Slap, rack, tap
A policeman’s AR-15 did not discharge during a firefight when he pulled the trigger. An inspection revealed no issues with the weapon. My first thought was he left the safety on. But the round was dimpled. Looks to me like ammunition failure.
ETA: Aughtsix in comments says it was dimpled from chambering a round and not hammer fall. So, yeah, going with the whole safety was on theory. I either misread that or the article changed since yesterday when I first read it.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
Of course there were issues with the weapon: It wasn’t a Colt. 😉
May 21st, 2009 at 10:31 am
Dimpled as in “the hammer hit the firing pin” or as in “the small dimple that all chambered-but-unfired rounds have from the floating firing pin”? —time lapse— Read the fing article, and it sounds like the dimple from chambering, not from trying to fire.
I’m leaning toward the safety.
May 21st, 2009 at 10:48 am
I bet the hammer spring was installed backwards causing intermittent light strikes on the primers.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:16 pm
They mention the dimple coming from the action cycling in the article now.
I’d bet safety as well.
Or, it could have been a non-GI trigger group. There are many many stories about them not working for no apparent reason, yet looking fine at inspection (including being disassembled) and working fine afterward.
May 21st, 2009 at 1:52 pm
They couldn’t kill the guy before he committed suicide. Does this seem….wrong to anyone?
Instead of a SWAT team they ought to have one policeman who is a 62 year old lady wearing an apron and carrying a hot cherry pie to talk to these folks. Sheesh.
The answer to this question is in the inspection. Not dirty or worn……the officer probably had never fired it.
Bad training saved someone’s life! Keep it up!
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:12 am
Safety on or else the round was chambered slowly w/o the use of the forward assist instead of releasing the charging handle smartly.
May 23rd, 2009 at 2:43 am
He should have immediately called the ATF, they could have supplied him with ammunition that will fire multiple times from looking at it harshly.