Hang fire
Encyclopedia
Hang fire refers to an unexpected delay between the triggering of a firearm
and the ignition of the propellant
. This failure was common in firearm actions that relied on open primer pans, due to the poor or inconsistent quality of the powder. Modern weapons are susceptible, particularly if the ammunition
has been stored in an environment outside of the design specifications. The delay is typically too brief to be noticed, but may be disruptive in processes where accurate timing is important, such as synchronization gear in propeller driven aircraft.
A hangfire should be suspected whenever a weapon fails to fire, but has not clearly malfunctioned. In modern, serviceable weapons it is more likely that the round is a "dud
" (one that will never fire at all), but it is important not to immediately remove the round from the chamber. If a hangfire has in fact occurred, a round detonating outside of the weapon could cause serious fragmentation injury. If the operator believes that the weapon correctly cycled a fresh round and the action is not visibly jammed, the correct procedure is to keep the weapon pointed at a safe target for sixty seconds, then remove and safely discard the round.
The phrase "to hang fire" also means to delay in progressing, for example from one task to another.
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
and the ignition of the propellant
Propellant
A propellant is a material that produces pressurized gas that:* can be directed through a nozzle, thereby producing thrust ;...
. This failure was common in firearm actions that relied on open primer pans, due to the poor or inconsistent quality of the powder. Modern weapons are susceptible, particularly if the ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
has been stored in an environment outside of the design specifications. The delay is typically too brief to be noticed, but may be disruptive in processes where accurate timing is important, such as synchronization gear in propeller driven aircraft.
A hangfire should be suspected whenever a weapon fails to fire, but has not clearly malfunctioned. In modern, serviceable weapons it is more likely that the round is a "dud
Dud
A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate, respectively, on time or on command.Duds are still dangerous and have to be deactivated and disposed of carefully. Poorly designed devices A dud is an ammunition round or explosive that fails to fire or detonate,...
" (one that will never fire at all), but it is important not to immediately remove the round from the chamber. If a hangfire has in fact occurred, a round detonating outside of the weapon could cause serious fragmentation injury. If the operator believes that the weapon correctly cycled a fresh round and the action is not visibly jammed, the correct procedure is to keep the weapon pointed at a safe target for sixty seconds, then remove and safely discard the round.
The phrase "to hang fire" also means to delay in progressing, for example from one task to another.