Jane, Ken, Steve, et al:

Ok, then who decides when or if there is a gun failure/malfunction? Who decides what constitutes a malfunction?

Shooter or SO? If my gun is broken (for whatever reason), do I not have the option of stopping? Of course and that is addressed in the section instructing about scoring out the shooter. I have a broken firing pin and still have ammo on my belt, that's a FTDR? So, there are different "levels" of reasons of malfunctions and some can get one a FTDR?  I slam a 1911 mag into the gun and it over-inserts and locks up the gun but because I have ammo on my belt I must clear this impossible jam instead of just stopping and scoring out ?  I have never heard of someone getting a FTDR plus scored out for this type of malfunction. Ok, the response expected is the example is the shooter didn't reload because it was the last shoot. Ok, the 1911 shooter slammed his reload mag and over-inserted- gun is totally locked up and had one shot left.....this is a FTDR because there is ammo not only on the belt but in the gun?

 If one can score out for one style of problem/malfunction and not get a FTDR but will get a FTDR for another style of problem/malfunction, isn't that pretty inconsistant?

If I feel my gun is broken and thus have the option (or decide) to stop (which is the same thing)...... at what point does this broken gun malfunction change from any other malfunction that is scored out according to the rulebook? While "malfunction" might not be specific in multiple places in the rulebook, there is the section about "scoring out" the shooter which is there specifically for a shooter that fails to shoot all required shots (and it specifically does not state a FTDR penalty will also be tacked on).

This is an interesting discussion with multiple ways to look at it.

Garry

As I stated before, no primer strike (or shooter has no justification for malfunction) then FTDR would apply. If shooter can justify or show a problem with equipment then PE but not FTDR would be my call according to the current rulebook.