Req 2A-e — Misfires, Hangfires, and Squib Fires

A failure to fire is any situation where you pull the trigger and the expected discharge does not happen—or does not happen correctly. There are three types, and the correct response is different for each. Getting this wrong can cause serious injury or death.

Misfire

What it is: You pull the trigger, the firing pin strikes the primer, and nothing happens. No bang, no recoil, no sound.

Common causes: Defective primer, contaminated ammunition (moisture or oil on the primer), weak firing pin spring, or improper seating of the shell in the chamber.

Procedure:

1. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange.
2. Wait at least 30 seconds. (A misfire can occasionally be a hangfire in disguise.)
3. Open the action carefully, keeping the muzzle downrange.
4. Remove the unfired shell and set it aside—do not put it back in your ammunition supply.
5. Inspect the primer. If the firing pin left a visible dent but the shell did not fire, the primer or powder was defective.

Hangfire

What it is: You pull the trigger and there is a noticeable delay—from a fraction of a second to several seconds—before the gun fires. The primer ignited but the powder was slow to catch.

Common causes: Deteriorated or contaminated powder, old ammunition, or primer that produced insufficient flame to ignite the powder charge immediately.

Why it is dangerous: If you lower the gun or open the action during the delay, the shell can fire while the muzzle is pointed in an unsafe direction.

Procedure:

1. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange.
2. Wait at least 30 seconds with the muzzle downrange and your finger off the trigger. Do not open the action.
3. After 30 seconds, if the gun still has not fired, treat it as a misfire: open the action carefully, remove the shell, and set it aside.

The 30-second rule exists because you cannot tell the difference between a misfire and a hangfire at the moment of the click. Both start the same way. Waiting protects you.

Squib Fire

What it is: The gun fires but with noticeably less recoil, a quieter report, or a “pop” instead of a “bang.” This means the powder charge did not burn fully, and the wad or shot may be lodged in the barrel.

Common causes: Insufficient powder charge (often from a reloading error), severely deteriorated ammunition, or contaminated powder.

Why it is extremely dangerous: If a wad or shot charge is stuck in the barrel and you fire another round behind it, the barrel can burst. This is a catastrophic failure.

Procedure:

1. Stop immediately. Do not fire another round.
2. Keep the muzzle downrange. Open the action.
3. Unload the gun completely.
4. Visually inspect the bore from the breech end (look through the barrel from the chamber toward the muzzle) for any obstruction.
5. If anything is lodged in the bore, do not attempt to clear it by firing. Use a cleaning rod to push the obstruction out, or hand the gun to your instructor.

Prevention

• Use factory-loaded ammunition from reputable manufacturers.
• Store ammunition in a cool, dry place.
• Inspect shells before loading—look for dented hulls, corroded brass, or moisture.
• Never use ammunition that has been submerged in water.
• If you reload (handload) ammunition, follow published load data exactly.

The Counselor Conversation

Your counselor will likely quiz you on all three types: what each one sounds like, what causes it, and the exact procedure to follow. The 30-second wait rule and the danger of a barrel obstruction from a squib fire are critical safety points.