[DystruktoBoi1]

Over this past weekend my buddy and I went shooting, both of us had our AKs, now everyone knows of the AKs reliability, but I don't hear many speak of the ammo.


As we were shooting (standard Tula loads) we got a click and no bang. Weird. My friend racked his bolt back and it spit out an empty casing, he let it ride forward and it chambered a new round and completely went into battery, ready to fire.

I looked closely at the casing as it came out and hit the ground, I could clearly see powder in it, luckily my friend was hesitant to resume shooting and it gave me that split second to warn him, I immediately said "Don't fire! Don't fire! You have a bullet in your barrel that was a squib load!"

We stripped down the AK and knocked the bullet back out of the barrel using a Mosin Nagant cleaning rod (I had also brought my sniper Nagant along but didn't shoot it much, it didn't have its scope yet) and snapped it all back together. A few rounds after that we had a hang fire (same magazine, meaning probably same box of bullets) and it had quite a delay on it. We figured later it must have been just a ****ty batch of bullets in that box.

All in all nothing bad happened that day and it was a good day of shooting I just thought I'd pass the story along because no matter how reliable your firearms is, no matter who loaded your ammo and no matter how much you clean and take care of anything and everything firearms related, bad things can happen. A little more rush and a little less attention to detail and this post could have been about the AK receiver shrapnel stuck in my face, or about how my buddy made it through 4 tours overseas only to lose his hand shooting paper targets.


This story is just a lil reminder for everyone, STAY SAFE. Remember the power these things can have when stuff goes wrong.

This story is also a good example of why I do not believe at all in the "Tap, rack, fire" solution to "dud rounds" or any jam for that matter, had we just done that, there would have been a big mess to clean up, possible injuries, and a nice AK down the tubes.

 

[Trekmtbr89]

I saved my buddy from blowing up his Beretta one day too, Same thing, click, bang, but it sounded weird - different. I screamed at him not to fire again and we stripped the gun down to find a bullet lodged in the barrel. Close call.

 

[DystruktoBoi1]

I saved my buddy from blowing up his Beretta one day too, Same thing, click, bang, but it sounded weird - different. I screamed at him not to fire again and we stripped the gun down to find a bullet lodged in the barrel. Close call.

Nice call, I'm glad I had a personal experience with a squib in my Enfield, it's made me more aware that it can happen and what to look for.

 

[GUNSICK1]

Have had a couple over the years and makes you more tuned to the sound of it when it happens.

 

[meketrefe]

Good think you post this. Happy nothing bad happened.

I would like to add a few lines about some best practices if you do not mind.
When we pull the trigger and nothing happens this is what we need to do:

- Wait a few seconds pointing in a safe direction in case there is a delayed detonation.
- Open action and extract the round.
- Remove any magazines and clear the firearm totally.
- Take that round and inspect that round. If for whatever reason you loose that round and cannot be inspected then open
the action and inspect the system including a clear chamber and bore. Even if you get a complete round it is good to make
a quick check both visually and with your finger.
- Check the status of the magazine see if you see anything abnormal.
- Check the rounds of that batch/brand you are shooting and see if you see anything obviously wrong.
- Assemble the system back and make sure the safety on.
- Load the magazine or reload whatever it applies.
- Charge the action. If you feel anything abnormal like resistance to going into battery or anything like that STOP!. Do not force anything and try to shoot again. Instead go back to open the action extracting that round, safety on, and repeat clearing and inspection procedure.
While you do all this always pointing in a safe direction.
- The procedures above also applies to broken shells, consistent blown off primers or any indication of abnormal behavior.

When in doubt always check. Double checking is a lot better than not checking at all. If you have concerns stop
the shooting that day with that firearm/ammo. Then analyze the situation later and look for assistance if you have to.
If you have concerns about some bad batch of commercial ammo contact the manufacturer.
They want to know those things.

Thanks.

 

[Gunner57]

How do squibs react during bump firing?

 

[GUNSICK1]

How do squibs react during bump firing?

If its down the barrel far enough to chamber another round it could blow your junk off if firing from the hip!

 

[G-Khan71]

How do squibs react during bump firing?

Was exactly what I was thinking, teehee

 

[HarryG]

How do squibs react during bump firing?

I would say touche` is in order on that one.

 

[DystruktoBoi1]

How do squibs react during bump firing?

It would stop your bump fire and then you would have to rack another round into the chamber, squibs usually don't cycle the action fully, if at all, they just kinda make a small pop sound but no bang and no cycle. Bump fire relies on the rounds going off properly and cycling the rifle, if they don't go off, the rifle won't cycle.

 

[DystruktoBoi1]

I would say touche` is in order on that one.

It would be except that if the bullet doesn't pass the gas port hole which is only about 2 inches from the end of the barrel, it wouldn't cycle, a squib load would not blow up the gun during a bump fire, it would stall it and then it is up to the shooter to know not to just rack and go.

Not that I don't get what he is saying, bump firing is the least safe way to discharge your firearm short of pointing it at your own head, and it is a complete waste of un-aimed ammo, with that being said it is still fun when only done here and there, like speeding in a car, not a single one of us can say we have never wanted to do that

 

[Tifosi]

Wanted? LOL
That there is funny.

 

[groovy mike]

Dystructoboi has it right that safety is #1
Meketrefe has it exactly right on how to handle ANYTHING that does not sound or feel normal.

That said - this happens at least once a week on the trap range. EVERYBODY who shoots ought to know what to do in this situation. NEVER EVER shoot again when you can't positively say that the bore is clear. This applies to muzzle loaders too!

Thank you for sharing the reminder.

PS - ALWAYS keep the muzzle in a safe direction and ALWAYS be 100% sure of your target and what is beyond it!

 

[slippyfox]

You have a lucky friend! Nice job!

 

[warbrane]

I have had a lot of bad experience with Tula ammo I won't buy it anymore. Not to say that there's not other crappy steel cased ammo out there, but my experience with Tula has been the worst.

 

[Darthgamer138]

Tap-Rack-Bang, but (in a range setting) inspect the round that comes out before you Bang. No bullet on it? Stop!

Just need to take your chances in a firefight.

 

[meketrefe]

Dystructoboi has it right that safety is #1
Meketrefe has it exactly right on how to handle ANYTHING that does not sound or feel normal.

That said - this happens at least once a week on the trap range. EVERYBODY who shoots ought to know what to do in this situation. NEVER EVER shoot again when you can't positively say that the bore is clear. This applies to muzzle loaders too!

Thank you for sharing the reminder.

PS - ALWAYS keep the muzzle in a safe direction and ALWAYS be 100% sure of your target and what is beyond it!

Ohh muzzle loaders!!!... after a misfiring you keep them in a safe direction and wait a few minutes.
...or go have lunch and come back later to check! LOL!.

Gunner's bump fire teaser.... that's funny.

 

[meketrefe]

Here is an clear example of a cave man with an AR. He got 3 chances but still made the same mistake 3 times.
At the 3rd time the AR got him. I am surprised the other cave man didn't handle him a hammer to pound that
round into battery. Some folks just don't want education and they have to learn the hard way and only then, if they do not end like Stevie Wonder or worse they will know better next time...

 

[Tifosi]

You know that is going to go all stupid in the first 15 seconds when he had to stop and look to locate and determine selector lever position.

And his ring sight is way too far back....

 

[DystruktoBoi1]

Damn that guy is a retard, life gave him 3 chances NOT to be an idiot and 3 times he doesn't check his barrel. I knew right away that was gonna end bad.