whats a squib load?

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
I had someone ask me, whats a squib, load, I looked it up, just to see if anyone posted a better answer than I would post and found this,
essentially a SQUIB is a mal functioning cartridge that may leave a projectile stuck in your barrel, firing a second cartridge could prove disastrous
as you'll be trying to push a bullet through an existing bore obstruction

bad handloads ,defective primers ,or oil soaked powder, or incorrectly stored ammo ,are frequent causes
https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-squib-load-in-a-firearm
What is a squib load in a firearm?
A few years ago, I was running a “falling plates” competition. The competitor I was standing behind was doing decently enough when we heard a “pop” instead of a “BANG!” His gun then clicked when he pulled the trigger again. He was about to rack a round and fire again when I stopped him. I told him that he likely had a squib and could not go forward until we checked it. He cleared the gun and handed it to me. I shoved my pen up the barrel and, sure enough, found the squib.
A squib is a kind of ammunition malfunction in which there isn’t enough pressure to force the bullet all the way down the barrel. The bullet winds up lodged somewhere in the barrel and, should another round be fired behind it, will almost certainly result in damage to the gun and possibly harm to the shooter or people near the shooter.
main-qimg-7e9049e7cc0d522bf3f0b00e055cb65b-lq

[Not my pic, but I’ve seen far worse]
A squib can result from several causes:
  • Insufficient powder or no powder. This can be caused by inattention, interruption in the flow of reloading, or a problem with a progressive reloading machine.
  • Wet or otherwise bad powder. You have to keep your powder dry.
  • A faulty flash hole. I once had an incident in which a flash hole was malformed causing the primer to get insufficient spark into the powder. I suspect it was caused by a bad anvil in the primer.
A squib usually has a telltale sound. Instead of it making a “BANG!” it makes a sort of quiet and hollow “Pop.”
IMMEDIATELY check for a squib if you think you have one.
A squib is typically remedied by clearing the firearm of ammunition, removing the barrel (if possible), and driving the bullet out with a rod. This should be done carefully so as not to harm the barrel by scratching it. A brass rod is best.
Driving that bullet out may not be easy. Revolvers and other guns with fixed barrels that don’t let you get a rod in from the rear can make it difficult. I once had a bullet make it almost flush with the muzzle of a revolver. I had to drive it all the way down the four inches of barrel. Needless to say, I disassembled the rest of the rounds in that box and never bought Blazer again.
I’ve seen two really bad incidents from squibs.
One involved a guy who handed his gun to his girlfriend to shoot. She was inexperienced. She was shooting fine but apparently didn’t hear the pop. She racked it and fired again. Then racked it and fired again. It was the third bullet that killed the gun. The barrel inflated, locking up the slide on his brand new Sig. This was not her fault, mind you. She had not been taught about bad ammo. No one was harmed. A smith was able to somehow remove the slide. I believe the gun was somehow repaired.
The second involved a beautiful 1903 Springfield. The guy came in with a baggy of ammo. A lot of it was corroded. Long story short, the barrel split like a banana peel, coming back towards the stock which splintered and sent pieces of wood everywhere. The gun was completely destroyed. The shooter’s hand needed a few stitches.
Now… this all being said, one should not just assume that a bad round is a squib and immediately try diagnosing it. Always wait 30 seconds before extracting what you think was a dud round and checking the gun. A hangfire is far more dangerous than a squib and can cause you to lose a hand.
 
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