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Squib rounds


Eric1231

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I had two squib rounds in the last 100 rounds I loaded this is the first time ever. I think it is due to my shell plate coming loose and the primer being high both rounds had a slightly high primer. Is there anything else it could be? I am a little paranoid as I am loading for a major match and I am wondering if should check anything else? The rounds I loaded that day I am going to use as practice rounds.

 

 

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To the best of my knowledge, high primers aren't going to cause squibs. Only a lack of powder will do that, or contaminated powder that doesn't get a full burn.

If you don't want any more squibs your gonna need to pull all the rounds you loaded during that session and reload them. Just take the decapping rod out of your size die to avoid having to reprime all the cases.

I'm assuming your using mixed brass so weighing the rounds aren't going to work due to the variance in case weight, bullet weight, powder and primer.
Double check your powder throws and visually confirm there is powder in each and every single case prior to seating your bullet.


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it would catch it. on a 650 squibs happen normally by half stroking the handle. ie pull the handle part way, then let it back down, then finish pulling the handle. this causes the press to index without dropping powder in the 1 case that was under the powder drop when it indexed.

Edited by lefty o
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You could get a lock out die. I think it is a Hornady product. It locks up the press on an undercharge of overcharge. I used one until i got my bullet feeder and had to use that slot for it.

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8 hours ago, Eric1231 said:

 

I had two squib rounds - both rounds had a slightly high primer.

 

 

By "squib round", do you mean the primer did not ignite?   Or, the primer ignited but the bullet stuck in the barrel?

 

High primers are common for me with my SDB - I just throw them into the practice pile.

 

Squibs (bullet stuck in barrel) means you should buy a light that enables you to Visually

Confirm Each and Every round has powder in the case before you seat each bullet.

(Heck, even if you haven't ever had a squib, you should get used to confirming powder

in Every single Case.    :) 

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33 minutes ago, DenverDave said:

Just my 2 cents....best powder check on a Dillon is your eyeballs.

I agree.  I make it a part of the cycle to check the case to verify the powder level.  I have a 650 and I actually check the powder in station 3 and 4 every time, just to make sure that I don't miss one (plus it takes almost no extra time to look into both compared to just the one in station 4).

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By "squib round", do you mean the primer did not ignite?   Or, the primer ignited but the bullet stuck in the barrel?
 
High primers are common for me with my SDB - I just throw them into the practice pile.
 
Squibs (bullet stuck in barrel) means you should buy a light that enables you to Visually
Confirm Each and Every round has powder in the case before you seat each bullet.
(Heck, even if you haven't ever had a squib, you should get used to confirming powder
in Every single Case.    [emoji4] 


Primer ignited and the bullet got stuck in the barrel


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Put a little blue loktite on the shell  plate bolt. The residue will keep the bolt from moving for years

Always LOOK in every case at the powder charge height. If you can't, get an RCBS Lock-Out die.

IF by squib, you mean a round that didn't go bang, that could be a high primer. Usually, it will go bang if you try to fire it again.

Always explain exactly what happened so we can know if the term you use matches the problem you have.

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On ‎5‎/‎16‎/‎2017 at 8:16 PM, Eric1231 said:

 

I had two squib rounds in the last 100 rounds & the primer being high 

 

 

Nothing to do with the high primers - just put them in your practice pile.

 

You need a good light, so you can physically look into every case just before

you seat the bullet - you have to SEE the POWDER every time - or you get

squibs.

 

(Don't ask how I know) ....    :ph34r:

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Funny thing. Yesterday I had 8 out of 300 rnds pop like there was no powder, Bullet left the barrel, no recoil/slide movement, no "squibs", 124 gr RN and some HP w/ 5.0 gr. CFE, I check every round with my eyeballs and do not recall any loading abnormalities... I literally searched the ground in front of me to see if I could find the rounds. CCI magnum pistol primers and only the noise dB of a primer ! Blackened the outside of the cases.
Is this possible, I'm baffled.

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The slide could very easily go back 75/80% of the available travel and then return to the normal position, this would just push the fired case back into the chamber and you would never know whether it moved or not.

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On 5/22/2017 at 4:44 AM, ironpony said:

Funny thing. Yesterday I had 8 out of 300 rnds pop like there was no powder, Bullet left the barrel, no recoil/slide movement, no "squibs", 124 gr RN and some HP w/ 5.0 gr. CFE, I check every round with my eyeballs and do not recall any loading abnormalities... I literally searched the ground in front of me to see if I could find the rounds. CCI magnum pistol primers and only the noise dB of a primer ! Blackened the outside of the cases.
Is this possible, I'm baffled.

Are you using hornady one shot?  I had that happen to me back when I used it.  Didnt have cases swimming in lube.  Anyway lots of others have had issues with it also.  Plenty of folks never have issue with it so obviously operator error but I went to dillon lube & never another problem.  Got rid of my 1 shot.  

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31 minutes ago, mlmiller1 said:

Are you using hornady one shot?  I had that happen to me back when I used it.  Didnt have cases swimming in lube.  Anyway lots of others have had issues with it also.  

 

Spray bottom of small Tupperware container with one shot for about one second. Dump a couple handfuls of cases in. Roll them around in it.

 

Spraying the cases with a rattlecan directly will get lube inside them, and can cause issues. This method only coats the outside.

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Try using a 1 gallon ziploc bag, spray the inside of the bag, then dump in a few handfuls of brass.  

 

Roll them around for 10 seconds or so and they get coated very well with a nice thin layer.  Easy pour into the casefeeder or case bin.

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@Eric1231 these appear to be the facts:

1. Novice reloader

2. Dillon 650

3. Bullets getting stuck in the barrel

 

Assuming that's correct, I can almost certainly tell you what the problem is. It's an honest operator error. Let me explain:

 

First, even a half charge of powder might not cycle the gun, but it will get the bullet to clear the barrel. Bullets typically get stuck in barrels when you have a good primer and no powder at all.

 

With high primers the gun would have gone click on the first hit or two while your firing pin was driving the primer into the brass all the way. Once the primer is seated it'll ignite the powder, and you get the normally fired shot you'd expect.

 

What's probably happening?

 

Well... The 650 auto-indexes. What you're doing is managing to short stroke the press when adjusting things or clearing a jam. You have a primed, empty case in station two and the press acts up. In the course of remedying this, you are working the handle high enough to cause the press's ratchet to go CLICK... but not all the way up so that this case gets filled with powder. When the handle is released and rises fully (the shellplate glides back down) the press ratchets to the next station and you now have a squib in waiting.

 

The cures?

 

1. Each time you place a bullet on the case in station 4, visually confirm that there is powder in it. This is a mandatory universal safety step on all reloading presses. You'll see the absence of powder (squibs) or that there is way too much (double charges) every time, if you bother to look!

 

2. Change how you handle the press. Don't move the shellplate except to fully stroke it when clearing jams: clear them as it's on the way up and you continue that motion after the problem is fixed, or lock the handle in place. 

 

Honestly I don't look at things very hard when running my 650 at speed, until a .40 or .380 case sneaks in there and fouls things up. Any time a malfunction is cleared, I watch everything like a hawk for the next 5 handle pulls. Atypical operation is what causes atypical ammunition. ;) 

Edited by MemphisMechanic
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