C 10, TM 9-2350-230-12
CHAPTER 3
FIRING PROCEDURE
Section 3-1. MISFIRE, HANGFIRE, AND COOK-OFF, AND IMMEDIATE
ACTION IN CASE OF FAILURE TO FIRE
of the weapon may result.
3-1. MISFIRE,
HANGFIRE,
AND
COOK-OFF
CONVENTIONAL AMMUNITION
b. After failure to fire, observe following precautions
a. Conditions described below are rarely encountered
until round has been removed from weapon:
when authorized, properly maintained ammunition is fired
in properly maintained and operated weapons. To avoid
(1) Keep weapon trained on target, and all
injury to personnel and damage to equipment, however,
personnel clear of muzzle and path of recoil.
it is important that those concerned understand the
nature of these conditions and be familiar with preventive
(2) Make two additional attempts to fire.
and corrective procedures.
(3) Wait two minutes after third attempt to fire.
WARNING: In event of failure to fire, keep weapon
Open breech. Clean firing probe. Close
trained on target. Have personnel stand clear of muzzle
breech.
and path of recoil. Chambered rounds should be fired or
removed from weapon within five minutes. In case of an
(4) Attempt to fire again.
explosive round chambered in a hot weapon, which can
neither be fired nor removed within five minutes,
(5) If weapon is hot and round cannot be
evacuate personnel from area for period of two hours.
removed within five minutes, elevate weapon
to approximately 19 degrees and evacuate all
(1) Misfire. A misfire is a failure of a round to fire
personnel from area Wait two hours.
after initiating action is taken. The failure may
be due to a faulty firing mechanism or a faulty
NOTE. After waiting period, weapon may be
element in the propelling charge explosive
carefully relocated to a remote position. To
train. A misfire in itself is not dangerous;
relocate, lower cannon tube and engage traverse
however,
it
cannot
be
immediately
lock.
distinguished from a delay infunctioning of the
weapon firing mechanism or from a hangfire.
(6) Request EOD or direct support ammunition
Misfires must be treated as delayed firings,
maintenance personnel to remove round or
therefore, until otherwise determined.
cannon with round.
(2) Hangfire. A hangfire is a delay in the
(7) If removed round is determined to be at fault,
functioning of a propelling charge explosive
or was removed from hot cannon, set it aside
train at the time of firing. The delay, though
for disposal by authorized munitions
unpredictable, ranges from a fraction of a
personnel.
second to several minutes. A hangfire cannot
be distinguished immediately from a misfire.
(8) Have firing mechanism corrected, if at fault.
After mechanism is corrected, round may be
(3) Cook-off. A cook-off is a functioning of any or
reloaded and fired.
all of the explosive components of a round
chambered in a hot weapon. If the primer or
CAUTION: Do not reuse rounds extracted
the propelling charge should cook-off, the
from weapons by ramming. Extraction difficulty
projectile may be fired from the weapon with
may have been caused by some nonstandard
normal velocity even without attempting to fire
the primer by actuating the firing mechanism.
have been damaged during ramming process.
Should the bursting charge explosive train
cook-off, injury to personnel and destruction
3-1