Types of Handgun Malfunctions:
TYPE I Misfire: a misfire occurs when the firing pin strikes the primer but it does not fire. This is the most common type of malfunction.
TYPE II Stovepipe: a stovepipe occurs when the casing that has been ejected is caught in the ejection port by the slide.
TYPE III Double Feed: this malfunction occurs when a round is in the chamber and a second round attempts to feed into the chamber. This results in a true jam. On most semi-autos, the slide has limited motion and the magazine will not eject by pressing the magazine release.
EMPLOYING TAP, ROLL(turn gun 90 degrees to the right), RACK, AND REASSESS on TYPE I and II handgun malfunctions is your best option. Don’t forget that in a TYPE I malfunction you should always wait 30 seconds to see if you have a hang fire. In a self-defense situation, this would not be practical.
Type III The clearance procedure can be summarized as: Unload, Clear, Reload. Lock the slide back, Drop the magazine and rack the slide 3 times to clear it of all ammo. Insert a new loaded magazine. Rack the slide to chamber a round. Access your target and fire if necessary.
In a self-defense situation, it is important to react quickly and naturally. I and many trainers believe if you have a different method of clearing each malfunction, you are more likely to panic or spend precious time diagnosing your problem.
These and many other topics will be explained in many of my training sessions. If you have any question feel free to contact me. Also Training ideas and classes are available in my Fall/Winter Newsletter.
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