Jam clearing tutorial? > General Training Discussions

Posted: 8/13/2007 6:17:50 PM EDT

Does anyone know of a place online which would outline the different jams which can occur with an AR and how to clear each one? If not, any experienced folks want to put a thread together somewhere and tack it? Thanks very much.

Posted: 8/15/2007 8:31:49 AM EDT

[#1]

Any TM/FM on M16 or M4 should highlight the different types of jams possible and the proper way to clear them. Here's the Army's Immediate action drill.

Try using this acronym borrowed from the Army.

S -Slap the base of the magazine upwards.
P -Pull the charging handle to the rear.
O -Observe if brass is ejected or if there is still an obstruction in the breech.
R -Release the charging handle allowing the bolt to go forward.
T -Tap the forward assist to ensure bolt is fully locked.
S -Squeeze trigger or shoot.

Posted: 9/11/2007 7:58:56 PM EDT

[#2]

1. Point the ejection port towards ground (let gravity do its job)

2. Pull Charging handle, or rack slide for pistolas

3. Release

Resume killin.

Posted: 9/20/2007 7:34:42 AM EDT

[#3]

Type 1 Click, No bang

Type 2 No Click, No Bang, Brass High

Type 3 No Click, No Bang, Brass Low

Clearance:
Type 1
Pull the trigger click no bang.
Push and Pull the Mag (make sure it is seated fully in the rifle)
Rack the bolt to the rear while flipping the ejection port towards the ground (let gravity help)
Evaluate (Do you still need to shoot? Has the threat moved, left, etc? Has someone come between you and the threat? Has the reason you were shooting changed?)

Type 2
Pull the trigger no click no bang
Look at the ejection port, is there brass sticking out, if so clear like type 1

Type 3
Pull the trigger no click no bang
Look at the ejection port, is there brass inside the ejection port that is all kinds of messed up? (Second round trying to get into the chamber when there is already one case or round in there)
Lock the Bolt to the rear
Strip the Mag out of the rifle
Sweep the chamber from the Mag Well. Get your finger up in there and get the extra round out. It will be stuck fairly well so this will take a bit.
Rack the bolt three times to remove the case or round from the chamber
Insert a Mag (either the one you just stripped and retained or a different one)
Rack Bolt to get a round in the chamber
Evaluate (Do you still need to shoot? Has the threat moved, left, etc? Has someone come between you and the threat? Has the reason you were shooting changed?)

Set up for Dry Practice (Use dummy rounds only!!!)
Type 1
Close Bolt on Empty Chamber
Insert a Mag that has a few dummy rounds.
Pull Trigger, Click No bang, FIX IT!!!!

Type 2
Remove Mag with dummy rounds.
Lock Bolt open
Hold Rifle ejection port up,
Put dummy round at 90 degrees to bolt ease bolt forward
Insert Mag with dummy rounds
Pull Trigger, No Click, No Bang, LOOK to see what is wrong then FIX IT!!!

Type 3
Lock Bolt open
Drop Dummy round into chamber, muzzle towards ground will help
Insert Mag with dummy rounds
Close bolt using the bolt release
Pull Trigger, No Click, No Bang, LOOK to see what is wrong then FIX IT!!!

NOTES to consider:
Use cover if available
Use Back Up weapon if available for the Type 3
You may create a Type 3 from a type 2 if you do not flip the ejection port towards the ground so gravity can help you out.

Posted: 9/28/2007 5:43:49 PM EDT

[#4]

I cant say Im extremely experianced but heres what I can add.

It is good to do dry drills like FS-FNRL outlined. The key is obviously to start slow and deliberate making as few movements as necessary to clear the malf. That is the hard part is working through that slow and deliberat part without trying to rush it. Smooth is fast.

A buddy of mine showed me that you dont absolutely have to lock back the bolt before you remove the mag on a type 3, just hit mag catch and yank like hell. You should not re-insert a mag that experianced a double feed in the middle of combat anyway.

Here is a piece of experiance I found on the web a while back, pretty sure its not copyrighted. Sorry if it is.

At the June Ultimate Combat Skills Week, during a break, a student Fred Darling made some suggestions about clearing malfunctions.

He noted that there is a lag time between recognition and resolution. He surmised that one could do an immediate tap-rack to eliminate two possibles w/o looking and then determining whether its a empty gun or a type 3. The tap-rack can be done during what is normally the "evaluation period". In essence, clearing a malfunction is a minor OODA loop.

Hmmmmm. Makes sense. My eyes were opened to something not considered before.

Key observations.

1). There is a lag time of about .50 to 1.25 seconds between the actual malfunction and its recognition. This is for the UNEXPECTED kind of malfunction, not the set up kind that you in shooting school classes. This lag time is always there. If you don't believe me we can get a video done of you and show you first hand..This is no more than an illustration of an OODA Loop. There is also a secondary lag time present after recognition that something is wrong and before you begin taking action. This is about another .50 to 1.25.

2). We found that you can Tap and Rack AS you are both moving off line AND looking at the pistol on the high line. There is always the recognition that something has not worked the way it should. This takes a bit of time to sink in for each of us. The lag time is made up of the following. There is a process of Realizing that there has been A problem, Observing and Analyzing that problem, Deciding what to do about it, and Fixing it. Notice that there is at least .25 seconds for each process...often more.

If we go from Realizing to Fixing (Immediate Action), instead of to Observing and Analyzing, we save time otherwise used. I found that its not much of a problem to look at the gun peripherally AS you are doing this. Its not a big span of time, but it saves time in an environment where a second is life. This uses that second .50 to 1.25 seconds to DO something instead of just evaluating. This uses the Observe-Analyze-Decide time to eliminate two possibilities, leaving only two possible choices.

Fail to Fire
Fail to Eject
(Both cleared with Tap-Rack)
Feedway Stoppage
Empty Gun
(Both cleared with Rip-Reload-Rack)

So anytime the gun does not shoot (instead of trying to do anything else) - automatically move off line and tap-rack. No decision, no evaluation - MOVE-TAP-RACK. Train it and it will become automatic. As you do this you will either fix it, or get some valuable info about what went wrong so you can take steps to fix it.

3). By the time you have Tapped Racked, you have either:
a). Fixed the Failure To Fire or Eject
b). Realized you are empty
c). Realized you have a Type 3
d). No matter which of the above you have also moved off line.

4). For the two possibles that weren't cleared with the T/R you rip out the magazine and reload.

5). Your Reactive Manipulations (which include any unexpected happenings with the pistol) can be developed into a progression of sorts.

a). Immediate Action is to move off line and tap rack, evaluating the status of the gun at the same time. If that fixes it, shoot the bad guy.

b). If the Tap Rack failed to fix the gun, you will have LOOKED AS YOU MOVED AND TAPPED/RACKED and have an idea of whether you have an empty gun or a double feed . In either case, Rip the magazine out and reload. If that fixes it, shoot the bad guy.

c). If one attempt at this clearance does not yield a solution, transition immediately to your back up gun and shoot the bad guy.

d). Or, transition to your blade and slash the bad guy (target).

The idea is that we realize the mission is to stay in the fight, not to "fix the gun". Thus we develop a progressive sequence where everything you do has a fall-back plan. You won't be standing there trying to tap-rack your way into eternity. If one try won't do it, try a secondary clearance. If that won't do it, go to another gun or knife.

The same buddy of mine disagrees with the above "instant type 1/2 drill" before the observation phase, Im not sure where I stand on it. But its something to think about. Either way if practiced enough you will get damn fast clearing a malf, my buddy could do a type 1 and have the next shot off in under 2 seconds with no warmups, but he dry practiced at least weekly. So if the above is true your only looking at shaving tenths of a second off the time.

Another thing to help practice malfs at the range is either have someone load your mags for you or mix in dummy rounds in a pile of ammo and mix the mags up before inserting them into your pouches. It gives a kind of suprise malfunction. To practice for type 3's on the live range get some crappy old USA mags with the weak feedlips, or some GI mags with broke feedlips. You'll be feeding doubles in no time

DONT FORGET your after action drills!!!

Posted: 9/28/2007 5:48:04 PM EDT

[#5]

Here is another tidbit of info that I had archieved. Orginally written by "Tire Iron" in his "Fighting Longarms" tutorial

Malfunction Clearance Drills
The first type of malfunction is the result of a poorly seated magazine. The mag wasn’t ‘high enough’ for the bolt to strip a round from the mag to push into the chamber. The remedy for a ‘type 1’ malfunction is called a ‘Tap, Rack, Bang’ manipulation. One ‘taps’ (slaps or hits) the bottom of the magazine with the support hand to ensure it is seated properly. Then one ‘racks’ the bolt to rear and releases it. The last step - one ‘bangs’ (or fires the round).

The next malfunction clearance drill is the ‘type 2’, or ‘failure to eject’. This is also sometimes referred as to as the ‘stovepipe drill’. The remediation for this malfunction is to grab the bolt actuator with the support hand and while pulling the bolt all the way to the rear, the rifle is simultaneously ‘flipped’ to over on its side to help the round fall clear of the ejection port. Then the bolt is released, chambering a live round.

The third type of malfunction is the ‘type 3’ or the ‘feedway stoppage’ drill. This is when there is more than one round trying to enter the chamber. This is usually caused by failure to extract a fired cartridge from the chamber. Then the ‘new’ round rams into the stuck case, causing a stoppage. The first step for this is to lock the bolt back to the rear (if your weapon type lacks a bolt hold open - go the next step). Then one releases the magazine from the mag well. (The magazine may have to manually pulled out of the mag well.) This magazine is then discarded, or put in a pocket - depending upon time limitations. The bolt is then racked fore and aft a few times. Then a fresh magazine is inserted into the mag well, the bolt brought to the rear and released. One is now ready to fire.

Posted: 10/4/2007 11:34:00 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
I cant say Im extremely experianced but heres what I can add.

It is good to do dry drills like FS-FNRL outlined. The key is obviously to start slow and deliberate making as few movements as necessary to clear the malf. That is the hard part is working through that slow and deliberat part without trying to rush it. Smooth is fast.

A buddy of mine showed me that you dont absolutely have to lock back the bolt before you remove the mag on a type 3, just hit mag catch and yank like hell. You should not re-insert a mag that experianced a double feed in the middle of combat anyway.

Here is a piece of experiance I found on the web a while back, pretty sure its not copyrighted. Sorry if it is.

At the June Ultimate Combat Skills Week, during a break, a student Fred Darling made some suggestions about clearing malfunctions.

He noted that there is a lag time between recognition and resolution. He surmised that one could do an immediate tap-rack to eliminate two possibles w/o looking and then determining whether its a empty gun or a type 3. The tap-rack can be done during what is normally the "evaluation period". In essence, clearing a malfunction is a minor OODA loop.

Hmmmmm. Makes sense. My eyes were opened to something not considered before.

Key observations.

1). There is a lag time of about .50 to 1.25 seconds between the actual malfunction and its recognition. This is for the UNEXPECTED kind of malfunction, not the set up kind that you in shooting school classes. This lag time is always there. If you don't believe me we can get a video done of you and show you first hand..This is no more than an illustration of an OODA Loop. There is also a secondary lag time present after recognition that something is wrong and before you begin taking action. This is about another .50 to 1.25.

2). We found that you can Tap and Rack AS you are both moving off line AND looking at the pistol on the high line. There is always the recognition that something has not worked the way it should. This takes a bit of time to sink in for each of us. The lag time is made up of the following. There is a process of Realizing that there has been A problem, Observing and Analyzing that problem, Deciding what to do about it, and Fixing it. Notice that there is at least .25 seconds for each process...often more.

If we go from Realizing to Fixing (Immediate Action), instead of to Observing and Analyzing, we save time otherwise used. I found that its not much of a problem to look at the gun peripherally AS you are doing this. Its not a big span of time, but it saves time in an environment where a second is life. This uses that second .50 to 1.25 seconds to DO something instead of just evaluating. This uses the Observe-Analyze-Decide time to eliminate two possibilities, leaving only two possible choices.

Fail to Fire
Fail to Eject
(Both cleared with Tap-Rack)
Feedway Stoppage
Empty Gun
(Both cleared with Rip-Reload-Rack)

So anytime the gun does not shoot (instead of trying to do anything else) - automatically move off line and tap-rack. No decision, no evaluation - MOVE-TAP-RACK. Train it and it will become automatic. As you do this you will either fix it, or get some valuable info about what went wrong so you can take steps to fix it.

3). By the time you have Tapped Racked, you have either:
a). Fixed the Failure To Fire or Eject
b). Realized you are empty
c). Realized you have a Type 3
d). No matter which of the above you have also moved off line.

4). For the two possibles that weren't cleared with the T/R you rip out the magazine and reload.

5). Your Reactive Manipulations (which include any unexpected happenings with the pistol) can be developed into a progression of sorts.

a). Immediate Action is to move off line and tap rack, evaluating the status of the gun at the same time. If that fixes it, shoot the bad guy.

b). If the Tap Rack failed to fix the gun, you will have LOOKED AS YOU MOVED AND TAPPED/RACKED and have an idea of whether you have an empty gun or a double feed . In either case, Rip the magazine out and reload. If that fixes it, shoot the bad guy.

c). If one attempt at this clearance does not yield a solution, transition immediately to your back up gun and shoot the bad guy.

d). Or, transition to your blade and slash the bad guy (target).

The idea is that we realize the mission is to stay in the fight, not to "fix the gun". Thus we develop a progressive sequence where everything you do has a fall-back plan. You won't be standing there trying to tap-rack your way into eternity. If one try won't do it, try a secondary clearance. If that won't do it, go to another gun or knife.

The same buddy of mine disagrees with the above "instant type 1/2 drill" before the observation phase, Im not sure where I stand on it. But its something to think about. Either way if practiced enough you will get damn fast clearing a malf, my buddy could do a type 1 and have the next shot off in under 2 seconds with no warmups, but he dry practiced at least weekly. So if the above is true your only looking at shaving tenths of a second off the time.

Another thing to help practice malfs at the range is either have someone load your mags for you or mix in dummy rounds in a pile of ammo and mix the mags up before inserting them into your pouches. It gives a kind of suprise malfunction. To practice for type 3's on the live range get some crappy old USA mags with the weak feedlips, or some GI mags with broke feedlips. You'll be feeding doubles in no time

DONT FORGET your after action drills!!!

This debate is always interesting. For those who are not quite on track with the 1/2 dill. Recall the same reasoning why we do not include an observation component in our handgun recovery drills.(for the most part) We simply follow a reactive progression from tap-rack-bang to a rip-run-replace, because it can, if practiced be faster than if we interjected some sort of visual component. Of course there is the exception with the stove pipe unless one just ignores the overhand sweep method and interjects a tap-rack-bag method which simplifies the protocol. But I digress.

One thing one must keep in mind is that regardless of which method is used, that it is just as important to make transitioning to a sidearm your primary response within certain distances if your long gun goes tits up. If distances are greater and cover is available then one may argue that the fractions of a second one may or may not gain with the 1/2 type drill may not be as important. Again, just like so many other things regarding TTP's its all about what weapon system you utilize, what are the other assets your have available to you(think handgun), and your environment and skill level.

Posted: 10/27/2007 10:06:09 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Any TM/FM on M16 or M4 should highlight the different types of jams possible and the proper way to clear them. Here's the Army's Immediate action drill.

Try using this acronym borrowed from the Army.

S -Slap the base of the magazine upwards.
P -Pull the charging handle to the rear.
O -Observe if brass is ejected or if there is still an obstruction in the breech.
R -Release the charging handle allowing the bolt to go forward.
T -Tap the forward assist to ensure bolt is fully locked.
S -Squeeze trigger or shoot.

There you have it.... but duck/find cover first or have your buddies send a shitload of cover fire while your SPORTSin

mix in some snap caps in your mags @ range day to practice

Warning

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Jam clearing tutorial?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Jam clearing tutorial?