open17 Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Crazy Croc 2004. Jungle Run. Right at the end of the run I had a round jam in the chamber. Couldn't extract or get it into battery. Used a handy prop, got it cleared, finished stage. Was working out of 800 rds in an ammo can hastily reloaded the night before---I had been doing setup for days and hadn't had time to reload. Thought at the time--"I wonder if that was a round that didn't get crimped? Does that mean I double clicked the 550 and there is a squib somewhere in the can??" Two stages later. Largest stage of the match, 62 rd hoserfest. LAMR, BEEP, draw, and pop. Squib, first round. How to zero a stage in one round or less. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPatterson Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Don't forget to thank Mr. Murphy or he will return time & again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 Did the same thing at Area 4 last year, except instead of a squib, I had a round that made about 400pf. Second stage of the first day, come around the corner 1st shot dead center, second round ka-blooy! I feel your pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racine Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 Don't you just love the Crazy Croc! It has got to be the best test of shooting skill/endurance and gun reliability eh?! The jungle run can go 70 rounds and they even threatened to go 100 at one time. My squib was my first reloading SNAFU in 10 yrs. Thankfully it was at an NRA Action Pistol match and the gun went pop followed by a failure of the next bullet to fully seat. I thought it was junk in my chamber or too long a round. So 4 tries to reload later the RO stopped me and suggested a bullet in the barrel and sure enough it was. If it had been in a little further it would have been some kind of a KB. Someone was looking out for me then. First time I shot the Croc I ran out of bullets practicing and switched from CMJ Rainiers to Molys for the match but didn't adjust the powder charge and I ended up shooting 190 PF. Not a problem for a 30 round stage but the Crocs are all 40+ all the way to 70. I got some serious grip fatigue at round 40 at every stage. Those Lim 10 guys got some serious reloading practice during the Croc not to mention they all looked like Bandidos with mags clear around the waist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicfit212 Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I've never had a squib round, so I'm worried that under pressure I might just tap-rack-BOOM. You don't get a re-shoot on something like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbob_texas Posted July 10, 2006 Share Posted July 10, 2006 I've never had a squib round, so I'm worried that under pressure I might just tap-rack-BOOM. You don't get a re-shoot on something like that? Speaking of which, take a look at what happened this weekend: http://mysite.verizon.net/jimroth/2006/07/ka-boom.html It's a doozy. jr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfwmiket Posted July 11, 2006 Share Posted July 11, 2006 I've never had a squib round, so I'm worried that under pressure I might just tap-rack-BOOM. You don't get a re-shoot on something like that? Had that EXACT thing happen this weekend. (Jimbob's post has a pic from it!) My wife was shooting her G35, squib round..... she did the usual tap/rack/ bang....and got BOOM. Shows us all to be very diligent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicfit212 Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Any advice on how to recognize that it's a squib? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Any advice on how to recognize that it's a squib? "BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-poof" Stop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicfit212 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 "BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-poof"Stop! Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racine Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 (edited) "BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG-poof" Stop! Thanks!! I don't know how practical that is when your shooting a stage and wearing muffs/ plugs or worse both. When I'm shooting I'm focused on the course of fire and speed. When I had my squib I heared a sound but when wearing muffs every shot is a poof. Should I consider another brand of muffs that lets me hear the actual shot vs a poof? I'm not saying it's not doable but it will take shooting a stage/match with a great deal of apprehension??? I'm at least glad the gun takes the majority of the punishment but that's not guaranteed either. Edited July 14, 2006 by racine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 I double-plug while shooting, too. Ear plugs under electronic muffs, which are turned on. The plugs soften any extraneous noise but the amps in the muffs still let me know what's going on nearby (RO speaking, squibs, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted July 17, 2006 Share Posted July 17, 2006 (edited) I had a squib happen to me this afternoon. Thankfully was practing draw and fire. *beep*-draw-BANG!reholster. Until I got a *beep*-draw-bang Stopped shooting, dissassembled the pistol, looked down the barrel and couldn't see light. Stopped at Lowe's on the way home and bought a dowel rod. Edited July 17, 2006 by Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropy Posted September 18, 2006 Share Posted September 18, 2006 We had one match at TASC where 2 guys had squibs at the same day - rather frightening. The first shooter couldn't figure out why the next round wouldn't chamber, lucky for him his efforts to load another round were unsuccessful! The second guy watched the bullet just kind of drop out of the front of the barrel 2' in front of him. It makes you wonder if it is really a cost-saving adventure (statistically speaking) to reload when the chances of dramatic failure increase by reloading. Of course I reload because I like the feel of the ammo I make regardless of cost. The only squib I've ever had was in a .44mag revolver which was pretty darned obvious when it happened. As an RO I stopped a shooter who I thought had a squib, (he thought so too) it turns out it was just a light load but my opinion is I would rather reshoot a stage than blow up my gun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlmiller1 Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 It makes you wonder if it is really a cost-saving adventure (statistically speaking) to reload when the chances of dramatic failure increase by reloading. I have had two or three squibs on reloads but I've also had several very light factory rounds. I guess I figure my chances of not having a squib are at least as good on my loads as on factory ones. Besides, I trust me more than some one in no telling where, if you know what I mean. I really think most folks that reload shoot a whole lot more than the average person so I guess yes, our chances of dramatic failure for reloaders is greater but it is due to the volume of rounds fired, not due to reloading. Just my opinion, though. MLM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grump Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 All this is why I just taught my sons to LOOK at the round being ejected on the tap-rack-bang drill. Think about it--couldn't that extra step in the drill save your life in a firefight? You *should* be trying to hide behind cover/concealment at that moment anyway, right? There go my IDPA sympathies again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waltermitty Posted September 19, 2006 Share Posted September 19, 2006 All this is why I just taught my sons to LOOK at the round being ejected on the tap-rack-bang drill.Think about it--couldn't that extra step in the drill save your life in a firefight? You *should* be trying to hide behind cover/concealment at that moment anyway, right? There go my IDPA sympathies again.... (thinking) I would have to say No. The extra step would not help you. If you had a squib (reload or factory) what are your choices off the practice range anyway? Call "time out", draw your squib rod and start banging away on the slug? I don't remember that being one of the rules of a gunfight. In my youth in Army Basic, they used to call it a "pop and no kick"; and I still check any "funny" rounds if they come up during play time. They gave us a different set of rules to follow away from the qualification range. Swerving off the "Match Screw-ups" topic and into, umm, something else; if you do find time to LOOK at an ejected case during non play time, and have the capacity to perceive what you see, you will either see a case with a bullet in it or not. It does not matter. If you can get your gun back into battery you fire it again until it quits, blows up, or you run out of ammo. Back on the range. If it was a light load squib, the case will probably eject; that means the next round manually ejected will be the next live round from the mag. It will look perfect, but that's not your problem. Your real interest is in what is in the bore. This is the hazard, and there's no good reason to bulge a barrel or potentially blow a case head under these circumstances. Stop and check. After a few hundred thousand rounds or so you may get to where you can tell a light load that just clears the barrel from one waiting patiently an inch from the wrong end of the front sight. In the meantime, stop and check. A zero powder squib (primer only) usually stops the gun because the next round won't chamber (without significant force) or the cylinder won't turn. These are easy to make if you feel the need to try it out. The sneaky squibs are the type that get made just as you run out of powder on a progressive press or the powder bar starts hanging up on certain types of machines. This is where you get 1.5 - 2.0 grains of your 5 grain charge. It makes a funny "gun like" sound and everything looks fine. These are produced by amatures and professionals alike. If you load, train yourself to look into every case before the bullet goes on the case; this will solve 99.99% of the risk. At the range, if the sound is funny or the gun didn't kick right, stop and check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 If you never heard a squib before, I highly suggest loading one and firing one on purpose. Make sure you clear the barrel before continuing. I know in an IDPA SO class, the instructor fire a squib so everyone knows what it sounds like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 If you never heard a squib before, I highly suggest loading one and firing one on purpose. Make sure you clear the barrel before continuing. I know in an IDPA SO class, the instructor fire a squib so everyone knows what it sounds like. Yup, I did that for myself, when I first started out. But that's a great idea, demo'ing squibs for new shooters. I should consider doing that for our intro class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExtremeShot Posted October 10, 2006 Share Posted October 10, 2006 I've had two squibs since I started reloading. Having a Dillon 650 with the powder check alarm gave me peace-of-mind for a while. However, when you stop and weigh your charge after the 3rd stage (the powder check) and forget to put the powder back in the case, all that extra money for the powder check is for nothing. DM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joneser5000 Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 (edited) I had my first squib ever at Area2 on stage 10. cost me a 80 point stage. I took 2nd in my division and missed 1st place by 5 points. I wanted to puke when I saw how close it was. Edited November 15, 2006 by Joneser5000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moneypenny Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 I had one bad one this year.... sadly, in this month's front sight guy neil's article warns about the mud in the case... only a few months too late Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatland Shooter Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 About a month ago I shot a local match and had not one, but two squib loads. I decided to call it a night. Took the 300+ rounds loaded the prior weekend to the practice range and not one was a squib. Since this was my first squib in over 20 years, I decided to check my RL550. Turns out the aluminum housing on the powder measure was cracked resulting in an occasional failure to drop powder. Only 20 years old and it broke (well over 100,000 rounds loaded through this press). I guess Dillon agreed. The Dillon no BS warranty came to my rescue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihatepickles Posted November 15, 2006 Share Posted November 15, 2006 Using a Dillon 650 is good insurance against squibs. I try to steer everyone purchasing a progressive press in that direction. Last time I looked, the price difference is $110 for the base model press (550 vs. 650). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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