Hangfires

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Echo9

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What are the chances of a hangfire? Anyone here ever experienced one?

A good friend told me a long time ago that in the event your gun doesn't go bang, you should keep it pointed down range for no less than 15 seconds to allow for a hangfire -- otherwise the round could light while on the ground.

I've never had a hangfire, and the only times I've pulled the trigger and heard a click were with .22s, which I'm guessing were uneven primers.
 
Never had a hangfire personally but I've had a few dud rounds that were .22's. I adopted the keep it pointed downrange rule for 30 seconds for the same reason. None lit off, but I was ready just in case.
 
With all the "tap/rack/bang" stuff people talk about, it seems like no one considers hangfires a serious possibility.
 
Hangfires are so extremely rare with modern factory ammunition as to be considered almost a myth. Some people will say hangfires exceeding 1 or 2 seconds aren't possible. That's incorrect. The ammunition I've seen most commonly noted for hangfiring is World War II .45 ammunition. I have heard multiple accounts of extended hangfires with World War II .45 ammo, including a hangfire exceeding 5 seconds that killed a would-be murderer (he stole the gun from a World War II vet and used it to rob a gas station. The gun went *click* when he tried to kill the attendant, and he looked down the barrel). I'd surmise that they likely didn't seal the primers of pistol-caliber ammunition during wartime, as this is the only specific ammunition I've heard of doing this with any regularity.
 
I think I had one with a .22. It was like when firing a blackpowder, the bang follows almost instantly after the click but it's still noticeable.

For casual shooting it's safe to wait a few seconds. The tap+rack is for defense situations. If you want to practice it you should do so with dummy rounds.
 
Even if a hangfire occurs and you eject the round, being seriously injured by flying bullet or case isn't very likely. Unless it goes off in the air right next to your face. Or:

he looked down the barrel
Click to expand...

Yep. That will do it.
 
I had a batch of Pakistani manufactured .303 where hangfires were not uncommon - click,...1...2...bang. Once you got used to it, it was kind of neat. Bottom line, it all went bang.
 
The only hangfires that I recall were from a case of Belgian .30-06 that a friend had in college in 1980. Easily more than 50% were hangfires out of his '03-A3 Springfield. He just stopped using it. I don't recall if he sent it back or not.
 
A buddy of mine had one with some surplus 7.62x54 in a M44. He was firing from a right kneeling position. He pulled the trigger, waited a second or so, and then went to lower the buttstock from his shoulder to rest inboard on his right thigh, keeping the muzzle downrange. I heard a "hey, come-"

Right about then it fired, and he was greeted with the recoil of a Mosin Nagant square in the groin.

I held the rifle until he could stand upright, and we got back to shooting. That was the only hangfire I have ever witnessed in a small arm.
 
I had a Federal 175 gr 7x57 fail to fire once. The primer was nicely dented and it should have gone off. Since I was trying to shoot a nice muley buck at the time I just cycled it out and shot the deer with the second round instead of doing the safe thing and waiting for a few seconds. I pulled apart the remaining rounds out of that lot number I had left and saved the brass.
 
Been shooting around 30 years. Have seen 2 hang fires. 1 was 25-06 snaped on the bench as soon as I raised my head it went bang. Glad it was not a 338 mag.. I saw afriend have a hang fire with a .357 mag., when he lowered his pistol it fired about 5 inches in front of his foot. Hang fires are rare, but are a real danger.
The 15 second rule is not bad advice.
 
Got some 7.63x54r one time that sounded like a good deal. Woulda been a good deal if I wanted a paperweight. The ammo crate it came in was the only thing worth keeping. Went to the range with my M44 and loaded up. Click! Wait. cycle. Click! Wait. Cycle. Bang! Cycle. Click. Wait - Bang!

About 1 round in 5 fired. Of those, about a quarter were hangfires or underpowered. We opened both cans in the case and tried different rounds from different packs, hoping some had survived better than others. No dice. After about 50 rounds (out of 880) we dumped the rest of it and went home.
 
Quite a few years ago I had several while hunting pronghorn with my Springfield 1903 in 25-06. It happened with my handloads and two different factory loads, and cost me at least three shots on bucks.

On examination after I got home, we found a place on the stock where the wood had swollen enough on the warm day to slow down the cocking knob. I couldn't blame anyone but myself since I had built the stock. :eek:

I still have the rifle and it's my favorite coyote getter.
 
Been firing surplus ammo over 50 years.
I have had a number of hangfires.

The standard military drill used to be, announce "Hangfire-wait 30 seconds."
Same drill on mortars and other things.

Be safe.
 
A buddy of mine had one with some surplus 7.62x54 in a M44. He was firing from a right kneeling position. He pulled the trigger, waited a second or so, and then went to lower the buttstock from his shoulder to rest inboard on his right thigh, keeping the muzzle downrange. I heard a "hey, come-"

Right about then it fired, and he was greeted with the recoil of a Mosin Nagant square in the groin.

I held the rifle until he could stand upright, and we got back to shooting. That was the only hangfire I have ever witnessed in a small arm.
Click to expand...

You owe me a new keyboard...
 
I had a couple with some reloaded ammo I bought at a mom and pop sporting goods store. They sold them individually (I was just starting to shoot) out of a jar.

The first one hissed when I dropped the hammer and I just stood there. A moment (?) later the round went off. Two or three more did pretty much the same thing.

I guess the lesson is don't shoot any other than your own reloads.
 
had a couple from some 1950's yugo 8mm. I pulled the trigger, no bang and as soon as I began to move to work the bolt BANG. I had never heard of hangfires till then, it was the second scariest thing to ever happen to me with a firearm. Happened about 3 times that day, after the first one I sat still with the gun downrange for about 30 seconds before I decided to move again.
 
I had a major one with a Carcano I had just received along with some OLD ammo. Probably should not have been shooting it. First round went click, I would guess about a 2 second delay and then BANG. Second round went click and would guess about a 7 second delay and went BANG. Of coarse by that time I had raised my head and started reaching for the bolt. Put the rest of the ammo in the trash. I would have never believed it had it not happened but it did.
 
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