It’s safe to say this one easily makes the top three most common firearm malfunctions. Who hasn’t dealt with a failure to eject? When you’re running fast follow-up shots, nothing kills your rhythm faster than a round stuck in the ejection port.
Sure, it’s simple to clear, but you still need to figure out what caused it. Because you don’t want that same ejection malfunction showing up again when things get serious.
What should you check? Maybe it’s your grip. Maybe it’s your ammo. Or maybe it’s your gear. But don’t blame your gun just yet. At least not before we go through these firearm troubleshooting tips to fix this problem.
What is Failure to Eject?
A failure to eject happens when a spent casing doesn’t clear the ejection port after firing. Instead of flying free, the casing gets stuck, hanging out of the slide. This prevents the pistol from returning to battery.
The failure to eject malfunction is what we usually refer to as stovepipe jam, because when it happens, it looks like an old chimney coming out of your handgun. You either spot it right away because it blocks your sight picture, or because your trigger can’t reset properly.
How does the ejector in a semi-automatic gun work? After a shot the slide moves rearward, the extractor grabs the rim and pulls the spent case from the chamber, and the ejector gives the case a final kick out the port.
All of that happens in a fraction of a second, and you can keep shooting. But when a stovepipe happens when that cycle gets interrupted.
Let’s now see what can cause a failure to eject.
Common Causes of Failure to Eject
Here are 7 usual suspects behind a failure to eject:
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Bad gripping technique: If your grip is too high, too low, or accidentally on the slide, this can be the root cause of a stovepipe jam. This happens to a lot of new shooters, especially.
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Low quality ammunition: A defective or underpowered round may not generate enough force to complete a full cycle. Reusing ammo or poorly made handloads is a common cause.
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Dirt: Debris, carbon, or grit can block the mechanism and stop the extractor from doing its job. This often shows up after a long, dirty range session or a “torture test.”
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Weak extractor or spring: If the extractor or its spring is defective (either from the factory or worn out over time), the whole ejection system can fail.
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Weak recoil spring: When the recoil spring is worn out, it may not push the slide forward with enough force to chamber the next round.
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Damaged ejector: The ejector is bent, chipped, or misaligned, it can’t push the case out properly.
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Magazine issues: If the mag doesn’t seat right or the follower drags, the next round might interfere with the ejection of the spent case.
How to Fix Failure to Eject
First things first. When it happens during action, how do you clear a stovepipe jam?
Keep your finger off the trigger and the muzzle pointed downrange. Tilt the gun about 90° to the side, rack the slide and pass your hand so the stuck round falls out. With that, you should be back on track.
Also, another simple check: tap the magazine to make sure it’s fully seated before you try to run again.
Next, we need to fix failure to eject issues for good. How do you find the root cause of a stovepipe jam and get rid of it?
Let’s circle back to the causes and walk through how to fix each one.
Check Your Grip
Your grip is the platform for the gun. If it’s not steady, the slide can bind and the gun won’t cycle properly. Recoil is coming, that’s for sure. Your job is to manage it so the case can eject cleanly.
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Practice Drill: slow single shots while you watch the ejection pattern. If cases eject low or straight down, your grip could be the root cause.
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Develop your mastergrip: firm, consistent two-hand hold; thumbs high/forward or whatever works for your frame; don’t grab the slide.
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How gear can help: : a compensator can reduce muzzle rise and help with recoil control. If you think grip is the issue, a 45 Blast comp can make a huge difference in follow-ups. Up to 80% less recoil, allowing faster shots and fewer ejection malfunctions.
Check Your Ammo
A lot of stovepipe jams come down to bad ammo. Reused, underpowered, or poorly made handloads may not produce enough force to cycle the slide. How can you solve this?
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Stop using mixed or unknown reloads. Run a fresh box of factory ammo you trust.
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Match ammo to your pistol and recoil spring weight. If the gun runs clean with known-good rounds, you’ve likely found the cause. Read our ammo grain guide for a clear overview about this.
Deep Clean Your Gun
We already covered the best Handgun Cleaning Kits, so you really have no excuse for maintenance issues. After your range day, just show your gear some love.
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Disassemble your gun: follow the manual instruction, and clean the extractor recess, ejection port, slide rails, and barrel.
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Clean the extractor and ejector area: Carefully scrub carbon, then re-lube per your manufacturer’s guidance.
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Reassemble: After putting your handgun back together, run a function check. Then shoot a few rounds to confirm you fixed the malfunction.
Replace Defective Parts
As you already disassembled your handgun, it’s also time to inspect for worn or broken parts. Extractor hooks, extractor springs, ejectors, and recoil springs wear out or get damaged.
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Do a complete inspection: Look for cracks, chips, weak spring tension, or bent ejectors.
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Replace worn parts: Only use factory or trusted aftermarket components. If the gun is new and under warranty, contact the manufacturer first.
If you get stuck, or you just aren’t confident with bench work, you can have a gunsmith check it. This is probably not the answer you are looking for, but sometimes it’s the right call. Also, a great chance to learn.
Fixed Fail To Eject: What’s Next?
Congrats, pal. You’re done with our crash course on how to fix a stovepipe jam. Now you know what causes a failure to eject, how to clear it fast, and how to fix it so it doesn’t happen again.
A steady grip, clean gun, good ammo, and solid parts will keep your pistol cycling like it should. Put those checks into practice, then get back to the range: run your drills, test your setup, and keep that rhythm smooth.
If you want to take your gear to the next level and cut malfunctions down to zero, it’s time to try a 45 Blast compensator. You’ll get better recoil control helps keep ejection consistent.
Stay safe, shoot smart, and we’ll see you out there.
