Just for fun...

presence · January 31, 2013, 07:46 PM

So, I was just wondering... What would happen if you loaded a primer in a case, seated the bullet and that was all? No powder. Then loaded it in a rifle and pulled the trigger. Would the cap have enough pressure to pop the bullet out of the case? Would it clear the barrel?

Jim Watson · January 31, 2013, 07:54 PM

Yes and no.
A bullet stuck in the barrel is a very dangerous situation, especially if it is far enough down the barrel to load a live round behind it.
Also, a typical jacketed rifle bullet is difficult to remove and there have been guns damaged by trying tricks.

(A round with primer and without powder has come to be called a "squib" although that is not the original usage as recently as 50 years ago.)

presence · January 31, 2013, 08:00 PM

Cool!

I would never try. My guns and my well-being are both very dear to me. The thought just crossed my mind and I knew the safest way to find out would be to ask!

USMC EOD · January 31, 2013, 08:49 PM

I was at a neighbors house a couple of months ago, and my neighbor was shooting a Glock .40 that belonged to a friend of his. The gun said: "BANG...BANG...BANG...pop"! My neighbor's friend yelled "STOP!". He immediately disassembled his Glock to find a bullet stuck in the barrel. It did not cycle another round behind it, but if it had, it could have been tragic. My neighbor's friend was telling us later that he had a lot of distractions when he was loading that batch of ammo. I would not ever recommend trying this to see what happens, as it would be way too easy (at least for me) to misplace the round, then load it in a magazine.

McShooty · January 31, 2013, 11:45 PM

Had some experience here. In a rifle a primer will never put the bullet through the barrel. It may or may not push it far enough so that a fresh cartridge will chamber. I have seen both situations. If a new cartridge chambers and is fired, disaster will ensue. In a revolver, the bullet may lodge in the gap between cylnder and barrel, thus tying up the gun. Or it may go far enough in the barrel to allow a new round to be indexed and fired. Again, disaster. You cannot emphasize enough: if the gun does not go bang, do not attempt a new shot until you find out what has happened. In rapid fire situations that requires great presence of mind.

NHSHOOTER · February 1, 2013, 06:55 AM

I was out west visiting my brother and he took me squirrel shootin, what a blast..well, he reloads and I was shooting his 22-250 and doing well, then, bang, bang, pop..I said, hey, this one didnt go off, we pulled the bolt and looked down the barrel and of course couldnt see, the bullet was stuck, we got it out and found that he hadnt charged 5 rounds, told me it had happened once before "a few years". He had the same thing happen, primer went off but bang, he bolted in another round and boom, blew the barrel, didnt get hurt and was very lucky. He now inspects all his cases before seating the bullets. We all know how easy it is to get distracted.
We were lucky enough to have a cleaning kit with us the day it happened to me so I was able to keep shooting. BE CAREFUL

donkee · February 1, 2013, 07:49 AM

If you are looking for a small game or gallery type load I have been using pistol bullets with 8g of Unique in my Enfield and MN 91/30. No recoil and about as loud as a .22. Good for playing at the range or using on small game.

For those I am using some hornady .32 cal XTPs. I have a bunch but no longer use them in my Nagant 1895 revolver so I needed to do something with them!

FYI, black powder rounds using CL bullets in the 1895 Nagant revolver is a riot. I highly recommend it.

Qtiphky · February 1, 2013, 07:52 AM

I too have a had several squibs with 38 spcl. I had one in a batch and pulled the rest, they were fine. Double checked my loading procedures and visually verified powder in each shell and had another squib. Upped my powder and haven't had a problem since. Also had a few with a 30 carbine. Either light loads or no powder. Didn't sound right, stopped and checked and yep the bullet cleared the chamber and lodged in the barrel about 5 inches up. Pulled the rest of the lot and found 3 more that had light powder charges. The only thing I could figure was the powder bridged and didn't deliver a full load. All of these were several years ago and I haven't had any since those.

rlc323 · February 1, 2013, 11:07 AM

With 12 ga shotguns a primer only ignition results in the shot going out about 15 yards so slowly you can see it, and the wad remains lodged in the barrel.

Foooomp, would be the closest description of the sound.

Jim Watson · February 1, 2013, 11:23 AM

Yes, the local trap and skeet club keeps a ramrod on each field to make it convenient for sloppy reloaders to push out stuck wads.

One outfit makes a little brass weight small enough to carry in your pocket, heavy enough to knock out a wad when dropped down the barrel.

I think it is simpler just to make sure each and every round contains one and only one powder charge. But I carry a brass rod in my shooting bag. I haven't used it on my own gun but many others'.

CWKahrFan · February 1, 2013, 11:45 AM

Yep... When you hear a little "pop" about like a cap gun going off... IMMEDIATELY put the gun down... unload, and inspect the barrel thoroughly!

In a bullet gun, if it's plugged you're going to need "a hammer" and a rod (preferably brass) about as long as the barrel to (as carefully as you can to prevent any damage) tap that bullet (from the front end) back down (into the now fully open chamber) 'til it falls out. (For a revolver, make sure the cylinder is swung OUT!)

BuckRub · February 1, 2013, 12:36 PM

It most likely would have enough to get the bullet stuck in the barrel, then comes trying to get it out- Not exactly what I would call fun

cdoc42 · February 1, 2013, 12:42 PM

I have two personal situations I expeinced. One was with a Ruger .44 Mag Superblackhawk. I was shooting at Chili cans with a 180gr bullet and I saw the dirt splatter about 10 feet to the left of my aim. A big question mark appeared in my mind and I happened to look down at the revolver to see the barrel bellowd, then split like a piece of bamboo in the middle third of the 7-1/2 inch travel. From there to the muzzle all was well. Through communication with Ruger the possible explanation was that thin-jacketed bullets can leave a ring of copper in the barrel which present an obstruction.

A more serious situation almost occurred with my .454 Casull. When the caliber first appeared the cases used large pistol primers for ignition. They changed to small rifle primers and upon my request, sent me small rings to insert in the old cases to convert the LPP pocket to a SRP pocket. The primers didn't seat easily. Apparently two were damaged sufficiently to prevent proper ignition, and I found out when I fired a round and it made the sound described in other posts. Perplexed, my first thought was I must have missed putting powder in thsat round, which in my mind was virtually impossible because I always look into each case as I seat the bullet. Still pondering, I fired another round and had the same experience. THEN, I asked myself, "Where did the bullets go?" Well, they were BOTH stuck in the barrel! If the second shot had gone off it would have been like holding a grenade. I was able to knock them out with a wooden dowel and a well-lubed barrel.

If you shoot long enough something like this is bound to happen.

January 31, 2013, 07:46 PM	#1
presence Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Wheeling, WV Posts: 52	Just for fun... So, I was just wondering... What would happen if you loaded a primer in a case, seated the bullet and that was all? No powder. Then loaded it in a rifle and pulled the trigger. Would the cap have enough pressure to pop the bullet out of the case? Would it clear the barrel?

February 1, 2013, 07:52 AM	#8
Qtiphky Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2008 Location: Upper Michigan, above the Mackinac Bridge Posts: 568	Experience I too have a had several squibs with 38 spcl. I had one in a batch and pulled the rest, they were fine. Double checked my loading procedures and visually verified powder in each shell and had another squib. Upped my powder and haven't had a problem since. Also had a few with a 30 carbine. Either light loads or no powder. Didn't sound right, stopped and checked and yep the bullet cleared the chamber and lodged in the barrel about 5 inches up. Pulled the rest of the lot and found 3 more that had light powder charges. The only thing I could figure was the powder bridged and didn't deliver a full load. All of these were several years ago and I haven't had any since those.

February 1, 2013, 11:45 AM	#11
CWKahrFan Senior Member Join Date: November 3, 2010 Posts: 2,016	Yep... When you hear a little "pop" about like a cap gun going off... IMMEDIATELY put the gun down... unload, and inspect the barrel thoroughly! In a bullet gun, if it's plugged you're going to need "a hammer" and a rod (preferably brass) about as long as the barrel to (as carefully as you can to prevent any damage) tap that bullet (from the front end) back down (into the now fully open chamber) 'til it falls out. (For a revolver, make sure the cylinder is swung OUT!) __________________ What did Mrs. Bullet say to Mr. Bullet? ... "We're having a BeeBee!"... IF THE SHOE FITS, WEAR IT!... IF THE GUN FITS, SHOOT IT! "Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it." Last edited by CWKahrFan; February 1, 2013 at 06:43 PM.

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January 31, 2013, 07:54 PM	#2
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Yes and no. A bullet stuck in the barrel is a very dangerous situation, especially if it is far enough down the barrel to load a live round behind it. Also, a typical jacketed rifle bullet is difficult to remove and there have been guns damaged by trying tricks. (A round with primer and without powder has come to be called a "squib" although that is not the original usage as recently as 50 years ago.)

January 31, 2013, 08:00 PM	#3
presence Member Join Date: April 15, 2009 Location: Wheeling, WV Posts: 52	Cool! I would never try. My guns and my well-being are both very dear to me. The thought just crossed my mind and I knew the safest way to find out would be to ask!

January 31, 2013, 08:49 PM	#4
USMC EOD Member Join Date: January 6, 2013 Location: Virginia Posts: 60	I was at a neighbors house a couple of months ago, and my neighbor was shooting a Glock .40 that belonged to a friend of his. The gun said: "BANG...BANG...BANG...pop"! My neighbor's friend yelled "STOP!". He immediately disassembled his Glock to find a bullet stuck in the barrel. It did not cycle another round behind it, but if it had, it could have been tragic. My neighbor's friend was telling us later that he had a lot of distractions when he was loading that batch of ammo. I would not ever recommend trying this to see what happens, as it would be way too easy (at least for me) to misplace the round, then load it in a magazine.

January 31, 2013, 11:45 PM	#5
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	Had some experience here. In a rifle a primer will never put the bullet through the barrel. It may or may not push it far enough so that a fresh cartridge will chamber. I have seen both situations. If a new cartridge chambers and is fired, disaster will ensue. In a revolver, the bullet may lodge in the gap between cylnder and barrel, thus tying up the gun. Or it may go far enough in the barrel to allow a new round to be indexed and fired. Again, disaster. You cannot emphasize enough: if the gun does not go bang, do not attempt a new shot until you find out what has happened. In rapid fire situations that requires great presence of mind.

February 1, 2013, 06:55 AM	#6
NHSHOOTER Senior Member Join Date: November 26, 2012 Location: Concord NH Posts: 1,002	I was out west visiting my brother and he took me squirrel shootin, what a blast..well, he reloads and I was shooting his 22-250 and doing well, then, bang, bang, pop..I said, hey, this one didnt go off, we pulled the bolt and looked down the barrel and of course couldnt see, the bullet was stuck, we got it out and found that he hadnt charged 5 rounds, told me it had happened once before "a few years". He had the same thing happen, primer went off but bang, he bolted in another round and boom, blew the barrel, didnt get hurt and was very lucky. He now inspects all his cases before seating the bullets. We all know how easy it is to get distracted. We were lucky enough to have a cleaning kit with us the day it happened to me so I was able to keep shooting. BE CAREFUL

February 1, 2013, 07:49 AM	#7
donkee Junior member Join Date: November 7, 2004 Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 449	If you are looking for a small game or gallery type load I have been using pistol bullets with 8g of Unique in my Enfield and MN 91/30. No recoil and about as loud as a .22. Good for playing at the range or using on small game. For those I am using some hornady .32 cal XTPs. I have a bunch but no longer use them in my Nagant 1895 revolver so I needed to do something with them! FYI, black powder rounds using CL bullets in the 1895 Nagant revolver is a riot. I highly recommend it.

February 1, 2013, 11:07 AM	#9
rlc323 Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2013 Location: Forgottonia, Il Posts: 217	With 12 ga shotguns a primer only ignition results in the shot going out about 15 yards so slowly you can see it, and the wad remains lodged in the barrel. Foooomp, would be the closest description of the sound.

February 1, 2013, 11:23 AM	#10
Jim Watson Senior Member Join Date: October 25, 2001 Location: Alabama Posts: 18,535	Yes, the local trap and skeet club keeps a ramrod on each field to make it convenient for sloppy reloaders to push out stuck wads. One outfit makes a little brass weight small enough to carry in your pocket, heavy enough to knock out a wad when dropped down the barrel. I think it is simpler just to make sure each and every round contains one and only one powder charge. But I carry a brass rod in my shooting bag. I haven't used it on my own gun but many others'.

February 1, 2013, 12:36 PM	#12
BuckRub Junior member Join Date: October 3, 2012 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,046	It most likely would have enough to get the bullet stuck in the barrel, then comes trying to get it out- Not exactly what I would call fun

February 1, 2013, 12:42 PM	#13
cdoc42 Senior Member Join Date: March 13, 2005 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,687	I have two personal situations I expeinced. One was with a Ruger .44 Mag Superblackhawk. I was shooting at Chili cans with a 180gr bullet and I saw the dirt splatter about 10 feet to the left of my aim. A big question mark appeared in my mind and I happened to look down at the revolver to see the barrel bellowd, then split like a piece of bamboo in the middle third of the 7-1/2 inch travel. From there to the muzzle all was well. Through communication with Ruger the possible explanation was that thin-jacketed bullets can leave a ring of copper in the barrel which present an obstruction. A more serious situation almost occurred with my .454 Casull. When the caliber first appeared the cases used large pistol primers for ignition. They changed to small rifle primers and upon my request, sent me small rings to insert in the old cases to convert the LPP pocket to a SRP pocket. The primers didn't seat easily. Apparently two were damaged sufficiently to prevent proper ignition, and I found out when I fired a round and it made the sound described in other posts. Perplexed, my first thought was I must have missed putting powder in thsat round, which in my mind was virtually impossible because I always look into each case as I seat the bullet. Still pondering, I fired another round and had the same experience. THEN, I asked myself, "Where did the bullets go?" Well, they were BOTH stuck in the barrel! If the second shot had gone off it would have been like holding a grenade. I was able to knock them out with a wooden dowel and a well-lubed barrel. If you shoot long enough something like this is bound to happen.