Squib Rod

[Murphy's Law]

Anyone carry a squib rod in their arsenal of stuff just in case? For that matter has anyone every had the misfortune of having to have used one? Since I've started to reload thought it might be a good idea to carry one in the range bad or having around near the work bench.
:yikes:

[Tailgunner]

I used to carry a "brass drop" on the skeet range, same idea, to knock out a misfire/squib.

[Bush Pilot]

I carry a wooden dowel in my shooting bag "just in case". I've used it a few times, if you reload, you're bound to have a squib load or another problem that calls for a little extra help.

[MullahElRon]

Ace hardware oak dowel makes about 4 of 'em for under a buck, only needed one...once...

[thorn]

Mine is a round .302" unsharpened pencil that i found in a cupholder on my desk. ;)

thorn

[unclebob]

In my range bag I have a brass GI type cleaning rod that I use if I need to clean the barrel of the gun and for maybe a squib load.

[Phunahm]

I have 4 wooden rods in my range bag :yikes: hopefully I never have to use them :patriot:

[layusn1]

Anyone carry a squib rod in their arsenal of stuff just in case? For that matter has anyone every had the misfortune of having to have used one? Since I've started to reload thought it might be a good idea to carry one in the range bad or having around near the work bench.
:yikes:

I am saddened to say yes and yes. :cryin:

BUT, Jerry can attest to the fact that you might need one for more than squibs. We got a factory round that was too long. Pulling back the charging handle ended up turning the rifle into a bullet puller and the little bugger was stuck right up in the barrel.

[Murphy's Law]

I enjoyed reading the inputs. Seems the wooden dowl may be a good way to go. Prior to this I was looking at a brass rod for about $26 big ones.
Thanks....
:sifone:

[unclebob]

http://www.interstatemusic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10051&langId=-1&productId=80658
I thought that cheaper than dirt had it. But I thank this is the same one that I have.

[D. Manley]

Anyone carry a squib rod in their arsenal of stuff just in case? For that matter has anyone every had the misfortune of having to have used one? Since I've started to reload thought it might be a good idea to carry one in the range bad or having around near the work bench.
:yikes:

Oak dowel, one end fitted but not glued into a wood ball. So far, its "just in case". Might mention I was prompted to carry it after getting some bad factory .45 rounds that hard-jammed my G21 attempting to feed. Without a squib rod, extractor was hard stressed.

[cohutt]

I enjoyed reading the inputs. Seems the wooden dowl may be a good way to go. Prior to this I was looking at a brass rod for about $26 big ones.
Thanks....
:sifone:

$2 at Ace hardware, finally bought a brass one yesterday. They had all sorts of metal rods strips and odd shaped things back by the wall of little drawers full of specialty nuts bolts springs etc. it is about 1 ft long.
I'd been using dowels cuz i didn't ever stumble across a brass rod till now. I was looking for a replacement spring for my weedeater's spool, which had launched itself someplace far away during the spring tuneup. Apparently spring launches are not restricted to firearm disassembly.

[Warhorse]

I've only been reloading for two months now. I had to stop by my local hardware and buy a dowel rod already. That lead bullet with rifling, sits on my bench next to my scale, as a STARK :blush5: reminder to remember to refill that empty case with powder, now that I just dumped the powder to check the charge weight.

[saunderscc]

I have never (yet thankfully) had a squib round. I understand the concept (boolit stays in barrell) but what other signs do you get when you have a squib? No ejection of case? I would say that you wouldn't knock a new hole in the target, but sometimes the target is so riddled with holes it is hard to tell which is a new hole. So back to my original question...what are the indications of a squib (other than using the target to tell)? Thanks for any input you guys can provide.

[Helms]

They call it a "pop without a bang" and that is pretty accurate.

I had a squib once, and it had an odd, muffled sound, LOTS of smoke, and very little recoil. The casing was "shortened" when it ejected as well.

Its pretty tell-tale if you have had it happen to you or seen it before.

[saunderscc]

Thanks. So I take it it will be fairly obvious when it happens? I see these guys at the range rapid firing (at least until the range master comes out to put an end to it) and there would be no way for them to tell if they are pulling the trigger that fast. Is this an accurate assumption?

[saunderscc]

Also is it due to not enough powder? What causes the squib?

[cohutt]

Also is it due to not enough powder? What causes the squib?


Usually the lowest "not enough" that you can have: 0g

[Steel Talon]

Anyone carry a squib rod in their arsenal of stuff just in case? For that matter has anyone every had the misfortune of having to have used one? Since I've started to reload thought it might be a good idea to carry one in the range bad or having around near the work bench.
:yikes:

Yes I do, I use wooden dowels. Keep a couple in my range bag along with a wooden knocker..

Peace
Steel Talon:coolgleamA:

[Bogey]

Also is it due to not enough powder? What causes the squib?

Exactly as cohutt said on the powder issue.

Funny (strange) thing is, I had a squib last fall at a match. There was NO sound differentiation NOR was there any recoil difference between it, and the rounds prior or after.

I pushed a round through the squib and ended up bulging the barrel on my 21. I had a ring of copper jacket welded to the inside of the barrel.


I was l-u-c-k-y! Some others have not been so lucky.

[cohutt]

Exactly as cohutt said on the powder issue.

Funny (strange) thing is, I had a squib last fall at a match. There was NO sound differentiation NOR was there any recoil difference between it, and the rounds prior or after.

I pushed a round through the squib and ended up bulging the barrel on my 21. I had a ring of copper jacket welded to the inside of the barrel.


I was l-u-c-k-y! Some others have not been so lucky.

Damn you were lucky.

Maybe it was a partial powder charge vs no powder. "My" squib was primer only, caked the inside of the case with soot, bullet went into the barrel but not completely out of the chamber. Next round wouldn't chamber- think it stove piped on the squib so i had to rack the slide to clear.
I think the consensus in an old thread about this was that MOST of the time, or NEARLY all the time, a primer only squib wouldn't push the bullet far enough into the barrel to allow the next round to chamber.

But don't count on it.

[Helms]

most squibs are caused from no powder (as mentioned) but there are a number of things that can cause them ultimately. insufficient powder, Powder getting wet, etc. etc. I have even heard of some primers actually getting punctured by the firing pin during firing, causing pressure to escape mostly out the back and not pushing the round enough out the barrel- I suppose a loose primer pocket could also cause a squib, and under the right conditions possibly a case failure.

I think there are a number of things that can do it, but they are pretty rare. The most typical is a reloader skipping the powder part and seating a bullet.

As you mentioned, when you are firing fast, not only are you probably not precisely engaging your targets, but it may be impossible to prevent firing another round after a squib. The best you can hope for is that the case either fails to eject, or the bullet gets lodged so shallow in the barrel that it prevents another case from letting the chamber close.

Some guy over on GTR was talking about how last year at a IDPA match, he watched a guy get a squib round, and several people yelled squib to him, but he had already double tapped the trigger, causing a kaboom.

Bogey has a real good point too, some freak squibs exhibit very little difference at all for whatever reason-especially if you are already firing "light loads"

[saunderscc]

Thanks for the info after I hijacked the thread. To answer the OT, I have a cleaning rod that came with my Advantage Arms kit that I use to eject a .22lr case that sometimes gets stuck (happens 1 out of 200 rounds). I keep that in my range bag always, so I guess I could use that if I ever have a squib.

[Warhorse]

My squib was because there was no powder in the case. It happened while I was working up a load for 9MM 125grn LRN. I was loading five rounds at a time, with a different charge for each group of five. W231 at 3.9grn, 4.1, 4.3grn, and 4.4grn for a total of 20 rounds. I was using my pro disc powder measure with an adjustable charge disc, after getting it adjusted for each charge, I would check each case charge by dumping the powder from the case onto my scale. I must have let the auto index, bring the bullet seating die around on the turret, and loaded a bullet into the primed only case, with no powder.
At the range, I thought I had a misfire, so I dropped the magazine, retracted the slide, and found an empty case, with spent primer. Looked down the barrel with the slide open, and could see NO DAYLIGHT! The bullet was about an inch into the rifling. I know it was powered only by the primer, because I could see no burn marks, or burned powder in the barrel, or on the base of the lead bullet.
As I said in my earlier post, that bullet that I punched out of the barrel with my new dowel rod, sits right next to my scale, I see that bullet, every time I dump a case full of powder into my scale. It is a constant reminder for me.

[saunderscc]

My squib was because there was no powder in the case. It happened while I was working up a load for 9MM 125grn LRN. I was loading five rounds at a time, with a different charge for each group of five. W231 at 3.9grn, 4.1, 4.3grn, and 4.4grn for a total of 20 rounds. I was using my pro disc powder measure with an adjustable charge disc, after getting it adjusted for each charge, I would check each case charge by dumping the powder from the case onto my scale. I must have let the auto index, bring the bullet seating die around on the turret, and loaded a bullet into the primed only case, with no powder.
At the range, I thought I had a misfire, so I dropped the magazine, retracted the slide, and found an empty case, with spent primer. Looked down the barrel with the slide open, and could see NO DAYLIGHT! The bullet was about an inch into the rifling. I know it was powered only by the primer, because I could see no burn marks, or burned powder in the barrel, or on the base of the lead bullet.
As I said in my earlier post, that bullet that I punched out of the barrel with my new dowel rod, sits right next to my scale, I see that bullet, every time I dump a case full of powder into my scale. It is a constant reminder for me.

And what a reminder it is...

For me, I have my boolits sitting on the other side of my LCT. I have to reach accross the LCT to get a new boolit. When I do that I have made it a habit to look down and check for powder before I sit the boolit on the case.

[Bogey]

Yup....those are the dangers involved in comp shooting.

I had no need for a squib rod that day. :rofl: BUT, I did end up finding out what happened.

Being as I was new to reloading, and these were my first loads, I shot the rest of the run one round at a time. There were two more squibs left out of the last 50 rounds. I then vividly remember my powder measure was running low, and filled it up toward the end of the run. I was trying not to put more powder in than I was going to actually need.

Lesson learned? Don't freakin worry whether or not you have to dump unused powder back out of the measure. Fill the damn thing up.


BTW.....I do have two dowel rods I use for squibs. Both are oak, and I took my 17 and 21 barrels to Home Depot to get the correct sizes for them. Haven't used them since those last two. Actually never have used the one for 9mm.

[creekwalker]

Your dang right I carry squib rods in my range box, I've had it happen with factory ammo as well as reloaded ammo, not often but its happened. I even carry a Monadnock Dejammer tool on my duty belt too. The whole ideal is to quickly clea a malf and get back into action.

cw

[cohutt]

I was trying not to put more powder in than I was going to actually need.

Lesson learned? Don't freakin worry whether or not you have to dump unused powder back out of the measure. Fill the damn thing up.



get one, it even works with the tiny mouthed winchester 1 lb containers....


http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6202493.jpg

[Bogey]

get one, it even works with the tiny mouthed winchester 1 lb containers....


http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6202493.jpg

NOW ya tell me.:supergrin:

I got on shortly after I figgered it all out. :thumbsup:

[trickyasafox]

yea I use an old section of a GI 22 cal rod. Yea i've used it. Just the other day actually- had a 38spl that didn't have a charge.

[Tailgunner]

As a side note, for those that don't use reloads, my first squib was with factory ammo and other than shotgun, most of the squib loads I've been around also occured with factory ammo.
Reloaders tend to be more attentive to the process than the automated factory equipment is.

[BigDog[RE]]

I've had two squibs, the first one was on purpose to see what it would feel like, and the second one was kind of strange. I was shooting lite 44Mag rounds (8.5grs of Unique), when I had a squib. The bullet jumped the crimp enough to tie up the gun, but it didn't leave the case completly. I used a squib rod to tap the bullet back into the case. When I pulled the bullet, i found that the case was full of black ash and partially burnt powder. I think there might have been oil in the case or some sort of contaminent when I loaded it, and the tight roll crimp didn't allow it to completely leave, as opposed to the taper crimp on my firt squib.

[Murphy's Law]

I took some advise here and went to ACE Hardware and got a brass rod (12") for $2.98 I couldn't find one that fit perfectly even though they had many different sizes. The one I got fits "loosely" but should be good enough should I ever have need for one. However, should I continue to look around for one that fits tight in my G23/40? Suggestion?
:coolgleamA:

[cohutt]

I took some advise here and went to ACE Hardware and got a brass rod (12") for $2.98 I couldn't find one that fit perfectly even though they had many different sizes. The one I got fits "loosely" but should be good enough should I ever have need for one. However, should I continue to look around for one that fits tight in my G23/40? Suggestion?
:coolgleamA:

nah, just wrap a strip of duct tape around one end a couple times and it will be self centering if that's what you are concerned about.

[Steve Koski]

http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee304/SteveKoski/GP%20Pics%20B/SquibRod.jpg

There's my squib rod. I bought it a year ago, and have dragged the damned thing thither and yon but nobody will squib in my presence. Maybe it's a gift.

[Steel Talon]

There's my squib rod. I bought it a year ago, and have dragged the damned thing thither and yon but nobody will squib in my presence. Maybe it's a gift.


your Kung Fu is strong......

ST~

[Steel Talon]

get one, it even works with the tiny mouthed winchester 1 lb containers....


http://images.orgill.com/200x200/6202493.jpg

Yep. wash it in soapy dish water (I like Dawn) dont clear water rinse. Shake excess off and then let air dry. Viola! no static cling mon cheri'

Peace
Steel Talon:coolgleamA: