Delays during shooting: main causes and ways to eliminate them

With proper handling and maintenance, a firearm’s components and mechanisms can operate reliably for many years. However, even the most reliable systems are not immune to malfunctions. Delays during firing can occur due to contamination, wear, improper maintenance, or the use of low-quality ammunition. These delays disrupt the shooting rhythm, reduce effectiveness, and can pose a danger to the shooter and others around them. Therefore, it is important to understand the causes of delays, how to act in such situations, and how to prevent them. We will discuss all of this in this article.

What is a delay in firing and why does it occur?

Delays and malfunctions during firing are any disruption to the normal operating cycle of a firearm, in which a shot fails to fire or fires with a disruption in the sequence of the mechanisms. In other words, this is a situation where a weapon fails to fire as expected after the trigger is pulled or fails to complete the full reload cycle.

The causes of delays when firing pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, or machine guns can be both technical and operational. The main ones include:

• improper preparation of the weapon for firing;
• untimely inspection, cleaning, and lubrication of components and mechanisms;
• contamination of moving parts with carbon, dust, sand, or dirt;
• wear or mechanical damage to automatic components or the trigger mechanism;
• damage or contamination of the chamber and barrel bore;
• use of low-quality, deformed, or contaminated ammunition;
• malfunction or deformation of the magazine (spring, feeder, jaws);
• firing the weapon in extreme conditions without proper preparation (severe frost, moisture, dust).

Additionally, delays often occur due to a violation of the firing mode, since overheating of the barrel and automatic components negatively affects the stability of the weapon. Weapons.

Main groups of delays: feed, ejection, mechanics

All delays during firing are conventionally divided into several main groups depending on the stage of the weapon’s operation at which the malfunction occurs. This classification allows the shooter to quickly understand the nature of the problem and choose the correct solution.

Delays associated with cartridge feeding

Delays during firing associated with cartridge failures occur during the loading stage, when the moving parts of the weapon are moving forward. In this case, the cartridge may not feed from the magazine, fail to chamber, or become stuck at the entry. The most common causes are a faulty or dirty magazine, a weakened spring, deformed magazine jaws, and the use of poor-quality ammunition. Such delays are usually manifested by a failure to fire a shot even though the trigger is functioning properly and the bolt does not close completely.

A separate type of delay during firing is double feeding. In this case, the mechanism malfunctions, and the system attempts to feed a second round before the first has been removed from the chamber. Double feedings are most often caused by serious magazine malfunctions. A malfunctioning extractor may also be the cause.

Misfire: Why a Gun “Won’t Fire”

A misfire occurs immediately during an attempt to fire. The shooter pulls the trigger, the hammer or hammer fires, but no shot is fired. Why does a gun misfire? Causes include a defective cartridge primer, a weakened striker, a dirty trigger mechanism, or improper firing pin operation.

Delays Associated with Extraction and Ejection of a Spent Case

Delays during firing associated with extraction and ejection of a spent case occur as the bolt moves rearward after firing. The cartridge case may fail to eject from the chamber, become stuck in the ejection port, or be partially ejected and jammed by the bolt. Such malfunctions are most often caused by a dirty or damaged chamber, a worn extractor, a weakened spring, or poor-quality ammunition.

Mechanical Malfunctions of a Gun: When the Ammunition Isn’t the Problem

Mechanical delays during firing are directly related to malfunctions in the weapon’s components. These can include broken or severely worn components of the automatic system, the trigger mechanism, bolt misalignment, problems with the guides, or the gas system (for the relevant types of weapons). Such delays can only be resolved by repairing or replacing the components.

How to Quickly Fix a Delay: A Universal Algorithm for the Shooter

Regardless of the type of weapon and the nature of the delay, the shooter must act calmly and consistently. In most cases, a universal procedure is used to quickly restore the weapon’s functionality or, at least, to understand that shooting must cease. First and foremost, always follow safety rules. The barrel must be pointed in a safe direction, and your finger must be off the trigger. Further, depending on the type of delay, the following actions may vary:

• If a cartridge fails to feed from the magazine into the chamber, reload the weapon and resume firing. If this delay persists, replace the magazine.
• If a cartridge jams during feeding, hold the bolt handle, remove the jammed cartridge, and then resume firing. If this delay persists, replace the magazine.
• If a misfire occurs, reload the weapon and resume firing. If the misfire persists, inspect and clean the firing pin and trigger mechanism. Additionally, separate the firing pin from the bolt and clean the hole under the firing pin.
• If the spent case is not ejected from the chamber, pull the bolt handle back and, holding it in the rear position, remove the magazine. Then, extract the spent case with the bolt or a cleaning rod and resume firing. If the delay persists, clean the chamber and inspect the ammunition. It is also worth inspecting and cleaning the extractor.

If the delay reoccurs after this, stop firing. In this situation, unload the weapon, remove the magazine, lock the bolt in the rear position, and only then begin troubleshooting the mechanical malfunction.

Remember, repeated delays during firing are not accidental. They usually indicate problems with the ammunition, the magazine, dirty mechanisms, or general wear and tear of the weapon. In such cases, a quick fix is ​​only a temporary measure and cannot replace full maintenance and diagnostics.

Prevention: How to Reduce Risks While Shooting

Preventing misfires and delays while shooting begins long before the first shot. Most gun malfunctions do not occur suddenly, but are the result of systemic errors during gun maintenance. To avoid them, every shooter should follow these rules:

• Regular Cleaning. After each use of the gun at a shooting range, at the firing range, or while hunting, clean the barrel, bolt, and trigger mechanism of powder deposits and dirt. Pay particular attention to the firing pin bore, chamber, and ejector port.
• Lubrication. Use only lubricants designed specifically for firearms, and select them for specific operating conditions. Remember that too much oil is just as dangerous as too little.
• Proper Storage. After cleaning and lubricating, store your firearm in a dry place. If stored unused for long periods, it should be checked and cleaned periodically.
• Ammunition Quality. Use only high-quality ammunition appropriate for the type and caliber of your firearm. It is advisable to visually inspect the ammunition before firing, especially if it has been stored in adverse conditions.
• Firearm Maintenance. Regularly inspect all components of the firearm. At the first sign of a malfunction, contact a qualified technician.
• Proper Operation. When shooting, adhere to the recommended firing mode, avoid overheating the barrel, hold the gun in the correct position, and avoid applying extraneous pressure to moving parts.

Misfire prevention is a set of mandatory measures that every responsible gun owner should follow. This approach significantly reduces the likelihood of malfunctions during firing and, consequently, minimizes risks for both the shooter and those around him.