The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

Yes, this is quite correct. In practical comps, against the clock, the clearance of your misfire is just another thing sent to try you. There is no wait 30 seconds with the gun pointing down-range.




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Hangfires, which is what the thread seems to be about are a thing of the past IMHO. I've never had, seen or heard of one in the 10+ years I've had my own FAC/SGC or in the 25+ years I've been shooting. The primer either fires, or it doesn't and the powder either ignites or it doesn't. Isn't this an operational hangover from ye olde powders of the past?

Removing a cartridge from a chamber/barrel also makes it far safer (as its force/pressure is not being concentrated) than it going off half-in/half-out. I'll still always obey a range brief but IMO its better to clear the gun as soon as possible.

I'd say it's always safer going off in a closed gun. I usually wait 10 seconds or so for rimfire ammo, longer for centre fire.

No idea why.

I think why is cos you dont want a big old hairy ass 303 going off halfway out. Me too!

I've had one which was very much a "click-bang" sort of affair. I believe that was with modern commercial ammunition, in .308.

Only had it once with a 7.62x39 milsurp round and that was 1965-dated.
Out of many thousands I don't think one is to bad.

Hangfires do happen.

Recently we had a small batch of old .303 cordite ammo and there was a noticeable click-bang delay. Luckily the shooter knew what was happening and stopped shooting it after the third of forth instance.

I have witnessed two hangfires with 22LR ammo.

The first was back in the pistol days, a guy next to me was using a Vostok target pistol and fired the last round in the mag because he heard it go click (the slide didn't lock back on the Vostok). He brought the pistol down and the round went off in to the floor near his foot.

The second was when I was shooting a minirifle comp at Marconi about 18-20 years ago, I double tapped two targets moved position and tried the same on the next two targets and 'click', racked and reloaded (I was up against the clock) and fired the first two at the next target and heard a bang behind me, and then fired the final two shots at the last target.
The timer, scorer and next two in my detail told me it was the ejected round going off a good second or two after it hit the floor. The bullet didn't go very far, it was the case that being the lighter part of the round bounced around the back of the range. It didn't have enough energy to hurt anyone but was an eye opener.

So it sounds like the incidents people have experienced have been from old ammo (or ammo manufactured a good few years ago).

So if you are using recent ammo - is it then better to clear the gun asap as Blackstuff says?

there was a video on here a while back, someone taking part in a minirifle comp, standing on a ladder, you see them fire-click-rack then the .22 round goes off on the floor.

I think it's mainly old ammo, or .22RF

BestDrugDoc wrote:So it sounds like the incidents people have experienced have been from old ammo (or ammo manufactured a good few years ago).

So if you are using recent ammo - is it then better to clear the gun asap as Blackstuff says?

No most definitely not. Keep the action closed and the firearm pointing safely downrange for 30 seconds before slowly and carefully opening the action with your head turned away.