longtooth wrote:When all is well & no percieved elivated threat level, I carry 2 extra 10 rds for single stack 1911. Aftermath of Rita I carried 4 and one extra for the BUG and knife. +1 for what flint said. Even quality equipment can fail. He & I were training one day & he carries quality arms & shoots them well. Had a major malfunction. Forgot the proper name but failure to extract then another cramed in behind it. Can happen to any of us w/ the best arms & quality ammo.
That jam was basically a "double feed", but it wasn't my pistol that did it, it was Eugene's. I knew you were familiar with how to clear that type of jam, but wanted to stop and make sure everyone saw it, because its a relatively rare occurrence.
You have to forcefully "strip" the mag. from the pistol when this happens and this procedure alone could cause damage to the feed lips. Always use your "spare" to recharge the weapon if this happens.
A double feed happens when two rounds try to enter the chamber of a semi-automatic at the same time. Because there is not enough room for both, the gun locks up with the slide partially to the rear. It cannot be fired again until the problem is cleared away.
Often, a double feed is caused by a failure to extract. The extractor fails to yank the old case out of the way as the slide travels back, so the spent case is still in the chamber as the slide on its return journey tries to stuff the new round into the same space.
Another common cause of a mis-feed is user-induced. The shooter tries to clear a mis-feed but forgets to tap the magazine into place first before racking the slide. Oops.
Learning to clear a double feed can be very confusing at first. The steps must be done in the correct order, and it is easy to lose your place until you fully understand what it is that you are doing and why you are doing it. Do not get discouraged! With repeated practice, it becomes much easier.
Step One: Tap, Rack ...
Upon experiencing any malfunction, immediately begin clearing a mis-feed. You are doing this because a mis-feed is the single most common type of malfunction, and because your hands are faster than your eyeballs at diagnosing what is wrong.
So even though Tap, Rack won't do anything to clear away your double feed, don't omit this step in practice. It's important for diagnosing the problem under stress or in the dark -- two situations you might someday find yourself in if you need to use the firearm "for keeps."
Step Two: Lock the Slide Back
Some guys with super-strong hands (or weak gun springs) can omit this step. Personally, even though I have really strong hands, I find it so much easier and more certain that I will never skip this step in practice -- because under stress, I may not be able to do the next step if I skip this one.
Step Three: Strip the Magazine Down and Out
The magazine is held in place by a lot of tension when there's a double feed in place. It's going to be a little stiff to pull out and you may have to yank on it hard. Don't be afraid to manhandle it a little. Guns are very strong and there's not a lot you can do with your hands to hurt them.
Glock owners take note: Take care not to block the opposite side of the magazine release.
Important Safety Note
In your struggles with the magazine, be very, very conscious of where your gun's muzzle is pointed at all times, and do not allow it to point at anything you are unwilling to shoot. Even though you cannot make the gun fire while the double feed is in place, it is very possible to fire an unintentional shot as soon as the magazine comes free.
No matter how awkwardly you must hold the gun, keep it pointed in a safe direction with your fingers far away from the trigger and trigger guard area.
Step Four: Rack, Rack, Rack
Once the magazine is out, rack the slide at least three times. The double feed was very likely caused by a stuck, stubborn case that did not want to be extracted from the chamber. So a single rack may not clear it out. Rack it three or more times, and watch for the spent case as you do so.
Now that the chamber is clear, you're simply going to reload. That's all the final steps are.
Step Five: Insert New Magazine
Don't put the old one back in if you can help it, because there's a chance that it was the cause of your woes.
Even though you are probably flustered at this point, be sure to seat the magazine firmly. The last thing you need is to start this cycle over again!
Step Six: Rack the Slide
This puts a new round into the empty chamber.
Step Seven: Assess
If you are fast, you've probably taken ten seconds to clear the double-feed. You might have taken even more than that, if you had difficulty getting the magazine out. In that amount of time, the situation may have changed substantially.
