What is a hangfire?

What is a hangfire?

• A. Delayed reloading after a jam
• B. Immediate ignition of a round
• C. Misfire due to no powder
• D. Delayed ignition of a round

Answer: (D)

Hangfire is a delay between striking the firing mechanism and the ignition of the powder charge in a cartridge. The primer may ignite when the firing pin hits, but the main charge lights off later than expected, so the round fires after a short delay. This isn't normal operation, and it can be dangerous because you might think nothing happened and move the gun, or you might try to cycle the action too soon. Because of the risk, you should keep the firearm pointed downrange and wait a moment to see if ignite occurs, then dispose of the round safely through proper procedure. The option that describes delayed ignition of a round captures this situation. The other choices describe different issues—delayed reloading after a jam, immediate ignition, or a misfire due to no powder—which are not what a hangfire refers to.

Hangfire is a delay between striking the firing mechanism and the ignition of the powder charge in a cartridge. The primer may ignite when the firing pin hits, but the main charge lights off later than expected, so the round fires after a short delay. This isn't normal operation, and it can be dangerous because you might think nothing happened and move the gun, or you might try to cycle the action too soon. Because of the risk, you should keep the firearm pointed downrange and wait a moment to see if ignite occurs, then dispose of the round safely through proper procedure. The option that describes delayed ignition of a round captures this situation. The other choices describe different issues—delayed reloading after a jam, immediate ignition, or a misfire due to no powder—which are not what a hangfire refers to.