Cycle the action or pull the trigger again?

Well I am gonna ask it cause it is bugging me, I do not own a semi auto just revolvers but doesn't the slide have to cycle in order for the firing pin spring to reset and shoot again?

In a lot of semi-autos, such is the case. Glocks, M&P's, Sigma's, and obviously in any single-action semi-auto. That said, there are a number of double-action, and of course most all DOA (the Para LDA would be an exception), semi-autos that simply require the user to pull the trigger a second time in order to attempt to fire again.
 
In a lot of semi-autos, such is the case. Glocks, M&P's, Sigma's, and obviously in any single-action semi-auto. That said, there are a number of double-action, and of course most all DOA (the Para LDA would be an exception), semi-autos that simply require the user to pull the trigger a second time in order to attempt to fire again.

Interesting, so the spring is primed by the trigger pull like a revolver?
 
Interesting, so the spring is primed by the trigger pull like a revolver?

Yes, in a lot of designs it is. The firing mechanism is double-action, just like a traditional double-action revolver. Once the slide operates, either manually or by blow-back, then it reverts to single-action. There are even some striker-fired guns that have this capability, namely from Taurus.
 
Interesting, so the spring is primed by the trigger pull like a revolver?

Yes, in these cases the main spring is compressed by the action of the trigger as well as the when the slide is drawn back. Right now I have three DA semi-auto pistols. One is a DA only, trigger activated. When the slide is cocked a round is chambered but the mainspring does not stay compressed. The hammer rides forward with the slide. With this pistol you can dry-fire the pistol without racking the slide each time.The second is DA only also, but the trigger does not completely cock the hammer. When you rack the slide the hammer is only partially cocked . You must pull the trigger to complete the cock/fire sequence. You cannto dry fire this pistol without racking the slide.

The third is SA/DA in that when you rack the slide the hammer stays fully cocked. However like most DA revolvers you can lower the hammer, then completely cock and fire the pistol using only the trigger.
 
Thanks for enlightening me gentlemen!! That makes perfect sense.
 
tap-n-rack as cshoff describes - always pointed down range as USAF385 reminds.

If it happens during a leisure range outing, I will wait a bit as USAF385 explained so I don't loose a digit reaching to rack the slide. I'll often drop the mag first and lock open the slide and check everything out before resetting to continue with the day's leisure shooting.

If it happens when I am doing certain training exercises, I go thru the full tap-n-rack procedure cshoff describes without hesitation. At times, the instructor may place a "dummy" round in the magazine just to train for a potential misfire in a threat situation. Training exercises with my instructor is the only time I ever let a mag out of my poseession or allow someone else to stack the rounds in my mags. Of course, the instructor never tells me when/if to expect a dummy round...
 
The NRA Manual, 30-second wait time after a misfire is based on avoidance of "hangfire boo-boo," as noted above. However, in many thousands of rounds fired by me, and many more witnessed, I've yet to see a hangfire in a modern centerfire cartridge. Cookoffs, yes; hangfires in rimfire cartridges and both flintlock and caplock muzzleloaders, yes; misfires, many times; squibs, both with and without followup round behind a stuck bullet, a few; but never a hangfire in a centerfire round.

Maybe it's a minor thread drift, but has anyone out there actually witnessed a hangfire in a modern centerfire cartridge?

(Yes, I know it's possible, at least theoretically.)
 
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Maybe it's a minor thread drift, but has anyone out there actually witnessed a hangfire in a modern centerfire cartridge?

(Yes, I know it's possible, at least theoretically.)

Only in rimfire ammo and in muzzleloaders. I've never witnessed a hangife in a centerfire cartridge.
 
Not personally, but my uncle and cousin have.

They were shooting a new Colt of some sort using factory loads and had a hang fire. My cousin was shooting when it happened. He pulled the trigger and only got a click. This... puzzled him.. and he immediately turned the gun a bit and looked at it from a different angle. Well.. within 2 seconds it went off. Luckily nobody was hurt, but the bullet went who knows where.
 
Went back and edited to add muzzleloaders, of course. USAF385, could you check and get the particulars from your cousin? I'd be interested to know gun, caliber, brand of ammo, etc.
 
I've witnessed one hangfire with center fire ammo.
It happened to an LEO buddy with a Glock 19 and Winchester White Box ammo at an indoor range.

Got a click on the 5th round in a 15 shot mag. Held it downrange for about five seconds and she went "bang".
He was getting ready to tap the magazine in the next few seconds, good thing it went off before he did...

Regards,
Arkdweller
 
Went back and edited to add muzzleloaders, of course. USAF385, could you check and get the particulars from your cousin? I'd be interested to know gun, caliber, brand of ammo, etc.

Will do. I won't get much info from my uncle... he might know the caliber. My cousin would know more but he's currently on a big ol' Navy boat near the middle east.

I'll call my uncle tonight though.
 
hangfires

In over 20 years of instructing and competitive shooting of many disiplines I have yet to witness a hang fire. I have fired well over 100k rounds and probably have witnessed several times that with students. We all talk about it all of the time in classes, but I have NEVER seen one nor have I talked to any instructor or fellow competitor that has.
Not saying that it cannot happen....just seems like your chances of getting struck by lightning twice seems more likely than a hang fire.
Randy
 
Only once.
And that was 25 years ago. A .38 Special reload of dubious origin. 3-5 second delay, the gun remained pointed down range. I was always instructed to count to 30.
 
"...we have our Basic Pistol students keep the gun pointed down range for at least 30 seconds in the event they encounter a misfire just in case it is actually a hang-fire."

Just curious... in 30 years, I don't think I have ever personally experienced a hang-fire, or even been on the range when someone else experienced one. With modern primers and powders, how common are they?
 
"...we have our Basic Pistol students keep the gun pointed down range for at least 30 seconds in the event they encounter a misfire just in case it is actually a hang-fire."

Just curious... in 30 years, I don't think I have ever personally experienced a hang-fire, or even been on the range when someone else experienced one. With modern primers and powders, how common are they?

They are not common at all. I've seen two in the 30+ years I have been shooting and both of them were with rimfire ammo. Both fired within one or two seconds of the trigger being pulled. That said, I have seen several "hangfires" with muzzleloading rifles.
 
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I had no idea this thread would last this long. Actually what got me thinking about the original post is that I presently have two pistols that are DA only, a Keltec P32 and a P11. One of the selling points I've heard mentioned on the P11 is that each time you pull the trigger the hammer cycles. In theory if you have a misfire due to a high primer rather than cycle the slide you can simply pull the trigger again.

The first (and only) time I had a misfire with this pistol was due to that exact same problem. However I had cycled the action automatically so didn't even think to pull the trigger again. The funny thing in retrospect is how much can go through your mind in a short time and how much becomes reflex. I remember thinking "Click not pop, so not a squib". I cycled the slide and remember visually looking for and seeing the lead projectile on the case as the bullet was ejected from the pistol, which confirmed I did not have a stuck projectile in the bore, then I was back on target. Only when I picked up the ejected case to examine it did I stop and reflect on my actions.
 
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