Do not have moments of stupidity as I did today. Squib

Charlie

Charlie

Member
Life Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2016
Messages
4,599
Location
Oak Island
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
1. Do not shoot reloads made by someone else that you do not know enough to trust with your wellbeing.
2. Be very aware of unusual activity that may indicate a squib.

Moron here violated both 1 and 2 today and bulged a barrel. I hope that is all the damage I did to my Lightyweight Commander.

I had been shooting several pistols with my reloads and also had about a dozen that I had gotten from my cousin's late father. I had pulled all the others I had gotten from him. They were shooting well until one was a squib. They were fairly light loads that barely cycled the action so I did not think much of it when one did not. I cycled the action manually and had the next round lock the pistol up tight. I finally got it apart and saw that the barrel was bulged enough to keep the bushing from going as far back as it should. There was no bullet remaining in the barrel. My Gump moment will cost me some money but did not cause any injuries.PXL_20210203_221708325.jpg
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20210203_221819050.jpg
    PXL_20210203_221819050.jpg
    82.1 KB · Views: 96
  • PXL_20210203_221920451.jpg
    PXL_20210203_221920451.jpg
    45.2 KB · Views: 94
  • PXL_20210203_222044777.jpg
    PXL_20210203_222044777.jpg
    61.7 KB · Views: 95
Wow! I have "rarely" shot anyone's reloads. I have a couple times, though I trusted these folks wholeheartedly. They were very close friends and were anything but a novice when it came to reloading. Matter of fact, I ask them many questions about reloading and I have reloaded for years myself. Glad ya had no injuries, and are safe. Good posts for members to consider.
 
Very glad the barrel was the only damage! Thanks for sharing the reminder.
I only shoot my own reloads, and even then, I'm scrutinizing every shot before the next.
 
I was in the heat of a bowling pin match once and did that. Lemme tell you 2 pieces of 230 ball will do 2 things...knock the crap outta a bowling pin and split a barrel from the muzzle to the locking lugs. Bring it over here and we'll stick a barrel in it right quick and see what it does.

Ima bet shoot right away!!!
 
I don’t know anything about reloading. What error would someone have to make to cause something like that?
 
Glad you’re all right man! Undoubtedly would’ve been a different story if the loads weren’t as light as they were !!
 
Glad you are ok. Many of us have had moments like that where warning signs are missed whether they are admitted or not.
 
Could’ve been a whole lot worse. A barrel is cheap. Medical bills, not so much.
 
The old fellow, if I remember correctly, was a bullseye shooter after his active service in the Marines and was a meticulous loader tailoring loads to his individual pistols. I feel that these loads were just strong enough to function is his pistol 100% but not strong enough to be reliable in this particular pistol of mine. The bullet evidently stuck about a inch from the end of the barrel and was then blown out by the next round.PXL_20210204_000718301.jpg
 
ulflyer said:
I'll be the dummy; I don't understand how the barrrel got bulged?
Click to expand...
A hand loaded round was very light, likely only the primer. This became a 'squib', wherein the underpowered round didn't have enout force to push the bullet out the barrel, leaving it lodged inside as an obstruction.

When the next round fired, the air in the barrel between the bullet in the chamber and the obstruction compressed, causing serious overpressure and warping the barrel around the area where the back of the obstruction was. The bullet going out the barrel then struck the obstruction, knocking it out, likely causing shards of lead and copper to go everywhere.
 
Last edited:
Yipe. Glad you weren't hurt and the "tuition cost" is likely to be low-ish.

Thanks for posting your experience; it's a great safety reminder that we all need to hear from time to time.
 
The best I can determine is that the bullet was a 200 grain lead SWC, and the powder charge, if there was any powder at all in that round, was about 3 grains of what appears to be Bullseye. Perhaps, as BOB suggested, there was only the primer.
 
I would guess less than 3 grains of Bullseye... mebbe 1 or 2.

The next round might have had 3 grains of Bullseye, which was able to send both bullets out of the barrel.
 
Last edited:
The really interesting ones are the ones that leave a bullet and DO cycle the action.

Yes, that can happen.

The bulge is the norm with carbon steel barrels. Bulge and split 180 degrees apart with stainless barrels...usually at 9 and 3.

There is no other damage. A new barrel will set it right.
 
pinkbunny said:
When the next round fired, the air in the barrel between the bullet in the chamber and the obstruction compressed, causing serious overpressure and warping the barrel around the area where the back of the obstruction was.
Click to expand...

Bingo. The compressed plug of air becomes superheated, much like a diesel engine only more extreme. The heat anneals the barrel steel in one spot and there you are.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
I was in the heat of a bowling pin match once and did that. Lemme tell you 2 pieces of 230 ball will do 2 things...knock the crap outta a bowling pin and split a barrel from the muzzle to the locking lugs. Bring it over here and we'll stick a barrel in it right quick and see what it does.

Ima bet shoot right away!!!
Click to expand...
I did the same thing with some of MY reloads. The only thing I can think of is that I got distracted and missed powdering one. It locked the gun up tight and split the barrel longways into 5 pieces. When I got it out and pieced it back together, you could see the bulge in the middle where one bullet stopped and the next shoved it out! I put a new barrel in it but it was never as accurate again. Luckily, it was a 1911. If it had been a plastic gun things might have been different. I’ve still got that old piece of barrel around here somewhere.
 
Last edited:
pinkbunny said:
A hand loaded round was very light, likely only the primer. This became a 'squib', wherein the underpowered round didn't have enout force to push the bullet out the barrel, leaving it lodged inside as an obstruction.

When the next round fired, the air in the barrel between the bullet in the chamber and the obstruction compressed, causing serious overpressure and warping the barrel around the area where the back of the obstruction was. The bullet going out the barrel then struck the obstruction, knocking it out, likely causing shards of lead and copper to go everywhere.
Click to expand...
I doubt it was just a primer. Primers with no powder usually don't even unseat the bullet.
 
Lucky to have not been worse for sure. Glad all was well except for more money.
 
Well, lucky you. Glad it wasn't worse.
 
georgel said:
Yeah, that should buff right out. :p
Click to expand...
I could get a bushing large enough to pass over the bulge. I wonder if it would affect the accuracy of the pistol? Perhaps I could use one of my Series 70 bushings with the fingers. They might be able to pass over the bulge. I do have a full size barrel in a clunker someone gave me. I wonder how a Commander would look and function with a Government-length barrel. I could saw it to the proper length if it looked too ugly. Oh, the possibilities.


Nah. I think I will wait on the new barrel.😄
 
Last edited:
Just hammer the bushing over it and swage the barrel back down to size. The bushing might give first, but either way, it'll fit when your done. :D
 
Triggernosis said:
I doubt it was just a primer. Primers with no powder usually don't even unseat the bullet.
Click to expand...
Um. Nope. At least not in my case! (nyuck, nyuck)

125gr .357 (.38 spec. case) in a 2" bbl. Made it partway down the bbl; fortunately, I recognized something was wrong before I pulled the trigger again.
 
I fitted a new barrel. That was educational. I will try it tomorrow. I hope my new name will not be Lefty.
 
A man I used to work with asked me if I could repair a Remington 1100 that his son had an accident with. No one got hurt thankfully. I keep this Barrel on my " Wall
of Near Tragedy " as a reminder to check for obstructions. 20210210_121738.jpg
 
I still have all my body parts after trying the new barrel. It shot quite well.

I played 1911 today taking 8 pistols with me to do some testing. I was quite amazed at the differences among the different pistols. I had 3 Colts, 3 Springfields, one Kimber and one Ruger. I do not yet have any of the upper tier pistols. Perhaps some day. The Springfields outshot the others. I had the hardest time hitting the target with Colt Competition models in 45 Auto and 9mm Luger. I think it may be the sights. I have replaced the rear sights to be the same on the Colts and Springfields I was shooting, but the Colts have a fiber optic front sight while the Springfields have a wide square post front sight. Perhaps I have not shot those Colts enough to know exactly where to hold them on the target. I can fix that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom