TP Collins - "... A misfire would be similar to a gun going off by itself or being dropped. ..."
No, a "misfire" happens when a trigger is pulled and the cartridge/shell does NOT go off.
A movie example of this is in Unforgiven. Near the end of the movie, Will Munny (Clint Eastwood) is in the saloon pointing his double barrel shotgun at Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman.) Munny has already fired one shot killing the saloon owner for decorating his saloon with Munny's friend, Ned (Morgan Freeman).
Munny says, "I've killed about everything that walks or crawls, and now I'm here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you done to my friend, Ned."
Little Bill tells all the other deputies there that Munny has only one barrel left and when he fires it, draw their pistols and kill Munny.
Munny aims at Little Bill's chest and pulls the trigger. CLICK!
Little Bill shouts "MISFIRE! Kill him!"
That is a "misfire."
FWIW.
L.W.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." (William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830s.)
