had barely left the chamber, but did have burnt powder on the backs of them, or at least seemed to as I'm not sure what a primer only ignition might do to the back of the bullet. The good news is that when I pulled the trigger and got the click I paid close attention to what had happened. The first one happened in my G26 I had fired about 6 shots then a click. I did a tap and rack and the new round didn't go fully into battery (thank God) so I dropped the mag and cleared the round and pulled the slide and low and behold I could see the ass of a bullet just past the chamber. So I calmly put that away and got out my XDM. Loaded about 10 rounds and every thing was fine. Loaded another 10 and after a few rounds hear the click. Dropped the mag and pulled the slide and yep there it was. The squib in the XDM wasn't as deep it couldn't have moved much more than 1/8". Man were they a bugger to get out once I got home. I bought a wooden dowel rod, but it broke on me, so after looking for something hard enough that was close enough to the barrel size I realized that my primer tube looked about right and used that and it worked well.
So I've spent the last 2 hours weighing all my rounds and pulling anything that was on the lower end of the average. I haven't found any empty rounds, only a few that were a few tenths lower than my target. So I guess I will just have to be extra vigilant with any malfunctions and see if I can keep track of the holes in the target. I have to admit I'm a bit spooked by it all.
As someone who is in the process of buying their first press, stories like this scare me. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad the first one didn't cause more issues than it did! Having one lodged halfway down the barrel and firing a round after is a nightmare none of us want to live
As someone who is in the process of buying their first press, stories like this scare me. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad the first one didn't cause more issues than it did! Having one lodged halfway down the barrel and firinig a round after is a nightmare none of us want to live
As someone who is in the process of buying their first press, stories like this scare me. Thanks for sharing. I'm glad the first one didn't cause more issues than it did! Having one lodged halfway down the barrel and firing a round after is a nightmare none of us want to live
yeah luckily neither got far enough down the barrel to allow a second round to chamber. I guarantee it will be a long time before I have a hang up or misfire without taking the barrel out for inspection afterward.
Maybe you weren't paying quite enough attention when you got the click, it had to be more than just a click or the bullet would not have left the case. That is a good reason to pay more attention when running your progressive loader too.
damn you dodged that one. Glad to hear.
Super dangerous stuff going on there.
some Folks may disagree with my time consuming method, but I charge every case by hand, dropped by a hopper and verified by a scale, kind of redundant, and extremely Time consuming, but I never experience things like this. (h€ll I disagree w/ it almost, but want to avoid this)
Once I developed a rhythm of dropping the powder, weighing and putting it in the case w/ funnel, there really isn't a great difference in the amount of time to load vs blowing my hand off. I fill up a loading tray with cases, complete one step, then move to the next . complete a batch and start again.
Once I switch to a progressive setup, (better be the Dillon 450 or 650, and soon!!) I will have to overcome my phobia of doing this check and recheck method or the whole point or the progressive will be missed . I just can't see only checking every 3rd or5th or God forbid 10th round :shock:
**********There is a die called a POWDER COP. It stops the press from rotating upon detecting a light or no charge. it does nothing for overcharges though.
I will cross that road when I get there . Don't let this spook you away from loading, just be thankful you learned an expensive lesson for free and don't forget it.
A couple of tenths light wouldn't cause a bullet to lodge In the barrel. I have a feeling those were super light charges, if not just primers.
yeah I bought a powder cop after my last session so that things like this have even less of a chance to happen. I'm fairly sure that what happened is that the powder drop had backed out enough that it only did a half charge, I can assure you I won't load another round without using that powder cop die and even then I'll be checking weights for a while to come. I typically do a check every 10-20 rounds, but without something there to check every round, well we all see what can happen.
Basically what happened is a round fired (or so I thought) aka big bang then click. The click is because there wasn't enough force to eject the spent case from the bad round. So on the first one i heard click and just out of procedural habit I racked the slide. That then ejected the spent case and tried to chamber a new round which luckily wouldn't fit because the bullet hadn't gone very far into the barrel from the chamber. The second one was similar, other than this time I expected that the same had happened so I didn't try to chamber a new round I just dropped the mag and took the slide off to inspect the barrel. Very scary stuff just glad it didn't end in a kaboom.
Unfortunately weighing completed rounds is not reliable. I've seen 230 gr bullets vary by 1-2 gr and, if you are using mixed brass, the case can easily vary by 2-3. 4-5 grains of powder can be hard to detect.
Whether Im using single stage or my 550s, the only potentially foolproof method I've found is to look in every case before seating the bullet and to avoid any distractions while loading.
I have attached a cheapo LED flashlight with an articulating neck to my powder canister with cable ties...it shines directly into the case...I position my stool so that I can look directly into every case when it leaves the Powder Drop
Additionally, I pull every 5th round and weigh the charge (no exceptions) to make absolutely sure I do not get an over or under charged round
I am truthfully glad you were able to learn something from this whole thing @Andy_PHA without injury to anything but your pride--and also for sharing it with us as a reminder of why we take all the extra time and effort to make sure our handloads are top tier
Moral of the Story here: When in doubt, pull em out...if there is any doubt in your mind, pull the slugs and start again...
As Rod notes, weighing loaded rds, looking for a 4-5gr powder charge, is useless. Yes powder check dies help, but still a piece of equip that can go wrong & still give you an uncharged case.
All this is avoided by paying scrupulous attention to your charged case prior to seating the bullet. Turret, ss or progressive, you just have to look inside the case. The only time I rely on my powder cop die is for my 223 on the 550. I can't see the dark ball powder & let the cop check it.
As noted, a squib is readily detectable, especially if you wear elec hearing, highly recommended. I catch 4-5 guys a year while SO at my Idpa club. It goes "pop" instead of bang. I keep a steel or brass rod in my range bag, about 8" long, clears any reasonable length bbl. In more than 150k rds, never had a squib or dbl charge. You just have to pay attention, resist becoming a handle puller.
I've been reloading on single stage presses since 1978. I don't mind the time, I enjoy reloading.
Anyway, I use empty plastic shell trays from pistol ammo boxes (except for 9MM, which are too short). I drop the powder in 50 rounds, take a small mag light and shine down inside the cases to insure each has powder and the amount looks similar. Any that look different, get weighed. Seldom is one out but that way I get my 5 or so random weight checks per box.
Never had a squib. Glad you didn't damage your gun or yourself.
Is there anyway you can rig up a small bright light that shines down into your cases to keep a visual on whether or not they have powder in them?
I think Hornady started selling a relatively cheap led lighting kit I need to check Amazon and pick something up. I have a shop light over my bench, but still not enough to really see inside the case. This certainly has woken me up to some of the fine details that become complacent after a time.
It's good to air this stuff out. I will probably wind up pulling quite a few rounds as I'm nervous as hell now. I know weighing the finished rounds isn't a fool proof method at all just a way to give myself some false sense of security. Basically anything that is 190gr and over I feel completely sure about, and anything under will likely get pulled. Even though I mostly use the same head stamped brass even within those I've seen some pretty big discrepancies in case weight so certainly not a scientific way to judge. Live and learn, with emphasis on the live in this case.
False senses of security has no room in loading ammunition. You will hurt yourself or worse someone else. Just learn from it and take extra care from here on.
Feelings, unless you are a Jedi, will get you Injured or dead
This. I'm normally OCD in my daily life, and it goes to another level when I'm rolling. But knowing in your gut that the ammo you rolled is safe is priceless.
Is the cause of a squib an improper amount of powder? Noob question I know but I'm curious if it can be caused by an improperly seated or crimped bullet with the correct amount of powder?
Ok so I've been reloading for roughly 2-3 years and have easily shot 2500 of my own loads with no issues what so ever. I have to admit I'm a bit spooked by it all.
With that many reloaded rounds under your belt, you're becoming complacent. ALWAYS inspect the case VISUALLY for a powder charge. An empty case is easier to see than a double charge, but the more you reload of a certain round, the more you will recognize the "proper" powder amount. NEVER rely on powder charge detectors or other warning devices - use your eyes. If your powder drop is automatic, you might want to check your press to see WHY you had empty cases.
I'm pretty sure that what the OP was experiencing was a "primer only" discharge. The primer will have enough force to propel the bullet out of the case and just into the lands, but that's about it. Even a couple grains of powder will give the bullet enough energy to leave the barrel if it ignites. The loose powder measure certainly can account for not only a wide variance in powder drop, but ultimately sometimes no powder drop at all if it is loose enough. The "Powder Cop" is, I suppose, a relatively inexpensive backup to sight line views into the case, but actually looking into every case as it passes from the powder station is the real solution. So to all of you who reload, if the light you have now is not sufficient then you need more. See and know what is in there. There is no substitute for knowing.
And, like Fred, as most of us who have "range bags" and who reload will tell you, it is best to have a "range rod" made of brass of appropriate diameter to fit into the barrel of your gun and a small hammer so as to remove any bullet that may become lodged into the barrel. They are also useful to remove a stuck round that is "Glocked" or otherwise oversize and sticks in the chamber. Brownell sells such rods usually in long enough lengths so that they may be cut to a more suitable length and carried to the range, leaving another for the home bench as well. I recommend a brass rod because it is softer than steel and will not mar the interior of your barrel as some steel rods might. You spent a good bit of money to buy a gun and reloading equipment and supplies... a range rod is one of those accessories that is a MUST to have in your kit. It can change a wasted trip to a pleasant day at the range with the exception of the one faulty round.
it was likely just a tiny like 1gr or less of powder. I only say this because both bullets had what looked like caked up powder on the back of them. I've never seen this before so maybe that is from only the primer? Either way the problem was that my powder die had come loose from the press. Hornady has these locking cam inserts for the press and they can and do walk on you after a while. So in the midst of all that these rounds either made it past before I noticed it. The moral of the story is that I have not been inspecting them the proper way, and this is why I posted this story. I now see that I've been lucky that this happened before, and very lucky that I didn't loose a gun or two in the process. Also it points out to others that they may be doing it wrong as well, or for new guys to see what they should be doing. If anyone needs me I'll be in the basement pulling 300 or so rounds and starting over with this batch to insure I'm safe!
First, I'm glad no one got hurt. Second, I'm glad you were smart enough to stop and check your gun. Third, I'm glad you decided to break down the remaining loads. Fourth, I'm glad no one has flamed you yet for what was an honest mistake.
Heck, I'm just glad for you!
I have squibbed a shotshell before when I reloaded a range pickup that I "thought" was dry. It was not dry, and I was left with shot visibly puffing out the barrel (so said my squad mates) and a wad in the bore. I pulled a factory box out after ejecting the wad and finished the line, then broke down the rest of the "poofer" box. The poofers had three shells with powder mud-caked into the primer area; they were disassembled and trashed.
Always check after an off-sounding round, always! And don't load wet shotshells!
you know what's odd is that neither of the loads sounded off to me. I know 100 people will tell me that's not possible, but given that I had just fired 100 rounds of .357sig and then started shooting 9mm they all sounded like I was shooting 22LR in comparison.
If you do NOT wear elec hearing, it will be more diff to hear the pop, sounds like a muffled cap gun. I doubt there was any powder in it. The scorching can be from a primer alone.
I've had squibs, after a number of them, I put a light that shines right into the powder before I place the bullet on the case. Those book reading lights work good as they are small and the light don't shine in your eyes. I always keep and hammer and rod in my shooting bag. You will find most old timers do the same.
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