How to Fix Nail Gun Shooting Blanks – 7 Reasons & Solution

What if you wish to redesign your kitchen cabinet, but your nail gun starts shooting blank? Of course, the first solution that you think of is going to the repair shop.

But, interestingly, you can fix that problem most of the time at home. The manufacturer provides some possible issue’s solutions in the manual.

So, if you lost that manual or couldn’t find the solution to the nail gun shooting blanks problem there, you can go through the following discussion to find that why your nail gun not firing properly.

Nail Gun Shooting Blanks

7 Possible Reasons for Nail Gun Not Shooting Nails:

Before going to the troubleshooting steps, it will be better to know the cause behind the problems. Multiple reasons may lead to nail gun shooting blanks issues.

Now, let’s reveal those from the following section.

1. Nail Jam:

Nail jam inside the gun

The first and the most suspected reason for the nail gun not shooting nails is that nails may jam inside the gun. The jam inside will resist the nails from coming out. However, if you try multiple times during jamming, you may worsen the jamming issue.

2. Gas-fuel Cell:

Nail Gun Gas fuel Cell

If you are looking for the thing which keeps the nail gun active or provides power to work, you will find the gas-fuel cell.

If any problem like outdated or empty issues occurs with the gas-fuel cell, you will face blank shooting-related issues.

3. Wrong Fuel:

Another reason that triggers the nail gun to shoot blank is the wrong fuel. It is the same as choosing the false nail. So, check the manual and to know what fuel is compatible with this nail gun.

4. Put Wrong Nails:

Wrong size nails

The possibility of using the wrong size or kind of nail is high for newbies or beginners in using a nail gun.

That false choice will lead to the nail gun shooting blank issue. You can solve that issue quickly by checking the manufacturer’s recommendation.

5. Needs Cleaning:

Not correctly cleaning is another reason for nail gun fire without nails. When you keep your nail gun out of service, there will be a possibility of getting dirt and dust inside.

Those dust and dirt stop the nail from coming out. This problem may also occur if you don’t clean it after use.

Read Also: Nail Gun Oil Substitute: 3 Best Alternative Lubricant Benefits

6. O Ring:

O ring problem of nail gun

If any problem is associated with the O ring, this type of problem may occur. If you look at the nail gun’s mechanism, you will see a seal between the piston and cylinder.

The manufacturer uses the O ring to make that seal. Therefore, if any issues like damage or break will occur in the O ring, your nail gun will shoot blank.

7. Spring Damage:

The spring helps the nail gun push the pin; if it damages, your nail gun won’t work perfectly.

How to Fix Nail Gun Misfire Problem?

By now, we will give you some possible reasons that may cause the nail gun shooting-related problem. Now, we provide the solution in the following way to solve those issues.

4 Step Proven Fix Regarding Nail Gun Shooting Blanks Issue:

a) At first, look at the safety measures:

Safety measures for using nail gun

If you can’t handle your nail gun properly, it may become a deadly weapon. That’s why you need to take some precautions to remain risk-free and safe; here are those.

  • First, you need to protect your eyes from the flying strip or nails or plastic so, wear a goggle.
  • You need to clear your nail kit’s jam using your fingers, so to avoid any injury, you need to wear heavy-duty hand gloves.
  • Another safety measure like wearing earmuffs or ear buds will be better for you. The reason is nail guns typically produce about 70 dBA to 120 dBA sounds, which isn’t suitable for our ears.

b) The Steps of Troubleshooting:

After taking all those safety measures, it’s time to go through the following steps to solve the problem.

Step 1. Cut the Power Connection:

When you want to solve any equipment and tools issues, you need to unplug that from the power outlets mandatorily. Hopefully, you know better about your nail gun’s power source. 

 Note: This step is mandatory when you need to clean your nail gun’s jam.

Step 2. Clear the Nail Gun:

Once you unplug your nail gun, you need to remove unused nails from the gun.

If you take proper safety measures and unplug the gun, you can safely clear the jam. After clearing the jam, hopefully, your nail gun will start performing.

Step 3. How to Clear the Jammed Nails:

If your problem doesn’t solve, you need to check again to find if any jammed nails are lying inside. We show the safe way to clear the jam, so let’s see:

  1. In your first step, you need to disconnect the air supply from your nail gun to avoid accidentally going off.
  2. The next step is to release the pusher that will help you to minimize the nail pressure. When you minimize the pressure, you can easily pry out the jammed nail.
  3. Now, you need to remove the front latch, which you will find on the upper side of the barrel. Once you remove the front latch, you will find the jammed nail.
  4. Now take a screwdriver and pry those out. After prying those out, you need to reconnect the latch and close the pusher.
  5. Finally, take the air supply and connect it.

However, if you don’t find any latch, you need to unscrew the nail gun’s top screws, and then you can clear the nails.

Note: This step is considered the longest and most challenging part, so you must keep patience.

Step 4. Load New Nail and Power up:

Load New Nail and Power up

Hopefully, you will solve your nail gun’s jamming issue after following the previous steps. Now, you need to put the perfect size nail into your nail gun.

We previously mentioned that the wrong size nail would be stuck inside and retard shooting. However, after putting the nails, you can connect your nail gun with the power source and start checking.

If your problem doesn’t solve after following the previous steps, you need to check the O ring. If you find any problem herein, you can oil it or replace it with a new one.

Note: It will be better to bring the nail gun to the repair shop instead of trying your own.

Another thing you can check is the spring. If you find any issue related to the spring, you need to go to an expert to solve it.

Read Also: Filling Nail Holes in Prefinished White Trim [with White Wood Filler]

FAQs:

Question: What is the reason behind the frequent nail gun damage?

Answer: Sometimes nail gun does not work properly because of the malfunction. It may be caused by nail jam which may resist the nails from moving forward. Again, it may be caused if the gas fuel cell empties without having proper cleaning.

Question: Can I fire a nail gun without nails?

Answer: If the nail is not adjusted with the gun, it may not work. The dangerous experiment may cause danger for the tool. If you don’t put a nail and try to fire without a nail, the gun may not fire; the misfire of it will self-destruct.

Question: How much air pressure I have to put in a nail gun?

Answer: Proper handling is essential for accurate operation to have a good service from a nail gun. The ideal proportion of pressure will be 60-120 PSI for a nail gun to put the nail on wood. But it depends on the texture and height of the wood.

Question: Why the nail gun does double fire?

Answer: There are many nail guns that have recoil or pushback. The double fire is caused when the two fasteners are release before the trigger. The function is somehow dangerous when the fastener ricochets. It may shoot somewhere else rather than the selected area.

Final Thoughts:

A nail gun is a beneficial device for the mechanics and the technician. Through proper handling and cleaning may help the tool last a long period. Sometimes, it can function accurately.

To protect your instrument from a misfire, double fire, shooting blank, and other problems, take care of each and every part of the nail gun properly.

You don’t need any special tools; instead, following some easy steps will fix the Nail Gun Shooting Blanks problem at home. If needed, you may change the spring with the help of professionals so that the gadget responds correctly when required.

Last Updated on August 20, 2021 by Rogers Weber

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