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Mortarman Nearly Loses Head In Hangfire Mishap
Published 3 years ago
A near-death close-call is recorded as a mortar section performs a live fire demonstration for a group of civilian spectators, and a complacent assistant gunner nearly places his head in front of a tube experiencing a delayed firing sequence.
The assistant gunner (AG) dropped the round down the tube and then turned away to shield himself from the outgoing blast. The nearby mortar system was also firing at the same time, which cause the AG to believe their report was his. However, his system was experiencing a "hang fire" which means the round takes additional time to slide down the tube to the firing pin. This malfunction can happen for a number of reasons; a dirty tube, using an incorrect cleaner/lubricant, or residue from a broken propellent charge creating friction.
Luckily, the AG only loses his hat in the incident, although it is likely he sustained some sort of concussion or brain injury, which will later be decided by his veteran healthcare service provider to be "not service-related."