ammo/gun malfuctions
 

I didn't want to derail another thread too much.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slamfire

A slamfire is a premature, unintended discharge of a firearm that occurs as a round is being loaded into the chamber. Slamfires are most common in military firearms that have a free-floating firing pin, as opposed to a spring-loaded one. In the action of a typical semi-automatic weapon, the energy of a fired round forces the bolt and bolt carrier rearward, ejecting the empty case. A spring then forces the bolt forward again, and in the process a fresh round is stripped out of the magazine. When the face of the bolt hits the head of the chamber, unless there is a spring around the pin to retard its movement, inertia causes the firing pin to continue forward until it is stopped on the primer of the round. Sometimes this inertial force is sufficient to set off the primer, thereby firing the round. This can potentially occur repeatedly, until the magazine has been emptied. Slamfires can create a very dangerous situation, in which the shooter loses control of a firearm that is discharging automatically. As dirt and fouling accumulate in the firing pin channel, the pin may begin to protrude from the bolt face, and the risk of slamfire increases.

Aside from the dangers of any accidental discharge, slamfires present the particular risk of an out-of-battery detonation. This occurs when a round is fired before it is completely secured in the chamber, and can damage or destroy the firearm, as well as potentially injure the operator and bystanders.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stove_pipe

A firearm malfunction in shooting in which the empty cartridge case jams vertically in the ejection port of the gun instead of being thrown clear, a condition usually caused by not holding the firearm correctly, or "limp-wristing".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooking_off

thermally induced firing refers to ammunition exploding prematurely due to heat in the surrounding environment.
Cooking off is a characteristic of certain machine guns, especially those firing from a closed bolt, that are air-cooled, and capable of sustained use. When the trigger is released, the weapon feed leaves a final round in the chamber, where heat ignites the propellant firing the round, which will then cause the weapon to reload and fire again, this will continue until all the weapon's ammunition is consumed. Cooking off limits the rate of fire of many rifles, since heavy use will heat up the gun's barrel.

In the case of the US M249 or some other squad assault weapons sustained fire of only a few hundred rounds per minute can create sufficient heat. Inefficient or insufficient cooling of the barrel or chamber can cause either a cook off or stoppage of the gun through metal expansion. For rifles with very light barrels, such as the M16, the long term sustained rate of fire is as low as 16 rounds per minute, owing to limited heat dissipation and the risk of cook-off.



http://www.popguns.com/centerfire/ba...ageandcare.htm

Misfire: A failure of the cartridge to fire after the primer has been struck by the firing pin. OK, you squeeze the trigger and the gun goes click instead of bang, that is basically a misfire. You need to continue to point the handgun in a safe direction in case it decides to go off a couple of seconds later. After approximately 20-30 seconds un may continue shooting. If you have a revolver just squeeze the trigger and the cylinder will rotate the next round into position and fire. If you are using a semi-auto simple pull back the slide to eject the bad round and release slide to load new round, continue firing.

Hangfire: A perceptible delay in the ignition of a cartridge after the primer has been struck by the firing pin. Now the fun begins (if you have a twisted sense of humor), you pull the trigger and the gun goes click rather than boom, a breath or two later the gun goes boom and scares the hell out of you. This is a Hangfire. This is why you need to wait in the event that you get a "Misfire', because you do not know at first if it is a misfire or a hangfire. In the event of a hangfire, simply compose yourself and continue shooting. Can you image what would happen if you had a misfire that was actually a hangfire and you didn't wait the 20-30 seconds to continue? Well if you can't allow me to give you a what if:

Revolver: You have a misfire and you go ahead and pull the trigger right away, as the cylinder rotates the round goes off ( hangfire). Now part of the bullet goes out the barrel , some goes out the side of the cylinder, some goes into your hand, well you get the idea.

Semi-Auto: Same scenario, as you pull back the slide to clear the misfired round it goes boom, you will get powder burned, cut or both and if it was me I would have to change my shorts.

Squib Load: Development of less than normal pressures or velocity after ignition of the cartridge. Unless it is the very first shot you've ever taken you will know when you have a squib load, because the gun will go poof instead of boom. A squib load is nothing more than the round not having enough force to push the bullet out of the barrel and down range. Most cases the bullet is stuck half way down the barrel. So when ever shooting your handgun and it just doesn't sound or feel right, stop immediately. Unload the handgun and proceed to look down the barrel to see if the bullet is stuck. If so, carefully run a cleaning rod down the barrel to push the bullet out of the barrel.