In fuse elements of layered structure with long delay times, misfires, occur, above all, if aggravating secondary conditions prevail (such as, for example, high projectile rotation and/or temperature stresses and shock stresses). The safe progression of the reaction through the element is enhanced by providing that, as seen in the propagation direction of the reaction, the central zone of a charge igniting a delay charge projects into a central region of the delay charge. An additional improvement can be achieved by interposing between the ignition charge and the delay section, one or several relay charges and by making the choice of the charge components so that the discontinuities of the characteristic values (especially of the reaction rate) become more even and thus smaller, or by utilizing an ignition charge having a particularly low reaction rate.