What Is a Squib Load?

[trapper9260]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOMgLjAiaGo&pbjreload=101


Since there is a post on hang fire I did not want to change what the OP wanted to post so that is why I posted here .

[tankgunner59]

I had that happen with some old Wolf ammo in a 9mm Hi-Point I sold to my brother. He was test firing it before buying and on about the third full mag we heard that pffhht. I immediately told him to stop and unloaded the gun, disassembled and there was a bullet in the barrel. He thought the gun was done. I brought it home, knocked the bullet out and there was a bunch of unburnt powder in there. Cleaned it thoroughly and we went back and fired some of my reloads and he bought it. Like he said in the video, if you don't hear a normal firing, STOP! If you fire another round you could damage the gun, lose a finger or worse, and you don't want to find out. If you hear it you will know.

[MT Gianni]

A load designed by Earl Squibb using the Lyman 311413 as a slow moving bullet for targets out of the 30-06. It has become slang by those who don't know as one that sticks in the bbl.

[243winxb]

SAAMI - SQUIB -Definitions
A cartridge or shell which produces projectile velocity and sound substantially lower than normal. May result in projectile and/or wads remaining in the bore.

[swheeler]

SAAMI - SQUIB -Definitions
A cartridge or shell which produces projectile velocity and sound substantially lower than normal. May result in projectile and/or wads remaining in the bore.

And that is not slang

[monadnock#5]

"An eponymous adjective is an adjective which has been derived from the name of a person, real or fictional. Persons from whose name the adjectives have been derived are called eponyms." Wikipedia

Could've been a lot worse. At least it doesn't refer to sexual dysfunction.

[porthos]

is there any reason to load "squib" loads?

[trapper9260]

I had one happened to me with a 22lr when out on the trap line .

[Pressman]

30 Squibb bullet in a B&M mould before Ideal/Lyman gave it a number. These were for Palma match rifles and were very successful.

274447

274448

[turtlezx]

the gun didnt cycle next round did it??

[swheeler]

I've had a couple 3 or 4 in over 56 years of reloading, 357 with 158 cast and AA#9, same gun shooting HS7, the solution was extra firm crimp and mag primer with these ball powders. Brownells sells SQUIB RODS, or they used to.

[wv109323]

In NRA precision pistol a squibb is a bullet that does not leave the barrel. It almost always is a round that has no powder just a primer. The bullet usually travels some length down the barrel, but I have seen bullets stop between the cylinder and barrel on revolvers and in the barrel of automatics short enough where another round could not be chambered .It is diasterous to fire another round with one in the barrel as it usually swells the barrel. If you suspect a squibb stop ( no or little recoil ) and examine the firearm.
In competition if a bullet exits the barrel it is counted as a round fired. If a squibb has some powder to get the bullet out of the barrel and not on the target then it is scored as a miss.

[kevin c]

"If it goes POP (not BANG), you stop." <<< instruction to new range officers and new shooters in USPSA action pistol shooting.

Sloppy reloading presents the risk of a round with no or little powder, which, when fired, can lead to the risks described in posts above. I've had very few, all deliberate.

The first was a primer only round that I assembled and fired to see and hear for myself what to expect (the high speed shooting in action pistol can lead to the shooter missing the low report of the squib and assuming a complete dud; then racking out the presumed complete cartridge, chambering and attempting to fire another with an obstructed bore leads to a very bad day on the range). Detecting the squib and stopping prevents injury to the shooter and or the gun.

The other squibs were all from an experiment where I contaminated the powder with different amounts of case lube. The question of whether the rounds would fire came up on another forum. The answers range from underpowered rounds through hang fires to squibs and complete duds.

ETA: I've never had one with factory new ammo. Perhaps the production line includes a powder check. Similarly, many progressive presses incorporate a powder check station. I recall witnessing a fair number early on in my action pistol shooting career, but not so many (maybe one?) in the past several years. Could be the more experienced crowd I hang out with; there seems to be a learning curve on safe, reliable ammo production that some new reloaders haven't finished.

[dale2242]

I saw one happen in an Action Pistol match with factory Winchester ammo.
Luckily, the RSO/Timer caught it before the shooter fired another round after raking a fresh round into the chamber.

[john.k]

I had a squib 44/40 a little while ago......lots of melted wax in the case,the 92 wouldnt load another round due to powder clogging up the boltway.......Another shooter pointed out the bullet had landed just in front of my feet.......I assume the powder charge was fouled by bullet lube,although my lube is black ,and the melted wax in the case was off- white.

[Larry Gibson]

Term "squib load" is often erroneously used in lieu of "reduced load" and "cat's sneeze load" referring to a load with any bullet of less than normal power. "Mouse fart load" is another that has crept up the last few years in usage for such loads. As previously mentioned a "squib load" is now considered to be one that the bullet sticks in the barrel.

With the advent of the internet, you tube, etc. many terms are now made up because many just don't read manuals or research anything anymore other than Wikipedia, if that to bother to learn the correct terminology.

[Martin Luber]

Anytime I get interrupted during reloading, or have a press malfunction or jam. I typically clear the press and look for possible double charges or empty cases. LOP might be a good acronym for lack of powder. Anyways, I am wary of them