The Bulldawg Kaboomed

[Scoundrel]

But you left out the barrel split and the bullets stuck in the barrel that made it split that wont let it come out of the slide since the barrel is now bulgededed.

I was just demonstrating the technique. Now it's Melissa's turn.

Sorry, but my interest in photographing interesting things doesn't extend to intentionally loading up a squib and blowing my Astra to hell so I can get some good exploded gun shots.

But if you want lotsa pics of smashed up guns, do a Google image search for "kaboom guns".

[Tinman507]

The timing of this thread is uncanny.

My son and I were at a range yesterday shooting our carry weapons and his new shotgun for function check.

We're in the groove punching holes in targets when suddenly in the next station there's a commotion.

A father and son in that station had an impressive collection of handguns. Son (Maybe 19 or 20) was on the line shooting a Makarov. He was popping them off pretty well when he had a squib. The kid had enough experience and/or presence of mind to set the weapon down and call his dad. The nose of the round was sticking out the muzzle about 1/4". When the cease fire was called, he had all the RSO's over there checking the gun out. His dad apparently did some reloads of 9x18 and messed one up.

I have very limited experience with handguns, but the lightbulb went on suddenly. The thought flashed into my feeble brain that had he not stopped and squeezed off another, there would have been a pretty good boom. I then mentally reviewed my own shooting and I have to honestly say I am not sure I would have stopped right there. The take away lesson for me was to pay attention to ALL the gun's functions and not just the holes in the paper.

When we got home, I went online to read this forum and saw this thread. Talk about reinforcement of the lesson.

Melissa, I am glad you weren't hurt by this, but know that at least two noobs (son and I) learned a valuable lesson from it.

[melissa5]

Have you guys ever not gotten the mag seated all the way and then pulled the trigger on an empty chamber? That's what it felt like when I fired the squib. There was no pop or small bang.

[melissa5]

I was just demonstrating the technique. Now it's Melissa's turn.

Scoundrel, I could take pretty barrel shots if I could get light from both ends of the barrel too. With this barrel, it is locked in place. I cannot lock back the slide and I don't have a bore light. Truly, that was the best shot I could take under the circumstances and with the equipment on hand.

[Ikeo74]

A lesson to be learned by all readers that are reloaders: Never change the sequence of loading. 1) de-cap and resize. 2) re-prime 3) charge powder 4) insert the bullet 5) completed round. No one ever puts in the primer after the bullet is in the case. For whatever reason this was reloader error, plain and simple. As said above, it you can't provide 100% attention to detail, stop, and wait, and reload when you can.

[Scoundrel]

Scoundrel, I could take pretty barrel shots if I could get light from both ends of the barrel too. With this barrel, it is locked in place. I cannot lock back the slide and I don't have a bore light. Truly, that was the best shot I could take under the circumstances and with the equipment on hand.

Bummer. Well, it was worth a try.

[Scoundrel]

A lesson to be learned by all readers that are reloaders: Never change the sequence of loading. 1) de-cap and resize. 2) re-prime 3) charge powder 4) insert the bullet 5) completed round. No one ever puts in the primer after the bullet is in the case. For whatever reason this was reloader error, plain and simple. As said above, it you can't provide 100% attention to detail, stop, and wait, and reload when you can.

I have read other threads about saving money with reloads vs. the time/effort involved, and the takeaway was that if you're retired or otherwise have a lot more time than you do money, it might be worth it but otherwise not really.

After reading those threads, I had pondered doing the reloading thing one day, eventually.

But now I am re-thinking that. It seems that everyone who reloads eventually makes at least one squib, by their own admission. If I start reloading at retirement age, I've started doing it at an age where short-term memory, concentration and attention to detail are prone to lapses.

I'm told that you can save roughly 50% of the cost by reloading. 5000 rounds of 9mm costs about $1000. If I save about 50% of that, I've saved $500. If I make one squib in 5000 and fail to notice it when shooting, I've saved nothing, blown up a $500 gun, and risked injuring myself and bystanders.

Hmm...

[Bawanna]

You can get a squib load on factory stuff too. It doesn't happen often and factory stuff is better than it's ever been but it happens.

We had one last week with factory dept ammo in a dept gun in a G21.

Fortunately the officer felt something wrong and didn't shoot the next round.

I do precisely what Ikeo74 said. If I don't really have time or my hearts not into it I don't reload.

[Scoundrel]

You can get a squib load on factory stuff too. It doesn't happen often and factory stuff is better than it's ever been but it happens.

Yeah, I keep this one on my desk to remind me that it's not all golden in factory-ammo-land. The (visible) quality has been much better with S&B than with Federal.

:O

[Scoundrel]

Hey, I was bored and thinking about barrel shots, so I decided to try again. I really am not doing this to show anyone up, if you can believe that. I thought it might produce some interesting photos.

Disclaimer: For the safety-minded, I disassembled the CM9 first, which as you know involves pulling the trigger which fully releases the cocking cam. I inserted the round with the barrel out, then reassembled the CM9, being careful not to reset the cocking cam as I put the slide back on. I pointed it in a safe direction and carefully pulled the trigger to ensure that it was not engaged. I pulled it several times to be sure. Thus convinced that there was no way the sucker was going to fire on its own, I proceeded to set up the photo. I still kept my head and upper body out of a direct line with the barrel, though I confess that I did put my camera hand at risk.