Failure to fire drills unsafe.

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Rounds that go click don't bother me at all. We are trained to clear those. Getting shot, now that would bother me. Premium ammo, either store bought or hand loaded, minimizes the likely hood of such an event. Reliable firearms
help even more. Carrying as a civilian, engagement distances are too short to count on getting much time to clear your malfunction, let alone waiting for safety. Better to practice clearing out, a'la the Mike Irwin rule, or carry a big iron roscoe you can bash them with.
 
I don't worry about handgun/rifle rounds going off when I set them on the table, because they would shoot down range. What scares me is a FTF in a shotgun round. :eek::eek:

As to FTF, close range I would just drop my gun and pick up my BUG.

Worst FTE I had was the shell getting stuck between the barrel and slide while a round was in the chamber.
 
"from a physics standpoint a round that detonates outside of a chamber is really no threat to anyone"

Not exactly true.

If the primer detonates, it can be blown free of the case at considerable velocity, MORE than enough to cause a serious wound at close range.

The good thing is the primer cup is so light that it loses velocity very quickly and within a few feet isn't a problem other than if it were to hit you in the eye.
 
Tap, Rack, Bang is great if you are in a fight or practicing with dummy rounds. Otherwise, don't do it!

If you start that exercise because a squib load just stuck a bullet in your barrel you will wind up shoving another round behind it (possibly jamming the bullet way back into the case) and then detonating your pistol.

Any problems that occur at the range should be properly diagnosed before continuing fire.
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Good advice
 
Some of the "hangfires" reported in this kind of drill may have been caused by the user covering the top of the slide when racking it back
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That's not a hang fire. That's the primer hitting the ejector and detonating the round. It happens when one tries to retract the slide and the primer hits the ejector.

When retracting the slide, if you miss the slide stop, the slide will start forward again when you release it. After missing, the operator slams the slide back again to catch it with the slide stop. That little hitch caused the round to shift in the extractor and change position enough so the primer can now hit the ejector. Bang.

If you're inclined to catch the round in your hand, then go slow and make sure you lock the slide back the first time. As stated, it's the slide going forward and then being jerked back again that's the problem.

Though it's not recommened, most of us have been know to do it "now and then". Jeff Cooper used to do it. Clint Smith knows of 5 different detonations doing it in that manner.
 
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Hang fire in modern rounds is a myth as far as I'm concerned and if it is possible like you said a round not chambered is not really dangerous. If it went off near your eyes it could cause some damage but most rounds are not big explosives. Regardless in modern rounds its just not possible. Same with squibs out of a handgun. Primer creates enough pressure to push a bullet clear of the barrel.
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Wow. You sure you wanna go with all those as absolutes?
 
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