We are Not Blacksmithing, We are Fixing a Malfunction
The AR-15 pattern rifle is not an overly complex weapon, once you “open up the hood” and learn how it actually works. The “gas-operated/direct impingement (DI)” in a gas-operated rifle comes from the rifle being able to reload itself by way of the gasses produced by the cartridge during the firing process. Friction, physical blockages, and mechanical failure are the main culprits that cause the weapon to go down. Since the function of the rifle depends on inertia to function, any slowing of the process through friction can stop the action in its tracks. Usually a lack of lubrication or lack of cleaning causes those machined, working surfaces to “rub” and cause friction, which slows the action down and leads to stoppages. If anything enters the action and blocks the firing process then it will cause the stoppage, usually a fired casing not being fed/chambered/extracted/ejected properly. Finally, a mechanical failure of the working parts of the rifle can cause a malfunction. Either poor rifle maintenance or a poor-quality rifle has caused a part to break and interrupt the process. Unless you’ve got a spare, this is a catastrophic failure and is usually accompanied by soiled shorts and (hopefully) a transition to the pistol. Better hope the maintenance practices put into your rifle were not mirrored in the pistol.
How hard the gun goes down can be largely dependent on the shooter’s knowledge of the weapon’s function and the quality/maintenance of the rifle. This is the common scenario I have seen in most training “fish bowls” I have participated in. For this scenario, let’s say the shooter has the best quality rifle/equipment that has been thoroughly “broken in” and properly maintained. This shooter is taking his first rifle class and has been instructed on the:
· admin load
· speed/emergency reloads
· immediate malfunction
· remedial malfunction
These are some of the bare bone’s basics of rifle manipulation, but what is not harped on enough IMO is the FREQUENCY in which you should be doing these tasks. As instructors, we see these tasks either not performed at the right time or performed too many times. The rifle is a mechanical device that does not have a brain (or legs, as much as the media would like us to believe) to tell itself in what condition it is in or what has just been performed to itself. So, performing the above tasks properly and only ONCE, usually yields the desired result. But let’s talk about when these tasks are performed properly but multiple times. I am going to jump right to the Immediate/Remedial Action Malfunction clearance because all of the other mentioned manipulation would simply cause a loss of a single round and/or minimal headache.
If the shooter had made sure to seat the magazine and properly chamber a round, then the immediate action would not have to be called upon. They get the “click, no bang/dead trigger” and does what they are told. They TAP (read SLAM), RACK (read VIOLENTLY RACK), and BANG/reassess if the target needs more love. Now here is where the fun begins. The shooter attempts to fire but receives another “click, no bang/dead trigger” and at this point should roll directly into the remedial action. But this freshly trained shooter decides to start another class right there on the line: Blacksmithing. 9 times out of 10, when the conditions for a remedial action are present, it usually involves multiple fired/unfired casings or rounds in the chamber. Since the casings are always made of a softer metal such as brass, nickel, or thin-walled steel it will be easily formed or “peened” by the force of the steel bolt face, attempting to cold hammer form it to the chamber. The student will prove the definition of insanity and continuously violently rack that charging handle to the rear expecting the problem to magically fix itself. Once they realize they need to move into remedial action, hopefully they have not gone too far down this rabbit hole to get this thing back in the fight. On the high end, they may only need to reach into the magazine well with their fingers and simply fish the casing from the chamber, letting gravity assist. On the low end, you have a modern art masterpiece covered in unburned gun powder filling your chamber. These are self-induced, catastrophic malfunctions. Hopefully, that sweet Leatherman MUT or rifle cleaning rod should be handy and will take care of the issue, but it was completely avoidable in the first place by performing the immediate action once.
Doing the task the amount of times needed to fix the problem is just as important as what is needed to perform the task correctly and to completion. Usually these situations happen once, hopefully in a training environment, and the important learning has occurred. Be the master of your craft and that includes knowing all of the weapons you employ inside and out, as well what to do when things go wrong.
— Win