Do you practice weapons malfunctions? How do you deal with failure to fire?

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Cryogaijin

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Since moving to Oregon I am much more "training conscious" than I was living in Alaska.

I suspect the reason for this is that all my friends and acquaintances in Alaska are already quite proficient with firearms. In Oregon, I'm the "gun guru" in my circles. I've introduced roughly a dozen people to sport shooting since I moved down a year ago.

Now one of the most common mistakes I see when people are using handguns (and one of the most dangerous) is when a failure occurs, beit a FTF or FTE. A good chunk of people, when they have a failure, rotate their gun 90 degrees right while twisting their wrist to see the chamber. In other words, they point the gun to their left down the firing line.

To combat this with the people I bring to the range, I've bought snap caps in all the calibers I train people with, and mix them in when I load the magazines. I've been teaching people to just rotate their wrist to check the chamber, still keeping the barrel pointed at the target. If it is a failure to fire, I recommend clearing it and chambering a new round immediately. I know many places teach to keep the gun pointed down range and simply wait for an arbitrary period of time in case the round is a hangfire, but my hypothesis is that if it IS a hangfire, it isn't going to be terribly dangerous on the ground with no chamber around it. Further, while I've had numerous failures to fire, I've never had a hangfire.

So I am curious, who practices malfunctions? How do you simulate them? How do you handle potential hangfires?
 
I practice malfunction drills. I generally turn myself 90 degrees so I’m facing to my right and the gun is pointed gown range
 
tap rack bang or strip tap rack bang comes to mind for most things. there are others but start with these.
 
Malfunction = Tap, Rack, (Re-Assess), Bang. That's the fastest way to get back in the fight for the various malfunction types that happen most commonly.

It doesn't deal with all malfunctions, obviously, but if you have one of the more complicated jams you'll need more time anyway, and the initial TRB doesn't hurt you.

Simulation? Snap caps are good for a simple failure to fire. Others have to be set up before hand.

As far as doing it on the line? I don't practice anything on a static line with other shooters at firing points next to me, but you certainly can.

A "TRB" doesn't require a change of muzzle direction or stance. Just do it and run on. (Done properly, it's hardly more than a hiccough in the firing sequence.)

A "stovepipe" jam will often be cleared with a TRB, if you're in the habit of sweeping your hand along the top of the slide as you grip it to rack. That usually rolls the jammed case out.

With the knottier "Type III" malfunctions, you need to get the gun up into your work-space and manipulate it more forcefully and observantly. The best way is to drop your strong side foot back a half-pace, rotate your body a few degrees, and get the gun up in your work-space while still pointed very strictly down range.
 
Steve in PA wrote something about this a few years back, just to get some terms on the table:

Type I: Failue to fire/feed- Shooter pulls the trigger and the gun goes "click" instead of "bang". Caused by shooter forgetting to chamber a round, magazine not fully seated (pistol has a magazine disconnect), bad magazine (rounds binding), bad round, or broken firing pin.

The first malfunction drill:
TAP - the bottom of the magazine to ensure it is fully seated
RACK - the slide to extract a bad round and/or chamber a round
ASSESS - your threat, is deadly force still warranted
BANG - fire, if the situation still dictates use of deadly force

Type II: Stove pipe- Failure of the expended round to clear the ejection port before the slide comes forward. Results is a case sticking out of the ejection port looking like a stove pipe. Limp wristing is one of the primary causes of this, along with a worn extractor.

Same malfunction drill as above.

Type III: Double feed- The round in the chamber is not extracted and the nose of the next round in the magazine is pressed against the rear of this chambered case. Broken or worn extractor is the most common cause, along with a bad magazine.

The Type I & II malfunctions drills will not clear this. The drill is;

LOCK - the slide to the rear
RIP - the magazine out of the weapon. The magazine spring is putting pressure on the top round, which is being pressed against the chambered case by the slide. Locking the slide takes off the pressure, however the magazine will not drop free, which is why you grasp it and yank it out of the weapon.
RUN - the slide several times to make sure the chambered case is extracted, then
TAP-
RACK-
ASSESS-
BANG-
Click to expand...

Now a "Type III" IS NOT ACTUALLY A DOUBLE FEED! It is a failure to extract the spent case. The gun isn't trying to feed two live rounds. It's trying to feed one live round on top of one spent case.

For what it's worth, every-flippin'-body calls it a double-feed any way, so we might as well roll with it. :)
 
Sam1911 said:
Malfunction = Tap, Rack, (Re-Assess), Bang. That's the fastest way to get back in the fight for the various malfunction types that happen most commonly.

It doesn't deal with all malfunctions, obviously, but if you have one of the more complicated jams you'll need more time anyway, and the initial TRB doesn't hurt you.

Simulation? Snap caps are good for a simple failure to fire. Others have to be set up before hand.

As far as doing it on the line? I don't practice anything on a static line with other shooters at firing points next to me, but you certainly can.

A "TRB" doesn't require a change of muzzle direction or stance. Just do it and run on. (Done properly, it's hardly more than a hiccough in the firing sequence.)

A "stovepipe" jam will often be cleared with a TRB, if you're in the habit of sweeping your hand along the top of the slide as you grip it to rack. That usually rolls the jammed case out.

With the knottier "Type III" malfunctions, you need to get the gun up into your work-space and manipulate it more forcefully and observantly. The best way is to drop your strong side foot back a half-pace, rotate your body a few degrees, and get the gun up in your work-space while still pointed very strictly down range.
Click to expand...
I'm in agreement.
 
<deleted>

I can't recall ever seeing waiting on a possible hangfire being taught ...

As noted by the two previous posters, current training doctrine for law enforcement, military and civilian courses is the tap-rack-assess (bang) for FTRB/FTE/stovepipes and "lock-rip-work" for double feeds.

Using empty shell casings or snapcaps (usually two) loaded into the magazine at random intervals (not the first or last rounds loaded) -- after a sufficient amount of time practicing the manual movements and keeping the muzzle pointed downrange -- is the usual method of teaching novice shooters how to handle malfunctions and will typically replicate the common malfunctions.
 
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Do you practice weapons malfunctions? How do you deal with failure to fire?
Click to expand...

Tap...

Rack....

Bang....

Simple as that with most semi-autos. If a no go..then after running like heck to the nearest cover, check to see what type of jam it is (type 1,2, or 3.)

Revolvers?

Just keep puling the trigger.

Deaf
 
FWIW I continue to face the target as if it be an actual adversary; then a tap, rack and a bang most often brings the sidearm back into action re-engaging the target within a matter of seconds.
 
but my hypothesis is that if it IS a hangfire, it isn't going to be terribly dangerous on the ground with no chamber around it.
Click to expand...

True, but it can be terribly dangerous is if goes off with the gun out of battery and not fully extracted.

I used to reflexively do tap-rack-bang on a no fire until I had a hang fire one day. Gun went BANG! as my off hand was reaching to rack the slide. Fortunately it was only a .22lr and I kept good muzzle discipline so the round went somewhere down range. Now I always wait.


Unconfined its going to be like shooting a BB/pellet gun in a random direction when the primer pops out of the fireball. Not terribly dangerous if all are wearing quality eye protection.


If you are a professional supplied with factory ammo and your gun fails to fire, the possibility of a hang fire is real low on the worry list when the bullets are flying both ways, but at the range why take the chance?
 
but at the range why take the chance?
Click to expand...
Because you'll fight like you train.

If you train to TRB and roll on, that's what you'll do when you don't have time to think about it.

If you train to stop and stand there looking at it...that's what you'll do when you shouldn't.
 
" In other words, they point the gun to their left down the firing line. "

thanks for the reminder.
I need to take the right-most position on the firing line - when I'm at a public range.
:)

CA R
 
A "stovepipe" jam will often be cleared with a TRB, if you're in the habit of sweeping your hand along the top of the slide as you grip it to rack. That usually rolls the jammed case out.
Click to expand...

I saw a guy fill a good portion of a .45 case with finger meat doing it that way when a case stove piped with the mouth oriented forwards instead of the more usual up or down.. In most situations, a good firm rack will clear out the case without having to touch it.
 
I have a good pal who did roughly the same thing on a TRB.

She forgot in the heat of competition she was shooting her revolver that day! :eek:
 
Now a "Type III" IS NOT ACTUALLY A DOUBLE FEED! It is a failure to extract the spent case. The gun isn't trying to feed two live rounds. It's trying to feed one live round on top of one spent case.
Click to expand...

Tap, Roll & Rack can induce a true "doublefeed". When a failure to eject (stovepipe) occurs the slide is attempting to feed a fresh cartridge into the chamber. Tap, Roll & Rack frees the spent case but when the slide is released it may engage and attempt to feed the cartridge below the one that is partially chambered.
 
I used to reflexively do tap-rack-bang on a no fire until I had a hang fire one day. Gun went BANG! as my off hand was reaching to rack the slide. Fortunately it was only a .22lr and I kept good muzzle discipline so the round went somewhere down range. Now I always wait.
Click to expand...

Tap, ROLL & Rack provides a level of protection to the shooter when he/she performs the immediate action to clear a stoppage. The pistol is rolled 90-degrees to the right so gravity can assist in clearing the action. If a hangfire occurs before the slide is fully retracted then the shooter's face is protected from flying fragments.

There are inherent risks when you train close to the edge. You either train the way you fight or you don't.
 
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So I am curious, who practices malfunctions? How do you simulate them?
Click to expand...

When the pistol fails to fire:

1. Perform Tap, Roll & Rack, Recover.
2. If Tap, Roll & Rack, Recover fails to get the pistol running then:
3. Attempt to perform a Combat Reload.
4. If you can't insert the fresh magazine into the pistol then:
5. You put the spare magazine between your ring & pinky finger, lock the slide open, rip the "depleted" magazine from the pistol, cycle the slide three times and then finish the Combat Reload.

I always operate the slide the same way - I retract and release it using the overhand method. This simplifies OODA Loop decision-making. It uses the same movements for every problem. I don't touch the slide lock unless I want to lock the slide open to unload the pistol or to clear a doublefeed - that's it.

I don't attempt to diagnose that I've fired the gun to slide lock because there are failures that will look and feel like the slide is locked open (stovepipe, in-line stovepipe, failure to feed, and doublefeed. In addition clearing a classic stovepipe using "tap/rack" will frequently induce a doublefeed). When you try to diagnose what caused a stoppage then you aren't going to be as quick in getting the gun back up and running because you're Observing-Orienting-Deciding-Acting instead of performing non-diagnostic Observe-Act immediate actions.

Tap-rack takes about a second to perform. It's performed automatically anytime the pistol does not fire when you press the trigger.

If tap-rack fails to get the pistol running then, unless you're in a safe position, you should be reacting/moving to keep from being shot, stabbed, bludgeoned, etc., before you attempt a Combat Reload. Reacting to danger under these circumstances offsets any perceived advantage in "speed".

If you train to immediately perform a Combat Reload when you "see" that your slide appears locked open then you become preoccupied in diagnosing and reacting to your gun at the expense of reacting to the danger. If you've incorrectly "observed & oriented" and the problem is not an empty magazine then your OODA Loop resets and you have to decide what to do next while you're still exposed to danger.

Whereas if Tap-Rack fails to get the gun running then you simply progress to the next decision - react/move or Combat Reload.

I also load & unload my pistol using the same movements that I use to clear stoppages. The movements I use to load & unload are common to the movements I use to clear stoppages. I use the tasks of load & unloading as a training opportunity to exercise the same movements I use to clear stoppages. This allows me to leverage economy of motion.

When I load I put the slide into battery*, seat the magazine, and roll & rack. I then perform a Tactical Reload, holster my pistol, top off the magazine I removed during the Tactical Reload and stow it in my carrier. (*I put the slide into battery to condition me to apply the extra effort required to seat the magazine after I clear a doublefeed - a situation in which the slide will be in battery after I clear it.)

When I unload I remove the magazine; place it between the ring & pinky fingers of my firing hand; roll, rack & lock open the slide (just as I do to clear a doublefeed).

---------------

What if the slide lock disengages and the slide unexpectedly goes into battery after seating a magazine when performing a Combat Reload? Simple - I just drive-on and Roll & Rack as I normally do. It may cost me a cartridge but it is a positive measure to ensure the pistol is ready to fire when I need it. It eliminates OODA Loop reset hesitation and decision-making caused by an unexpected event, and I can get back into the fight quicker.

After "Tap", I simultaneously "Roll" the pistol to the right about 90-degrees at the same time I "Rack". This allows me to use centifugal force and gravity to help clear the action. When I "Rack" I also simultaneously retract the slide with my support hand and push forcibly forward with my firing hand - as if I'm trying to rip the slide off the frame. When the slide reaches its rearmost travel and stops my support hand just slips off.

---------------

Tap, Roll & Rack takes about a second to perform. It clears the most common stoppages. You should train so that you instantly perform Tap, Roll & Rack as a conditioned response if the pistol doesn't fire when you press the trigger. Diagnosing that you should first attempt a Combat Reload slows you down and increases your vulnerability. Diagnostic techniques suck your attention into trying to solve the "internal" gun problem at the expense of diverting your attention from the more important "external" tactical problem. If you're focused on the gun then you're not paying attention to the danger. Immediately performing Tap, Roll & Rack does not draw your attention into the gun. It's performed automatically. If it doesn't get the gun running, then you're free to immediately do what you have to do next to keep from being harmed and defer the Combat Reload until time and conditions permit, if necessary. Whereas if you attempt to perform a Combat Reload first - you're "down" and distracted for a longer amount of time - especially if you misdiagnose the problem and get sucked into fixing your pistol while one hand is holding a jammed gun and the other is holding a magazine.

Physical fatigue and injuries increase the probability of experiencing a stoppage during a fight.

-------------------

INSERTING STOPPAGES FOR TRAINING
At the range:

I randomly load a dummy cartridge in every magazine to thoroughly ingrain "Tap, Rack" manipulations when the pistol doesn't fire after I press the trigger. I also don’t load my magazines to full capacity (usually 5-7 rounds) when I’m training so I can maximize the opportunity to exercise my manipulation skills.

I routinely insert a doublefeed stoppage, which is the most time consuming to clear. I place a fired case in the chamber, seat a magazine, retract and release the slide to put it into "battery". This jams the top cartridge in the magazine into the head of the chambered case. I "simulate" firing the pistol by pressing the trigger. When the pistol doesn't fire I perform all the nondiagnostic immediate actions I described above.

I also chamber a cartridge, holster my pistol and then press the magazine release to unseat the magazine. I then draw my pistol and press the trigger. The pistol fires but fails to strip and chamber a cartridge from the magazine when the slide cycles, producing a "one shot wonder". When it doesn't fire I immediately perform "Tap, Rack" to get the gun running again.

In addition I'll insert a stovepipe or in-line stovepipe stoppage with an empty case and perform "Tap, Rack" when the pistol doesn't fire. Sometimes this produces a double-feed.

When the slide locks open on an empty magazine I still perform "Tap, Rack" first, attempt to fire again, and then progress to a Combat Reload. Although I may feel a difference in how much the slide retracts when I perform "Tap, Rack" as my primary immediate action, I don't know if the problem is caused by an empty magazine, an in-line stovepipe, a doublefeed, or an unusual feed/extract failure as they all feel about the same. However it simply doesn't matter what the problem is - I just progress through my immediate actions until I clear the stoppage. I maintain my tempo of non-diagnostic manipulations - and this practice is where my quickness in clearing stoppages comes from. I just drive-on - without skipping a beat.

At home:

I do the same things except ONLY with dummy cartridges. I don't need to go to the range to exercise and maintain my manipulation skills.
 
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