DISTRESS PISTOL NOT FIRING

[sophie17498]

okay so I'm on episode 3 where im finding the survivors! As im getting my second survivor, the wolves attack me and I can't fire my distress pistol at them to scare them off!! It's so annoying because I have 9 flare shells already!!?? I got them near the phone at community hall and they're just not firing?? I can aim the pistol though but it doesn't shoot. Likewise, my rifle has 10 rounds, but none are firing!! Does anyone know why this is happening??? I'm stuck on this!!!

[IFIYGD]

You have to load each flare shell individually, then reload after firing. The flare gun will not fire if you haven't loaded a shell into it.
Same goes for the rifle, and the revolver. You have to actually load and reload them manually (and occasionally clear a jam from a rifle- rifles at low condition are more likely to jam).

This game is not like a shooter, where having bullets in your inventory lets you shoot them all without loading them and reloading them. You actually have to load the weapons. Equip weapon, press [R] for reload. Flare guns are single shot, so you have to load them before every shot. Revolvers and rifles allow you to load multiple bullets at once, then reload when they are gone or the cylinder/magazine is not completely filled.

[sophie17498]

Originally posted by IFIYGD:

You have to load each flare shell individually, then reload after firing. The flare gun will not fire if you haven't loaded a shell into it.
Same goes for the rifle, and the revolver. You have to actually load and reload them manually (and occasionally clear a jam from a rifle- rifles at low condition are more likely to jam).

This game is not like a shooter, where having bullets in your inventory lets you shoot them all without loading them and reloading them. You actually have to load the weapons. Equip weapon, press [R] for reload. Flare guns are single shot, so you have to load them before every shot. Revolvers and rifles allow you to load multiple bullets at once, then reload when they are gone or the cylinder/magazine is not completely filled.

I have reloaded it but it still doesn't work!

[sophie17498]

Originally posted by vinyblaster:

Does it happen with the revolver and the bow as well?

Not with the bow, but it does with the revolver/pistol! The only thing that works are the arrow and the handheld flares! I can't pass this level because the timberwolves keep killing me :(

[iwasa]

The rifle has to be aimed, even at nothing, then it can be fired.

When you trigger the revolver, which does not have to be aimed, do you hear the click of the hammer falling?

Have you unloaded the revolver then reloaded it - you'd see the animation of the shells being inserted into the cylinder?

I do not doubt that from your perspective the rifle, revolver, and distress pistol do not fire, but if the problem is a glitch or bug in the game we cannot really help you.

Might also save the game, get completely out of The Long Dark, then reload the game, then reload the save game. Sometimes conditions persist in the main program and restarting the whole thing (I do not mean delete and reload the game files) can sometimes resolve that.

Since you're playing Wintermute, if you feel up to it, you might go back to earlier saves, still within episode 3, and see if the firearms work then. I believe that you're supposed to get a revolver early on at the Farmstead. Get it and fire a couple shots if you can. You can do a save prior to doing that and if the weapon fires you can backtrack to before that and carry on without wasting ammo.

You can do that for every time you initially pick up a weapon to test whether it work. It would help in the bug report if you cannot get them to work.