Thread: Recent Wolf Squib Loads UPDATE!!

I've gotten two squib loads from Wolf. One about a month ago and another one today. 7.62x39 and .223 respectively. Today was especially scary because the case was also stuck in the rifle. So I had a rifle that may or may not have had a bullet in the barrel and may or may not have had powder. I took the upper off (it was an AR) and put it in the bed of my pickup. I stacked some rocks around muzzle in case of hang fire and drove it home. I carefully inserted a cleaning rod down the barrel to determine where the bullet was. Turns out the bullet had left the barrel and I was able to get the case unstuck.
So just a friendly reminder: if you're shooting Wolf (or any ammo for that matter) and get a click when you should have gotten a bang, make sure there isnt a bullet halfway down your barrel before firing again!

It pays to check the bore of an auto-loader, rifle or pistol, every time you have a round that fails to extract due to squib. Basic Safety.

As for "Hang Fire", can't remember the last time I saw or heard of one that took more than a second or two to go off.

One MAJOR CAUTION, if a round gets stuck in the chamber and you can't fire it or extract it, make sure that nobody is in line with the muzzle or breach when clearing it with a cleaning rod. People have been killed when the unfired round suddenly goes off when the bullet is pushed back into the case by the cleaning rod that's being hammered on. Either "speared" by the rod or hit by the cartridge.

I have a half dozen rounds of 7.62x39 Wolf that has a good hard hit on the primer and failed to fire.

Originally Posted by deadshot2

One MAJOR CAUTION, if a round gets stuck in the chamber and you can't fire it or extract it, make sure that nobody is in line with the muzzle or breach when clearing it with a cleaning rod. People have been killed when the unfired round suddenly goes off when the bullet is pushed back into the case by the cleaning rod that's being hammered on. Either "speared" by the rod or hit by the cartridge.

I wonder if its possible to pour something down the bore to inactivate any powder that may be in there? Maybe a thin oil that would seep past the bullet?

Originally Posted by CleverName

I wonder if its possible to pour something down the bore to inactivate any powder that may be in there? Maybe a thin oil that would seep past the bullet?

Only if you're willing to wait for a very long time. It may take months for anything to seep past a bullet that's forced into the bore.

I've only had it happen to me once. The best way is to remove the bolt, secure the rifle so it's pointed in a safe direction both in front of the muzzle and behind the action. Insert a cleaning rod until it's against the bullet and tap on the end of the cleaning rod with a piece of wood. Wear heavy gloves, eye and ear protection, stand behind the muzzle, and make sure nobody is behind the action. In most cases the round will dislodge with a few medium firm taps. The safety precautions are there for that "One Time".

Originally Posted by deadshot2

One MAJOR CAUTION, if a round gets stuck in the chamber and you can't fire it or extract it, make sure that nobody is in line with the muzzle or breach when clearing it with a cleaning rod. People have been killed when the unfired round suddenly goes off when the bullet is pushed back into the case by the cleaning rod that's being hammered on. Either "speared" by the rod or hit by the cartridge.

I'm curious as to how this would happen.

Originally Posted by PhysicsGuy

I'm curious as to how this would happen.

The one incident I was familiar with involved a Custom Rifle with a tight chamber. Evidently the round was damaged, didn't fire, and was deformed enough that the extractor slipped off the extractor groove. The shooter had removed the bolt, had a cleaning rod in the bore and was hammering on it when the charge in the case went off. The cartridge was propelled out the back of the action, striking and killing a party that was standing behind the shooting area, watching.

I see this happening frequently with AR shooters that have overcrimped their reloads, deforming the neck. The bolt doesn't go fully to battery and the round doesn't fire. Some get out the cleaning rod and try to clear the round by poking it out from the muzzle rather than gripping the charging handle and hitting the butt on the ground.

I never fail to see a new method of putting someone at risk when I'm at the range. Gets real interesting during Public Hours where I shoot.

Originally Posted by rdb241

I have a half dozen rounds of 7.62x39 Wolf that has a good hard hit on the primer and failed to fire.

Would be interesting to do an "autopsy" on these rounds. Take them apart and check powder. Wet maybe. Also remove primer (slowly on a single stage press using universal de-priming die) and then examine the anvil and amount of "paste" that forms the explosive charge.

I stay away from Wolf ammo but use lots of their primers without problems.

The Wolf 7.62X39 squib I had about a month ago had powder in it. The powder was discolored where the primer had blasted it, but looked otherwise fine. I held a flame to it and it didnt ignite. Perhaps it was contaminated or had once gotten wet.

More likely a hard/dud primer or bad powder composition

Originally Posted by CleverName

The Wolf 7.62X39 squib I had about a month ago had powder in it. The powder was discolored where the primer had blasted it, but looked otherwise fine. I held a flame to it and it didnt ignite. Perhaps it was contaminated or had once gotten wet.

If the primer went off and discolored the "powder" yet no "bang" I'd vote for bad powder. Either that or someone swept the floor and put that in the hopper

Just had a third squib load in 7.62x39 this past weekend. This time shooting Ulyanovsk recently purchased from Cheaper Than Dirt. The bullet left the barrel, but made no report. Barrel and case full of unburnt powder, case did not extract.

I just had a 4th 7.62x39 squib load today. This was fairly new manufacture Ulyanovsk. The bullet had to be knocked out of the barrel with a cleaning rod. There was powder in the casing that was yellowed from the primer blast. I poured it onto a rock and lit it with a lighter and it flared up like good gunpowder should. Very weird. I am very concerned because I have been stockpiling this stuff. I dont want to be knocking bullets out of my barrels all the time. Im thinking about shooting all this stuff up and stockpiling Yugo surplus instead. Just wanted to give everyone a heads up to be careful when shooting recent Russian stuff. If it goes click instead of bang, check the barrel before chambering and firing a new round!