Beware the silent squib.

[lyman]

https://youtu.be/mn0KBzK2Kho

saw that a while back,

I was on the line one day when a friends son was shooting an AR in a match,

it made an odd sound, and a bit of smoke,, and he was done for the day,

it was the 2nd AR that this guy had damaged, (he and his son were ok,) and he had also blew up a 29 smith previously

found out when he had mixed 2400 and 748 by accident,
using a dillon, and did not empty out the hopper corrrectly or thoroughly

[fguffey]

I have had a 5-position press before I had the 4 -position Dillon 550B. Dillon recommended Dillon dies and they suggested seating on one position and crimping on another. I could not get my money back on my dies because I use powder lock out dies and powder dies; there was not enough room on the Dillon for all of my dies and I was not going to crimp in a separate operation.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

Beware the silent squib.

I have alienated myself; I do not miss one, two or three. Some would think it gets lonely at a firing range when shooters that were shooting next to you get up in a huff and leave.

Another reloader was going to show me how to reload 45ACP; I agreed to meet him at the range. I was going to shoot his ammo, his ammo did not work, he offered it to ever shooter with a 45ACP, his ammo worked in every 1911 at the range. Then came the 'and then moment; another reloader setup at the table between us. Everything was fine until he started to shoot.

I looked over and noticed he was doing his best to pull the trigger on his Model 66 S&W 357. He could not pull the trigger, rotate the cylinder or pull the hammer back and then he did not do any better when he used two hands. I put my stuff up and then asked him if I could help him, my friend did the same. He got a drift and a small hammer and then drive the bullet back into the case. The shooter was happy, he thought he was going to continue shooting; he started to load his Model 66 with 6 more rounds. We told him we he was not going to stand between us while he tried to shoot more of his ammo. I explained to him I did not know if he failed to put powder in one case and then doubled charged the next one.

We offered to help him with his reloading, we offered to loan him equipment and then he started making claims like we could not check ammo after it was loaded. I explained to him reloaders that do not know what they are doing can't but with a little experience and equipment it can be done. And then he insisted on firing his ammo, my friend went to the range office, they came out to inform him he had choices, they told him he could purchase ammo from the or he could leave.

Back to the 45ACP ammo. I took my friends ammo home to size it, he lives about one mile from the range in Garland, TX but does not have my dies. When I got back to the range to test his ammo, his ammo flew through my 45ACP.

F. Guffey

[fguffey]

The next time, I purchased about 800 rounds of 8mm57 ammo from Cheaper than Dirt, I asked them if the ammo they were selling would stick to a magnet, the answer was no. I drove about 40 miles to their store just North of Ft. Worth, I picked out the ammo and took it to the register, I ask him if he was the one I talked to. he said 'yes'. I then asked him about the magnet. The magnet was attached to a pole behind the register. About that time I asked him to check the ammo with the magnet. It stuck, all of it, I thought about it and decided to purchase the 8mm57 ammo for the powder, the primers were corrosive and the bullets were streakers.

I shook the cases to determine if the powder was loose before firing any of it. I chambered a round and pulled the trigger, it started to hiss and smoke, I ducked under the table and then bang, that did not ruin my day because, I had other rifles to test. I went home and started to pull down the 8mm57 ammo. Some of the cases had packed powder in the head of the case, some had caked powder behind the bullet. That was when I took my Hornady cam type bullet puller and started pulling bullets and poking powder to get it to flow. Hornady had the puller longer that I did, I had to send it back for repairs. I was not all that happy with their puller, and then they said "you make too many mistakes".

It was about that time I went for a visit. I was not pulling mistakes, I was pulling bullets from cases that were 60+ years ago, I made that clear to them before I purchased the bullet puller, at that time they said something like "You bet", "Yes sir" and "no problem". I was complaining about the puller, they said they did not have the parts they claimed they had problems with their heat treating vendor. I told them I had time and I suggested we visit the heat treating vendor. That was when they informed me they no longer use that vendor, they had another vendor.

F. Guffey

[Major Tom]

nfle: I see you have a 10-10 scale on your shelf. I had one years ago and it was a great scale that I do miss today. 10-10 scales are hard to find for a reasonable price. I also use a LED light on my press. Really like it!

[nf1e]

Still have the Ohaus I have used for almost 60 years in a drawer. The 10-10 is in plain sight to remind me of how is used to be.

[fguffey]

I have 3 10-10 Rcbs scales. It was not something I had ever planned on, one day I decided to clean my 10-10 scale, I was doing all right until my wife decided to get involved. She took the beam to the kitchen sink and started scrubbing, when she finished the beam was white, no numbers, dots and dashes, the beam was blank. I called RCBS, they offered to trade scales, I had no idea what I would get in trade, so I turned down their generous offer. And then came the Market Hall Gun show. For little money I purchased every part of a scale I could find.

I came up with enough parts to build another scale and enough parts to repair my scale and then there was another base that used the same beam as the 10-10 all for $10.00.

F. Guffey

[butlersrangers]

Not all squibs are due to lack of a powder charge.

I have a canister of WW-748 that has gone bad.

I discovered this when firing some reloads in .30-40 and .30-06 caliber bolt guns.
Things were going normal, when suddenly, I had what sounded like primer misfires.
When the rifle bolts were opened, I found the primers had actually fired. The extracted cartridge-cases were 'damp' on the exterior and contained a moist & acrid column/glob of unburned powder.

The jacketed projectiles had gone about 4 inches up the bore and were easily driven out the breech with a steel rod.

I had to toss about 5 pounds of WW-748. Fortunately this happened in turn-bolt rifles and not auto-loaders.

[nf1e]

All sorts of causes. The important thing is to be aware that a squib can happen when you least expect it.

[fguffey]

I have a canister of WW-748 that has gone bad.

When did it go bad?

F. Guffey

[butlersrangers]

Last Fall, 2021, I should have trusted my nose. When I opened the canister, there was more of a vinegar smell then I remembered.