Firearms malfunction for all types of reasons, but it always boils down to two inputs: the condition of the firearm and the ammunition you feed it. Some cheaper firearms are not as well machined, so any variation in ammunition beyond ideal can cause issues until it has been worn in by use. Often, faulty magazines cause problems. Other times, the ammunition is either too lightly loaded to cycle the action or uses bullets that hang up when cycling.
They cause malfunctions such as failure to go into battery, stovepipe jams, failure to extract, and even dud ammunition, where you get a “click” instead of a “bang.” Save for a catastrophic breakage that renders the firearm unusable, all these other malfunctions can be remedied very quickly.
However, one malfunction that is harder to bounce back from is a squib load. A squib load is where the round fires, but the bullet fails to leave the barrel, getting lodged inside the barrel instead. The worst part is if you fail to know you have a squib and fire another round, the squib can cause a catastrophic failure that pulverizes a firearm and, perhaps, the shooter, too.
Squib Loads: Causes and Consequences
Ammunition has four basic components: case, primer, propellant, and bullet. Squib loads occur when any or all of the latter two parts are compromised. The end result is a round that is too weak. The round is not technically a dud round, as the primer goes off, and the bullet departs from the case. However, with a squib load, the bullet never leaves the barrel and is tightly engaged in the rifling of the barrel or at the end of the chamber where a round seats.
Squib rounds are caused by insufficient or nonexistent propellant or by using bullets that are far heavier than what is typically used in the ammunition. This is usually more common in hand-loaded ammunition. My first squib load experience happened this way. I was shooting my Smith & Wesson Model 10 with a fresh batch of reloads, and I forgot to add powder to one of the cases. The bullet left the cylinder but was sitting proud and visible in the back of the barrel. Although this can happen with reloads, factory ammunition is not immune, as some lots are automatically loaded incorrectly due to improper calibration of the loading machines.
An insufficient powder charge can also happen due to inclement weather conditions. Prolonged exposure to the elements can contaminate the powder while leaving the primer dry enough to fire. In a recent article on GunMag Warehouse, I tested the viability of ammunition exposed to humidity, sporadic rain, and total submersion in water. A few of those submerged fired, albeit weakly. Others were dud rounds. But one round’s powder had gotten completely wet, and the primer went off with enough force to partially ignite the dead powder and lodge the bullet partway into the barrel.
Although it is unusual, it is possible that unusually heavy-for-caliber bullets can cause a squib. Firing another round of ammunition behind a squib can cause excessive pressure as the gases of the next round cannot take the path of least resistance out of the barrel, and the bullet collides with the bullet stuck in the barrel. This can cause catastrophic failures of the barrel, receiver, cylinder, or slide, which is hazardous to the shooter and any bystanders.
How to Identify a Squib Load
With most malfunctions, a quick tap-rack-bang drill is all that is needed to keep shooting. A squib load is a hard malfunction to clear, and it usually requires special tools to be removed. But that is good fortune since knowing you have a squib is half the battle. Firing another round without knowing it could spell real trouble. Although some squib load malfunctions can be obviously felt, others are not, and some follow-through is necessary.
The most obvious sign of trouble is when you hear a pop when you expect a bang. But that pop can be hard to distinguish if others are shooting around you and you are wearing hearing protection while at the range. You might not detect a dud from a squib. If you don’t get a bang, wait a few seconds to ensure the round in the chamber is not a hang-firing round that is delayed. Next, open the chamber and ensure a bullet is still in the case. If it is, the problem is solved. If it isn’t, there is likely a bullet lodged in the barrel.
Trust Your Gut
A less obvious squib symptom is less recoil and noise. If you pull the trigger and the round goes off with less force or noise than your previous rounds, it’s likely a squib load. A telltale sign of a squib is any of the above symptoms, along with noticing your target does not have a hole in it where there is supposed to be one. In an autoloading rifle or pistol, a case that fails to cycle or extract is another tell. A revolver that fails to cycle the next round in the cylinder is also suspect. Sometimes, the bullet becomes wedged between the cylinder and barrel and locks the handgun up. But sometimes, there is no warning beyond low or no recoil and abnormal sound.
At that point, unload the firearm and check the barrel. If you do not see daylight at the other end, or if you see a bullet, you have a squib.
How to Clear a Squib Load Malfunction
When we are hunting, in the field, or on the range, some of us carry a few tools in the event we need to troubleshoot our firearm. Usually, that comes in the form of punches, screwdriver sets, or a bore snake to clean the barrel. While all of these are useful, they are useless with a squib. You will need a rod to push the bullet out of the barrel.
Helpful Range Tools
I have gotten into the habit of carrying a small pistol cleaning kit with a dedicated rod instead of a snake. A Breakthrough Cleaning Technologies .22 rimfire pistol kit goes in my range bag and vehicle. The threaded brass rod is long enough to knock out a squib from just about any pistol of any caliber. Cleaning rods are not intended to be used as punches, but they can generally take that beating and get you back in action. Best of all, aluminum or brass won’t damage the rifling of your barrel. I also found dowel rods and hickory ramrods useful for the same purposes without potentially sacrificing your cleaning rod.
No matter the tool, the squib is cleared with a rod. With the bullet already in the barrel and tight to the rifling, it is usually counterproductive to push the bullet the rest of the way out of the barrel. It is usually easier to insert the rod into the muzzle and push the bullet back through the path of its travel to the breech. With sharp, deliberate taps with your palm or with a soft-faced hammer, persuade the bullet out of the barrel.
Lead bullets are easy to punch out, but jacketed bullets require a bit more effort. In some extreme cases where the bullet simply will not budge, immersion in penetrating oil can do the trick. But once the bullet is retrieved, check the bore for any obstructions. If it is all clear, you are good to return to shooting safely, having learned and successfully navigated through one of the few potentially dangerous firearm malfunctions.
