Troubleshooting Gun Jams and Other Pistol Malfunctions

If you shoot a pistol, even rarely, it is inevitable that at some point and time that you will have some type of malfunction and need to rectify the situation to begin shooting again.  Is it a Type 2 malfunction?  A stovepipe?  What do all these terms mean?  Let’s bring some clarity to identifying and resolving malfunctions while shooting a pistol.

What is a malfunction?

A malfunction is present anytime when the trigger is pressed with live ammunition loaded in the firearm, but for some reason there is no “bang”.  A malfunction can be caused by a failure in the ammunition, or caused by a mechanical failure of the gun within the shooting cycle, and yes, a malfunction can even be caused by the shooter themselves.  

Malfunction Clearing - The Big Debate

For many years malfunction clearing has been taught as the “tap-rack” or “tap-rack-roll” technique, and many instructors and organizations continue to teach this technique today.  What is this technique and is it still relevant today?  This technique involves a quick slap or tap on the bottom of the magazine to ensure the magazine is seated, then rolling the pistol to the right side, putting the ejection port downward, and vigorously racking the slide to remove the cartridge or empty casing from the chamber and chambering another round.  The advantage of rolling the pistol to the right (for most pistols) to have the ejection port facing the ground is to have gravity help remove any rounds from the ejection port during the racking process. 

So what’s the big debate?  Is the tap really necessary?  The answer is maybe.  The tap exists to ensure the magazine is seated in the firearm if it was not seated properly.  But what if you have taken care to administratively “tug” on your magazine after you have inserted it each and every time?  If you have never had an issue where your magazine has dropped out during a course of fire due to hitting the magazine release unintentionally, and you execute the administrative “tug” each time you load the firearm, then you might consider dropping the “tap” from malfunction clearing.  Doing “tap-rack” or “tap-rack-roll” versus just racking the slide is a personal choice you need to make when deciding how you will train to clear malfunctions.

Regardless of the method of clearing the firearm, it is imperative that you assess the situation after clearing to decide whether you need to continue to shoot or not.  This is very important in self-defense situations.  Don’t train to automatically shoot after clearing a malfunction!

Common Pistol Malfunctions

There is also debate over the naming of pistol malfunctions.  If you’ve had formal training, you may have run across malfunctions categorized as Type 1, Type 2, or Type 3 malfunctions, but if you are new to pistol shooting, you may not know what each type means.  For ease of reading and understanding, we will approach each malfunction by its most common description in this article, but also reference the type.  Let’s investigate malfunctions and how to rectify them.

Failure to Fire Malfunction (aka Type 1 Malfunction)

When the trigger is pressed on a pistol and there is no immediate bang, this behavior is considered a failure to fire malfunction, as the cartridge has ‘failed to fire’.  This could also be called a “misfire”.  This malfunction can be caused by multiple reasons.

• Ammunition related -  Where the primer may have been damaged and not capable of igniting the powder.  

• Firearm related - The firing pin could be damaged, either not hitting the primer hard enough or no longer hitting the primer in the center for centerfire pistols.  It is also possible that the barrel is no longer centered in the frame or grip of the pistol thus the cartridge is not centered on the firing pin.  

• Firearm maintenance related - The firing pin channel could have carbon buildup or residue keeping it from functioning correctly.

Whenever you have a situation where there is “no bang”, the NRA recommends that you continue to grip the firearm and remain on target for 30 seconds in case there is a delayed ignition of the powder charge, which would be specifically called a “hang fire”.  Hang fires are rare, but it is good to understand that it is possible for a cartridge to fire a short time after the trigger press.  In a defensive situation, there may not be time to wait to see if it’s a hang fire versus a misfire, and the malfunction may need to be cleared immediately.

The clearance operation for a failure to fire is as we referenced above by either tap-rack-roll,  tap-rack or just a vigorous racking of the slide to remove the bad round and chamber a new round.  If this is in practice at the range, wait for upwards of 30 seconds before clearing the malfunction just in case it is a hang fire.  Also consider inspecting the round or casing that was ejected out to try to identify if it may be an issue with the ammo or the firearm.  

Failure to Feed Malfunction (another Type 1 Malfunction)

Another Type 1 malfunction is a failure to feed.  Most times with a failure to feed, there will not even be a click.  In this case, the round failed to be fully chambered.  The round will be hung up on the feed ramp and tilted in a manner in which it did not enter the chamber, or only be partly in the chamber.  In this case, the slide would not be fully forward or ‘out of battery’ and the trigger will not function.  

This type of malfunction can also happen for multiple reasons.  

• Magazine related - The magazine spring might be compromised, which causes the round to be tilted downward or upward too far and not hitting the loading ramp correctly.  Magazines can wear out and fail!  It’s wise to number your magazines so you can track malfunctions and see if they are related to one specific magazine.

• Ammunition related - Due to the shape of the bullet itself.  A wad-cutter or hollow point bullet may not engage the loading ramp as easily as round tip target ammo does.  This would be a good reason to test out your defensive ammo at the range with your carry gun and magazine combo to ensure they will function reliably!

• Firearm maintenance related - When cleaning, make sure your feed ramp is clean and smooth, as well as your slide rails are clean and lubricated.  A dirty or dry gun can make for a frustrating day on the range.

• User induced - The magazine may not have been seated properly and many times will be seated enough to chamber the first round, but the act of firing the first round shakes the magazine loose to where it cannot fully chamber the second round or even falls to the ground.  (Thus back to the administrative tug debate from above.)  

We would also recommend incorporating the roll, to have gravity help clear the ejection port be part of the clearing process for this malfunction.  It is also important to vigorously rack the slide, this is not a time to be gentle when racking.

Failure to Eject Malfunction (aka Type 2 Malfunction)

A failure to eject malfunction happens when the empty casing from the last fired round is not fully ejected from the firearm.  It is commonly called a stovepipe, named after the orientation of the casing that typically happened on single stack 1911 pistols, where the casing stuck straight up like a stovepipe.  In most semi-automatics, the casing could be in any orientation and is not consistently straight up.  The slide will not be in battery and the trigger will not function.

This type of malfunction can also happen for the following reasons. 

• Firearm related - The extractor/extractor spring is broken or worn out.  The ejector could also be broken.  Some new pistols require a higher grain of ammunition to be “broken in”, for example shooting 115 grain may cause failures to eject, but 124 grain cycles fine.

• Ammunition related - Especially if using steel or aluminum casings.  These metals tend to stay warm longer and don’t shrink enough for the extractor to pull from the chamber.  It is also a good idea to check your ammunition when shooting a 9mm and make sure you are not using .380 ACP.  It’s possible for a 9mm pistol to shoot .380 ACP, but there will not be enough recoil to extract it.  Only shoot the caliber of ammunition that your firearms manual recommends.

• Firearm maintenance related - There is carbon buildup on the extractor, where it cannot properly hook around the casing ledge.

• User induced - For a firearm to properly function and eject the casing, there must be resistance provided during recoil.  If you do not have a good grip and the firearm pivots excessively in the hands during recoil, it can induce a failure to eject malfunction.  Sometimes this is called “limp wristing”.

When failure to eject casings were in the stovepipe configuration, the method to clear was to quickly swipe the hand across the top of the gun and knock the casing out of the ejection port.  This method is not recommended because the orientation of the empty casing could result in a nasty injury on the hand if the open end of the casing is facing the hand.  Also with pistol mounted optics becoming commonplace, the swipe of the hand would hit the optic, which could also result in injury.

The recommended method to clear this malfunction would be to execute the rack, tap-rack, or tap-rack-roll options.  It is possible for this malfunction to remain if the pistol is not rolled to put the ejection port downward during the racking process.  It is important that with any of the methods to clear this malfunction to include the rolling action during the racking of the slide to allow gravity to pull the empty casing out of the ejection port.

Double Feed Malfunction (aka Type 3 Malfunction)

One of the most difficult malfunctions to fix is a double feed.  A double feed occurs when there is an unfired round or an empty casing in the chamber and the slide cycles and pushes the next round into the chamber, except it cannot chamber the round due to the chamber being occupied.  The slide does not fully go forward and is keeping pressure on the top round in the magazine.  The malfunction clearing actions we spoke about above will not fix this type of malfunction and you need to quickly realize that when the malfunction is not cleared after attempting the rack, tap-rack or tap-rack-roll.

There are two camps on how to fix this malfunction.  One method is to lock the slide back, then remove the magazine and hold it while racking the slide three times.  Then insert the magazine into the pistol and rack to chamber a round.  This method will fix the malfunction but takes a considerable amount of time to get back to shooting.  It’s very important that you practice this method often and know how you will hold the magazine.  

There are multiple ways to hold the magazine while still racking the slide.  You have the choice to place it in a magazine pouch, dump bag or a pocket, or even stick it in your belt, but these methods will add time to retrieve the magazine.  Some will place the magazine in their armpit, pinning it with their arm while they rack the slide.  Many will hold the magazine in their hand.  One way to hold in the hand is to put it between the pinky and ring finger of the primary hand.  Another way is to hold it like a cigar in the support hand (just remember you need enough grip and strength to rack the slide).  

Another method that is not as widely used, but can be effective in clearing a double feed in many pistols is pressing the magazine release and physically ripping the magazine out of the firearm, then immediately re-inserting the magazine and racking the slide.  This method is significantly faster than the first method mentioned.  It’s important to realize the pitfalls of this method, which mainly revolve around the characteristics of the magazine, the amount of force needed to rip the magazine out due to tension on the slide, and how accessible the bottom of the magazine is to get a good grip to rip it out.  If your firearm has a recessed magazine, this method may not be an option.  

The second method is much quicker to clear the double feed malfunction than the first, but that does not mean it’s the best method for you. You need to try both methods and see what works best for you and your firearm, and then practice that method using dummy rounds in a safe environment so that it will be a learned reaction if a double feed would occur in a defensive situation.

Squib Malfunction

Having a squib happen and not recognizing what it was is the most dangerous malfunction that can happen while shooting.  A squib is when a round is underpowered and fires, but not completely, many times resulting in the bullet getting stuck in the barrel.  If it goes unnoticed, there is the possibility of a very dangerous situation with firing the next round with a bullet stuck in the barrel.  This can happen with reloaded and factory ammunition, so don’t assume with buying factory ammo that a squib won’t happen, it can!

It is of utmost importance that you can identify a squib immediately when it happens, not just for yourself, but for the safety of those around, especially if you are a designated range safety officer.  A squib round will fire, but with less recoil and with a distinctively different noise  (less/no powder, less bang), like a pop instead of a bang.  It is also common to see a larger puff of smoke from the pistol when a squib happens.  

When you believe you may have had a squib, stop shooting immediately!  Remove the magazine and lock the slide open and use a cleaning rod or a bore light to inspect the barrel to see if there is any obstruction within the barrel.  Even better, consider field stripping your pistol to visually inspect the barrel with your own eyes to see if there is a bullet or damage to the inside of the barrel.  If there is any indication of something in the barrel or damage, it’s best to get your pistol to a gunsmith for inspection and repair.  

Don’t Forget Practice!

As with anything to do with shooting, it’s very important to practice malfunctions to reinforce the clearing methods that work best for you and your firearm.  More importantly, these malfunctions will be familiar if they occur, especially when time is of the essence.  Dummy rounds are a great addition to help set up and practice clearing these different malfunctions in dry fire.  There are even specific dummy rounds to cause a double feed malfunction!  All can be replicated and practiced without a trip to the range.  

Consider using MantisX to time your clearing of malfunctions.  To do this would require mounting the unit on the pistol’s picatinny rail.  Set up the malfunction using dummy rounds (ensuring you have more than one dummy round in the magazine) and choose to do Open Training, starting with a beep, setting the shot count to 1 and the repeat to 1 (because you will need to reset the malfunction for every shot).  

Failure to Fire - Put one dummy round in the chamber and at least one dummy round in the magazine.  On the beep, pretending you have already gotten the click prior to the beep, execute the clearing option you choose, either tap-rack, rack only, and make a shot.

Failure to Feed - Have an empty chamber and load magazine with at least one dummy round.  On the beep, again pretending your trigger is not working, execute the clearing option you choose and then make a shot.

Failure to Eject - Stage a dummy round to be stuck in the ejection port (be careful not to pinch any fingers doing this) and then load a magazine with at least one dummy round.  On the beep, pretending your trigger did not work, clear the malfunction and then take a shot.

Double Feed - Stage a dummy round in the chamber and insert a magazine with at least one dummy round into the pistol prior to closing the slide.  There should be one dummy round in the chamber with another dummy round pressing against the back of it.  On the beep, try to press a shot, then clear the double feed malfunction.  Using MantisX and the timing is a great way to see which double feed malfunction clearance may work for you best!

Also be sure to look at your shot scores after clearing the malfunction.  Are they in line with your normal average, or are they lower?  Practicing clearing malfunctions adds a level of stress into our shooting and is a great way to see how accurate you can be after clearing one with the extra movement.

Sooner or later you will encounter a malfunction in live fire with your pistol.  With some research and executing in dry fire practice, malfunctions won’t be as hard to fix as they initially may seem.  Once you are comfortable with staging, identifying, and clearing malfunctions in dry fire, then stage them in live fire (dummy rounds mentioned above are great for this).  Take note what type of clearing method you will use for each malfunction and if you executed that same process in live fire under a bit of stress.  Make clearing malfunctions a part of your dry fire routine so that when the time comes to clear a malfunction in live fire, you will know what to do and be able to clear them to make your range visits more efficient and fun.