[Partisan Ranger]

One question - I've seen people refer to something called a 'slamfire,' which I understand to mean the round fires when you chamber it. Is that correct?

If so, shouldn't you only chamber a round outside pointed at the ground?

I can handle carrying a cocked and locked autoloader, but I wonder about that .40 round going off when I rack the gun in the morning. Thoughts on slamfires?

[Logistar]

I believe you are correct, Partisan Ranger.

I have never had a slamfire. A friend asked me to chamber a round in my AK and then eject it without firing. The primer has a DENT in it!:what:

I am thinking the type of gun might make slamfires more or less likely. When I chamber my Beretta, the firing pin should not be able to touch the primer. (Low chance of slamfire??) Whereas my AK has no mechanism to keep the firing pin away from the primer so when you chamber a round in the AK, the pin will always "hit" the primer from the inertia created by the forward motion of the action.

I suppose if (somehow) you got some grit in your auto handgun and it held the firing pin out then you might get a slamfire. I have been loading at home (pointed in "safe" direction) but after reading some of the posts here and elsewhere I now go outside and point it into the ground when I chamber a round.

Also, unless there is a good reason to do so.... chambering a round every morning may not be the best idea. In addition to the possibility of a slamfire (however slight it might be) you may also experience bullit "setback" which can also be bad/dangerous.

Most auto's "bump" the nose of the round off the feed ramp before it goes into the chamber. Continually re-chambering the same cartridge may cause setback.

- my .02

Logistar

[Drifting Fate]

Go back to the four basic safety rules, and this one in particular (in this case):
The gun should NEVER be pointed at something you aren't willing to destroy.

A "slam fire" is usually when a firing pin is either stuck protruding from the breech face, or the firing pin spring is not strong enough to keep the firing pin from moving forward due to the closing slide's (or bolt's) momentum. A similar thing can happen if a hammer or sear is worn and lets go when the silde (or bolt) is released. Though, this last syndrome is usally called a "follow" and may or may not lead to a detonation.

This is one of the reasons firing pin blocks were created.

Question: why are you chambering a round every morning? Most of us leave a pistol loaded, and then secure the thing if it is going to be out of your control when others are around.

[vanbeast]

This worries me a little too...

To answer Drifting Fate's question: I can't carry at work (university) so I load up and chamber when I get home, and then unload in the morning before going to work. Some people don't have any choice. I've started rotating the ammo at the top of the mag to prevent setback from repeated chambering...

Hopefully I'm worried about nothing... we'll see...

[SunBear]

Detonics Pocket Nine.... safety was off.....round went six feet under the carpet on concrete floor. Anti-handgun=pro-rape>

[C.R.Sam]

Safe direction; always.
Mandatory.
Anything can fail.

Sam

[Partisan Ranger]

I don't like keeping my guns cocked and locked because I keep it by my bed at night and I have a child in the house. He has been well-versed with guns and the rules and I have told him he can see my guns anytime, with me at his side. He knows to never go near them without me. Still, he IS a kid and I don't keep a round in the pipe for that reason. He's only 7 and he isn't strong enough to rack the gun (it's a K-9, and I have a Glock 27 in the mail). BTW, when other kids are in the house, the guns go up, up, and away.

So based upon your answers, I reckon that a Kahr and a Glock have a mechanism so the firing pin doesn't strike the primer when you're chambering a round?

[Drifting Fate]

Kahr and Glock have firing pin blocks. In fact, the vast majority (I would say all, but then someone would think of something I haven't and prove me wrong) of modern pistols do. The notable exception of course is the 1911 - and then some do and some don't.

I am sure there are other things that could happen, but about the only way I could see a Glock or Kahr having a slam fire is if the firing pin jammed forward and was protruding from the breech face. It's a one in a billion chance, but it could happen.

And, that is why we have safety rules.

[SelfProclaimedExpert]

Any gun can have a slam fire if the firing pin or something else is broken. Doesn't matter what sort of safety it has when it is working properly.

Just look at the breech face before you drop the slide. In all likelihood the broken piece is going to be obvious.


Either way, chambering is always a time to use care. If you have a Beretta or other gun that can be chamber fed, do that, and ease the slide down. MOST tilt lock autos should not be chambered like that though, Ruger being an exception.

[Big Mike]

I had a slam fire in a Grendel P380. What a P O S. Scared the hell out of me and I was pointing it down and away when I chambered a round. Mike

[mete]

Slam fire is usually due to broken firing pin, broken firing pin spring or or dirt that jams the firing pin. Often neglected ,the firing pin ,spring, and hole should be claened and inspected.

[Majic]

Most slam fires are the cause of faulty firing pin springs. If by some reason the firing pin is held out past the breechface then the cartridge would most likely jam as the head of the cartridge cannot slip under the extractor.