Rapid Firing - Unwise ?

M

Mike H

New member
Rapid string firing is something I personally use as a measure of any improvement in my shooting.

During my last range session all my 9x18's went in the kill zone of a silhouette at 15 yards, firing as fast as I could as soon as the sights came back down on target, something I could not have achieved just 2 months ago.

Then I had a JHP hang up for a second on the feed ramp, it sort of paused then the slide thunked home, thing is I had already stroked the trigger. Naturally the Mak didn't fire, but the experience left me spooked.

It suddenly occurred to me that if I had a squib load mid string, I could well induce a nasty accident. I doubt that I would be able to stop the trigger motion in time.

Anyone had this problem or have any thoughts ?

Mike H
 
If you had a "squib" load midstring, the cartridge would not have the energy to cycle the action, so no harm no foul.

Of course this only applies to semi-autos. A squib load can be disastrous in a rapid fire revolver scenario.
 
Rapid fire is a valuable practice tool.

The "nastiest" accident if you get a squib bullet stuck in the barrel would likely be a stovepipe jam, or a failure to chamber the next round in the magazine.

I've never seen a squib load that left a bullet in the barrel that developed enough pressure to fully cycle the slide.

Even if that did happen, the nastiest accident would likely be a blown cases, broken grips, and the magazine blown out of the gun.

Chances of actually being badly hurt by something like that are remote.
 
I've asked the same question and had the same concerns.

A friend of mine recently, while firing hand loads, had a squib load that he "didn't notice," and he fired a second shot. The gun locked up and he couldn't open the slide. He didn't really know what was wrong, and sent the gun -- a S&W 945 -- back to the factory.

They let him know that the barrel was bulged, and it cost him $250 to get it back in working order.

So it CAN happen. But its apparently pretty rare...
 
"If you had a "squib" load midstring, the cartridge would not have the energy to cycle the action, so no harm no foul."

It's more likely that the squib load will cycle the slide properly. It happened with a Glock 17L, a Sphinx AT2000S, and a HK USP9. In two cases the shooter fired the next round and damaged the barrel...
 
With standard springs, I've seen primer-only loads cycle a Government Model. I don't know about full-power hardball, but 5.8 grains of 231 and a 200-grain SWC will definitely bulge a barrel.

I think the full-power loads result in a ruptured case, bulged barrel, magazine blown down, and maybe a bulged frame.

Art
 
Is there any risk of a blown barrel/chamber with all the associated shrapnel and risk to the shooter ?

Mike H
 
While it shouldn't cycle a recoil action (no bullet, no recoil), obviously a squib can, given those mentioned here.

Mike is using a blowback pistol (Mak?), which increases the likelihood of it cycling, since there would be a fair amount of back pressure with the round stuck in the barrel.

I would hate to have to shoot like I was worried about squibs, but I see your point.
 
With modern guns, I have never seen a lodged bullet cause any more than a bulged or split barrel in a revolver or autoloader, but in autoloaders, the slide can also be bulged from gas release. In other words, no blowup or pieces of gun flying about. That usually happens due to a severe overload, not a stuck bullet.

A recoil operated autoloader will function at least partially as long as the bullet moves at all, which it will with a tiny powder charge or even a primer. The pressure does not have to be any more than to start the bullet, as it is bullet movement, not pressure itself, that functions the gun.

Jim
 
Had a Glock 26 that ate a squib.
Bullet lodged halfway down the barrel, casing ejected fine.
Next round bulged the barrel, but the gun still fired for 2 or 3 rounds, but accuracy sucked.
Glock replaced the barrel free of charge.
 
Just so long as you pay some attention to a "pop" with no kick or other signs of a bad load, you shouldn't have any problems. Thats' just as important as knowing how many rounds you have fired in your weapon and how many remaining.



Good Shooting
RED
 
A local range that I no longer frequent has a rule of no more than one shot per second. The squib reasoning is the justification they cite. I personally have had three squib loads in my life. Two were S&B .45 Auto, the action did not cycle but the bullet did exit the barrel both times, one even spashing in a puddle of water ten feet away. The third was a handload in .44 mag which tied up the cylinder. In none of these examples could I have kept firing if I had wanted to.
 
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