WWB squib!

[NcongruNt]

So I went and jinxed myself the other day, stating that I had never had any kind of misfeed or failure with my Hi-Power in another thread. Murphy decided to visit me during the next range session.

I was shooting out of a new bulk box of WWB 115gr ammo on Saturday, and was running through some moving/shooting rapid fire drills. In the middle of one, the hammer dropped and then things didn't seem quite right. I looked at the hammer, and it was still down. While I've never had a failure to fire with this gun, it has happened on others, so I manually cocked and tried again. Nothing. I pulled open the slide to inspect the chamber, and a casing ejected. I noticed powder grains littering the action, so immediately pulled the mag, took the gun over to the bench and stripped it down. Sure enough, my fears were realized and there was a bullet stuck in the barrel just ahead of the chamber. Apparently the primer had gone off but the powder failed to ignite, putting just enough force on the bullet to get it stuck in the barrel. The action partially cycled, but not with enough force to eject the casing or load a new round. Thank God!

I immediately realized the folly of leaving my cleaning kit at home that day, and went around asking folks if they had anything I could use to knock the bullet out. No one did, so I cut my session short and headed home, stopping by at Home Depot on the way, getting some cheap 2x4 and a wooden dowel to make a proper de-squibbing tool. Since they apparently don't carry 5/16" oak dowels, I opted for a 3/8" dowel, and sanded it down with my orbital sander to proper size. I cut it to about 7", stuck an empty 9mm casing over the end, put the chamber end down on the 2x4, and knocked the bullet out within about 4 strikes of the hammer on the spent casing. The barrel looked good, so I inspected and cleaned the rest of the gun - everything seemed to function nicely, as expected.

I learned some things from my experience:

This confirms for me my suspicion that WWB quality has been on the decline in the past year or so. I've noticed a decrease in quality and consistency since I started shooting, but thought perhaps it was just my own improving abilities to sense the nuances between rounds (as my experience as a shooter builds). Perhaps it is that in part, but I've simply noticed that WWB doesn't' perform as well as it used to. I'm undecided as to whether I'm going to shoot the rest of my WWB stock right now. I'm not sure whether or not I should contact Winchester about the problem at this point.

Carrying a BUG is a good idea. Had this happened in a firefight (however unlikely with quality carry ammo), there would have been no way to clear this kind of problem. I'm going to feel naked while my LCP is out for refurb.

I'm going to always carry my cleaning kit with me to the range from now on. Normally I do, but I opted not to this past trip, as it was supposed to be a short trip, just shooting a couple guns.

Having a de-squibbing tool is quite useful. Mine is going to stay in my cleaning kit from now on, and will make the trip to the range every time.


Anyone else had WWB squib on them like this?

[Oldgringo]

Been there and done that with an uncharged reload. Thankfully , the primer didn't drive the bullet down the barrel so far as to make a difficult chore of removal. More thankfully, the gun didn't recycle and send a second bullet down the tube.

You gotta' always pay attention. If it doesn't go BANG, something's wrong?

[Chemist45]

In the middle of one, the hammer dropped and then things didn't seem quite right.

Congratulations! When something didn't seem right you stopped.
I can't tell you how many people brought broken guns with bulged barrels into the shop I used to work at and said
"I felt something wasn't right, but I kept shooting anyway."
Always stop and check if something doesn't feel, sound, smell, or seem right.

[HankB]

By all means, WRITE TO WINCHESTER and let them know what happened - give them all the particulars about the ammo, including the lot number.

Let us know what happens. Years ago, they replaced a case of 10/22s I'd bought which was averaging 3-5 duds per box of 50. (The replacements weren't duds . . . but I found that my S&W M41 didn't like T22s any more. )

[flb_78]

I wouldn't shoot em if I were you.

Tell ya what...I'll take em off your hands and dispose of them properly!!!!

Out of the thousands and thousands of rounds they produce every day, there's bound to be 1 or 2 bad ones once in a while.

[bryang]

Thanks for sharing this very important information. I have not had a squid happen...thank the Lord, and thank you for sharing your experience in detail.

-geo

[NcongruNt]

By all means, WRITE TO WINCHESTER and let them know what happened - give them all the particulars about the ammo, including the lot number.

Let us know what happens. Years ago, they replaced a case of 10/22s I'd bought which was averaging 3-5 duds per box of 50. (The replacements weren't duds . . . but I found that my S&W M41 didn't like T22s any more. )

So.... my next question is - do you know how to get a hold of them? Short of actually snail-mailing them, I can't find a way to contact them. It's as if they don't want to be contacted.

[Excaliber]

Having a de-squibbing tool is quite useful. Mine is going to stay in my cleaning kit from now on, and will make the trip to the range every time.

You might take a look at a tool that Mas Ayoob designed for this exact purpose quite some years ago. He called it a dejammer. It works, and doubles as a kubotan style self defense tool.

[iratollah]

Did you buy this ammo at Academy through their Black Friday Special? I've read about an inordinate number of FTFs with the WWB 9mm ammo in the Taurus PT111s they sold at bargain basement prices that day. Don't know if it's the gun (probably) or the ammo. Just curious if there's a connection.

[kalipsocs]

This has been an issue that was supposed to be fixed some time ago. Both 9mm and .380 have come from the factory with squibs which has caused bulged barrels and when confronted, Winchester would either not pay for the replacement of the barrels or partially cover the repair until such and such date...to which people got the letter AFTER the posted date. This was aggregated by VP of Eagle Imports as I had a bulged barrel with Remington in my Bersa .380 and he was giving me insight. It was a huge fiasco that kept my gun out of order for 6 mos. and keep me from ever buying another Bersa product thanks to Colorado Gun Works poor, poor, poor customer service. But I digress....

Anyway, this little blurb was enough to keep me from ever shooting the stuff after I heard about it. Oh and in case you were wondering Remington inspected the rest of the ammo I sent back and even though did not find any others in the batch said they would cover the complete cost of the replacement....all $16 of it . But very stand up and I shoot lots of Remington because of it.

[RiverRat]

P;ease let us know how the contact goes. We shoot alot of WWB at my house. Thanks

[NcongruNt]

Did you buy this ammo at Academy through their Black Friday Special? I've read about an inordinate number of FTFs with the WWB 9mm ammo in the Taurus PT111s they sold at bargain basement prices that day. Don't know if it's the gun (probably) or the ammo. Just curious if there's a connection.

I don't recall offhand where I got it, but it would have been either Academy, Cabela's, or Wal-Mart. I doubt it was Cabela's, as it's MORE expensive per round to buy the bulk packs there than it is to buy the normal boxes of 50 there. I only really go to Wal-Mart if I'm out of town and don't know where else to buy ammo, so it was most likely at Academy. I believe I purchased this ammo a little while before Black Friday, and it's just been sitting in my ammo case waiting to get shot.

Please let us know how the contact goes. We shoot alot of WWB at my house. Thanks

As soon as I get around to buying some stamps and composing and printing out a letter to them, I'll get to wait and see if I get a response. I'll let you know.

[subsonic]

When I buy cheap ammo, I assume quality control is one of the areas they're cutting costs. I plink with 500/550 round bulkpack 22LR and I occasionally get rounds that sound and feel underpowered, but never had a round stuck in the barrel. (Knock wood!) The Winchester and Remington bulkpack is also not as accurate as my CCI hunting ammo, but at 1/3 to 1/2 the cost I'm willing to deal with the shortcomings.