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Firearm Malfunctions
Sometimes, your gun just doesn't work. Maybe the slide isn't going all the way forward or you pull the trigger and just hear a click. Either way, you're in trouble. It's no problem if your gun won't work on the range or while out plinking in the woods, but if your gun is having problems in combat you need to know how to rectify it immediately. This article will detail some common malfunctions that you may experience in combat, how they occur (and therefore how to prevent them), and how to fix them.
Tap-rack-bang: Used for FTF, stovepipes, and duds.
Cartridge Malfunctions
- Dud cartridge: When you hear a click or snap upon pulling the trigger, you've likely got yourself a dud. Either the primer or powder has failed to detonate, leaving you with a useless hunk of brass sitting in the tube. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL, however, as there is a chance that you have a hang fire.
- Hang fire: This happens when the powder detonates late, often caused by old powder. This is why you need to be careful if your gun goes click out on the range; more than one person has been injured by pointing their weapon in an unsafe direction and the gun going off. Make sure you wait for several seconds with the gun pointed down range before rectifying a dud cartridge (exceptions can be made in combat) to avoid having the round detonate at the wrong time out of the gun.
- Squib load: This can be extremely dangerous if it occurs. A squib load is caused by the powder not having enough force to push the bullet out, but just enough to get it stuck in the barrel. With a semi-automatic weapon, this can cause the next round fired to slam into the stuck bullet and wreck the barrel in a catastrophic way. Squibs can be identified by a "pop and no kick", meaning a quiet or unusual-sounding discharge, a lack of recoil, smoke from the ejection port, and/or failure of the action to cycle.
Mechanical Malfunctions
- Failure to feed (FTF): The weapon fails to feed the next round from the magazine into the chamber.
- Hammer follow: A dangerous malfunction caused by worn parts where a semi-auto fires an automatic burst.
- Slamfire: Almost as dangerous, the weapon fires as soon as a cartridge is loaded into the chamber.
- Stovepipe: Improper ejection or short movement of the bolt causes an ejected casing to become stuck in the ejection port, often caused by "limp wristing" the weapon.
- Double feed: The weapon attempts to load multiple rounds into the chamber at one time. Usually appears as the slide/bolt partially back.
Procedures For Clearing Weapons
For all procedures, keep the weapon pointed down range or at your target!
Tap-rack-bang: Used for FTF, stovepipes, and duds.
- Firmly tap the bottom of the magazine to ensure that it is seated properly.
- Rack the bolt to clear the chamber and load the next round.
- Pull the trigger and hopefully the weapon fires.
- Perform the tap-rack-bang drill and note that the gun will still not fire.
- Remove the magazine.
- Firmly rack the bolt three times to clear the chamber.
- Insert the magazine and chamber a round.
- Pull the trigger.
WIP
John_234 |
Latest page update: made by John_234
, Feb 24 2011, 12:21 AM EST
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| 3stephen0331 | Tap, Rack, Bang! (page: 1 2 3 4) | 78 | Mar 21 2011, 7:54 PM EDT by Maricely | ||
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Thread started: Mar 18 2011, 2:34 PM EDT
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Ummmm clean your damn weapon and keep it maintained! Your gun is your lifeline. you ignore it and one day when you need it most, it may ignore you! Also know everything there is to know about all of your gear. just saying have some knowledge on how to properly use it.
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| deep_sea_diver | failure to fire | 15 | Feb 24 2011, 12:53 AM EST by John_234 | ||
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Thread started: Feb 21 2011, 8:29 PM EST
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If you have a failure to fire. Unload the weapon. Place it on safety. Insure the chamber is empty, and the barrel is clear, before attempting to put the weapon back in service. Should you have a squib load, or other condition, that is enough to put a bullet in the barrel, and you follow it with tap, rack, the BANG part will be dramatic as the round explodes in the barrel. And the bolt of the weapon is sent back into your face. If you are unsure of how to handle a malfunction, clear the weapon, and have it examined by a gunsmith.
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