Under the heading of “Dangerously bad ammunition,” popular gun rights advocate and photographer Oleg Volk posted information regarding a range test of the OATH TSR shotgun round.

In his article, Volk stated that “…the problems with OATH ammunition are the result of a systematic disregard for quality control.” For evidence, Volk included the below video showing that there were multiple malfunctions when running a semi-automatic shotgun with the OATH TSR ammunition. Specifically, there appeared to be multiple squib loads*.

The ammunition used in this video was apparently factory ammunition that seems to have mirrored problems with pre-production ammunition that Volk had tested in September. In the earlier article,Volk stated “My sample pack had four squibs out of ten…”

You can clearly hear the squib loads in the video, and the shooter has to manually work the action after each one.

Two things I’d like to point out:

1. Test any ammunition you wish to use for self-defense. Yes, self-defense ammunition is expensive, but it is vastly cheaper than your life. You may discover that your gun doesn’t function well with the selected ammo, or that the manufacturer had a bad lot slip past the quality assurance folks. This can happen with any brand of ammunition.
2. If you encounter a squib load, do not chamber a new round and continue shooting. Always keep the gun pointed down range and make 100% sure that there are no barrel obstructions. Should a projectile fail to exit the barrel, shooting another round will most likely result in a gun blowing up in your face. This can maim and kill you, plus those around you.

*Squib loads are defined by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) as “A cartridge or shell which produces projectile velocity and sound substantially lower than normal. May result in projectile and/or wads remaining in the bore.” (emphasis mine)

Contrary to popular belief, a squib load does not mean that the projectile fails to exit the barrel, rather having the projectile stuck in the barrel is simply one possible result of a squib load. Other people may use different definitions for squib load, but SAAMI is the clear authority when it comes to ammunition standards and manufacturing in the US.