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4/1/2007 1:49:44 PM EDT
On your standard AR (mine is CMMG) with a round in the chamber dropping the gun could cause it to fire yes?
4/1/2007 1:55:18 PM EDT
[#1]
Maybe.
4/1/2007 2:23:18 PM EDT
[#2]
care to elaborate?
4/1/2007 2:26:21 PM EDT
[#3]
Dropping.. maybe if you dropped it from enough of a height, say off the roof of a building or something.

Slamming it muzzle end into something as hard as you can?  Probably.
4/1/2007 2:26:43 PM EDT
[#4]
no.  i've dropped mine when it was not on safe and it did not fire.  the only thing that might occur or should when you drop it is the bolt closes if it was open.  
4/1/2007 3:52:04 PM EDT
[#5]
what prevents it from firing if dropped in the design?
4/1/2007 4:05:00 PM EDT
[#6]
The only thing the safety is doing is holding the hammer back.  The firing pin is free floating and enough force could cause it to fire.  It would take a great deal of force and the proper angle of the blow etc.  I do not think you have to worry about the hammer being released due to a blow.
4/1/2007 4:22:32 PM EDT
[#7]
This would be real difficult to do, but theoretically there might be some miniscule chance that it would be possible.  But with the hard rifle primers and a standard firing pin.... I just don't see it happening.  It's just too remote to worry about.
4/1/2007 4:22:49 PM EDT
[#8]
"paging QUIB"

He posted a TM entry on this very subject within the past 2 weeks.

short story is Yes, it can.
4/1/2007 4:32:44 PM EDT
[#9]
It would be pretty difficult to safely experiment with this question. Maybe we should call myth busters! I guess one way to test this would be with an empty shell casing only a primer and see how hard you have to hit the rifle to make the primer go.
4/1/2007 5:49:08 PM EDT
[#10]
The M16A2 that I was issued in the Army (loader got to clean it a lot and shoot it little) would drop the hammer if you hit the butt against the floor.

When I asked the unit armorer about it, he said it was normal and to be more careful.

I dimly recall him saying it was something about the auto-sear.  If I am remembering correctly, what I experienced shouldn't be happening with a semi.
4/1/2007 7:08:34 PM EDT
[#11]
A simple work around to the problem would be to not drop the rifle, and to not chamber a round until you are ready to fire.
4/1/2007 7:15:51 PM EDT
[#12]

Quoted:
The M16A2 that I was issued in the Army (loader got to clean it a lot and shoot it little) would drop the hammer if you hit the butt against the floor.

When I asked the unit armorer about it, he said it was normal and to be more careful.

I dimly recall him saying it was something about the auto-sear.  If I am remembering correctly, what I experienced shouldn't be happening with a semi.


Ive got a Marine Staff Sergeant acquaintance who told me that while his unit was training in California, he and his buddy had to hit the deck real quick (or were pushed/fell, memory is a little fuzzy on that) and when he hit the ground, his buddy's M-16A2 was aimed at his (my friend's) face and made the distinct noise of a hammer hitting the firing pin.  The gun was "safe".

Yes, it can happen.
4/1/2007 9:18:58 PM EDT
[#13]

Quoted:

Quoted:
The M16A2 that I was issued in the Army (loader got to clean it a lot and shoot it little) would drop the hammer if you hit the butt against the floor.

When I asked the unit armorer about it, he said it was normal and to be more careful.

I dimly recall him saying it was something about the auto-sear.  If I am remembering correctly, what I experienced shouldn't be happening with a semi.


Ive got a Marine Staff Sergeant acquaintance who told me that while his unit was training in California, he and his buddy had to hit the deck real quick (or were pushed/fell, memory is a little fuzzy on that) and when he hit the ground, his buddy's M-16A2 was aimed at his (my friend's) face and made the distinct noise of a hammer hitting the firing pin.  The gun was "safe".

Yes, it can happen.


That is full auto though, is this going to be different for a semi auto, and what sort of force would it take? Maybe Old Painless can include this in his gun testing. I think I might just test this theory out if someone else does not get around to it anytime soon.
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