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Kaboom, a tale of woe


Phudd

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A friend of mine has been looking to buy a 2011. As I was shooting open at the monthly match at Sir Walter, I offered him the use of my limited gun. He took me up on it, used his own ammo. He's been reloading for some time, thousands of rounds, and never had a squib... Until today.

I happened to be ROing him on our second stage when we heard an obvious and odd sounding squib. He stopped immediately, before I said stop. Tried to clear it but it was locked up tight. Took the gun downrange and tried to get it open on a target stake with no luck. So we bagged it and went to the safe area. Pounded on it some more and noticed the bullet near the muzzle, with an odd bit of jacket.

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What we heard was the next round after the squib. The squib sounded normal to everyone.

A local gunsmith came over to help, with his box of tools and parts. He struggled for a few, then noticed a hairline crack in the barrel. We also found the guide rod was missing.

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No choice but to bag it and put it in the truck. My friend felt really bad. Said he'd buy me a new barrel. I was not upset. Poopy happens. He'll make it good.

Well, I got home, hit the shop and drilled out the slide stop lever so I could knock it's pin out and remove the slide. What I found inside was disturbing.

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It took more than a little finagling to get it out. working the two halves back and forth till the top half finally slid out the front.

What I got out was the two halves of the barrel, an empty case in the chamber, and the second bullet, which was surrounded by the first ones jacket.

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I was afraid it may have killed more than the barrel but the slide to frame fit seems ok. No cracks but I think the slide bowed out ever so slightly.

One of the other shooters on our squad just finished his NRA instructors class to do concealed carry classes. I am going to give it to him as a visual aid in his training.

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What kind/brand of bullets were being shot? I would certainly keep all of the evidence and, if it actually was a jacket that shed off of the previous bullet to be "caught" by the following bullet, consider a request to the bullet manufacturer about a new gun....

If the second bullet just pushed the core of the first one out and it actually was a squib.... Probably not.. Bears investigation?

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Hard to say. The second slug was inside the first ones jacket. It had a strong impression of the squibs base (and the base part of the jacket) on its nose. The stuck slugs jacket was fully intact and there was a fair amount of lead bits extruded thru the cracks...

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Like Seth...see what happens when I miss a match. I might think twice about shooting that gun again, but it will be interesting to see how it mics out. Very happy neither you nor your friend got hurt in that one.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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All fixed. The slide had only bowed out .010". A little squeeze in the mill vice and it is within a half thou.

I think I like the Kart EZ fit barrels. Super easy and it locks up like a bank vault. The pre-fitted bushing it came with was perfect. If I don't get to shoot it this weekend I will next Tuesday night. Range report to follow...

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I could not find my bushing wrench...

Made this from a scrap piece of brass.

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  • 1 month later...
Not to be stupid, but how did the 2nd round get chambered? Can a squib cycle the slide?

A squib can cycle the slide in a blowback gun(been there done that). I have never seen it happen in a locked breech gun.

I don't know if I would have called this a "squib" myself since only the jacket was left in the barrel. Any chance in finding out what make the bullet was?

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100% of the first bullet's jacket was still in the barrel. The second bullet was inside it, almost went through it, with the separate base part stuck to it's nose. There was lead extruded through the cracks. If it was a bit of jacket left inside, it was from the one before the supposed squib. There was no evidence of it.

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  • 4 weeks later...

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