Firearm malfunction is a failure of a firearm to function.
Firearm Malfunction
A firearm malfunction is the failure of a firearm to function as intended for reasons other than user error. Malfunctions can range from brief and fairly safe situations to potentially dangerous incidents that may permanently damage the firearm and cause injury or death. Improper handling of certain types of malfunctions can be very dangerous.
Types of Firearms Malfunctions
Case head separation. Case head separation occurs when the walls of the casing become thin or fatigued. Upon firing the round, the case separates into two pieces near the head. It is not uncommon with brass that has been reloaded several times.
Dud. A dud (also called “failure to discharge”) occurs when the trigger is pulled but the primer or powder in the cartridge malfunctions; causing the firearm to not discharge. Dud rounds can still be dangerous and should be deactivated and disposed of properly.
Hang fire. A hang fire (also called “delayed discharge”) is an unexpected delay between the triggering of a firearm and the ignition of the propellant. Whenever a weapon fails to fire, but has not clearly malfunctioned, a hang fire should be suspected. When this occurs, the correct procedure is to keep the weapon pointed downrange or in a safe direction for thirty to sixty seconds, then remove and safely discard the round. The reason for this is that a round detonating outside of the weapon, or in the weapon with the action open, could cause serious fragmentation injury.
Squib load. A squib load (also called “squib round, squib, squib fire, insufficient discharge, or incomplete discharge”) is an extremely dangerous malfunction that happens when a fired projectile does not carry enough force and becomes stuck in the gun barrel instead of exiting it. In the case of semi-automatic or automatic weapons, this can cause successive rounds to be fired into the projectile, obstructing the barrel, which can cause catastrophic failure to the structural integrity of the firearm and pose a threat to the operator or bystanders.
Failure to feed. Failure to Feed (FTF) is when a weapon fails to feed the next round into the firing chamber.
Hammer follow. Hammer follow occurs when the disconnector allows the hammer to follow the bolt and firing pin into the battery, sometimes causing the firing mechanism to function faster than it is designed to.
Slamfire. A slamfire is a premature, unintended discharge of a firearm that occurs as a round is being loaded into the chamber.
Stovepipe. A stovepipe, smokestack, or failure to eject (FTE) occurs when the empty cartridge case jams vertically in the ejection port of a self-loading firearm instead of being thrown clear, a condition usually caused by not holding the firearm correctly, or “limp wristing.”
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