Ugly squib today

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Tom Servo

Staff


S&W Model 29 Mountain Gun. The loads were factory CorBon 200gr .44 Special. The operator was an experienced shooter with military training.

The shooter started with .44 Magnums, then switched to Specials. It's likely that he expected the milder report and recoil of the .44 Special loads and therefore didn't notice the discrepancy at first.

Surprisingly, the ejector rod is fine, as are the topstrap and cylinder. Looks like a new barrel assembly should have her back up and running.

Lesson learned: be careful when switching between Magnum and Special loads, as you might not pick up on the discrepancy in time.
 
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Mr.RevolverGuy

New member
Corbon should be replacing this barrel. Have you contacted them? I would if for nothing more than to keep someone else from being hurt. It is likely that not just your box left the doors of corbon this way.
 
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Ozzieman

New member
You want to have a good gun smith look at the cylinder first. I had a friend do a similar thing to a Smith 24,,, There was no real noticeable damage, he cleaned the gun and several days later shot it some more.
Luckily the gun worked fine but when he went to reload some rounds he noticed several of the cases had a strange bulged look to them,,,,,
It was very difficult to see when looking down the chamber but the gun had a bulged cylinder and was unsafe to shoot.
That was a year ago and the gun is still in the process of getting rebuilt.
If there was enough pressure to blow up a barrel on a Smith then that chamber saw a LOT of pressure. I would be interested in seeing the case.
 
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MLeake

New member
I had read about squibs, but never encountered one...

... until that happened to me, yesterday. Was kicking myself for not immediately recognizing it.

Note: Yes, this was my 29-8.

The range was busy yesterday, 10-20 minute wait times for lanes, although they have 10 pistol lanes. Lots of noise going on. Also, I was doing initial sight in at 7 yards, so several of my .44 holes were overlapping, and I didn't notice the lack of a new hole in the paper.

The quieter report and the lack of a new hole should have been clues, but I missed them until my mental, after-action review.

I had fired three of the Cor-Bon .44special 165gr with no problem; the fourth round gave the quieter report (again, as I thought back, that's what it did, but with reports coming from both sides, I didn't notice it at the time). The fifth round fired, with number four still in the barrel, caused the almost cartoonish damage to the weapon.

When it happened, I was surprised by the uneventful recoil. I guess the force against the bullet lodged in the barrel pushing forward counteracted the usual rearward recoil, because it felt strangely damped. I also felt a rush of hot air and small particles blast back over my hand, wrist, and face. No skin was broken, and protective eyewear did its job beautifully (the same Native interchangeable lens glasses I use for downhill skiing and mountain biking). The back of my hand felt mildly sunburnt for the rest of the day, but that was about it.

I was very, very lucky. I really may just frame the revolver. Went out and bought a lottery ticket later yesterday afternoon, too.

Going back to my original point, I should have noticed the symptoms of the squib. I knew what they were, but having never experienced one, I failed to recognize them when it mattered.

As far as training goes, I started with air rifles at 8, moved up to rimfire in my early teens, started shooting centerfire and shotguns at 18. I went through Navy security team training while on hold in flight school (lack of fuel meant a lot of young student pilots got temporarily diverted in the early 90s), and did a fair amount of shooting with 1911 and Mossberg 500 during my time at Security as assistant training officer for the auxiliary security force at that base. Shot captain's cup pistol during a tour as an instructor pilot, and was top shooter on my team. Trained regularly with Marines and SF guys during a liaison stint overseas with SOCPAC. Went through refresher training not long ago at Fort Jackson, where mobilizing Navy reservists get Army appreciation training prior to IA tours. and was the top pistol shot in my class - did ok with rifles, but just missed Expert by two. Hanging out lately up at Fort Bragg, where I shoot from time to time with a mix of Rangers and other SOF types.

And despite all that, I blew up my .44 yesterday...
 
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MLeake

New member
You know, it's funny...

... that Tom Servo posted this thread, because I keep thinking my barrel reminds me of Crow on MST3K....

But anyway, I tried to call S&W and Cor-Bon yesterday, but both customer service departments were closed for the holiday weekend. Will try them again on Monday, and will let you know how they respond. I've been advised by others that Cor-Bon has a sterling reputation for customer support, and that it's very likely they will pay for repair. I've used Cor-Bon in my Sigs for years without problem, and it is not my intention to badmouth their product over one bad lot. We'll see how this pans out.

Intend to send the revolver to S&W for new barrel, but thinking I may go with a heavier barrel. Wouldn't have prevented this problem, but I'm just thinking in terms of recoil vs carry weight. I use thick leather or else military nylon rigger's belts, with Simply Rugged pancakes, so weight isn't much of an issue. If it's more expensive to go with a different barrel, I plan to eat the difference in cost, assuming Cor-Bon does in fact pay for the basic repairs. I do not intend to make money from this incident, especially since if I had recognized the squib immediately, I could have possibly solved the problem with a brass rod and mallet.

Not sure if S&W will have any blue 4" or 5" barrels in stock, though.

While it's there, intend to have S&W check cylinder, cone, and timing, too.

At this time, the cylinder is locked, and can neither be opened nor rotated. Empties from the mishap are locked in the cylinder, as well as one live round.
 
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MLeake

New member
Lottery ticket...

... didn't win. Oh, well, guess my allocation of luck was limited to not losing any body parts, but I'll take that over the lottery.
 
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MLeake

New member
Update on Customer Service

Called both S&W and Cor-Bon today.

At S&W, received an automated message saying they had a very high caller volume, please call back later or leave a voicemail. I opted for voicemail; the message said they would call me back today, but that didn't happen. As of yet, no word from S&W.

However, when I called Cor-Bon, I was connected to a tech sales guy named Ross. Ross immediately offered to set up UPS shipping to send the revolver to Cor-Bon, for repair and replacement of parts as required. Due to inability to coordinate times directly with UPS, because I work on a base and the lady is taking BSN pre-reqs, we will send the revolver ourselves. We couldn't guarantee anybody would be home for pickup.

In any case, Cor-Bon has indicated that they will do whatever is necessary. So far, I have only good things to say about their customer service. Will update when I get their prognosis, which will probably take a few days.
 
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stevieboy

New member
Wow. That's pretty scary. I've had just one squib and it was with my 617. Fortunately, I was alerted by the extremely soft discharge. I was able to push the round out the back of the barrel with a brass cleaning rod and a couple of light taps with a mallet and there was no damage to the gun.
 
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smee78

New member
I told yall the IL guns were dangerous,,,,,,,just kidding, glad no one was hurt and pls keep us updated on its outcome.
 
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MLeake

New member
Heard more from Cor-Bon today

They received the revolver this morning, and assessed it as totaled. They are replacing it, but salvaging my Hogue grips, cylinder release latch, and sights, in case I wish to mount any of those parts on the S&W 29 they are sending as a replacement.

I have to say, my experience with Cor-Bon customer service, and Ross in particular, has been stellar.

Will update when the replacement arrives.

Note: Still haven't heard back on my email or voicemail to S&W customer service. They usually have a good reputation, so this surprises me. Luckily, in this instance it doesn't really matter because Cor-Bon has stepped up.
 
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Anticonn

New member
Wow, I never would have thought an ammunition manufacturer would replace a gun. At best I'd expect a coupon for 20% off my next purchase, that's simply outstanding.
 
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MLeake

New member
So far...

... they have exceeded my expectations. For that matter, they've exceeded anything I've requested.

Like I said, will update when the replacement arrives.
 
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publius

New member
Next time I feel the need to buy factory Cor Bon will get my business. Unfortunately, many businesses just don't understand customer service. Sure, Cor-Bon had to eat a $700.00 pistol but they did the right thing and in doing so have won the business of everyone on this thread who will also tell others. they'll end up making money on the deal.
 
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shortwave

New member
Tom Servo and MLeake, Thanks for the thread/ post. Sorry to hear of your accidents and glad your both ok. Will remember of Corbon`s customer service. Also that we should always wear safety glasses when shooting. Harder to see that target with just one eye;).
 
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MLeake

New member
My lady wanted to frame it and put it on the wall...

... however, I have more than enough wall hangings, and Cor-Bon needed to examine the weapon.

It's disassembled.

I did submit the picture and a brief summary to the safety department at my command. I think it's going out in the Senior Enlisted Advisor notes for tomorrow's weekly edition.
 
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