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Firearm Jamming Problems; Causes of Pistol Failure to Feed, Hang Fire & Other Gun Jams

Unless you have formal training or exposure to firearms, on the range you have likely experienced a jam of some kind. Often used to refer to several different firearms malfunctions you may run into on the range, a “jam” is broad term. There are a number of reasons as to why a gun can malfunction from mechanical problems to a bad round, as well as poor shooting technique. Ensuring your weapon is routinely clean can also eliminate jamming problems as well. Occasional jams can happen to anyone, including those who depend on their weapon in their career. If you are experiencing frequent jams, however, you should take your weapon to a professional to ensure safety and proper firing efficiency. Below, we at Shooting Range Industries would like to share common problems that lead to your firearm being jammed.

Causes of Pistol Failure to Feed & Other Gun Jams

  • Failure to Feed: When the next round has not been properly fed into the chamber, it is known as failure to feed. One of the most common occurrences as to why weapon is experiencing the inability to feed is not having a firm grip on the firearm while firing. Only the slide recycling should happen instead of the whole firearm recoils without a firm grip. You will need to clear the chamber and perhaps drop the magazine out before proceeding, if your weapon fails to feed.
  • Misfire or Hang Fire: Two separate and distinct problems that have a similar appearance is the misfire and hang fire, but the common issue is that after the trigger is pulled, nothing happens. In the event the round fires following a delay that is known as a hang fire. A misfire is when the weapon doesn’t fire at all. By first eliminating any possibility of a delayed action, remain in your firing stance with the gun pointed down range for a solid minute. Remove the round and examine it once you have allowed enough time to elapse. Look for an indentation on the back of the round to check the primer. It is a likely a bad round if the center was struck. To help you dispose of it safely, solicit the range safety officer. The mechanism is likely at fault in the event it was struck off center, or not at all.
  • Failure to Eject: When the casing of a round exits the chamber but gets stuck in the ejection port, that is ejection failure. Because the casing often sticks out perpendicular to the slide like a stovepipe hat, this type of jam is often referred to as “stovepipes”. This often results when the shooter uses a weak grip on the firearm while shooting, causing the failure to eject.

Shooting Ranges for Practice & Training to Improve Firearm Precision & Accuracy

If you are experiencing jamming issues because of your gripping or shooting techniques, consider taking a few basic firearm shooting classes and then take what you learned to the range to practice form and accuracy. There are many classes readily available to help you increase your weapon efficiency and to help you avoid your firearm from being jammed.