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Old December 23, 2012, 01:18 AM   #1
ShotgunHunter
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Unintended Fire

Wow, I was playing around and inadvertently let go an accidental 12 gauge shot in my man cave about a half hour ago. It freaked me out.

I hang my head in my stupidity and feel like an idiot. The outer wall is brick and thank God my 8 shot didn't penetrate.

After getting over the initial shock I noticed some interesting things.

My ear-drums weren't blown out as I thought they might be in such small quarters. My ears aren't ringing. Also the hole in the wall 5 feet away was only 2 inches in diameter.

My gun is a Mossberg 500 and I had a 18.5 barrel on at the time.

From what I saw, I must conclude the stories of wide patterns of point and shoot at close range are highly overrated. It seems it's best to aim the barrel like you mean it.

I feel a bit educated...and in need of Spackle from Home Depot. Christ, did I really do that to my wall?

Last edited by Bud Helms; December 23, 2012 at 06:29 AM. Reason: poorly veiled profanity
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Old December 23, 2012, 01:29 AM   #2
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Dude!

I admire your honesty for coming on here and admitting what you did and I’m glad that no one was injured. I suppose the operative phrase here is “playing around” and I guess that is why my Father always said, “never play with guns".
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Old December 23, 2012, 02:06 AM   #3
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Dude!
+1
What the hell man Im just going to leave it at that or I'll go off on a rant
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Old December 23, 2012, 02:17 AM   #4
Rob228
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From what I saw, I must conclude the stories of wide patterns of point and shoot at close range are highly overrated. It seems it's best to aim the barrel like you mean it.

Despite your forum name, I've got to ask if this is the first time you've fired said shotgun.
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Old December 23, 2012, 06:19 AM   #5
Sparks1957
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Wow, I was playing around
There is your problem. If you treat guns like toys they will either kill you or someone else. Glad you aren't in my house.
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Old December 23, 2012, 09:08 AM   #6
breakingcontact
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Interesting info on the pattern...but I knew that.

What I do t know and can learn from is...why/how did this happen?

Obviously broke some firearm safety rules but how did you actually pull the trigger? Did you not realize/check that the gun was loaded?
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Old December 23, 2012, 09:16 AM   #7
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From what I saw, I must conclude the stories of wide patterns of point and shoot at close range are highly overrated. It seems it's best to aim the barrel like you mean it.
A big reason why AR-15 carbines are making big gains in replacing the shotgun for HD roles. No reason to absorb close to 30 ft lbs of recoil when you get the same "pattern" and performance in a much lighter, smaller package with around 5 ft lbs of recoil.
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Old December 23, 2012, 09:17 AM   #8
CajunBass
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My ear-drums weren't blown out as I thought they might be in such small quarters.
Many years ago, I had a "stupid discharge" with a Government Model 45 in the house. Not only did I not hear the shot, neither did anyone else. My wife and mother in law, neither heard a thing, but they were in other rooms. The closest person to me, my wife's uncle, about 15 feet away, thought I had "popped a primer" reloading. It took me a half minute or so, as I stood there stupidly staring at the gun, to even realize what had happened. Then it was HOLY SHEEP!!!

I'm sure it's a matter of shock, surprise, and disbelief.

Don't do that again.
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Old December 23, 2012, 09:19 AM   #9
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Not gonna ask how it went off, hopefully you learned your lesson and glad no one was hurt.

As for the pattern, I can take a 2x4 in two with birdshot at the right range.
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Old December 23, 2012, 09:28 AM   #10
Sarge
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I'll just say that you are not the first person of my acquaintance to engage in a little 'surprise home remodeling' with a firearm. Kick yourself, learn from it, have a good laugh and go on. And yes, you are correct. At across-the-room distances your shot charge is silver-dollar sized and it needs to be precisely placed.
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Old December 23, 2012, 09:54 AM   #11
drail
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Rule No. 1 - it's ALWAYS loaded. If I were you I would make absolutely certain that there is not a problem mechanically with the gun before you load it again. You need to KNOW if it discharged because of something you did or because the sear or safety is not holding.

Last edited by drail; December 27, 2012 at 08:49 AM.
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Old December 26, 2012, 01:44 AM   #12
johnwilliamson062
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Not the first person to post a confession here.

Learn from it.

Spend enough time around any tool and you will have an accident or two. Usually there are redundancies in the safety rules so one mistake isn't fatal unless combined with another. In this case you were pointed at something that was destroyable, even if doing so was inconvenient.
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Old December 26, 2012, 01:58 AM   #13
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It's happened to MANY people on this forum, admittedly (believe me-check my sig). Noone is hurt, except the pride, and a valuable learning lesson was gained. If it was going to go bad, which it did, it couldn't have gone any better.

Now, please explain exactly what you were doing/did for the ND to happen.
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Old December 26, 2012, 02:12 AM   #14
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Not really on the topic you're talking about, but as a compare and contrast, I inertially popped open a .45 round, and to finish breaking it down, had to touch off the primer... so I loaded it, and I thought.. what the hell it's just a primer, I don't need to go anywhere or do anything. My ears ended up ringing pretty good, and the carpet was smoking just a touch. Last time I do that.
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Old December 26, 2012, 05:48 PM   #15
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Glad you're ok. You are exactly right about the spread (or lack therof) with a SG. I learned long ago that you aim that like a rifle to be efficient with it.
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Old December 26, 2012, 05:56 PM   #16
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Your not the first person to make a mistake... Yet another reason why guns should always be unloaded prior to handling in any place you do not want to be shooting in..

Im sure the point was made all by itself...
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Old December 26, 2012, 06:28 PM   #17
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I know a guy who almost turned himself into a woman in a similar fashion been calling him cheddar bob ever since. glad the only damage was done to the wall, and remember the 4 rules.
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Old December 26, 2012, 06:36 PM   #18
Old Grump
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Welcome to a very large club. If you play with guns long enough you will eventually have an ooops moment. The trick is to not repeat it. Those who have not had an ooops moment just haven't had one yet or aren't admitting it.

My ooops moment came when my brother handed me an empty 45 and I did not check it. There is a 45 caliber hole in my carpet next to my bed because I pushed the slide home and pulled the trigger prior to putting the gun away. Only force of habit making me keep the muzzle down and away from my feet to a blank spot on the floor prevented anything exciting happening. Thank heaven for deep pile carpet, only I know where the hole is and I ain't telling.
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Old December 27, 2012, 07:38 AM   #19
1911Alaska
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Scary situation, thank goodness you or even worse someone else wasn't hurt. Be more safe please, guns are not toys and should not be "played with" be safe. If you must play, do it at the range
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Old December 28, 2012, 03:35 AM   #20
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Hope a lesson was learned.
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Old December 28, 2012, 06:13 AM   #21
Ben Towe
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Most everyone has done it, to one degree or another, at some point, whether they want to admit it or not. That's why we keep them pointed in that safe direction, otherwise a momentary lapse could be tragic rather than unnerving.
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Old December 28, 2012, 06:33 AM   #22
Sport45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ShotgunHunter
Wow, I was playing around ...
I hope you've learned now not to play around with loaded weapons. That was drilled into me long before I was allowed my first BB gun.
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Old December 28, 2012, 06:42 AM   #23
LockedBreech
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Originally Posted by Old Grump View Post
Welcome to a very large club. If you play with guns long enough you will eventually have an ooops moment. The trick is to not repeat it. Those who have not had an ooops moment just haven't had one yet or aren't admitting it.
Not trying to pick on you, Grump, a few people said something like this.

I totally reject the idea that a negligent discharge is inevitable. You're dealing with a deadly object. If a person's job is to handle dynamite or haul fuel, I don't consider accidental explosions or spills inevitable. Observing proper safety precautions it's possible - in fact, should be the norm - to never have any sort of ND.

Been shooting for about 19 years now, few tens of thousands of rounds fired, about 60-70 guns fired, from muzzle loaders to revolvers to shotguns to semi pistols to full auto P90 and MP5. No NDs, knock on wood, through scrupulous observance of safety rules. I realize I've barely started compared to some of you, but I think I'll get through the next 19 without an ND too.

An adult with a professional attitude toward his guns should never laugh off an ND or consider it inevitable. Rest assured the civil court system will not agree.
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Old December 28, 2012, 06:47 AM   #24
Bud Helms
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All "ooops moments" aren't negligent discharges.
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Old December 28, 2012, 07:06 AM   #25
LockedBreech
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Originally Posted by Bud Helms View Post
All "ooops moments" aren't negligent discharges.
I respect you Bud, and I know I'm a whipper snapper compared to you in firearms experience, so please don't take this as insolence, but I don't understand, aside from a mechanical error in the gun or having the gun slip in your hands, how that could be so. Don't play with the gun if it's loaded, finger off the trigger, good solid holster that covers the trigger, careful where you point it...should be fine. Always has been in my experience.

Law school has admittedly made me very cautious on this issue, reading cases where firearm companies and/or private parties have paid life-ruining, exorbitant judgments to victims of accidental discharges.
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