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Any mechanical device can malfunction: a watch, an engine, a sewing machine, a firearm, etc.....

When a car's engine stops working, we call it a "stall" or if its more serious, we'd say the "engine has seized." When a firearm experiences a reversible malfunction, it is often said to be "jammed." Even an irreversible malfunction, one in which the bolt has seized, or locked-up, can also be called a "jam," but usually it implies a short-term stoppage that can be cleared ~quickly.

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10y ago

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