Never Would Have Believed It...

[Ron Ankeny]

At our last USPSA match, one of the competitors pulled the trigger and the RO thought he heard a slight pop, like a squib. The competitor is told to stop. He can't rack the slide (G22). The RO is a certified Glock Armorer as is our club president and they can't open the slide either. Out comes a plastic mallet and they beat the slide open. The primer had backed up and the gas escaped around the primer. Of course, the primer flowed into the firing pin hole. What is up with this? The only thing we can figure out is there is no flash hole in the case. The guy was shooting Winchester factory ammo from Wal Mart. Later that day, the bullet is pulled and bingo, no flash hole in the cartridge case.

[Flexmoney]

Funny. My gf was wanting to shoot factory ammo at the upcoming Nationals. I told here that I would load her ammo instead. With once-fired brass...you know it has worked at least once before.

[EricW]

I stopped shooting factory ammo because I got sick of the squibs. The high-zoot "defensive" stuff seems to be the worst too.

[John Dunn]

So, per the rules, no reshoot, right? Reshoot only if the bullet is lodged in the barrel? That bites.

[johnhurd]

Had one of those back in the late 80s, new brass no need to run the decapper right ???? Wrong !!!! last new brass I ever bought...................

[Ron Ankeny]

So, per the rules, no reshoot, right?

John:

This was the competitor's first match. I was running the tape and setting steel. After the gun as opened and cleared, I accidentally taped the targets while the RO explained the rules. The competitor was allowed a reshoot. Of course, most of the guys think I taped the targets on purpose.

[ChuckS]

So, per the rules, no reshoot, right?  Reshoot only if the bullet is lodged in the barrel?  That bites.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Not exactly, since the RO stopped the shooter:

5.7.6 In the event that a Range Officer terminates a course of fire due

to a suspicion that a competitor has an unsafe handgun or unsafe

ammunition (e.g. a “squib” load), the Range Officer will take

whatever steps he deems necessary to return both the competitor

and the range to a safe condition. The Range Officer will then

inspect the handgun or ammunition and proceed as follows:

5.7.6.1 If the Range Officer finds evidence that confirms the suspected

problem, the competitor will not be entitled to a

reshoot, but will be ordered to rectify the problem. On the

competitor’s score sheet, the time will be recorded up to the

last shot fired, and the course of fire will be scored “as

shot”, including all applicable misses and penalties (see

Rule 9.5.6).

5.7.6.2 If the Range Officer discovers that the suspected safety

problem does not exist, the competitor will be required to

reshoot the stage.

Ron: AD on the tape? Very nice for the new guy!

[John Dunn]

Yeah, but the RO stopped the shooter because of a suspected barrel obstruction. If the subsequent inspection reveals no obstruction, I'd say no reshoot.

Nice one Ron, exactly the way to do it for a new shooter.

[mike4045]

With new guys if something like that happens with factory ammo, if they still have a safe weapon we just let them reshoot. We try to keep them coming back and not leave a bad taste over something they can't control. If it is reloaded ammo then no reshoot. Take the score and try to fix the problem before the next match.

Mike

[mcoliver]

Yeah, but the RO stopped the shooter because of a suspected barrel obstruction.  If the subsequent inspection reveals no obstruction, I'd say no reshoot.

Nice one Ron, exactly the way to do it for a new shooter.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

John, you meant no-obstruction = reshoot, right?

[John Dunn]

Right...I'm retarded.

[BritinUSA]

Did you contact the manufacturer of the ammo to let them know of the problem. Although in a worse case scenario it can cost a few extra seconds on a field course, something like this could ruin the day of some cop/armed services/CCW if they rely on that ammo in a life or death situation.

If it were me I would write a letter to Winchester, tell them of the problem and (perhaps enclose a photo of the case), tell them that your not interested in suing anyone, but that you just want to make sure there is not some fault in their manufacturing process that could cause someone to lose their life.

This may not be a problem that they are aware of so they don't know to fix it....

[Flexmoney]

If we are talking rules...

The RO stopped the shooter...for a suspected squib (barrel obstruction).

The barrel was not obstructed, so the shooter gets a reshoot.

The RO was mistaken (but, had no way of knowing that, and did well for stopping the shooter). The shooter had malfunctioning ammo.

Ideally, the RO wouldn't have stopped the shooter and the shooter would have to finish the cof on a "run what you brung" basis. Whether they are new or experienced...shooting factory or reloads...none of that matters to the rules.

[Chuck Anderson]

Ideally, the RO wouldn't have stopped the shooter and the shooter would have to finish the cof on a "run what you brung" basis. Whether they are new or experienced...shooting factory or reloads...none of that matters to the rules.

I've never agreed with that. I'd rather have the RO stop the shooter if he suspects a squib, if the RO is right, he may have saved the shooter an injury. I'd rather lose a match to someone on a reshoot than to allow someone to be injured for the sake of "competition".

[Ron Ankeny]

The faulty round is going back to Winchester for their inspection. As for the rules, the guy actually stopped on his own and was yanking on the slide when the RO told him to stop. That's what was being discussed after the gun was cleared. In any event, it was a local match with a new shooter so we let him go again.

[Flexmoney]

Ideally, the RO wouldn't have stopped the shooter and the shooter would have to finish the cof on a "run what you brung" basis. Whether they are new or experienced...shooting factory or reloads...none of that matters to the rules.

I've never agreed with that. I'd rather have the RO stop the shooter if he suspects a squib, if the RO is right, he may have saved the shooter an injury. I'd rather lose a match to someone on a reshoot than to allow someone to be injured for the sake of "competition".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You missed my point...I agree 100% (with what you just posted).

"Ideally" there would have been no reason to believe it was a squib. We don't live in an ideal world...it sounded like a squib...the shooter was stopped. Good job RO. It doesn't sound like there was any way to know it was faulty ammo, not a squib.

[tightloop]

Ray Chapman lost the World Shoot the second time he shot it due to bad factory ammo...