Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Watch out for squibs!

rufe-snow
Plinking out in the desert the other day. 1911 with a 40 S & W barrel. Just wrapping up shooting at cans. When the pistol started smoking, like it had a busted radiator. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. But I kind of figured, there must have been something wrong. 

To make a long story short. One of the white box Winchester 40's was a squib. Didn't notice, and touched off a round with a blocked barrel. 

Split the barrel down the bottom for 2 1/2". Split the muzzle bushing.  The gas bent the plug and recoil spring so bad, that they were toast. I was lucky, that more damage wasn't done to the 1911 and me. As the residual gas vented through a 1/16 roll pin that secured the front sight. Taking the roll pin and dovetailed front sight with it.

First thing after getting home and changing my shorts. Was trying to get the 1911 apart. Took me a couple days of Dremeling and a lot of cussing. To drill the barrel out, and finally get the slide off the frame. Put new barrel, bushing, plug and spring and front sight in it. It shot OK yesterday.

Unfortunately I had repacked the white box Winchester 40's. Didn't have the original box and lot number. Pulled all the rest of the rounds, all had powder in them. Pissed me off big time, as it was  new 40 S & W barrel that i had just bought.
0

Comments

19 comments

Date Votes
  • hillbille
    glad your still able to type about it, guessing you still have all your fingers. glad the only damage done was to the pistol, it can be replaced, eyes and fingers not so much...
    0
  • ridgleyart
    Glad you're okay.
    0
  • KenK/84Bravo

    Yes Sir.

    Glad you were not seriously hurt.

    I would be contacting Winchester for a new handgun or litigation if they balk.

    *Personally, I would have left the handgun as it was, as Winchester is probably going to want to look at it. (Just saw you worked on it.)

    3
  • savage170
    Glad you're ok .I had a squib in a 243  just before I pulled the  trigger  again the light bulb went off on that last round didn't sound right. It took me quite awhile to get that bullet out of the barrel  and a couple cheap cleaning rods
    0
  • Warbirds

    Close call!

    0
  • jimdeere
    Good thing it wasn’t a Glock!
    3
  • Ricci.Wright
    Surprised the gun functioned with a squib load. Most of the time in my experience, a semi auto will not self load another round after a squib. Glad you are ok.
    0
  • NeoBlackdog
    I had one years ago in a buddy's Ruger, a P9somethingorother?  Can't remember the exact gun, but I'm glad it was built like a tank.  The slide jammed back so hard we couldn't get it to go forward.  He wound up sending it in to Ruger and IIRC they sent him a new gun.  
    3
  • XXCross
    Please remember that "quality control" is a thing of the past.   You have no idea where that ammo might have been made or by whom.   (I've seen brand new factory boxes of shotshells that had some of the rounds without a primer !)
    0
  • rufe-snow
    Surprised the gun functioned with a squib load. Most of the time in my experience, a semi auto will not self load another round after a squib. Glad you are ok.
    Good point! I been wondering about that myself. My only thought, is that there was enough powder to function the mechanism. Both of the bullets were at the muzzle. As I had to drill them out. Prior to drilling out the ID of the barrel.
    0
  • notnow
    I had one. 7 mag, my own reloads. I use ear plugs and muffs. I didn't hear the primer go off .   At first I thought it was a bad primer and very carefully took the rifle off the bench so I could open the bolt facing away from me. The empty fell out.  I thought I must have chambered an empty round so I put a fresh round in the chamber and closed the bolt. Then I realized just how preposterous and unlikely that was. It was because of what I've read on this forum that the lights went on and I didn't blow a piece of my face off.  That bullet was up the barrel about 8 inches. It was a very memorable experience.
    0
  • William81
    Wow.....glad it turned out as well as it did.....
    0
  • kannoneer
    I don't think the ammo makers will do anything about a squib. Too many things could happen after it leaves their hands. I have had squibs from accidental water exposure, accidental chemical exposure, and  some from ammo that was improperly stored. Plus, some unscrupulous individuals might intentionally tamper with ammo with litigation in mind.
    If I made ammo, I would never pay a claim unless a VERY thorough investigation was made.
    0
  • chme
    W-W White box 45 ACP.  Shooting 25 yards, doing OK on the target- why did I miss clean that last shot?  No hole anywhere.  Stopped, looked at gun- and there is a 230 gr FMJ sticking out of the muzzle.  Failed to make it out of the gun by  a quarter inch or so.  Was actually able to grab bullet with a pair of parallel jaw pliers and pull straight out. 
    Seeing that was a straight slug of ice water down your neck.  
    0
  • hdcolt51
    Glad you are okay!
    0
  • redhawkk480
    I've had real good results with W-W white box 350 Legend 145 gr FMJ
    this group was shot out of a Ruger American , 100 yards off sand bag rest
    this one is their 150 gr hunting load





    0
  • rufe-snow
    I've had real good results with W-W white box 350 Legend 145 gr FMJ
    this group was shot out of a Ruger American , 100 yards off sand bag rest
    this one is their 150 gr hunting load





    There White Box, FMJ,  hand gun ammo, is usually the cheapest U.S. made ammo on the market. Because of this I'm sure that they must crank it out by the millions weekly. 

    I'm sure there White Box rifle ammo is made in much lower quantity, like your 350 Legend. And held to a much higher inspection standard. Than the 40 S& W, I was shooting. Being it's meant to be shot at a much higher PSI, than the 40 S & W. And from a semi-auto rifle would be another factor. For much tighter inspection of the ammo.
    0
  • Aztngundoc22
    OK : 
    I got a .22 cal rev. barrel that is split down one side that I used as a demo when teaching the state handgun carry class : good example of what a squib can do !!! I replaced the barrel on this High Std. revolver on a 'gunsmith' project !
     Lucky , the shooter was Not hurt ......
    Thanks !!!
    0
  • chiefr
    Had one in an AR Weds. Bullet went 3" into the bore. Cause: Bad powder AA 4064. Caught it right away and did not fire again.

    The usual squib load consisting of 10 Gr Unique, COW, and paraffin fixed the problem.      
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity