Can an AR15 start firing 3 round burst "accidentally"

[highlander 5]

Ages ago at a range fellow showed up with a brand new in the box H&K 308. Loaded a mag and pulled the trigger " boon,boom,boom" .
Warned the guy,3 round burst. Nah says he then pulled the trigger again another 3 round burst,the look on his face was " oops and now what do I do" . He packed up his stuff and as far as I know he returned the rifle for repair or replacement. Another case AR 15 assembled by a local "gunsmith" wouldn't eject after firing gas tube was peened over by the bolt,a fast disassembly and a little filing fires normally,after 5 or 6 rounds starts to double tap. Advised the owner to return rifle and get it fixed before he ended up in real big trouble.

 

[trentcwwilson]

I remember a couple of guys I shoot with had that same issue with the H&Ks. Kept it unchanged like his pallet of shotguns from (I think) winchester. The ones that with the safety on would still fire when pumped.

 

[Robert]

The proper name is, release trigger, and they are perfectly safe as long as you adhear to the 4 rules. If people are shooting themselves or having an ND it is because they are not following the 4 rules. Now if one chooses to not use one that is fine but to decry something that has worked just fine, and safe, for decades because you don't like it is a bit short sighted...

 

[trentcwwilson]

The proper name is, release trigger, and they are perfectly safe as long as you adhear to the 4 rules. If people are shooting themselves or having an ND it is because they are not following the 4 rules. Now if one chooses to not use one that is fine but to decry something that has worked just fine, and safe, for decades because you don't like it is a bit short sighted...

Not stepping on toes. You've never heard it called a dead man trigger, I've never heard it called a release trigger. No one at any of my local trap/skeet fields call it that. When ORSA held a trap/skeet competition for Wounded Warriors, again, no one referred to it as a release. I go off what I hear most of the time. But I do appreciate someone telling me the name of it.

 

[judgedelta]

An added element of excitement is the chance of an out-of-battery detonation...

 

[trentcwwilson]

An added element of excitement is the chance of an out-of-battery detonation...

I think you're using that word wrong...

 

[ApacheCoTodd]

It'll happen from time to time.

I've seen it on maybe 5 different firearms or more.

In one case I was one of two of the Federal Defender's "Expert Witnesses" and it was clearly a fella trying to get by on the cheap with worn, cast-off G.I. parts. He had bobbed the hammer as he should for legality and used a commercial safety but the wear on parts (no need to go into it lest it be misconstrued as "instructions") conspired to offer very erratically presenting double and triple round firings.

I've seen it with at least two different manufacturer's "Match Trigger" set-ups and just plain old worn parts.

Here's the deal - FACT!

Simply separate the upper and lower immediately, determine that it is not a matter of neglected maintenance or debris then if not, remove the hammer/trigger assembly and related components... IMMEDIATELY!

To address the issue as an unwanted anomaly is the first mandatory step in defending one's self against the misinterpretation that this is a desired effect.

To not address it once the performance is noted can and likely will be interpreted as the owner thinking: "that's cool... gonna keep it that way" if not outright deliberate.

This, above is not speculation but Federal fact. heed or bleed cash!


Todd.

 

[JohnKSa]

Just to clarify because a lot of responses seem to be missing something that's actually pretty important.

YES, it is certainly possible for an AR15 to start firing more than one shot per trigger pull as the result of wear/damage or failure. Doubles are probably the most likely outcome. The gun might also fail in such a way as to empty the mag in one long burst. It's also possible, but maybe a little less likely to get short bursts of varying length of from 2-5 rounds.

BUT, it's very UNLIKELY that an AR15 will start firing CONSISTENT 3 round bursts as a result of wear/damage or a failure. If someone has an AR that is CONSISTENTLY firing 3 round bursts then it's far more likely that it's ben modified to exhibit that behavior than that it's the result of some sort of wear/damage/failure.