missfire/hangfire

[muzzman]

Whats a missfire and a hangfire? And if ur gun doesnt shoot when you pull the trigger how long could it take for the gun to fire afterwards? seconds 10 secs?

 

[vradin]

Misfire is NO ignition of the powder.
Hangfire is DELAYED ignition.
Squib is a light or underpowered ignition.

A misfire CAN be a hangfire, and that's where the wait comes in. When I teach, and on my range, the shooter is required to wait, holding the rifle securely downrange, for a MINIMUM of 60 seconds after a misfire to see if there is a hangfire situation.

I recall one instance 2 summers ago of a hangfire that MIGHT have been a disaster- semi-experienced shooter (modern stuff only- first time ML) has a misfire, waits for the required minute, places the rifle in the rack to be checked by instructor (me), takes off eye + ear protection, reaches for the field rod to put into the bbl to signify a loaded rifle, and it goes off. Maybe a total of 2 minutes from trigger pull to discharge. Don't know why it took so long to fire, same load we had been using all day- 60gr pyrodex, prb, #11 remington cap.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I had a hangfire on a percussion that went about four seconds. Long enough that it raises the hair on your head thinking about what COULD have happened. Always keep a misfired rifle pointing safely downrange until you uave reprimed and tried again or soaked the charge through the vent/pulled nipple opening. Assume it's going to go off at any time until then.

 

[Rat]

One year, last day of hunting season, got a nice shot at a buck, the cap fired, but the main charge did not go off.

So, I put the gun away and forgot about it. Next year I took it out hunting, and on opening day I just capped the rifle, figuring that the nipple was now clear from when I popped the cap last year.

Heck if it didn't go off as I was pulling down on the same darn buck, I could tell by a unique drop-tine it had, but had not pulled the trigger yet. Deer was dead, rifle had fired, but the new cap was still on the nipple and the hammer back on full cock. So a hang-fire can last up to a year at least.

Rat

 

[riverrat43]

Forgive me Rat, moderators et al, but that tale reminds me of a 90 year old man down here who went for his annual check up. The Doc looked him over and said that he looked good. Asked him if anything had changed with him. He said, "Well yes. I married a 20 year old gal and she is now expecting" "What do ye think about that Doc?" The Doc replied, "Well, I had this friend who once had a hangfire with his cap lock. It didn't fire when he aimed at this buck, so he just put it up for a year and when he next hunted with it, he just re capped it and saw the same buck. As he took aim, the gun fired all on it's own. Killed the buck and the hammer never fell on the new cap. A one year hang fire. What do you think about that? The old man pondered for a minute, then said, "Doc, I think somebody else shot that buck!" The Doc smiled and said, that's what I was thinking too!~

 

[Zonie]

Sounds like what can happen up thar in Minnessooota, but that are caused by the cold.
Ah herd tel that iffen ye fire yer gun it's so dam cold tha flame from tha cap will freeze. Ain't until ye gets yer gun inside whar it can warm up that the flame will thaw out an finish firin tha gun! :crackup:

 

[olgriz]

You hear about them mountain men up there in Minnesooota arguing about who had the coldest camp. First one took them to his camp, proceeded to pee and it froze solid before it hit the ground. The second on said "That's nothing", and they went to his camp. He boiled some water and threw the boiling water into the air and it come down froze solid. Third one said that's nothing and took them to his camp. He dug around in his bed roll and came up with these little round brown things, and set them next to the fire to thaw. As they started thawing out they'd go RIP and FFFFFFFTTTT and TOOT. Come to think of it, I reckon that'd be called a hang fire.

 

[Rat]

Possibly with that fine smell of rotten eggs too.

Rat

 

[Stumpkiller]

Heck if it didn't go off as I was pulling down on the same darn buck, I could tell by a unique drop-tine it had, but had not pulled the trigger yet. Deer was dead, rifle had fired, but the new cap was still on the nipple and the hammer back on full cock. So a hang-fire can last up to a year at least.

Well Rat, there's yer problem. If the main charge didn't set off the fresh primer, ye got an "obstruction."

But then we knewed ye was packed full o'sumpin. :winking:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Now Cowhand, it got pretty durned cold up here during what we later called "The Battle of Snowshoes." Bunch of us stumbled on a Abnaki raiding party and tried to ambush them. Me might as well o' just shouted at 'em. They ran onto us and routed us, not a one having been hit in our first two volleys. Well, we run back to the main camp, well as a man can run in snowshoes, and prepared for the worst. But not a one of 'em followed up. We'd a been easy meat, too as we was soo cold and tired. The next day, we scouted out and found their camp. 30 dead men scattered around the remains of a fire.

Turns out, they'd gathered our shots, what froze into rods as they emerged from the barrels, thinkin they was sticks. When they tossed some on the fire and they thawed, why it was our two lost volleys cut 'em down as they sat huddled makin their raid plans.