Yes.
It's an illusion created by the cyclical nature of mob attacks.
As I'm sure you know, mobs tend to go miss-miss-miss-hit-hit-hit-hit-miss-miss-miss-hit or similar - so there are periods where the mob hits quite a few times in a row, then periods when it misses several shots in a row.
Typically when the mob is hitting you all the time, you are fapping. When it's missing all the time, you are shooting.
The illusion is that it seems like when you are shooting a lot, the mob misses you most of the time.
The reality is that when the mob is missing you a lot, you are able to fire a lot of shots.
In other words, misses by the mob lead to a higher fire rate, not the other way around.