squib loads in a .44 Spec.

[gypsyman]

Finally got a chance to get down to my local range today. Get some work hours in, and run a few rounds thru a .44sp. I picked up almost a year ago. The first load was 10.7 of AA No. 7, with Win. primers. First round went off with out a hitch. The next 2 were squib loads. First time that has happened to me in many,many years. Knocked the first one out, loaded up, then the second one happened. Never had that happen, 2 in a row like that. The crimp looked good, primers are less than 6 month's old, and the powder has been kept upstairs in a cabinet. So, I had loaded about 20 rds. with 11.5 grs. of Num. 7 with me. So I tried that load. Worked with out a hitch. Then a thought came to mind. Years ago, a friend of mine told me, he had a load that required him to tip the gun up, to get the powder to settle back against the primer. So I went back to the first box, and tried it. Worked like a charm. After a couple of times loading it like a single shot,(it's a Charter Arms Bulldog) I went back to putting 5 in the cylinder. Next 30 or so rounds went off with out a hitch. Even though this load is in a Sierra manual, I believe, from now on, I'll probably start new loads somewhere in the middle of the road. Or at least try and use powders that fill the case better. We keep trying peace, it usually doesn't work!!Remember(12/7/41)(9/11/01) gypsyman

[Lloyd Smale]

I dont buy into the light load theroy here. Ive loaded just to much 44 specials with loads like that to believe it. Sqibs usually can be tracked down to a few things. First is deadened powder from lube on base of cast bullets. Tumble lubed bullets are notorious for doing it in warm weather but if your using regular lube and its on the bases it will eventually happen. Second is primers not being fully seated (and i mean fully!) third is loading on progressives i dont care how reliable you think your equiptment is eventually you will get one that doesnt have powder or has a reduce load. If your using slow burning powders crimp strenght and type of primer can cause it but with aa7 it should be much of a factor. Light hammer drops can cause it. Somethng that might be checked into on your charter. If there was a bur on something that was not allowing your hammer to fall with suffiecent force it could have caused it and the bur could have been worked free after a few shots. Bad primmers can cause it but it is extreemly rare to see bad primers these days. Using real fast powder in real light charges (like a real light charge of bullseye or redot) it will sometimes help accuracy to tilt your gun for every shot but ive yet to see a complete misfire caused by it.

[gypsyman]

Lloyd, here are some of the specifics. I use a Hornady hand primer for my .44's and such.(the only thing I use my Dillon on is .40's,.45's and such) I looked at the primers, and I couldn't see any difference. I was loading 180gr. Remington jacketed bullets, and my prees for this ammo, is a Redding T-7 turret.So no bullet lube to mess up the powder. I had never had any problem like that with all the cast bullets I shot in sillywet. And I know that number had to be in the tens of thousands, because of all the 40-60-and 80 round match's I shot from the 80's thru all of the '90's.I'm not saying it doesn't happen, it just never happened to me. And after I seat the gas check, I use Lee liquid alox. So I am tumble lubing.  Since the gun had less than a box of ammo run thru it, it very well might have been a burr that needed to be worked out. Hopefully the 50 rounds I put thru it, did the trick. But, just for giggle's, next week, after I get home from my gun show this weekend, I am going to take the gun, load it one at a time, tip the gun forward, to get the powder to settle against the back of the bullet, and shoot it. I still have 15 or so rounds left of the 10.7,AA No.7. So I'm purposfully going to try and cause a misfire. I'll let ya know the results. We keep trying peace, it usually doesn't work!!Remember(12/7/41)(9/11/01) gypsyman

[KN]

I had a similar experience once when I was trying to load some light 45colt loads for a birds head vaquero. I don't remember the powder combo and they didn't actually squib, but I found a considerable difference in the way they fired by pointing the pistol up just before firing vrs down. Pointed down they were almost considered squib. Up and they acted as I would expect. I recently read an article in one of the gun mags that warned of this.   KN

[PaulS]

AA#7 is a double base powder and in every case that I have used double base powders they are very capable of squib loads when loaded light. I would not recommend duplicating the load because there is also a chance that you could have a detonation if the powder is ignited in two or more places with too little powder to burn properly. It happened to me with a 30-06, a starting load of W760 and a bullet seated out as far as I could and not have it fall out. I fired, it went pop, I waited, I waited, it went KABOOM! and the pressures generated so badly deformed the case that it looked more like a British 303 rimmed case than a 30-06. Luckily no one was hurt and the gun was fine. When using double base powders follow the specs (OAL, bullet type and MAKE, primer type and make and case make) or you can run into trouble.
No point getting hurt or ruining a gun to prove a point. I know what you say can happen. I have also seen light loads of H110 (lighter than listed starting loads) do the same thing. That is why Hodgdon lists a warning not to reduce loads with H110 more than 3% from maximum.