Hangfire

P

plightning

Regular
EE Expired
Rating - 100%
3   0   0
Ok, so I made my first batch of .303 and .308 and head off to enjoy the fruits of my labor. All is well, rounds are chambering and going bang as expected then a click with the Enfield, I wait for a while then pop it out and the primer seems untouched, pop it back in bang it goes.

A few rounds later same click, I wait probably around 30-45 seconds, then as I begin to operate the bolt to pop it out, bang. Hah! Gun was pointing downrange, no issues there.

Does this sound like a gun issue or a loading issue?

Primers were CCI and loaded with a RCBS hand loading tool. I didnt' seperate the case so I could inspect it, I was so surprised that it went off so long after the trigger pull that I almost wasn't sure it had happened, so I finished operating the bolt and sure enough an empty case pops out and there was smoke in the barrel. I'll have to sort through the pile of brass, inspecting each one.

Is it possible that the firing pin was somehow held back after the trigger pull and got released when I nudged the bolt?? I know this gun had been deactivated and reactivated before, could this be related?

Anyway, I'm glad I followed SOP on this one.

Any thoughts?
 
Hangfires are usually caused by old primers or deteriorated powder.
"...begin to operate the bolt..." Was the striker/cocking piece down? If it was, there's no way it was the rifle. Take the bolt apart and look for burrs though.
 
The primer wasn't touched the first time you pulled it out.
That is not a hangfire. A hangfire is when the primer is hit, but there is a delay, usually a second or two, or less.
Your rifle obviously failed.
 
If a rifle trigger is defective, it can release the stiker and then bind on it. When the bolt is touched, the striker is released and it fires. This can seem like a hangfire.

Is your trigger original military or an aftermarket? The stock trigger is just about fool-proof simple.

If a trigger has an over-travel screw, it can cause this problem as it turns in and prevents the trigger from coming back far enough to get out of the way of the sear.

For this reason I back off the over travel screw and Loc Tite them. They can fail at the wrong time. See below....
 
Last edited:
Thanks for the thoughts, it does sound like it is the gun. The trigger seems original. But right now I'm not going to sweat it, I have another one I can fire and luckily that one isn't one of those that "may or may not go bang when the trigger is pulled".

I'm glad that it wasn't anything ridiculously stupid in my loading. Shelving a dodgy $100 sporterized enfield doesn't seem like a great tragedy :)
 
If it is a Lee Enfield, look to see if it has an aftermarket trigger. The stock trigger is just about bullet-proof.

If a stock trigger, I would look to see if the safety is broken. I would take it off and see if I get 100% relaibility.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom