Proper Handling / Safety Procedure for a squib round?

[CambridgeGuy]

So here's the situation.

I am at at the range on Sunday morning. I ran into Ricochet, and after plinking around on our .22s, I started shooting my H&K USP Compact .40. I was shooting Wolf ammo (I know... but I had it, so why not).

30 rounds in, one of the casings fails to eject. The slide won't go into battery, because the casing is not all the way seated in the bore. It is stuck with about 1mm of case protruding backward out past the barrel.

I didn't remember whether the round had left the barrel or not, but the primer was certainly struck. After struggling for about 5 or 6 minutes, Richochet came over to assist. We tried forcing the gun into battery, so we could do a field strip on it - but it wasn't budging. We could open the slide and lock it back, but not close it - so we couldn't field strip the gun. Richochet tried banging the round out from the front backwards with a cleaning rod (i was far more nervous than he was watching him try that).

So - Ricochet (thankfully) thought of a time-tested and virtually guaranteed strategy to get this problem resolved in 20 minutes or less. He called EddieCoyle and we went to his house (which is like a reloading museum, by the way - very cool). Turns out the steel case had split, and there was no round in the bore.

So, if you don't know EddieCoyle's cell phone number, what's the proper procedure for dealing with a squib round in a weapon that CANNOT be cleared and made safe while at the range.

How do you travel with a gun where there's a potentially live round in the chamber with the primer struck?

Who do you take it to?

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

A stick down the bore, measuring the length of barrel left would tell you if there was a bullet lodged somewhere in the bore and also give you the length of the entire bore back to the web of an empty case or to the tip of a bullet if it were unfired.

With the slide locked back and an obstructing piece of material placed in the ejection port, the chance of a live round going off while making any measurement is slim to none.

Thats what I would do and have done.

Two tools I most always have with me at the range are a hammer and brass or aluminum rod that will fit .30cal and above bores. Sometimes a cleaning rod just doesn't cut it.

 

[rep308]

That is why I carry a 8" aluminum rod and a 8" wooden down in my shooting bag. I can check for a stuck round without looking down the barrel.

 

[CambridgeGuy]

With the slide locked back and an obstructing piece of material placed in the ejection port,

Sorry - do you mean to prevent the round from being pushed back into the ejection port and potentially hitting the firing pin?

 

[Finalygotabeltfed]

Sorry - do you mean to prevent the round from being pushed back into the ejection port and potentially hitting the firing pin?

Not really worried about the firing pin as most retract but to prevent the slide from closing on your fingers or the stuck chambered round whether empty or live while you are banging it out.

 

[terraformer]

That is why I carry a 8" aluminum rod and a 8" wooden down in my shooting bag. I can check for a stuck round without looking down the barrel.

You can also look with a mirror.