What is a misfire?

A misfire occurs specifically when the cartridge does not fire as intended when the trigger is pulled. This can happen for several reasons, including issues with the primer, firing pin, or ammunition itself, which prevents the ignition of the propellant and thus the projectile from being propelled from the firearm.

Understanding misfires is crucial for safe firearm handling, as it means the gun has the potential to be loaded but will not fire. Proper procedures for addressing a misfire include waiting a certain amount of time before inspecting the firearm, as a delayed ignition could still occur.

Though the other choices relate to various issues that can occur with firearms, they do not accurately define a misfire. For instance, simply failing to hit the target doesn't necessarily involve a malfunction in the firearm or ammunition, and gun jams refer to mechanical failures that prevent the firearm from cycling correctly. Damaged bullets also do not correspond to the definition of a misfire, as they pertain more to the condition of the projectile rather than the functionality of the cartridge when attempting to fire.