It finally happened!

[bigjason6]

Well, it finally happened to me... After about 750 perfect cast boolit loads I finally popped off my first squib... I managed to get the boolit dislodged from the barrel using a drift punch and a plastic mallet. But of course I didn't have the tools with me at the range so my day was over.

Before you all smash me for using a metal drift punch for knocking the boolit out... Are there any other tools i should have used? After I got it out I carefully inspected the barrel for scratches or other damage. There was no damage except for on the head of the boolit. Thanks!

[Doby45]

The "proper" way is with a brass or aluminum punch. I just use an oak dowel and now wait and you will hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth..

[leftiye]

So long as you don't damage the barrel, what's the diff. I'd say brass rod.

[lwknight]

I have heard that using a wooden dowel can be risky because it could break and overlap like 2 wedges in the bore then you will play the devil getting it out.

[crabo]

You can use a steel or brass rod. Just put a slight bevel on the ends of the rod. A couple rounds of electrical tape, close to the ends, and in the middle will help center it if you are using a small rod in a big barrel.

[44man]

Of interest is what caliber, what powder, what primer.
Did you forget the powder or did it fail to light?
What loading machine? Did it fail to dump powder and dump more in the next case? Do you have a double charge waiting to get shot?

[bigjason6]

Of interest is what caliber, what powder, what primer.
Did you forget the powder or did it fail to light?
What loading machine? Did it fail to dump powder and dump more in the next case? Do you have a double charge waiting to get shot?

Ok, here's the rundown. .40sw, 175gr TC cast boolit, cci small pistol primer, 5.7gr of alliant unique powder. The press I'm using is a hornady lnl ap. I'm pretty sure what happened is I short stroked the handle on the last case going through the plate skipping the powder thrower.

[44man]

Ok, here's the rundown. .40sw, 175gr TC cast boolit, cci small pistol primer, 5.7gr of alliant unique powder. The press I'm using is a hornady lnl ap. I'm pretty sure what happened is I short stroked the handle on the last case going through the plate skipping the powder thrower.
Makes me feel better.
I was worried about a powder bridge and a double charge.

[Char-Gar]

I don't care what you use to get the bullet out, but I do wish you would learn something from the experience about how you are loading you ammo. Squibs are not a necessary part of reloading.

[44man]

I don't care what you use to get the bullet out, but I do wish you would learn something from the experience about how you are loading you ammo. Squibs are not a necessary part of reloading.
That is true. But I can forgive a squib, never shooting another behind it or not catching a double charge.
I have a friend that loads one round at a time on a single stage. Twice he forgot powder, the first time blew up a Ruger .41 when he shot another and the second he caught so I could remove the boolit.
Loading ammo is not a game! It is as serious as you can get.
I use a loading block and inspect every single case for the right powder and a second and even a third time.
I will not own one of those time savers. I bought a Lee progressive for small calibers and stripped out the auto advance right away. No powder measure will ever go on my press, I use a Redding BR measure and a block. Stick powders get weighed.
I am old, set in my ways and twice as old as many here but it has held me in stead all my life without a single accident from my loading.
The ONLY stuck boolits I ever had was when I worked starting loads for a friends .454 and slow powder but I knew what to watch for. I had a brass rod available. Another story you all know. :drinks:
Charger, how do we explain just how serious it is?

[Az Rick]

I am the same way. I use two 50 round loading blocks. I charge each case in the block and then hold it under a light, looking into each case, row by row, doesn't take but a few seconds. They should all look the same, I randomly pick out three or four and weigh them on my scale. If all checks out they get boolits.

Best, Rick

[williamwaco]

Before you all smash me for using a metal drift punch for knocking the boolit out... Are there any other tools i should have used?

Thanks!


I am not going to fault you at all for that.

I have a high tech device I use for that purpose. The "Waco Universal Range Obstruction Extractor".

My tool is a 12" long piece of a bronze welding rod aproximately 5/16" in diameter. I rounded both ends to elimnate any unevenness or burrs.

I have removed way more stuck bullets and unejectable fired cases than I will ever admit. I have never damaged a bore or a cylinder.

This device resides in my shooting kit. It is never removed from the bag and it is never used for any other purpose. And the shooting kit resides in the trunk of my car. I NEVER go to the range without it.

[garym1a2]

I have this happened with my 1911 45acp. I just broke the gun down. dropped a 38special case down the barrel and a long steel object inside the brass case. Next time get a wood dowl the correct size almost the same size as the barrel. Just tap it out. Not too hard and the dowl will not break or get stuck.
Loading a lot for my 9mm and the 45acp. If case is not ejected when shooting than I check the barrel. when firing on a dud the primer went off and their was no powder in the case. Not even recoil. My rule of tumb is if round does not function normal and have good recoil check the barrellel.

[KYCaster]

Ok, here's the rundown. .40sw, 175gr TC cast boolit, cci small pistol primer, 5.7gr of alliant unique powder. The press I'm using is a hornady lnl ap. I'm pretty sure what happened is I short stroked the handle on the last case going through the plate skipping the powder thrower.

If you short stroked the handle enough to skip the powder charge then the round ahead of it didn't get seated to the correct depth and the round ahead of that one didn't get crimped.

If you can't find those two rounds, I'd dump the whole batch in the recycle bin and get out the boolit puller.

Jerry

[bigjason6]

If you short stroked the handle enough to skip the powder charge then the round ahead of it didn't get seated to the correct depth and the round ahead of that one didn't get crimped.

If you can't find those two rounds, I'd dump the whole batch in the recycle bin and get out the boolit puller.

Jerry

What I did was I weighed each round I made against a perfectly loaded round on an electronic scale. I was looking for an unusually heavy round that would indicate a double charge.

[303Guy]

I was looking for an unusually heavy round that would indicate a double charge.I did that once, only I was looking for a powderless load. I found it and pulled it, only then did I shoot off the rest.

From reading here, I have adopted the procedure to never pich up a case from the tray without shining a tight into it first and seeing the powder charge. No case goes into the tray mouth up without powder and no powdered case doesn not get placed in the tray. I've made it a habit and I don't make exceptions.

[maglvr]

I weigh EVERY charge that goes into my cases(I never do more than 50 rounds), and once the block is full, visually inspect the cases by row.
I couldn't be paid to do it any other way!
My press is a ancient C-H, single stage and suits my needs perfectly.
I wouldn't take any progressive for free.

[MikeS]

I don't care what you use to get the bullet out, but I do wish you would learn something from the experience about how you are loading you ammo. Squibs are not a necessary part of reloading.

I agree 100%. I had one squib load, and that was one too many! Since then I always check each case to make sure there is powder in it before I place a boolit on it. I use a Lyman Turret press, and Lyman Accumeasure powder measures, and while they're slower than using a measure that's actuated by the case, they're very accurate (in my experience), so as long as there's powder in the case, I can be pretty sure it's the right amount. I always prime my cases before any other loading, and have removed the decapping pins from my sizing dies, so what I do is I take a primed case, and put it in the shell holder. I size the case, then I expand the mouth, and charge it with powder at the same time, I then visually check that there's powder in the case, and then I seat the boolit. This system is faster than using a single stage press, slower than a progressive, but it lets me be 100% sure I've got powder in the case before I seat a boolit. Is this the best way of reloading? Probably not, but it's the system I use, and I don't deviate from it, and so far I've only had that one squib load, but that was before I adopted this system.

[BAGTIC]

I have heard that using a wooden dowel can be risky because it could break and overlap like 2 wedges in the bore then you will play the devil getting it out.

Oh Yeh! Tell me about it.

[429421Cowboy]

:shock:I use two loading blocks and only turn my cases right side up once i charge them with my Uni-flow, visually check every case in the load block, all at once and before i put a boolit on it. I have seen two squibs in my lifetime and both were enough to make me pucker![smilie=1: Luckly i only shoot with people who know what they're doing at all times and stopped before anything bad happened. One trick that i use is i shake my reloads before they go in my cartridge boxes to make sure i can hear powder in all of them. It doesn't take much time to verify safety and i certainly can tell the difference by sound!

[Ickisrulz]

I had two squib loads in the past 20 years. They happened when I tried using my Redding #25 turret press as a semi progressive. I stopped that practice and do each step at once for my entire batch. I inspect each charged case in my loading block before adding the bullet.

[a.squibload]

...about a month ago, don't think I posted a confession at that time.:oops:

First round as I was working up a 44mag load for my Ruger Carbine, using
BT-style JHP swaged from 40S&W cases. I charge only one case at a time,
look into it, then put it in the Rockchucker. Not sure why I missed the powder on this one.
I pulled the trigger and felt nothing, round did not eject. I waited a minute.
Emptied magazine, round would not eject by hand either, boolit was sticking out of case about 3/8", couldn't clear the port.
Locked the action open, pried the cartridge out without damaging anything.

And I thought I was perfect...


I have told this one:
Years ago a friend snapped the hammer on his SBH, nothing happened.
He quickly thumbed the hammer back and we yelled STOP!
Found a boolit halfway down the barrel. No powder. It can happen.