And after recovering from a remarkable comeback by Billy Reid’s side to secure a 3-3 draw the Light Blues will now host Accies on Tuesday January 19.
Kenny Miller’s second half penalty was needed to rescue a draw after three goals in a nine minute spell had put Hamilton 3-2 ahead on the stroke of half time.
That followed an early opener from Steven Whittaker and Miller’s fine strike that had looked to have the Gers cruising.
However it will now be three meetings with Hamilton in nine days for Walter Smith’s men.
In the run up to the game it seemed the fixture was in serious doubt because of the weather, but Accies did what was needed to get the match on.
Smith’s side were without a host of top team stars for kick off with Madjid Bougherra on international duty and a raft of others ruled out by injury.
There was no Pedro Mendes, Steven Naismith, Nacho Novo or DaMarcus Beasley while John Fleck was out through illness.
Steven Davis and Kris Boyd would be added to that list in an eventful first half that kicked off in the best possible manner for the home side and ended in the worst.
With snow cleared from the pitch ahead of kick off it was Rangers who caught their hosts cold with a bright start that saw them lead after just four minutes when Lee McCulloch won a header in the box and Boyd flicked on to Kyle Lafferty.
The Ulsterman’s attempt was forced away but only as far as Whittaker who rifled the ball in to the roof of the net.
It was the perfect start for the visitors and they were well on top in the opening stages and just as Hamilton were beginning to work their way in to the game Rangers looked to have killed them off on the half hour mark.
Davis found Boyd on the edge of the box and when he fed the returning Miller the Scotland man steadied himself and curled a low shot in to the corner beyond Tomas Cerny.
It looked at that stage like Rangers were coasting to victory in the first match of their defence of this trophy.
But the loss of Davis to a dead leg seemed to disrupt the Light Blues’ flow.
He was replaced by Kevin Thomson with ten minutes of the half remaining and within three minutes of losing him the home side had forced their way back in to the match.
Kirk Broadfoot was penalised for a push on Mark McLaughlin and from the resulting spot kick Simon Mensing blasted Hamilton to within a goal of the Gers.
Smith’s side were then looking to protect that single goal lead until the interval as Boyd followed Davis in complaining to his bench of a niggling injury.
He was struggling with a tight groin but before Rangers could rectify that problem they found themselves pegged back in the first of three minutes of injury time.
A deep free kick in to the box wasn’t dealt with by the visiting defence and when it fell to Marco Paixao he forced home an equaliser.
Gers were shell shocked but their misery was compounded moments later when a slip by Davie Weir allowed Mickael Antoine Curier to burst clear and slot a third under Allan McGregor.
It was an astonishing turn around within nine minutes and left Smith with some work to do in his half time team talk.
Whatever was said it sparked the Gers in to life early in the second period with McCulloch going close twice in the opening stages.
He almost connected with a cross just three minutes in to the half and four minutes later had a fine effort saved by Cerny.
Thomson’s free kick from the right was delivered low and McCulloch got a good connection on the ball in the six yard box only to see the keeper smother it.
Miller then had two attempts to try to draw the visitors level, when he first turned in from the right hand side to blaze an effort well over the bar.
Then moments he had an ambitious volley which was again too high as Rangers piled on the pressure from a corner.
Miller wasn’t to be denied though and bagged his second from the spot after debutant Stuart Elliot handled in the area.
With Boyd already off the park it fell to his striking partner to fulfil penalty duties and he despatched it with little fuss to pull his side level and bag his 14th goal of the season.
Miller was always Rangers most threatening looking player and he might have expected better service from Thomson with a quarter of an hour remaining.
The substitute broke well from midfield after a slip by Alex Neil but his attempt to roll in Miller was disappointing.
The Gers were then offered a boost with ten minutes left when Hastings picked up his second booking of the afternoon for a foul on Andy Little and saw red, reducing the home side to ten men.
Gers were unable to capitalise though and in fact might have lost their place in the draw for the fifth round when James McArthur blew a glorious chance to win it late on.
He was afforded far too much room in the box, but screwed his effort well wide of the post, to set up a replay on January 19 as the two sides battle it out for a fifth round clash away to St Mirren in February.