Squib Load!! Disaster avoided - story at 10:00!

[Charles L. Cotton]

Well, this won't make the evening news, but I hope it is read by a lot of people in our community. It really stinks having to admit your failures in front of 2 or 3 thousand of your closest friends, especially in an election year, but . . .

I have a customized Springfield 1911 in 38 Super, with a ramped Briley barrel. I've shot different loads in it, but my current load of choice uses a 125 gr. Precision bullet running at 1100 fps. I also keep it loaded in the safe with 9X23's (125 gr. Gold Dot HP's) running close to 1500 fps. My wife and I went to the range today to practice and spent most of our time on our .45 ACPs. I brought the .38 Super to let her try it (that'll cost me some money) and when she tried to charge the pistol, it wouldn't go into battery. In fact, it was close to 1/8" out of battery!

I tried a few more rounds with the same result. I was surprised and more than a little irritated, since I had some problems getting the seating depth the way I like it when I switched to the Precision Bullets. Almost on a lark, I locked the slide back, stuck my finger in the ejection port and looked down the barrel. You guessed it, no light at all; just an ominous black hole. My heart sank. I had handed my lovely wife a pistol with a squib in the barrel. Thank the Lord (I mean that literally) the bullet was so close to the chamber that it wouldn't go into battery. If it had, things could have gotten exciting.

I had a squib in a 45 ACP during a match several years ago and all it did was ring the barrel. It fired just fine after pushing the 230 gr. FMJ out of the barrel. In fact, I didn't even know it had happened until I got home and cleaned the gun. I then realized what had happened during the match. A 230 gr. .45 act at about 850 fps generates about 17,500 C.U.P. A .38 Super, 125 gr. at 1100 fps generates about 22,500 C.U.P. Would the .38 Super have ruptured the barrel with that pressure? I really don't know and I don't want to find out. The .38 Supers that give the shooter a case of "Super Face" are running much hotter with tremendously high chamber pressures, but my wife would have found herself somewhere between "Super Face" and a ringed barrel. What really scares me is the thought that the pistol could have been used in a self-defense shooting at home, albeit highly unlikely. If it was, feeding a 9X23 round at 52,000 C.U.P. into a plugged barrel would have been a disaster.

As noted in the introduction to the Never Again sub-forum, pilots are taught that very few accidents or incidents are the result of a single failure, either the pilot's or mechanical. Most are the result of a chain of events and breaking even one link in that chain would have avoided the tragedy. This particular squid load is no exception.

The disaster chain actually began before the prior range session. It began in my reloading room when I was trying to get the proper seating depth. Apparently, I didn't completely clear the Dillon shell plate and work with only one test round. That's link number one. It's also apparent that I must have short-stroked the handle allowing the shell plate to index without dumping any powder in the case. That's link number 2. I also missed the stage 3 visual check I normally do, probably because I was concentrating on the seating die.; link number 3.

The last time this gun was fired, we had a number of people shooting with us. I really don't remember if I was the last person to shoot it or not. In all honesty, I can't imagine that I would fire a squib and not notice it, but it's certainly possible. (This had to be a primer-only squib, for the bullet to be so close to the chamber.) So there's the forth link in the disaster chain; someone fired a squib and didn't recognize the possibility and check the barrel. The fifth link was the fact that I didn't clean the gun before the next range session. I usually don't clean "range guns" after every session; that's why I have dedicated "range guns." Cleaning it would have discovered the problem. The sixth and final link in the chain was not checking the barrel to insure it was clear before shooting. Now I have to be candid, until today, that has not been part of my regular routine. I do a systems check to be sure the pistol is charged and the magazine is full, but I don't check the barrel for "clear." I will from now on.

So there you have it folks. With the Lord's intervention, the only thing that happened was an embarrassing moment and the creation of a lesson to tell others. However, if that squib and pushed the bullet just 1/8" further into the barrel, perhaps less, then the lesson could have been one that ended in a tragedy.

So what's the moral of this story? I guess there are a few. First, be sure to clear the shell plate when doing any readjusting of any die. Secondly, be sure to check for "barrel clear" after anyone shoots your pistol, including you! Third, add a check for "barrel clear" to your systems check. The last one is probably over-kill, but so what. A little extra time taken in the name of safety could hardly be considered wasted.

Thanks for reading and please pass this lesson along.

Chas.

[Target1911]

WOW......just WOW....

[DMG]

Charles: Sure glad that the story has a happy ending! DMG.

[308nato]

Thanks for sharing .
that will make me do a little extra checking evan tho I havent had any squib loads yet.
This is the reason I joined this site to learn from others.

[Dan20703]

A real eye opener for everyone!

I will add this routine to my shooting thanks to this post.

[elwood blooz]

Thank the Lord it was just an embarassing moment. Thanks for the lesson Chas.

[Rokyudai]

Shivers...pure shivers. Thanks for reinforcing one of my inspection points! Not an easy thing to do mid-match though. Glad to hear that no one was injured.

[M9FAN]

A real eye opener for everyone!

I will add this routine to my shooting thanks to this post.

+1

[Kyle(Houston)]

Charles: Sure glad that the story has a happy ending! DMG.

Thanks for the sharing. I will be sure to check my barrels from now on.

[BobCat]

Charles,

Thanks for sharing - you probably saved someone from serious consequences by pointing out what can go wrong, and that it can happen to even the very experienced and capable.

Checking the bore (and getting the lint out - no more open-muzzle holsters for me!) is easily accomplished with something called a patchworm - http://patchworm.com/ - which is nothing but a length of weed-eater plastic string with a sharp point (to go through the patch) on one end, and a piece of plastic tubing on the other (to hold the patch). If you buy one it comes with plugs suitable for various calibers, but even without the proper plug, it will pull a patch through from the breech (with the slide locked back) - verifying an unobstructed bore.

I'm not selling these things - my brother sent me one for my rifle and I use it and like it, and I made a short one for pistols - just passing along a small tidbit.

Thanks again, shoot well, and stay safe!

Regards,
Andrew

[lawrnk]

Didn't a squib kill Bruce Lee's son?
Sure am glad you had a happy ending Chas!

[lawrnk]

I'd sure like more info on this. Being a beginner in firearms, it would seem plenty of situations would make avoidance of a squib injury/hardware damage unavoidable? Say a double tap with the first shot being a squib? Newbie question, but just trying to learn more about this.

[BobCat]

Yes, in principle a fast double tap with the first round a "squib" could be a nightmare - but a "primer-only" load would probably not cycle the action, so there would be no fresh round chambered, no problem. In a revolver this would not be the case - unless the bullet stuck in the forcing cone and tied up the cylinder.

If you are indeed a beginner, you might find it worthwhile to focus and concentrate on each shot. This is not the way to score well in action pistol matches but it will pay off in the long run. A low-powered round will feel quite different from a normal round, giving you time to stop and evaluate.

[dihappy]

Thank you Charles

Romans 8:28

[bryang]

Thanks, Charles, for sharing this with us. This is one of the reasons I believe this forum is so dynamic and educational. This will be something I will add to my check list, also. Thank you, Charles, and thank the Lord for being there with you and keeping you and your wife safe.