Stupid mistake

johnboy1981 · July 20, 2009, 10:05 PM

The other day I was leaving to run a couple errands. Before I carry I always do a functions check on my carry pistol. Everything was ok so I holstered and finished getting ready then headed out the door. I returned home and was changing clothes when I noticed that I completly forgot to insert the magazine into my firearm. This totally freaked me out being that if something were to have happened that would have cost me my life. I definatley will not let this happen again. I am just glad that nothing happened that day.

hogdogs · July 20, 2009, 10:09 PM

Yeah but just like an empty pump shot gun... Just cycle the slide... The perp will fly back 10 feet and strike a wall hard enuff to break it...

Brent

Ricky B · July 20, 2009, 11:26 PM

Quote:

The perp will fly back 10 feet and strike a wall hard enuff to break it

Only in the movies!!! In real life, the perp will fly back 10 feet and strike a wall but not break it.

On a more serious note, how about the time I cleaned my Rem 1100 before going out to the trap field and forgot to put the charging handle back into the bolt. Or the time I put the O/U into the case and went out to shoot trap but left the fore-end on the table at home. Both times I couldn't shoot and had to go home.

Much worse than not having a magazine that you didn't need.

evan1293 · July 20, 2009, 11:34 PM

That may be an argument for always keeping your carry gun loaded. Of course safe storage would be a priority for times when your gun is off your body.

Sportdog · July 20, 2009, 11:58 PM

Everyone makes mistakes. That does not make them "stupid" mistakes. Think how much better you will be prepared because of this minor gaff that ended up not a problem. Life is a constant learning process and I'll bet that you learned something out of it!

KLRANGL · July 21, 2009, 12:04 AM

Only problem I've had lately is remembering to keep a round in the dang chamber. 99% of the time, the carry gun has a round in the chamber. Every once in a while, for some reason or another, I take the round out, put it back in the mag, and re-insert the mag. On a few occasions I've picked up the carry gun and forgot to do a press check. Had I needed to pull the trigger on any of those days, the silence would have been deafening. Lets just say I do press checks a lot more often.

troy_mclure · July 21, 2009, 12:21 AM

i only unload my cary/hd guns when i clean them.

Double Naught Spy · July 21, 2009, 09:27 AM

Even if you needed to draw you gun, there is probably a 99 percent chance you would not have needed to fire it. So you made a mistake, but don't freak out over it.

Glenn E. Meyer · July 21, 2009, 09:53 AM

It's funny to see that happen at a match. Even with load and make ready commands , I've seen folks start to 'shoot' with an empty gun.

Hornett · July 21, 2009, 09:54 AM

Or the time my son and I went Pheasant hunting and I cleaned my shotgun the night before. You know, just checking things out.
I DID manage to put the charging handle back in, but when we got there and 8:00 am came, I couldn't get a shell to chamber at all.
I had managed to put the gas cylinder in wrong somehow.
After taking it apart 3 times we finally got it working and had a pretty good day afterwards.

Peptobismol9 · July 21, 2009, 11:43 AM

Dont stress over it. I havent yet had an encounter I have needed a gun to handle. That dosent mean i havent had to throwdown before, But, That worked out fine. If anything just take it as a learning experience. Now you will be more likley to remember. Always pack a knife. If worst comes to worst, A knife is a great tool to have, but avoid fighting with one, cause in self defense terms, it probally wouldnt look to good.

skydiver3346 · July 21, 2009, 05:14 PM

Wow, that could have been tough on you if you had needed your carry gun...

I haven't ever had that happen but your post will make sure none of us ever do let that occur in the future. I always, (once I take a gun out of the safe, place a loaded magazine in the pistol). That way, if it is out of the safe, it is loaded, period. This ends any question or debate about the weapon in question. That is not to say I jacked a round in the chamber but it is loaded in th mag and therefore handled as such. That is just my way of handling any gun out of the safe. No children in my home now so my wife and I always know this procedure. It has worked for us for many years now.

Dragon55 · July 21, 2009, 05:42 PM

I forgot I hadn't replaced the 00 buck with 7 1/2 shot until the covey flushed. Not much left of the first bird.

Ian0351 · July 21, 2009, 07:14 PM

There's a great line in the (mediocre) move "Taken" where Liam Neeson tells a former spook turned desk jockey "that's one of the things you forget when you ride a desk everyday, the weight in hand of a loaded gun opposed to an empty gun"... this is right after the guy hears that oh-so-unfortunate click, and right before he dies.

I have that problem sometimes with smaller/plastic guns, but it's pretty easy to tell the difference of 10 .40 S&Ws in a steel frame auto.

orionengnr · July 21, 2009, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Before I carry I always do a functions check on my carry pistol.

Don't mean to bash you, but why? If you have a modern, reliable firearm, and know how to disassemble/clean it, the functioning should be a given.

I saddle up and carry my chosen CCW arm daily without any concerns. When I get to the range (weekly) I will shoot a mag or cylinder full (at least). When I get home I clean it, re-load it and either holster it or put it in the safe and grab another.

Never had any of them fail to work after being carried around, disassembled/reassembled, etc.

"Administrative handing" can lead to more bad things than good. Your choice, though...

johnboy1981 · July 21, 2009, 08:28 PM

I do a functions check because you never know when something will break and the worst time to find that out would be when you need it.
I clean my carry piece once a week even when not used just to clear any dust or dirt that may have got in.

bigghoss · July 21, 2009, 09:13 PM

I left the house with my glock 26 and forgot to chamber a round

IZZY · July 21, 2009, 09:29 PM

"

Quote:

i forgot i hadn't replaced the 00 buck with 7 1/2 shot until the covey flushed. Not much left of the first bird." -dragon55

Ricky B · July 21, 2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

I forgot I hadn't replaced the 00 buck with 7 1/2 shot until the covey flushed. Not much left of the first bird

But a good shot considering the small number of pellets!

GojuBrian · July 21, 2009, 11:03 PM

I went to the range with my gun locks on and my key at home. Those poor locks didn't know what hit them.

G-man 26 · July 21, 2009, 11:15 PM

Quote:

“It's funny to see that happen at a match. Even with load and make ready commands , I've seen folks start to 'shoot' with an empty gun.”

I was invited to shoot an IDPA practice match once. My trusty 92fs and a new leather holster, man what fun. After getting around the ribbing I got for having a Beretta (instead of a Glock) I did great on the first scenario. When I ran the fourth scenario out of five, I did exactly that. “Go” and… click. The guy with the timer offered to let me have a do-over, but I felt that was cheating, and decided to live with my score on that one. I began to fall apart due to nerves after the second round, and got progressively worse on each round. It was a blast, and everyone there was great. I need to go do that again.

This thread is a good argument for having extra magazines in the glove box of every vehicle. It would have solved your problem, and would be a great back up on the days you don’t forget the first mag.

Tucker 1371 · July 21, 2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

I forgot I hadn't replaced the 00 buck with 7 1/2 shot until the covey flushed. Not much left of the first bird.

That mad me laugh pretty hard

Shadi Khalil · July 21, 2009, 11:43 PM

I've done it before, I'll probably do it again.

Sefner · July 23, 2009, 12:24 PM

Quote:

There's a great line in the (mediocre) move "Taken" where Liam Neeson tells a former spook turned desk jockey "that's one of the things you forget when you ride a desk everyday, the weight in hand of a loaded gun opposed to an empty gun"... this is right after the guy hears that oh-so-unfortunate click, and right before he dies.

Not to hijack this thread, but that character does not die. In fact, Liam Neeson specifically keeps him alive. This calls into question your rating of the movie as merely mediocre

/endhijack

Ian0351 · July 23, 2009, 12:46 PM

My recollection of the film speaks to how impressed with it I was, I guess... In any event it's a cool line.

/hijack

July 20, 2009, 10:05 PM	#1
johnboy1981 Member Join Date: December 26, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 32	Stupid mistake The other day I was leaving to run a couple errands. Before I carry I always do a functions check on my carry pistol. Everything was ok so I holstered and finished getting ready then headed out the door. I returned home and was changing clothes when I noticed that I completly forgot to insert the magazine into my firearm. This totally freaked me out being that if something were to have happened that would have cost me my life. I definatley will not let this happen again. I am just glad that nothing happened that day.

July 20, 2009, 11:58 PM	#5
Sportdog Junior member Join Date: February 28, 2006 Location: Southwestern Michigan Posts: 369	johnboy 1981 Everyone makes mistakes. That does not make them "stupid" mistakes. Think how much better you will be prepared because of this minor gaff that ended up not a problem. Life is a constant learning process and I'll bet that you learned something out of it!

July 21, 2009, 12:04 AM	#6
KLRANGL Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2008 Location: Fredericksburg, VA Posts: 958	Only problem I've had lately is remembering to keep a round in the dang chamber. 99% of the time, the carry gun has a round in the chamber. Every once in a while, for some reason or another, I take the round out, put it back in the mag, and re-insert the mag. On a few occasions I've picked up the carry gun and forgot to do a press check. Had I needed to pull the trigger on any of those days, the silence would have been deafening. Lets just say I do press checks a lot more often. __________________ And it's Killer Angel... as in the book

July 21, 2009, 12:21 AM	#7
troy_mclure Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2008 Location: gulf of mexico Posts: 2,716	i only unload my cary/hd guns when i clean them. __________________ There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is to use the means at hand to inflict the maximum amount of wound, death, and destruction on the enemy in the minimum amount of time."

July 21, 2009, 09:27 AM	#8
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,717	Even if you needed to draw you gun, there is probably a 99 percent chance you would not have needed to fire it. So you made a mistake, but don't freak out over it. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

July 20, 2009, 10:09 PM	#2
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Yeah but just like an empty pump shot gun... Just cycle the slide... The perp will fly back 10 feet and strike a wall hard enuff to break it... Brent

July 20, 2009, 11:34 PM	#4
evan1293 Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2007 Location: CT Posts: 783	That may be an argument for always keeping your carry gun loaded. Of course safe storage would be a priority for times when your gun is off your body.

July 21, 2009, 09:53 AM	#9
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	It's funny to see that happen at a match. Even with load and make ready commands , I've seen folks start to 'shoot' with an empty gun. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

July 21, 2009, 09:54 AM	#10
Hornett Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2006 Posts: 569	Or the time my son and I went Pheasant hunting and I cleaned my shotgun the night before. You know, just checking things out. I DID manage to put the charging handle back in, but when we got there and 8:00 am came, I couldn't get a shell to chamber at all. I had managed to put the gas cylinder in wrong somehow. After taking it apart 3 times we finally got it working and had a pretty good day afterwards. __________________ Guns don't kill people, Jack Bauer kills people.

July 21, 2009, 11:43 AM	#11
Peptobismol9 Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2009 Posts: 137	Dont stress over it. I havent yet had an encounter I have needed a gun to handle. That dosent mean i havent had to throwdown before, But, That worked out fine. If anything just take it as a learning experience. Now you will be more likley to remember. Always pack a knife. If worst comes to worst, A knife is a great tool to have, but avoid fighting with one, cause in self defense terms, it probally wouldnt look to good.

July 21, 2009, 05:14 PM	#12
skydiver3346 Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2007 Location: Florida Posts: 1,222	Loaded or not loaded: Wow, that could have been tough on you if you had needed your carry gun... I haven't ever had that happen but your post will make sure none of us ever do let that occur in the future. I always, (once I take a gun out of the safe, place a loaded magazine in the pistol). That way, if it is out of the safe, it is loaded, period. This ends any question or debate about the weapon in question. That is not to say I jacked a round in the chamber but it is loaded in th mag and therefore handled as such. That is just my way of handling any gun out of the safe. No children in my home now so my wife and I always know this procedure. It has worked for us for many years now.

July 21, 2009, 05:42 PM	#13
Dragon55 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2009 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 811	I forgot I hadn't replaced the 00 buck with 7 1/2 shot until the covey flushed. Not much left of the first bird. __________________ sailing ... A way to spend lots of money and go real S L O W

July 21, 2009, 07:14 PM	#14
Ian0351 Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2009 Location: Washington Posts: 414	There's a great line in the (mediocre) move "Taken" where Liam Neeson tells a former spook turned desk jockey "that's one of the things you forget when you ride a desk everyday, the weight in hand of a loaded gun opposed to an empty gun"... this is right after the guy hears that oh-so-unfortunate click, and right before he dies. I have that problem sometimes with smaller/plastic guns, but it's pretty easy to tell the difference of 10 .40 S&Ws in a steel frame auto. __________________ You can have your churches, I'll keep my guns. Just keep your hands off my paycheck and your eyes out of my backyard. Join the Libertarian Party! http://www.lp.org Semper Fidelis

July 21, 2009, 08:28 PM	#16
johnboy1981 Member Join Date: December 26, 2007 Location: texas Posts: 32	I do a functions check because you never know when something will break and the worst time to find that out would be when you need it. I clean my carry piece once a week even when not used just to clear any dust or dirt that may have got in.

July 21, 2009, 09:13 PM	#17
bigghoss Senior Member Join Date: September 15, 2006 Location: Pueblo, Colorado Posts: 2,664	I left the house with my glock 26 and forgot to chamber a round __________________ I don't collect guns, I accumulate them.

July 21, 2009, 11:03 PM	#20
GojuBrian Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2009 Posts: 303	I went to the range with my gun locks on and my key at home. Those poor locks didn't know what hit them.

July 21, 2009, 11:43 PM	#23
Shadi Khalil Senior Member Join Date: September 23, 2006 Location: Alexandria, VA Posts: 5,210	I've done it before, I'll probably do it again.

July 23, 2009, 12:46 PM	#25
Ian0351 Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2009 Location: Washington Posts: 414	My recollection of the film speaks to how impressed with it I was, I guess... In any event it's a cool line. /hijack __________________ You can have your churches, I'll keep my guns. Just keep your hands off my paycheck and your eyes out of my backyard. Join the Libertarian Party! http://www.lp.org Semper Fidelis