Accidental/Negligent discharge-ever have one? - Page 3

amaverick · January 8, 2006, 11:31 PM

As embarrassing as it is I had an accident just a few months ago. I might have been one who thought this cannot happen to me but it did, after 40 years of owning handguns. Of course it was my fault, but it happened and I take it as a lesson to never take anything for granted and to be more careful when handling a gun. I bought a new 9MM XD Service model. I fired 100 rounds through it and went home. I decided to clean it that evening and just as I was going to start my wife came in and sat down. But I started taking it apart, pulled back the slide, locked it, held the slide to release it and pulled the trigger when it was in position. Bang, and I nicked my left hand which was on top of the slide. It was a combination of several things including my wife distracting me. She is nervous when around guns, which makes me a little up tight. I should have set the gun down and resumed when she left. I was also mentally and physically tired. I never popped the mag out, which I thought was empty anyway, but a serious error on my part. The only good part was I did follow the correct procedures and had the gun pointed away and down from both of us. The powder burn was probably worse than the bullet which left a nice 2" scar.
Ever see a bumper sticker that says, "[color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] happens"?

Kowboy · January 10, 2006, 02:41 PM

All:

I don't like the "there are no accidents" philosophy.

I'm missing a left index finger tip from a table saw (inexperience) and a cabinetmaker friend of mine (missing a thumb tip) told me of an eighty-year old man who worked at a shop with him lamenting the "young kids" and their poor saftey records. "I've been doing this sixty years and I've got all my fingers."

Two days later he left a thumb and a forefinger in a chopsaw.

My point? Guns or tablesaws, you can follow all the rules for all the years and still get hurt. Wer'e human.

My uncle set a bag of powder on top of an ashtray with a lit cigarette in it. I know, UNBELIEVEABLE, smokin' and loadin'. Anyway, he blew the kitchen ceiling joists out of wack and was hospitalized briefly.

hIPSHOT33 · January 10, 2006, 04:17 PM

I don't care how good you think you are or how long you have handled firearms . You will have a accidental discharge . Just pray to God that you were following the other safty rules when it happens . I have been handeling firearms sence I was 6 years old ,57 years and I have had 5 and each one scared the hell out of me .

PythonGuy · January 11, 2006, 09:21 PM

^ Baloney.

Ken O · January 11, 2006, 10:22 PM

Accident do happen. I know people who drive without insurance and say that they just wont get into an accident so it doesnt matter, or... I dont need health insurance because I just wont get sick.
The safest way to be is to think it CAN happen, so always keep the finger out of the trigger, or keep it pointed in a safe direction when clearing, even though you KNOW it isnt loaded.
I had a very embarissing AD, even though no one was around. I had everything packed ready to go to deer camp. I went into the bedroom to clear my .380 nightstand gun. I have shot IPSC and other competitions for years so clearing is second nature I thought. I racked the slide, ejected the round, looked down the chamber and saw it was empty, dropped the slide, then dropped the mag. Yep, I should have dropped the mag first. Well, I pointed in a safe direction (the bed) and dropped the hammer, Bamm! This wouldn't have been too bad except it was a water bed upstairs. I think it wont be bad because the .380 isnt that powerfull and with the quilt, sheets etc it will never make it though the water. WRONG! It went through all including the bed liner, on though the wood, and into the built in drawers. What a mess, had to bail out the bed, had a drawer full of water and cloths etc. Kind of funny now, but it sure wasnt then. It took hours of cleaning up.
Don't ever get so compacent to think it cant happen to you, it can!

Chris Phelps · January 12, 2006, 08:56 AM

I never had a firearm discharge unintentionally, but I plastered the inside of my friends car door with a paintball which had accidentally discharged. We were just messing around, we were driving the back roads looking for wooded areas near the road to play. We had piled into the van for the second time and headed further up the road. I had my paintball gun resting acrossed my lap, I thought it was empty. I was playing with the trigger, which is electronic and I thought I had switched off. *pop* we both jumped, and I looked over at the passenger door. It was plastered in yellow paint. Pretty embarrassing.

orionengnr · January 12, 2006, 10:14 PM

Quote:
"I have been handeling firearms sence I was 6 years old ,57 years and I have had 5 and each one scared the hell out of me."

Let's see, subtract six from fifty-seven equals fifty-one. Five AD/ND in 51 years equals one per about ten years on average.

Not sure you are learning a lot here...

[Smoke] · January 17, 2006, 05:01 AM

Mossberg 12ga. Changing the barrel from home defense to bird hunting. Opened the chamber to remove the barrel, put the other barrel on. Closed everything up. Forgot about the slugs. Didnt have one in when I picked it up and I knew that. Just in the tube. Didnt realize I put one in when I changed the barrel. Next thing I know, BOOM!!! Now I have a new heating vent over my bench. Somethings just seem to work out on there own.

Don't get me wrong...scared the %^@# out of me. Almost proved Darwin correct.

Wisby · January 17, 2006, 06:12 AM

I have one from when I was about 12. Was unloading a 30-30 I had just got I had loaded to see how many shells it could hold....... After I (thought) I had all the shells back out I lowered the hammer and shot a hole through the floor. The main thing I remeber thinking was "I just shot my Dog" I ran outside and checked under the house to make sure he wasn't laying up under there. I was the only one home just got out of school.
With the "I just shot my dog" thing my Dad told me when I first start'd shooting always make sure youknow what your aiming at.. and always point your gun in a safe direction "You wouldn't want to shoot Pete (My dog) would you"

1. I haven't had another Incident since then I'm 27 today actually Happy Birthday me

and to this Day unless my Dad read's the Forum my parents nvr found out about it.

625 · January 17, 2006, 07:20 AM

No, maybe some of us are more careful than others. I think a good analogy might be driving a car and getting into an accident. Sure, you can't help it if someone runs into you, or you hit a patch of black ice and take out a telephone pole. This would be comparable to an accidental discharge.

Now, if you run into someone else (or something else) because you are not paying attention (eating, playing with the stereo, daydreaming, tailgating, etc,), this would be the negligent discharge. No good excuse for it. Can we ever come close to preventing negligent incidents? No way, but I think we need to address that some of us are more careful than others. Some of us are funnier than others.(not me) Some of us are more athletic than others. Some of us......

DigitalShooter2 · January 17, 2006, 08:22 PM

25 years ago - I had previously shot and owned revolvers but I had just bought a S&W 9mm auto. I took it out to the woods near my house, set up a safe target area firing into a high creek bank 50 yards away. The first shot surprisingly hit my target and I relaxed my grip and dropped the gun to my side to look at my work. My hand was still in motion when I was suddenly introduced to the true meaning of SA in a DA/SA semi auto. Afterwards, I unloaded the gun, checked my boot (several times) and seriously considered getting rid of it. I now check and double check obsessively. The shock and fear of that moment is forever etched in my memory. It was definately negligant.

mxwelch · January 17, 2006, 08:57 PM

There was a dealer at a gunshow near where I lived that, for whatever reason, loaded a live round in a Para and had a AD or maybe I should say SD,(stupid discharge) into the concrete floor. No one was hurt and the State Police at the request of the stadium owner removed him from the property and banned him from ever coming back. I believe a person can handle firearms their whole life and never have an AD but it's like anything else, the more you do it the more confident you get and if you're not careful can relax and start cutting corners on safety.

Robert Foote · January 18, 2006, 12:33 AM

Yup.

Tough on the ego but if at least pointed properly that's all that's really hurt.

There are those who have done it and those who eventually will--and between the two it runs right around 100%.

joneb · January 18, 2006, 02:05 AM

yep shot my buddy Scott in the groin

missed his vitals by inches the load was a ITP yep that's right a improvised tooth pick with a little masking tape to give it a good seal in my air rifle. well Scott was fine but what a &$!@ up . I learned a important leason on gun safty when I was twelve.

January 12, 2006, 10:14 PM	#57
orionengnr Senior Member Join Date: July 9, 2004 Posts: 5,179	referring to post 53 Quote: "I have been handeling firearms sence I was 6 years old ,57 years and I have had 5 and each one scared the hell out of me." Let's see, subtract six from fifty-seven equals fifty-one. Five AD/ND in 51 years equals one per about ten years on average. Not sure you are learning a lot here...

January 8, 2006, 11:31 PM	#51
amaverick Member Join Date: September 9, 2005 Location: St. George Posts: 72	As embarrassing as it is I had an accident just a few months ago. I might have been one who thought this cannot happen to me but it did, after 40 years of owning handguns. Of course it was my fault, but it happened and I take it as a lesson to never take anything for granted and to be more careful when handling a gun. I bought a new 9MM XD Service model. I fired 100 rounds through it and went home. I decided to clean it that evening and just as I was going to start my wife came in and sat down. But I started taking it apart, pulled back the slide, locked it, held the slide to release it and pulled the trigger when it was in position. Bang, and I nicked my left hand which was on top of the slide. It was a combination of several things including my wife distracting me. She is nervous when around guns, which makes me a little up tight. I should have set the gun down and resumed when she left. I was also mentally and physically tired. I never popped the mag out, which I thought was empty anyway, but a serious error on my part. The only good part was I did follow the correct procedures and had the gun pointed away and down from both of us. The powder burn was probably worse than the bullet which left a nice 2" scar. Ever see a bumper sticker that says, "[color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color][color=#FF0000]█[/color] happens"?

January 10, 2006, 02:41 PM	#52
Kowboy Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2005 Posts: 148	All: I don't like the "there are no accidents" philosophy. I'm missing a left index finger tip from a table saw (inexperience) and a cabinetmaker friend of mine (missing a thumb tip) told me of an eighty-year old man who worked at a shop with him lamenting the "young kids" and their poor saftey records. "I've been doing this sixty years and I've got all my fingers." Two days later he left a thumb and a forefinger in a chopsaw. My point? Guns or tablesaws, you can follow all the rules for all the years and still get hurt. Wer'e human. My uncle set a bag of powder on top of an ashtray with a lit cigarette in it. I know, UNBELIEVEABLE, smokin' and loadin'. Anyway, he blew the kitchen ceiling joists out of wack and was hospitalized briefly.

January 10, 2006, 04:17 PM	#53
hIPSHOT33 Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2005 Location: ETNA CA. IN THE REAL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Posts: 120	I don't care how good you think you are or how long you have handled firearms . You will have a accidental discharge . Just pray to God that you were following the other safty rules when it happens . I have been handeling firearms sence I was 6 years old ,57 years and I have had 5 and each one scared the hell out of me .

January 11, 2006, 09:21 PM	#54
PythonGuy Junior member Join Date: November 4, 2004 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 456	^ Baloney.

January 11, 2006, 10:22 PM	#55
Ken O Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2005 Location: Half way between Grayling and Cadillac, Michigan Posts: 353	Accident do happen. I know people who drive without insurance and say that they just wont get into an accident so it doesnt matter, or... I dont need health insurance because I just wont get sick. The safest way to be is to think it CAN happen, so always keep the finger out of the trigger, or keep it pointed in a safe direction when clearing, even though you KNOW it isnt loaded. I had a very embarissing AD, even though no one was around. I had everything packed ready to go to deer camp. I went into the bedroom to clear my .380 nightstand gun. I have shot IPSC and other competitions for years so clearing is second nature I thought. I racked the slide, ejected the round, looked down the chamber and saw it was empty, dropped the slide, then dropped the mag. Yep, I should have dropped the mag first. Well, I pointed in a safe direction (the bed) and dropped the hammer, Bamm! This wouldn't have been too bad except it was a water bed upstairs. I think it wont be bad because the .380 isnt that powerfull and with the quilt, sheets etc it will never make it though the water. WRONG! It went through all including the bed liner, on though the wood, and into the built in drawers. What a mess, had to bail out the bed, had a drawer full of water and cloths etc. Kind of funny now, but it sure wasnt then. It took hours of cleaning up. Don't ever get so compacent to think it cant happen to you, it can!

January 12, 2006, 08:56 AM	#56
Chris Phelps Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2005 Location: South China, Maine Posts: 814	I never had a firearm discharge unintentionally, but I plastered the inside of my friends car door with a paintball which had accidentally discharged. We were just messing around, we were driving the back roads looking for wooded areas near the road to play. We had piled into the van for the second time and headed further up the road. I had my paintball gun resting acrossed my lap, I thought it was empty. I was playing with the trigger, which is electronic and I thought I had switched off. pop we both jumped, and I looked over at the passenger door. It was plastered in yellow paint. Pretty embarrassing.

January 17, 2006, 05:01 AM	#58
[Smoke] Junior Member Join Date: January 17, 2006 Posts: 1	Mossberg 12ga. Changing the barrel from home defense to bird hunting. Opened the chamber to remove the barrel, put the other barrel on. Closed everything up. Forgot about the slugs. Didnt have one in when I picked it up and I knew that. Just in the tube. Didnt realize I put one in when I changed the barrel. Next thing I know, BOOM!!! Now I have a new heating vent over my bench. Somethings just seem to work out on there own. Don't get me wrong...scared the %^@# out of me. Almost proved Darwin correct.

January 17, 2006, 06:12 AM	#59
Wisby Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 2005 Location: Bangor, Wa / Cypress, Tx Posts: 302	I have one from when I was about 12. Was unloading a 30-30 I had just got I had loaded to see how many shells it could hold....... After I (thought) I had all the shells back out I lowered the hammer and shot a hole through the floor. The main thing I remeber thinking was "I just shot my Dog" I ran outside and checked under the house to make sure he wasn't laying up under there. I was the only one home just got out of school. With the "I just shot my dog" thing my Dad told me when I first start'd shooting always make sure youknow what your aiming at.. and always point your gun in a safe direction "You wouldn't want to shoot Pete (My dog) would you" 1. I haven't had another Incident since then I'm 27 today actually Happy Birthday me and to this Day unless my Dad read's the Forum my parents nvr found out about it.

January 17, 2006, 07:20 AM	#60
625 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2005 Location: PA Posts: 858	No, maybe some of us are more careful than others. I think a good analogy might be driving a car and getting into an accident. Sure, you can't help it if someone runs into you, or you hit a patch of black ice and take out a telephone pole. This would be comparable to an accidental discharge. Now, if you run into someone else (or something else) because you are not paying attention (eating, playing with the stereo, daydreaming, tailgating, etc,), this would be the negligent discharge. No good excuse for it. Can we ever come close to preventing negligent incidents? No way, but I think we need to address that some of us are more careful than others. Some of us are funnier than others.(not me) Some of us are more athletic than others. Some of us......

January 17, 2006, 08:22 PM	#61
DigitalShooter2 Member Join Date: September 28, 2005 Location: SoCal Posts: 29	25 years ago - I had previously shot and owned revolvers but I had just bought a S&W 9mm auto. I took it out to the woods near my house, set up a safe target area firing into a high creek bank 50 yards away. The first shot surprisingly hit my target and I relaxed my grip and dropped the gun to my side to look at my work. My hand was still in motion when I was suddenly introduced to the true meaning of SA in a DA/SA semi auto. Afterwards, I unloaded the gun, checked my boot (several times) and seriously considered getting rid of it. I now check and double check obsessively. The shock and fear of that moment is forever etched in my memory. It was definately negligant.

January 17, 2006, 08:57 PM	#62
mxwelch Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2006 Posts: 379	There was a dealer at a gunshow near where I lived that, for whatever reason, loaded a live round in a Para and had a AD or maybe I should say SD,(stupid discharge) into the concrete floor. No one was hurt and the State Police at the request of the stadium owner removed him from the property and banned him from ever coming back. I believe a person can handle firearms their whole life and never have an AD but it's like anything else, the more you do it the more confident you get and if you're not careful can relax and start cutting corners on safety.

January 18, 2006, 12:33 AM	#63
Robert Foote Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1998 Posts: 623	Yup. Tough on the ego but if at least pointed properly that's all that's really hurt. There are those who have done it and those who eventually will--and between the two it runs right around 100%.

January 18, 2006, 02:05 AM	#64
joneb Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2005 Location: Central , OR Posts: 1,888	yep shot my buddy Scott in the groin missed his vitals by inches the load was a ITP yep that's right a improvised tooth pick with a little masking tape to give it a good seal in my air rifle. well Scott was fine but what a &$!@ up . I learned a important leason on gun safty when I was twelve.