Gun Glossary
Hangfire:
Slang term for a delayed firing, which is any detectable delay in the ignition of a cartridge after pulling the trigger. Can be a chemical delay caused by the cartridge or a mechanical delay caused by a defect in the firearm. Chemical delays are recognized as being less that 0.3 second. The use of modern lead styphnate priming has virtually eliminated the chemical delay. Chemical delays were more common with the now-obsolete potassium chlorate priming compounds.
