RSO Firearm Stoppages and Malfunctions 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A shooter reports hearing a 'pop' with reduced recoil and sees no ejected case. What should the RSO immediately direct?
- Continue firing to clear the obstruction
- Cease fire, keep the gun pointed downrange, and wait 30 seconds before opening the action (Correct answer)
- Tap and rack to clear
- Unload and holster immediately
Correct answer: Cease fire, keep the gun pointed downrange, and wait 30 seconds before opening the action
A reduced-recoil pop with no ejection is a classic squib indicator; the RSO must prevent another round from being fired into a potentially obstructed barrel.
Question 2: What is the recommended wait time before opening a bolt-action or semi-auto rifle after a suspected hang-fire?
- 5 seconds
- 15 seconds
- 30 seconds (Correct answer)
- 60 seconds
Correct answer: 30 seconds
Industry and SAAMI guidance recommend waiting at least 30 seconds (some protocols specify 60) before opening the action on a suspected hang-fire.
Question 3: Which firearm component failure most commonly causes a semi-automatic pistol to fail to eject spent cases?
- Broken recoil spring
- Worn or broken extractor (Correct answer)
- Cracked barrel
- Fouled feed ramp
Correct answer: Worn or broken extractor
The extractor hooks onto the case rim to pull it from the chamber; a worn or broken extractor cannot grip the case and fails to eject it.
Question 4: An RSO notices a shooter 'limp-wristing' a semi-auto pistol, causing repeated failures to eject. What is the root cause?
- Incorrect ammunition caliber
- Insufficient resistance from the shooter's grip, allowing the frame to move rearward with the slide (Correct answer)
- A broken slide stop lever
- Excessive barrel fouling
Correct answer: Insufficient resistance from the shooter's grip, allowing the frame to move rearward with the slide
Limp-wristing reduces the frame's inertial resistance, so the slide and frame move together rather than the slide cycling fully against a stable frame.
Question 5: When performing a Type 3 (double-feed) clearance on a semi-automatic pistol, what is the correct sequence?
- Tap, rack, assess
- Lock slide back, strip magazine, rack three times, insert fresh magazine, rack, assess (Correct answer)
- Remove barrel, clear chamber, reassemble
- Press check, re-holster, re-draw
Correct answer: Lock slide back, strip magazine, rack three times, insert fresh magazine, rack, assess
Type 3 clearance requires locking the slide to the rear, stripping the magazine, running the slide multiple times to clear the double-fed rounds, then reloading.
Question 6: A fully automatic firearm on a range fires more rounds than the trigger pull commands (runaway gun). What is the RSO's safest immediate action?
- Grab the barrel to stop the fire
- Direct the shooter to keep muzzle downrange and release magazine or remove the source of ammunition (Correct answer)
- Activate the range's emergency stop button only
- Clear the range and call law enforcement
Correct answer: Direct the shooter to keep muzzle downrange and release magazine or remove the source of ammunition
Removing or releasing the magazine stops ammunition feed to a runaway gun while keeping the muzzle safely oriented downrange.
Question 7: A shooter's semi-auto pistol experiences a failure to return to battery after every shot. After ruling out ammunition issues, what mechanical cause should the RSO suspect?
- Broken extractor claw
- Weakened or broken recoil spring (Correct answer)
- Damaged ejector
- Oversized barrel
Correct answer: Weakened or broken recoil spring
The recoil spring drives the slide forward into battery; a weakened spring may lack energy to fully chamber the next round.
RSO Firearm Stoppages and Malfunctions 4
A shooter reports hearing a 'pop' with reduced recoil and sees no ejected case.
What should the RSO immediately direct?