# Squib Rod



## Smitty79 (Oct 19, 2012)

Is it important that you have a squib rod for each caliber? I shoot 40 and 9. Should I have one of each?


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I bet that the same rod would serve for both calibers.
All you need is a strong, straight-grain wooden dowel, preferably made of hickory. If it were 3/8" in diameter, you could shave it down just a little to fit the 9mm.
If you want to be fancy, you might find brass rods in the appropriate size(s). (I think that aluminum is too soft.)


A shop which sells muzzleloading-rifle accessories might sell hickory ramrods, maybe even in pistol-appropriate lengths. Certainly, Dixie Gun Works has them.
I suggest against fibreglas, because it's abrasive, and also because it can shatter.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

I've had exactly one squib in 50 years of shooting, resulting from my Lee Autodisk failing to drop a charge, and my failure to properly monitor that function. I knew it did not like ball powder and thought I was being careful, but still failed to catch it. I had only a long, thin screwdriver with me (not recommended), and by working very carefully was able to clear the bore without damaging it.

My point is that squibs are rare, unless you do a lot of sloppy hand loading. But, it wouldn't cost much to carry a couple of hardwood dowels in your range bag.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

Do they have any loaded cartridges without the bullet to use instead of a stick. I realize it could be more dangerous . Especially if somehow the wrong caliber was used.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Interesting.With a light target load of fast powder I could possibly see it working with minimal damage,but I'm no rocket scientist either.I do have an HK,but I don't think I'll try this experiment.Unless someone wants to give me a backup barrel of course :watching:


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

pic said:


> Do they have any loaded cartridges without the bullet to use instead of a stick. I realize it could be more dangerous . Especially if somehow the wrong caliber was used.


Just use a stick and keep your fingers. I use old broken wood arrow shafts to remove other peoples squib's.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

rex said:


> Interesting.With a light target load of fast powder I could possibly see it working with minimal damage,but I'm no rocket scientist either.I do have an HK,but I don't think I'll try this experiment.Unless someone wants to give me a backup barrel of course :watching:


I was just curious if this was an option that might already exist. I would let the neighbor try it first without any witnesses around.


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## high pockets (Apr 25, 2011)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> ...
> If you want to be fancy, you might find brass rods in the appropriate size(s). (I think that aluminum is too soft.)
> ...


An aluminum rod works fine as long as it is a solid rod. Since the length is relatively short, the ridgity of an aluminum rod would not be an issue.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

high pockets said:


> ...Since the length is relatively short, the ridgity of an aluminum rod would not be an issue.


Rigidity wasn't what I was thinking about
Rather, I wonder whether the end of an aluminum rod might mushroom, and thereby wedge in the bore.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

pic said:


> I was just curious if this was an option that might already exist. I would let the neighbor try it first without any witnesses around.


Haha,I'd want to watch though.I'd try it with an HK if I had a spare barrel,but I don't.It actually wouldn't surprise me if there was no damage but I wouldn't try anyone else's barrel.When HK was doing the testing on the MK23 and I think the USP,they lodge a bullet in the barrel to simulate a squib and then shot it out.While it did swell the barrel the gun still functioned and it still actually pulled groups.IIRC,they were getting 5 or 6" groups out of it.Pretty tough barrels there.I've seen a few USP's blown from a double charge and the barrels still looked pretty good compared to some other brands.


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## pic (Nov 14, 2009)

I was thinking handgun barrel, lol , rifle might be to long a Trip. Imagine using a bolt action with a stubborn squib


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Yeah,those 2 HKs are handguns.A rifle,wow,that could be real nasty.In a 45 I'd be interested to see the results,but a high pressure round from a pistol or rifle would definately scare me to be around it.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

I have removed bullets from rifles, after "squib" shots.

From muzzleloaders, it's tedious but simple: Use a bullet-pulling screw fixture, temporarily attached to the end of a ramrod. Or, pick a partial load of FFFFg powder into the touchhole or nipple-bolster, and shoot the thing out. There even used to be a compressed-air device.

From breechloaders, it's quick, easy, and simple: You have to have a wooden (or brass) bore-size rod that's the length of the entire barrel, and a mallet. The rod can't have room to flex, or you'll never get the bullet out, and it mustn't be capable of scratching the rifling (which is why I recommend hickory wood). Go in from the muzzle, and give the rod a whack.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

I've had the pleasure of never personally having a squib but I've seen a few.

A friend said his friend's 9mm blew up,the slide blew off it and showed it to me.It was a Jennings with about 3/4 of the bullet sticking out the bore,funnier than heck.After finally getting the slide off there were some neat gouges from coming apart the wrong way but the gun would still function as far as I could tell.I gave it back to him with the bullet still stuck and told him to make a wall hanger out of it,proof of why not to buy cheap guns,and his buddy agreed.I wanted it but he wouldn't part with it.


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## Gunners_Mate (Feb 17, 2010)

pic said:


> Do they have any loaded cartridges without the bullet to use instead of a stick. I realize it could be more dangerous . Especially if somehow the wrong caliber was used.





rex said:


> Interesting.With a light target load of fast powder I could possibly see it working with minimal damage,but I'm no rocket scientist either.I do have an HK,but I don't think I'll try this experiment.Unless someone wants to give me a backup barrel of course :watching:


I'd read somewhere that it could possibly be very dangerous to do this. Generally speaking when a projectile is fired from a barrel the source of gas and pressure is powder very near the projectile, with little to no air in between. The gas expands in a predictable and designed manner building up slowly enough to push the projectile out of the barrel. Supposedly IF too big a gap were between the power and the projectile the amount of air in between combined with expanding gases could build up pressure too quickly and too high for the barrel to withstand...

I wish I had a credible source for this, and there's plenty of possibilities for a counter-argument to that concept, but I figured it was worth saying.

I've never encountered this personally, despite participating and overlooking in hundreds of thousands of rounds down range. Personally I'd use a dowel of some sort, or a cleaning rod, but in general I wouldn't plan on it by buying an implement particularly for this purpose. If it happens, call it a day, go home, and fix it. Clean the gun up and go back again another day. And don't forget, Chamber to Muzzle, always! lol.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

GM,you are correct as far as I know about the air column,it provides resistance also.A,theory should we say,is that the column of air between a squib and the next bullet increases pressure immensely compared to the next bullet just hitting the previous and pushing it out.Shy of testing this in a vacuum with only oxygen in the case to be used,I'll never know.

HK did shoot a squib out as part of their testing because they test to NATO standards over what civilian guns are tested to.While it did pull a ring and swell,it still shot respectable groups.The 45 is the only one I know of,and being a low pressure round I can see it.In a higher pressure round that gets scary,maybe the same results with a slow powder that doesn't ramp up fast.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

*Gunners_Mate*;
"Chamber to Muzzle"?
When you're cleaning a gun, yes.
But if you're removing a stuck bullet, it'll most likely be right near the chamber. So why drive it all the way through the entire bore?


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## bykerhd (Jul 25, 2012)

I've seen one ? stuck bullet in the last 40, or so years.
Factory Remington .44 Special lead bullet load.
Apparently, with no powder ?

A piece of cleaning rod was used to push it back out of the barrel (after the cylinder was removed).
Revolvers generally would require a stuck bullet to be pushed back as there isn't access to use a rod from the forcing cone end.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Good thing it was lead,I saw a pic years ago of a bullet trapped right in the forcing cone locking the gun up.IIRC they said it took alot more work than expected to get it back in the chamber to clear it.

That brings up a point I didn't mention earlier,be very attentive shooting now.With the runs on ammo being crazy over the last decade they're in full overdrive pumping out ammo,QC problems are higher than I've seen in a long time.Squibs are kind of common,crushed cases,a few cases with no rims,and a few cases that were crushed seating the bullet.I've heard a few cases of OAL being insanely irradic throughout a box,that's weird.I could see rough handling in shipping causing some,but not so much haphazzardly though the box.The tide has seemed to change that reloads will blow your gun and factory won't.Reloads are still a danger,if you don't load them yourself don't use them.I have total control over what I make,I can't say that about the dude pumpimg out bags full for the next gun show.I just saw a USP45 blown apart last week by a doublecharge from gunshow ammo,these things handle a blowout pretty good and some are still rebuildable,not this one.


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## HK Dan (Dec 22, 2010)

Check out the Arredondo squib rod. Very well thought out, and good for anything down to .22 caliber. It is polymer and will not damage the bore, has both a long and a short rod and a nice connection for pounding. Cheap too!


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Hmmm... Polymer...
It still has to be stiff, and pretty near bore-size. And it mustn't deform or mushroom when pounded.
I ask because you haven't included a link, so I haven't seen this particular rod.

I still favor a hickory ramrod of the appropriate diameter, but that's 'cause I've got lots of 'em.


Jean and I are off to visit both grandchildren.
One of 'em's having her First Birthday!
We'll be gone until June 26th or 27th.
See you then...


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