Tap rack bang

Tap, rack, bang (TRB) is Navy jargon for the emergency corrective procedure for a semi-automatic firearm or an automatic firearm after a failure to fire ("stoppage"), which usually gives an audible "click" as the firing mechanism fails to fire a round. This sound tends to be trained to act as a reactionary cue to commence the corrective procedure, unless the operator knows the magazine is simply empty. The procedure is effective for most common failures, such as defective ammunition or improperly seated magazines. In military parlance, these drills are called "Immediate Actions".

1. Tap refers to the first action; that is to tap the magazine. This is to ensure that the magazine is properly engaged in the firearm so that it feeds properly. As typically taught in tactical firearms courses, the "tap" is considerably more than a tap and in the case of a semiautomatic pistol is usually accomplished by slamming the gun hard into the palm of the other hand, magazine end down.
2. Rack refers to operating (cocking or cycling) of the slide of the firearm. This will serve to eject a miss-fired round, which could be a possible cause of the stoppage, and chamber the next round.
3. Bang simply denotes the action of firing the firearm following the first two steps.

While the "Tap, Rack, Bang" is effective in the vast majority of cases, it is not effective in all cases. Some failures, such as a case becoming lodged in the breech or breakage of the firearm, require more complicated maintenance or even attention from a gunsmith. However, under emergency conditions (such as combat) it is still the first procedure followed. It rules out most simple cartridge-related failures of the weapon and should be done before field-stripping the firearm to gather further information.

Criticism

While there is almost universal support of Tap, Rack, Bang in a combat or actual defensive situation, some gun experts recommend not applying the technique automatically during recreational or range shooting, in order to avoid potential damage to the gun or the shooter. In particular a squib or failure to eject can result in catastrophic damage to the gun if a second round is loaded while the barrel is jammed. ^[1]

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