Rimfire

[Mikej]

I have been thinking about getting a 617 and it started me thinking about the rimfire shooting I have done. Rimfire benchrest is something I do a bit, but one of my most vivid memories occurred many years ago. A friend was shooting an old Luger style rimfire pistol. He pulled the trigger and nothing happened. After waiting at least 10 seconds he started to move the pistol and the round fired. Have any of you had a similar experience?

[cliffwalsh]

Could it have been old ammo? I have read about 'slow burn' if the power was old or damp.

[Mikej]

It sure could have been old ammo. My buddy never throws anything away, so there is no telling how old it was.

[HSMITH]

I've had them 'hang fire' (correct term) by maybe even as long as 2 seconds but not any longer than that. I have always been told to wait at least 10 seconds after a misfire to clear though I am not sure where the number came from.

[rvb]

I had a hangfire once with some cheapo factory .45. Forget the brand now. I was at a small idpa match. Gun went 'click' and I started to clear the "malfunction." Just then it went 'bang' as I was about to grab the slide. RO confirmed he saw my finger was NOT near the trigger. Round just caught the top of the berm. Scary. The first and only time I have personally seen one.

-rvb

[el pres]

Probably old, I have some Yugo 1952 8mm surplus for a Mauser and

that stuff goes off like a flintlock, click..........boom. But never seen 10sec.. ??

[Mikej]

I am getting old and it may have been less than 10 seconds, but it was long enough for him to hold it to wait and see if it was going to fire before he started to move the gun.

[chemepharmd]

I've also had the old ammo experience. My dad received a bolt-action WWI rifle in payment for work one time, and the ammo that came with it must have been original. There was usually a 1 to 3 second delay before the round would go off. That gun has been in the safe ever since .