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LOOONNGGG Hangfire

jonkjonk Member Posts: 10,121
edited August 2002 in General Discussion
My range must be cursed. First the guy shot himself. Then this last time I was out, someone had a dud- so he thought. Firing a .303 Enfield with surplus ammo, there was a misfire. He waited a minute, ejected it, and left it sitting on the bench. About ten seconds later, BAM! Off it went. I've see hangfires after a few seconds, even 5 or 6, but never over a minute. No one was hurt, but still, spooky.

"...hit your enemy in the belly, and kick him when he is down, and boil his prisoners in oil- if you take any- and torture his women and children. Then people will keep clear of you..." -Admiral of the Fleet Lord Fisher, speaking at the Hague Peace Conf
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Comments

  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    I have seen only two perceptible hangfires, but neither was over a second or two. One was with military .303 ammo and the other was with old surplus .38s in an Enfield revolver.

    My buddy had a problem once. He called it a hangfire, but I don't think it was a hangfire in the strictest sense. I think the firing pin was gummed up and needed only a small jar to free it up.

    He had been shooting a Glenfield .22 auto with bargain-basement ammo. It jammed up on him after several hundred rounds and he could not unjam it. His pickup was sitting there with the driver-side door open. He tossed the rifle into the truck on the seat, figuring to clean it when he got home. When the rifle hit the seat, it fired. The bullet went through the plastic door panel and out the door skin. Fortunately, the window was rolled up so it was not shattered. He kept a small sticker over the hole for a while and eventuall repaired it permanently when he repainted the truck.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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  • IconoclastIconoclast Member Posts: 10,515 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Spooky is right - a minute and then it blows *out* of the gun? That's downright terrifying.
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  • Rafter-SRafter-S Member Posts: 2,173 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've had several hangfires in all my years of shooting--most were for only a fraction of a second. However I did have one with a 30-06 round that I personally handloaded. It was about 5 seconds. The fortunate thing was I hadn't yet opened the bolt, but was about to. Don't even like to think what would have happened if the bolt handle had been raised.

    I have read about hangfires lasting several minutes, but they are very, very rare.

    jonk, with all that's happening around you these days, I suggest you keep your insurance premiums paid up.
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  • alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
    edited November -1
    If you have a hanger wait for a minimum of 60 seconds to eject. I usually wait several minutes.
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  • HappyNanoqHappyNanoq Member Posts: 12,023
    edited November -1
    Misfire's/hangfire's are quite .... nervewrecking.

    My new straight out of the box Steyr Mannlicher Scout .308Win made 2 out of 5 misfires, it was at the iron scrapyard where i tested it.

    I never unload a rifle with a misfire/hangfire before 2-3 minutes after it clicked.

    Luckily I've read the manual, figuring I'd give the firingpin spring a little more tension.
    That worked really well. =o) no misfires for the rest of the pack of 50.

    It was german army surplus Full Metal Jacketed 7.62Nato FNM cartridges. (Marked .308Win tra with ink on the side, and 7.62Nato and a circle with a + in it.)

    The scout have been know in rare cases - to hangfire/misfire with military surplus ammo.
    The prob was easily solved - was done with no tools in about 45 secs.

    It worked like a charm, on Federal Premium 168Grain cartridges - even before the surplus ammo.

    Darnit - I LUUUURWE that gun.. =o_


    Regards
    Peter E J
    Greenland.

    I love my silenced .22 Anshutz rifle =o) Now also my Steyr Scout in .308W. ;o_
    Those guns are YUMMMYYYY !
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  • dakotashooter2dakotashooter2 Member Posts: 6,186
    edited November -1
    NUNN- Did he use one of those bullet hole stickers?
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  • SUBMARINERSUBMARINER Member Posts: 1,362 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    without a barrel or chamber to compress the explosion i imagine all you would have is a rather large fire cracker.ive blown shotgun shells all they do is make a loud whooshing noise but no shrapnel or nothing.i have done the same thing though.every once in a while i will get a reload that wont fire.by habit i automaticly shuck it and load a new one,then there is an unfired shell with a dimple in the primer sitting at my feet so i pick it up and throw it down range

    SUBMARINE SAILOR,TRUCK DRIVER,RUSTY WALLACE FAN AND AS EVERYONE SO OFTEN POINTS OUT PISS POOR TYPIST e-mail:WNUNLEY@USIT.NET
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  • Harleeman1030Harleeman1030 Member Posts: 1,505 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    sub..all they do out of the gun is blow out the casing bullet goes nowhere..So my range officer tells me he's a retired marine and our CMP insturctor

    Harleeman1030@aol.com
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  • nunnnunn Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,085 ******
    edited November -1
    No, he used a sticker from Producers Chemicals until it wore out, and then he used a Dallas Cowboys sticker.

    SIG pistol armorer/FFL Dealer/Full time Peace Officer, Moderator of General Discussion Board on Gunbroker. Visit www.gunbroker.com, the best gun auction site on the Net! Email davidnunn@texoma.net
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