Squib/misfire help

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spaniel

New member
I have a Taurus Tracker Titanium (4" barrel) in 41 Magnum. Until recently the gun has been flawless, nothing but handloads through it.

My go-to load is H110 (18ish grains from memory, would need to look it up) and a 210gr XTP using a Federal MATCH Magnum Pistol Primer. I'm using Match only because that's what they had in stock when I started reloading, so once I had a load worked up I just kept with those since that's what they stock nearby.

All went fine until the last two range sessions. In each session I had a squib/misfire within the first two cylinders. I believe it was the third or fourth round each time. The first one the bullet was drive until it just stuck in the forcing cone; the second one, yesterday, it's fully up in the barrel in front of the forcing cone and I'm still trying to get it out.

This was not a reloading mistake as there was plenty of powder packed into the forcing cone behind the bullet; it simply did not ignite. The two ideas I can thing of:
a) bad lot of primers; but if so, could there be enough force to drive the bullet so far and still not ignite the powder fully?
b) bullet slippage in a light revolver. While I do apply a light crimp it's not been the first or second round, so the bullet COULD have slipped forward without going far enough to bind the cylinder. Would this potentially result in pressure dropping off quickly enough from the primer ignition punting the bullet out of the case that the powder would not be contained enough to ignite correctly?

Both range sessions the temps were in the 30s, if that means anything.

Thoughts are appreciated.
 
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SatCong

New member
What does the report on the squib sound like? How did you know you had a squib before firing the next round? Are you using a progessive reloading press?

Mike
 
S

spaniel

New member
Single stage press. I throw the powder with an RCBS Chargemaster. As I indicated, plenty of powder packed into the forcing cone it just isn't igniting.

The report both times was a "pop" with lack of recoil. The first time it was a friend firing, even before I yelled for him not to fire again he was lowering the gun as he'd realized what had happened.

I've used the same jug of powder to reload 44Mag shells for my Ruger carbine...no issues in ~80 rds so I can't believe the powder is the issue.
 
R

rtpzwms

New member
Do you clean your brass after de-priming? Just thinking something might be in the flash hole. I would get busy with a bullet puller and start checking my loads. I would also check everything with a new batch of rounds different primer lot and fresh powder. I think its unlikely that the last step would prove anything but it might give you the piece of mind that the gun is just fine. In fact you could do it with some factory loads for all its worth.
 
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SatCong

New member
Buy some Win primers, never had a prob in over 10,000 ignitions --several rifle/handgun calbers, small/large pistol, magnum or not, small/large rifle, magnum or not.
How's the condition of your firing pin?
The only squibs I have experienced were using factory (non-reload) ammo.

Mike
 
S

spaniel

New member
rtp - Brass is cleaned via corn cob media before reloading. Never had an issue with flash hold plugging in any other caliber...can't say I actually ran a wire through each shell though they were visibly inspected.

Re you and SatCong on new primers I've thought of it now and will try as soon as I can get some. It just seems very odd to me that there is enough power applied to fully obuterate the bullet into the rifling, yet the powder fails to ignite.
 
1

1Hobie

New member
How long has the H110 been opened? Has it been exposed to humidity? If the powder is getting old it doesn't light up like it was designed.
Perhaps if so I wonder that when the gun is brought to ready,after the first couple rounds loads are fired, the powder is settled length-wise in the cartridge. At that point, the powder isn't exposed to the brissance of the primer as it would be when the powder was settled around the base of the cartridge. Plus, if it was a primer issue, wouldn't that be more of a random event? As well as the flash hole being obstructed.
I'd try a new batch of H110 with all other things the same and see what happens.
Or I could be wrong...LOL...:rolleyes: I'm interested in what the solution to this problem will be. Live to learn, learn to live.

Hobie
 
S

spaniel

New member
Hobie, I have no option but to try new H110 as that bottle is empty. It was not old, from opening it to emptying was under a year. Like I said, the 44Mag shells loaded at about the same time work without a hiccup in my Ruger Deerhunter.

I plan to try different powder AND primers in the next batch...just wondering if I missed anything obvious.
 
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