National Carry AcademyHow to Recognize 4 Types of Handgun Malfunctions
July 18, 2016
You could be a sharpshooter or just practicing with your handgun to gain the much needed experience but it makes sense to know the ins and outs before using your piece of weaponry because you never know when that knowledge would come in handy. As any other piece of machinery, your handgun too is often times subject to wear and tear. With prolonged use it can be prone to dirt and grime besides the gunpowder and bullet wax residue which also play a major part in this notoriety of spoiling your gun. These inadvertently would lead to some choking here and there and it’s best to clean up your arm on a routine basis rather than leave it to rot. While the cleaning part should be followed as a regimen, it still makes sense to have an understanding of the various malfunctions that your handgun can trigger and how to ward them off. You could be out there in the range practicing your shots or up against someone in a duel and an understanding of how to recover from these malfunctions quickly will help you play the lead amidst your counterparts. So let us look into 4 of the most prominent handgun malfunctions and how to put them at ease.
Failure to Feed: This kind of a malfunction normally occurs when the magazine of your handgun is not properly fitted in. Sometimes it could also be linked to the ammunition that you are using. As a resultant output the cartridge fails to load into the firing chamber and hence the firing shot doesn’t take place. All you get to hear is a click of the trigger with no shot being fired. When this happens you must double-check if you had put the slide all the way forward i.e. in full battery. The weapon in such an instance is also referred to as “Out of Battery” when the slide remains partially open. To fix this, just remove the magazine first followed by the round. A re-insertion with the slide all the way forward will take care of this malfunction. Alternatively, sometimes also lubricating the feed lips of the magazine may do wonders as it helps enable the magazine to sit properly into your handgun to avoid FTF.
Squib Load: A squib load is one of the severest malfunctions and can lead to a higher casualty or even death. It simply means that your ammunition refuses to fire properly because there is less force than is required to propel it and it is stuck inside the barrel. Another consequent round could simply mean the first round interacting with the second round and causing the barrel to explode and hence the dreaded injury. The best way to quickly recognize this kind of a malfunction is to notice the sound when the first shot is fired. The sound you hear would be muffled or much quieter as compared to a regular shot. This malfunction mostly happens when you reload ammunition. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to make sure you do a thorough cleaning of your handgun and remove obstructions if any present inside the barrel.
Hang Fire: Certain times clicking the trigger of your handgun doesn’t result in a fire shot being cast. This could be an event where your arm has witnessed what is called a ‘Hangfire’. This occurs when the burning of the cartridge’s propellant is delayed and hence the delay in shot. If you notice this discrepancy, then immediately point your gun downwards for 30-60 seconds. This will help avoid the propellant from igniting. Once this period is over you can safely remove the dud round from your handgun and put it in water to make it completely safe for use later on.
Stove Pipe: A Stove Pipe or Failure to eject (FTE) malfunction occurs when a spent cartridge is unable to eject properly and gets stuck in the ejection port at a vertical angle. Sometimes the case gets trapped by the slide and sits in an upright position with the open face pointing upwards and bearing resemblance to the chimney of a stove which is why it is also often times referred to as Stove Pipe. The cause of this could be the corrosion in the chamber which can hinder the extractor to release the case properly. Also Limp wristing or not holding the gun properly is seen as a reason for this malfunction. To get rid of this, one must remove the magazine and then lock the slide back to make sure that the cartridge is expelled properly.
With the above expertise and knowledge you are all but ready to take your handgun out for firing your range of shots. These 4 prominent malfunctions and the way to tackle them is enough knowledge for you to hold your arm with pride. After all, a shooter is a shooter but with knowledge and expertise he becomes a sharp shooter.
About the National Carry Writer.
Tarun Chhauda started his career as a full-time freelance writer around 4 years ago. A decision he took after spending a decade working full-time with prestigious organizations. The objective 4 years back was to lead a more holistic and meaningful life that led him to settle down as a freelance writer. Not so long ago he also earned the badge of a published travel writer. He now writes for a list of clients globally. He has never bothered to define his expertise in any particular niche because he believes that a writer cannot live in isolation. A writer if he is a writer should and must write on any given topic as that is a test of his writing ability.
How to Recognize 4 Types of Handgun Malfunctions
July 18, 2016
You could be a sharpshooter or just practicing with your handgun to gain the much needed experience but it makes sense to know the ins and outs before using your piece of weaponry because you never know when that knowledge would come in handy. As any other piece of machinery, your handgun too is often times subject to wear and tear. With prolonged use it can be prone to dirt and grime besides the gunpowder and bullet wax residue which also play a major part in this notoriety of spoiling your gun. These inadvertently would lead to some choking here and there and it’s best to clean up your arm on a routine basis rather than leave it to rot. While the cleaning part should be followed as a regimen, it still makes sense to have an understanding of the various malfunctions that your handgun can trigger and how to ward them off. You could be out there in the range practicing your shots or up against someone in a duel and an understanding of how to recover from these malfunctions quickly will help you play the lead amidst your counterparts. So let us look into 4 of the most prominent handgun malfunctions and how to put them at ease.
Failure to Feed: This kind of a malfunction normally occurs when the magazine of your handgun is not properly fitted in. Sometimes it could also be linked to the ammunition that you are using. As a resultant output the cartridge fails to load into the firing chamber and hence the firing shot doesn’t take place. All you get to hear is a click of the trigger with no shot being fired. When this happens you must double-check if you had put the slide all the way forward i.e. in full battery. The weapon in such an instance is also referred to as “Out of Battery” when the slide remains partially open. To fix this, just remove the magazine first followed by the round. A re-insertion with the slide all the way forward will take care of this malfunction. Alternatively, sometimes also lubricating the feed lips of the magazine may do wonders as it helps enable the magazine to sit properly into your handgun to avoid FTF.
Squib Load: A squib load is one of the severest malfunctions and can lead to a higher casualty or even death. It simply means that your ammunition refuses to fire properly because there is less force than is required to propel it and it is stuck inside the barrel. Another consequent round could simply mean the first round interacting with the second round and causing the barrel to explode and hence the dreaded injury. The best way to quickly recognize this kind of a malfunction is to notice the sound when the first shot is fired. The sound you hear would be muffled or much quieter as compared to a regular shot. This malfunction mostly happens when you reload ammunition. The best way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to make sure you do a thorough cleaning of your handgun and remove obstructions if any present inside the barrel.
Hang Fire: Certain times clicking the trigger of your handgun doesn’t result in a fire shot being cast. This could be an event where your arm has witnessed what is called a ‘Hangfire’. This occurs when the burning of the cartridge’s propellant is delayed and hence the delay in shot. If you notice this discrepancy, then immediately point your gun downwards for 30-60 seconds. This will help avoid the propellant from igniting. Once this period is over you can safely remove the dud round from your handgun and put it in water to make it completely safe for use later on.
Stove Pipe: A Stove Pipe or Failure to eject (FTE) malfunction occurs when a spent cartridge is unable to eject properly and gets stuck in the ejection port at a vertical angle. Sometimes the case gets trapped by the slide and sits in an upright position with the open face pointing upwards and bearing resemblance to the chimney of a stove which is why it is also often times referred to as Stove Pipe. The cause of this could be the corrosion in the chamber which can hinder the extractor to release the case properly. Also Limp wristing or not holding the gun properly is seen as a reason for this malfunction. To get rid of this, one must remove the magazine and then lock the slide back to make sure that the cartridge is expelled properly.
With the above expertise and knowledge you are all but ready to take your handgun out for firing your range of shots. These 4 prominent malfunctions and the way to tackle them is enough knowledge for you to hold your arm with pride. After all, a shooter is a shooter but with knowledge and expertise he becomes a sharp shooter.
About the National Carry Writer.
Tarun Chhauda started his career as a full-time freelance writer around 4 years ago. A decision he took after spending a decade working full-time with prestigious organizations. The objective 4 years back was to lead a more holistic and meaningful life that led him to settle down as a freelance writer. Not so long ago he also earned the badge of a published travel writer. He now writes for a list of clients globally. He has never bothered to define his expertise in any particular niche because he believes that a writer cannot live in isolation. A writer if he is a writer should and must write on any given topic as that is a test of his writing ability.