One of the most terrifying experiences I’ve had with a firearm happened when I was duck hunting, using 3″ goose loads that had spent a little too much time soaking in my “dry” box. Though they’d gotten a little crusty after a few seasons of being lugged around, the primers still looked passable. After taking my first shot at a bird, I pulled the trigger for my second barrel (I’m an over-under kinda guy) and was greeted with a pronounced ‘click’. Sliding the shotgun to my hip, I prepared to eject the shell and try again with a new one. That’s when it went off, nearly recoiling right out of my hands. A full three seconds after the primer had been struck, it ignited. This is referred to as a “hangfire,” and is one of a few major misfires that can occur during shooting and could prove disastrous if you’re unaware of them. Especially in a day and age where shooting hand-loaded or military surplus rounds is common practice, it’s essential you proceed with caution.
The primer went “pop”
Typically, when you hear a “pop” instead of your firearm’s usual bark—and you’ll notice a substantial drop in felt recoil when you squeeze the trigger—it means the primer ignited, but the powder didn’t (or was absent; reloaders with progressive presses know what I mean). This is referred to as a squib. This is a very definite sign that you should clear the weapon and look to see if the bullet even left the barrel. In many cases, the primer doesn’t have the power to push the bullet more than a couple inches up the barrel. Knock the lead out with a push rod before reloading. If you don’t and fire again, you could experience a catastrophic failure (right) where your weapon’s barrel splits or the entire weapon comes apart in your hands (violently and dangerously, I might add). A semi-automatic weapon, unlike a bolt-action rifle or revolver, will likely jam up before the next shot since the recoil or gases needed to cycle the action won’t occur with only a primer ignition. Again, clear the weapon and check the barrel for a stuck bullet (top).
Nothing but a “click”
If you pull the trigger and only get a “click”, it could mean the firing pin didn’t strike the primer squarely, hard enough, or the primer is dead or defective. Wait a second after that click to make sure it isn’t a hangfire like the one in my shotgun anecdote. When you’re confident it’s not going to go off, clear the weapon and check the offending round. If the primer is only dimpled and the bullet is still seated, you may have a tough primer (some brands require a harder impact to ignite), a primer that was seated too deep in the cartridge case, or a weak firing pin spring.
Don’t fear, but be clear
When seeing images of exploded guns or bloody injuries coming as a result of misfires (or more likely, rounds that were reloaded FAR too hot), it’s easy for a new shooter to become a little paranoid. Fortunately, these instances of misfires are few and far between—even less so with factory ammunition. But knowing what to do when your gun malfunctions can save a whole lot of heartache and pain down the line.
Featured image courtesy of HeroHog at The Firing Line Forums.
Always good to be reminded of these potential dangers.
I experienced some primer pops when i started to use a progressive press (lee pro1000) to reload 45ACPs. Bullets remained just an inch from the throat of my 1911 barrel, slide blocked in battery (luckily). I had to apply decise force to rack the slide back. Then i had to remove the barrel and push tge bullet outside with a rod.
I experience a ftf once, with a reloaded 30-06. I’m pretty sure that was caused by gun oil (i use it to lubricate cases befor full sizeing them) in the primer pocket. Experienced also with a few commercial 22LRs.
AlessioBaldi Quit using gun oil for your bottle necked cartridges. Use silicone spray. Set your cartridges upright and fog them with the silicone spray lightly then run them through the sizer/decapper and let them dry overnight. If you are in a hurry you can blowdry them or wipe them dry on an old towel. I dont know what you use to prime but I use a Lee hand primer so I can get a better feel seating the primers and the tray feed keeps your fingers away from the individual primers so your fingers do not oil the primers.
Thank you, never tought of silicon spry, i’ll give it a try.
I’m just useing a lee priming tool. I use it with pistol cases too because i don’t trust the proo1000 priming system.
AlessioBaldi Quit using gun oil for your bottle necked cartridges. Use silicone spray. Set your cartridges upright and fog them with the silicone spray lightly then run them through the sizer/decapper and let them dry overnight. If you are in a hurry you can blowdry them or wipe them dry on an old towel. I dont know what you use to prime but I use a Lee hand primer so I can get a better feel seating the primers and the tray feed keeps your fingers away from the individual primers so your fingers do not oil the primers.
Guns rarely explode for hot loads. It generaly happen because of wrong powder (generally a less progressive), or reduced load wich cause duble fireing failure.
sorry, double ignition is the right term
AlessioBaldi I’m not familiar with the phrase double ignition—could you explain it to me?
Ok, i’ll try but it take me some times to write it in english…
I’ve had one squib. It pushed the bullet about an inch into the barrel, but didn’t force the slide back far enough to re-cock the hammer. Luckily I investigated before I tried to fire again. It was definitely a “thank you, Jesus” moment for me.
That’s a good precaution, but if you are training/shooting for defense/fighting, the right teqniques is to try to restore your gun as soon as possible or to drop it and switch to your backup. You sure don’t have 60s, neither if you find cover. It could be dangerous, but the bullets that come frome downrange are more.
AlessioBaldi Fair points. I suppose I should have couched this as rules to follow for range time as opposed to actual conflict.
Don’t get me wrong, this is how i train. I don’t pretend everybody training like me. The level of safety is up to the individual. Unless you are in a public range with other shooters around. Then the maximum level of safety is mandatory, even if you train for defense shooting.
AlessioBaldi Yep, luckily I was just at the range, not doing any specific training, and I would never carry my own reloads for self defense.
Only now i notice that i answered the wrong post. This was itended for the previous post, sorry.
In one of IraqVeteran’s YouTube videos Barry @Moss Pawn stated the old rule was if any round failed to go off continue to hold the gun down range for 60 seconds before attempting to clear. Sixty seconds is probably overkill but holding down range for 30 secs has always seemed to be a reasonably safe precaution for me and one I stick to yet today. Thanks to a recent MagTech .357 Magnum ammo purchase I spent quite a bit of time pointing my revolver down range.
gollygeewizard As the ammo crunch continues, I can’t help but to think these sorts of occurrences will only increase in regularity.
NateGranzow gollygeewizard Not to mention the amount of people reloading for the first time
gollygeewizard Really? MagTech is my EDC in 9 mm. Ive not herad that they are prone to misfires. Then again, I’ve been proven wrong many times.
JoeFabeetz gollygeewizard Yeah, I have shot quite a bit of MagTech but all practice ammo for my semi-auto pistols, but this the first time I tried MagTech .357 mag in my Smith & Wesson Model 19 revolver. Of the 50 I shot from that box 5 had what must have been bad primers as I have never had a failure to fire in that pistol before with either .38 special or .357 magnum.
Interesting. I recently purchased a box of 500 Smith & Wesson mag magtech 325 Grain and shot them in some wet newsprint and noticed the bullets completely disintegrated and separated from their core. I also noticed that the brass after being fired turned black and blue and is almost impossible to resize for reloading. I also picked up a box of hornady 500 grain SoftPoint and they blasted right through the wet newsprint and expanded perfectly the brass after being fired is nice and shiny and easy to Reload. Never had any problems with any of them firing whenever the hammers dropped she breaks the sound barrier like always.
Tengaugemike Hmm…come to think of it, the brass on my MagTech self defense rounds are getting darker just sitting in the gun. More so than other brass. I didn’t give it much thought until you mentioned yours turning black and blue.
Never had it happen, its why we train train train, so when something goes wrong we automatically follow the safety protocols. You hear horror stories of people looking down the barrel or muzzle sweeping everyone in a panic. Very good piece to keep us all on our toes and continue to enjoy our sport safely.
Double ignition (don’t know if you know it under a different name) is a phenomenum of abnormal combustion. It could happen if a rifle case is loaded with an amount of powder relatively small refered to its internal volume. In such case, the primer could ignite only a portion of the powder, sending the bullet into the grooves and the remaining unburned powder right behind it. The bullet stops into the grooves generating a pressure raise. The pressure reise generates a temp reise wich cause the ignition of the unburned powder, generating a second explosion in a portion of the barrel that can’t sustain it.
This phenomenon can occour only with case and barrels of sufficient lenght, generally rifles, rarely revolvers. Can’t happen with pistols ammo.
Somebody think this is only accademy, but that is…
AlessioBaldi That’s very curious, Alessio. I’ve not heard of this phenomenon before, but I appreciate you taking the time to explain it to me!
In 25 plus years of loading I have had only one weapon FTF and that was my nephews SKS. After getting if back from him I checked it out to see what the problem was………The action almost had potatoes growing in it.
Yes I carry handloads for personal carry and my entire family and others carr
Others carry my loads too. I have worn out one RCBS loader 3 press and now use a Rock crusher. I am a bit leary of using a progressive press because of the loss of “feel” when sizing, depriming,priming, expanding charging and seating a new bullet
Double ignition also is how double base powder such as Red Dot work.