Gun Safety Lesson of the Day

[PRS]

I understand the short version theory.... If the primer goes the bullet will be pushed out of the case. If the primer goes and the powder does not, how could it go later? Does modern powder ever smolder then ignite? It's not like the primer can be hit then go seconds later...

[xd ED]

I understand the short version theory.... If the primer goes the bullet will be pushed out of the case. If the primer goes and the powder does not, how could it go later? Does modern powder ever smolder then ignite? It's not like the primer can be hit then go seconds later...

as I understand it a common cause of a hang fire could be contaminated( oil, water, etc) powder, which smolders/ acts as a delay fuse until the dry/ clean powder ignites, often several seconds later.

[PRS]

hmm sounds fishy to me....

[MasonK]

hmm sounds fishy to me....

I wouldn't call it common per se, but it does happen. I personally have only had hang fire happen when shooting cap and ball which is way more common.

However, if it doesn't go bang, keep it pointed in a safe direction and remember your basic firearm safety protocol.

[PRS]

The idea of letting it sit in the chamber is so foreign. If i have a light strike in a stage i'm raking that round out and moving on as fast as i can....

[jshuberg]

If it doesn't fire, tap rack bang.

[Evad]

If it doesn't fire, tap rack bang.

OK...this is all conjecture since I have never had it happen. Say it happens, and right when you pull the slide back, you get detonation. What happens?

[Ironbear]

If it doesn't fire, tap rack bang.

OK...this is all conjecture since I have never had it happen. Say it happens, and right when you pull the slide back, you get detonation. What happens?

The powder needs containment to get up to full burn rate, so if the slide was partially open you would likely blow the case. If you had managed to fully eject it, you would likely have case and bullet going off in opposite directions, at rates inversely proportional to their respective masses, but without the full fury. It still could be hazardous, but nothing like muzzle velocity. It would be similar to the hazard of tossing live rounds into a fire.

In one of Hathaway Capstick's stories, he talked about a batch of rifle ammo, that would hang-fire... sometimes as long as a second. He suggested it as a real mark of a rifleman, if you were capable of following through your trigger pull by keeping the rifle on target until it went off!

[Countryfried Frank]

I have experienced two hang fires with smokeless powder while trying to make a light load so a recoil sensitive shooter could shot a .300 WinMag. I'm not pursuing that anymore. The duration of the wait was not a long as with a cap and ball hang fire but it was long enough for me to pull away from the rifle a little so it had room to gain momentum before smacking me in the shoulder. I agree with PRS and jshuberg provided that you have factory ammo using a modern propellant but if you are handloading, especially if you are not at the extreme of a published load or not using a published load at all, I would plan for the possibility. If you were to open the action before it detonated I believe the effect would be the same as any other out of battery discharge.

[jshuberg]

What if Bigfoot gets struck by lightening while being abducted by aliens?

It's simply not going to happen. There is no credible training organization that teaches the mythical hold the weapon downrange for a period of time until it finally fires technique. Not since the civil war anyways. It's tribal knowledge passed down from grandfathers and uncles using vastly different equipment that what we currently enjoy today.

Tap rack bang. Anything else is over thinking the solution to the problem.

Edit: if you hand load and get it wrong, all kinds of bad things can happen. I'm referring to modern factory or properly reloaded ammo.

[2in2out]

If it doesn't fire, tap rack bang.

OK...this is all conjecture since I have never had it happen. Say it happens, and right when you pull the slide back, you get detonation. What happens?

The powder needs containment to get up to full burn rate, so if the slide was partially open you would likely blow the case. If you had managed to fully eject it, you would likely have case and bullet going off in opposite directions, at rates inversely proportional to their respective masses, but without the full fury. It still could be hazardous, but nothing like muzzle velocity. It would be similar to the hazard of tossing live rounds into a fire.

In one of Hathaway Capstick's stories, he talked about a batch of rifle ammo, that would hang-fire... sometimes as long as a second. He suggested it as a real mark of a rifleman, if you were capable of following through your trigger pull by keeping the rifle on target until it went off!

I once responded to a fire at an indoor shooting range in our service area. By the time we got there, the fire was "rockin' and rollin'". There was so much ammo in that building, we just sat back and fought a defensive strategy. It sounded like a big popcorn machine... for an hour. Bits and pieces would often land at our feet. One of our guys got a little too close, and something popped him in the shoulder. But, that's as far as anyone got to being injured by the ammo cooking off.

[BigDog58]

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of joining OldmanFCSA at a 50 BMG shoot in NE. I had two rounds that went "click" instead of Bang. As per the range officers directions, I remained locked into the gun and only after a full minute did someone open the bolt. I kept the weapon pointed at the target down range fully expecting the possibility of a late firing. Both were simply light primer strikes and fired on the second attempt.

I don't honestly know whether a round could not fire immediately upon pulling the trigger or not, but when in doubt, it pays to be fully prepared and safe, just in case it finally fires. I for one, did not want to find out the "Hard Way" while shooting something as large and as powerful as a 50 Cal loaded with 240+ grains of 50 BMG powder and a 750gr projectile. I feel we can NEVER be too safe, whether it's factory ammo, or reloaded (hand loaded) ammo. Also, I will put my "reloaded" ammo up against ANY factory ammo for accuracy and consistency. Just because it's reloaded, it doesn't mean it isn't good, nor deadly if mishandled.

[xd ED]

I once responded to a fire at an indoor shooting range in our service area. By the time we got there, the fire was "rockin' and rollin'". There was so much ammo in that building, we just sat back and fought a defensive strategy. It sounded like a big popcorn machine... for an hour. Bits and pieces would often land at our feet. One of our guys got a little too close, and something popped him in the shoulder. But, that's as far as anyone got to being injured by the ammo cooking off.

A bit off the original topic,and it's been previously posted on MnGT, but this video is legitimate, and a worthwhile watch.

[Ironbear]

But how would you like hanging out for 13 million rounds in a fire?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2344317/Thousands-evacuated-explosions-Russian-munitions-depot-storing-13million-shells-1-500-firefighters-sent-tackle-blaze.html

[bjohnson]

Here's another one:



Of course he claims the gun just went off on it's own. Is this the new 'tactical' way to holster your gun, without looking at it? I've always 'looked' the gun back into the holster - maybe I'm behind the times.

And as he looks down he points the firearm at the safety officer.