Failure to eject / stovepipe occurs when a fired cartridge case does not completely eject.

Failure to eject / stovepipe occurs when a fired cartridge case does not completely eject.

• A. Failure to eject / stovepipe.
• B. Double feed.
• C. Misfire.
• D. Squib.

Answer: (A)

Failure to eject / stovepipe happens when the spent cartridge case does not fully eject from the firearm after firing, so the case remains in the ejection port and stands upright, like a stovepipe. This is caused by imperfect extraction or ejection during the cycling of the action—often due to a weak or dirty extractor, a dirty chamber, or other cycling issues that prevent the case from moving out smoothly. The result is the case not clearing the chamber and partially blocking the next step in the cycle. The other problems describe different malfunctions. Double feed is when a new cartridge tries to enter the chamber while the previous one isn’t fully cleared, causing two rounds to be present. A misfire means the round fails to ignite. A squib is when a bullet is fired with too little propellant, leaving a dangerous blockage in the barrel.

Failure to eject / stovepipe happens when the spent cartridge case does not fully eject from the firearm after firing, so the case remains in the ejection port and stands upright, like a stovepipe. This is caused by imperfect extraction or ejection during the cycling of the action—often due to a weak or dirty extractor, a dirty chamber, or other cycling issues that prevent the case from moving out smoothly. The result is the case not clearing the chamber and partially blocking the next step in the cycle.

The other problems describe different malfunctions. Double feed is when a new cartridge tries to enter the chamber while the previous one isn’t fully cleared, causing two rounds to be present. A misfire means the round fails to ignite. A squib is when a bullet is fired with too little propellant, leaving a dangerous blockage in the barrel.