Handguns are by far one of the most effective tools for self-defense, but that doesn’t mean that they are perfect. As any gun enthusiast will tell you, handguns do malfunction from time to time, and unless you know how to properly handle those malfunctions, it could cost you your life. Here are seven tips on how to deal with the most common handgun malfunctions, courtesy of ApartmentPrepper.com.
Failure to eject
If you have a weak grip on your handgun when firing or if you fail to fully insert the magazine, then it increases the chances that a spent cartridge meant for ejection will get stuck and prevent a new one from being loaded. Obviously, a gun that won’t fire means that your safety will immediately be put in jeopardy when confronting an attacker. (Related: A rampaging knife murder in a Minnesota mall was stopped by a good guy with a gun.) In order to fix this malfunction, you should first smack the bottom of the gun to make sure that the magazine is fully inserted. Next, turn the gun on its side so that the ejection port is facing downwards, and gravity will help with the ejection. Lastly, rack the slide vigorously. Once the stuck cartridge is ejected, a new one will be loaded into the chamber and you will be ready to fire.
Failure to fire
If you hear a deafening clicking sound when you pull the trigger, chances are the magazine was inserted properly but didn't seat properly and rounds aren’t able to enter the chamber, as noted by NRABlog.com. Here again, smack the bottom of the handgun to ensure that the magazine is all the way in. If the malfunction is due to the primer not igniting, try waiting between 15 and 20 seconds and then try to pull the trigger again. Alternatively, you could simply pull the slide back to eject the bullet and load another one into the chamber. (Related: The government believes that citizens should have no right to self-defense or need for self-reliance.)
The double feed
When one round properly enters the chamber but is followed immediately by another from the magazine, it often creates a malfunction commonly referred to as the double feed. The result is a chambered round that has a second one pressing against its base, thus preventing the slide from closing and the gun from firing. To fix this, remove the magazine and rack the slide to eject the cartridge sitting in the chamber. Once that is done, you can insert the magazine again and slide the rack once more to load a new round.
The tip-up
The tip-up is often considered to be one of the most common handgun malfunctions. It occurs when a cartridge that is entering the chamber gets its nose lodged against the hood, and can be the result of a magazine, ammunition to firearm related error. To get around this malfunction, remove the magazine and the release the stuck round by racking the slide. After that, insert a different magazine and rack the slide a second time to chamber a new round. Try to avoid turning the handgun on its side and attempting to wiggle the stuck round out, as this can often result in more damage.
Failure to feed
There are times when semi-automatic handguns fail to feed a new round into the chamber after the gun fires. When this happens, first remove the magazine and then remove the round that failed to load into the chamber. When the magazine is taken out, the round will be ejected, at which point you can insert a second magazine and load a new round.
Failure to extract
Failure to extract is somewhat similar to the double feed, with the only real difference being that in a failure to extract malfunction, the handgun won’t eject the spent cartridge. As a result, the cartridge casing remains stuck in the chamber. The solution is to remove the magazine from the gun and then, while pointing the gun away from yourself in safe direction, rack the slide two to three times. Once you have checked the chamber to make sure that there aren’t any more rounds stuck inside, reload and fire.
Squib load
This malfunction is relatively rare, but it’s still important to know how to handle it. The squib load happens when a round doesn’t have the necessary amount of power to propel it through the barrel and towards your target. The result will be the round getting stuck inside of the barrel. To clear the stuck bullet out of the gun, you will need proper cleaning appliances, specifically a cleaning rod and a dowel. Use the rod and the dowel to push the bullet down the barrel and out of the gun.
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