Which malfunction is described as a failure to eject (stuck case)?

• A. Stovepipe.
• B. Double-feed.
• C. Failure to eject (stuck case).
• D. Misfire/delay.

Answer: (C)

A stuck case is a spent cartridge that stays in the chamber and cannot be expelled by the cycling action. This symptom—failure to eject after firing—defines the malfunction described as a failure to eject. It means the firearm attempted to cycle but the cartridge remains trapped in the chamber, preventing the next round from loading.

This differs from a stovepipe, where the case is ejected but becomes stuck in the ejection port, often standing upright like a stovepipe rather than remaining in the chamber. A double-feed involves two rounds being fed or locked up in the action at once, causing a jam. A misfire or delay means the primer did not ignite (or did so late), so the shot doesn’t fire as it should, not that the case failed to eject.