Help! Squib!

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eveled

Hawkeye
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Apr 3, 2012
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I have a squib stuck in my Alaskan .454. It is in the barrel but still stuck in the chamber. I cannot open the cylinder.

Am I correct that I need to put a brass punch down the barrel and drive it back into the cylinder?

It is a factory loaded Hornandy BTW. I guess I should contact them too?

IMG_7700.jpeg
 
If you know you heard a primer pop and it is not just a projectile backed out of case mouth with live primer and powder remaining, then I would use a wooden dowel. I whittled one out of black locust wood many years ago and use a dead blow hammer.
Remove grips, support crane & cylinder and protect the frame with cloth or leather wrap in a vice. Hit it square and hard, dont tap.
If live round projectile backed out, work on it outdoors, wear eye protection, be careful in front of the muzzle
 
Am I correct that I need to put a brass punch down the barrel and drive it back into the cylinder?
Yes but better yet follow Don's advice and use a wooden dowel.
Keep us posted and let us know how it goes.

EDIT: rkrcpa must have posted before I could hit save. Either wood or brass should work but I have had a wood dowel break once.
 
Thanks guys, I got it out. Brass rod and a hammer. It was stuck good. Once it started moving it came right out.

Once I got the cylinder open there was powder everywhere.

The primer definitely went off the bullet was probably 3/8" down the barrel. I drove the bullet back into the case.

Gary at Hornandy is sending a Fed Ex call tag.

It was loaded in September 2024.

I will update with anything else

Thankfully there wasn't a bear charging me! 😂

Ironically this is the most expensive ammo I've ever bought. My first squibb.
 
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So the primer went off but did not ignite the powder.
I've never seen that. Usually it's little or no powder in the cartridge.
Those magnum cartridges use slow burning powder. To ignite that powder they need to use magnum primers. It's like they used regular primers in a magnum cartridge with slow burning powder.
I'm not saying that's what happened but it seems like something similar.
 
Primers failing to ignite a powder charge is not an unknown occurence. Very uncommon, but not unknown. It's usually in relatively large, magnum cases when it happens, too.
 
Did you check the flash hole in the case? While it's not common, it is possible. I have a brand new 6.5 CM case taken from a bag of 100 that HAS NO FLASH HOLE.
A partial punched FH might produce this OOPS.
 
Hornady is usually good on following up on these issues.. I was halfway through a box of Match Ammo when a round failed. They had me send back the round and Lot #. It seems the Anvil was damaged causing the miss fire. They sent me a new box of Ammo with the follow up letter.
 
From memory didn't Dick Casull design the 454 to use a magnum small Rifle primer?

He was comcerned about igniting a large powder volume while containing primer flow/back thrust.
 
Thanks guys, I got it out. Brass rod and a hammer. It was stuck good. Once it started moving it came right out.

Once I got the cylinder open there was powder everywhere.

The primer definitely went off the bullet was probably 3/8" down the barrel. I drove the bullet back into the case.

Gary at Hornandy is sending a Fed Ex call tag.

It was loaded in September 2024.

I will update with anything else

Thankfully there wasn't a bear charging me! 😂

Ironically this is the most expensive ammo I've ever bought. My first squibb.
That's where you will usually find such issues!!!
 
I had a .500 SW where the primer popped and the powder charge did not ignite. The problem was no crimp on the bullet and the pressure did not built. Like the poster, powder all over when I removed the case. A quick pass through a crimp die solved the problem.
So the primer went off but did not ignite the powder.
I've never seen that. Usually it's little or no powder in the cartridge.
Those magnum cartridges use slow burning powder. To ignite that powder they need to use magnum primers. It's like they used regular primers in a magnum cartridge with slow burning powder.
I'm not saying that's what happened but it seems like something similar.
t
 
My son stopped by the LGS today and mentioned it. They said I was the 3rd guy with a squibb from that lot of ammo. Just at their store.

What @buckeyeshooter said about the crimp makes sense. Or contaminated powder.

It is bothersome that someone could be relying on this ammo in bear country.
 
If there is no flash hole the ignited primer wouldn't have pushed the bullet. :LOL:

Otherwise, bad powder could be a possibility or, very slow burning pistol powders of one type at least is pretty hard to ignite. It requires good bullet to case fit along with a Very firm crimp.

My only squib ever was a heavy loaded 45 Colt & real slow burning powder. In my case, my crimp just wasn't good enough. Hornady may or may not find the source, but if you get feedback from them I'd appreciate hearing what they had to say.
 
I still have the ammo in my possession. How would I check the crimp?
 

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