Which term describes an automatic weapon that continues firing after the trigger is released?

Which term describes an automatic weapon that continues firing after the trigger is released?

• A. Auto Fire
• B. Misfire
• C. Repeater
• D. Runaway Gun

Answer: (D)

Continuing to fire after the trigger is released describes a runaway gun. This term captures a dangerous malfunction where the firing mechanism stays in the firing cycle and keeps discharging rounds without any further input from the shooter. It’s not the same as automatic fire, which requires the trigger to be held down to keep firing; once the trigger is released in that case, firing stops. A misfire means a cartridge fails to ignite at all, so no shot goes off. A repeater simply refers to a firearm capable of multiple shots from a single loading cycle, not to firing continuing after release. Runaway gun highlights a loss of operator control due to a fault in the trigger or firing mechanism, making it the best description for this scenario.

Continuing to fire after the trigger is released describes a runaway gun. This term captures a dangerous malfunction where the firing mechanism stays in the firing cycle and keeps discharging rounds without any further input from the shooter. It’s not the same as automatic fire, which requires the trigger to be held down to keep firing; once the trigger is released in that case, firing stops. A misfire means a cartridge fails to ignite at all, so no shot goes off. A repeater simply refers to a firearm capable of multiple shots from a single loading cycle, not to firing continuing after release. Runaway gun highlights a loss of operator control due to a fault in the trigger or firing mechanism, making it the best description for this scenario.