Got careless (but lucky)

[ScottRiqui]

I was out shooting with some friends, and we had eight guns between us, in seven different calibers. I grabbed the wrong box of ammo when loading up my 1911 and ended up filling the magazine with .40 S&W instead of .45 ACP. The first round was smack in the bullseye, but the gun failed to feed the next round (surprise, surprise).

I realized what had happened, and tapped the now-split .40 case out of the barrel. No harm done to me or to the gun, but it was a sobering reminder to pay attention.

[Tactical Jackalope]

O_O wow....good thing..be more careful.

At least you hit the bullseye.

[AndyWest]

Ooh, Jeez. That's an eye-opener

I've had dreams where my mag is loaded backwards, with wrong ammo, or other crap like wood screws, etc. At least you weren't hurt.

[Dashunde]

I keep preaching that 40 is more comparable to 45 than anything else...lol

Glad it worked out ok.

[RC20]

I picked up a box of 45 GAP inst4ead of 45 ACP one day

Had no idea there was another 45 semi auto round.

Shot ok, just did not cycle. I think I was on the third round before it dawned on me that the gun had never acted that way.

Very sobering and a big sigh of relief.

So much for the days of 357 magnum that you simply could not chamber in the wrong gun (or 9mm and 45 acp!)

[Guv]

I've been shooting for over 40 years, how do you mistake a 40 for a 45?

[Gaerek]

I've been shooting for over 40 years, how do you mistake a 40 for a 45?

The same way anyone makes silly, non-nonsensical mistakes.

Carelessness
Complacency
Over Confidence
Simply not paying attention

How does anyone who supposedly knows the rules of safe firearms handling still have a Negligent Discharge?

[ScottRiqui]

I've been shooting for over 40 years, how do you mistake a 40 for a 45?

I only have one .45 and haven't had it for very long, so I haven't been handling .45 ammo for years and years. Just prior to the mishap, I had been shooting a bunch of .22 and .380, and the .40 S&W rounds felt plenty big in my fingers after that!

[Guv]

I once picked a 32WinSpecial out of a box of an old 30-30's (all Green Box Peter's) that my cousin and I were shooting out of his Canadian Cent 94 (nice gun). Maybe it wouldn't of chambered, I don't know? Point is, shooting and handling firearms requires your utmost attention, all the time

[TennJed]

I've been shooting for over 40 years, how do you mistake a 40 for a 45?

Since I am perfect and do not make mistakes, I will agree with you

[Kreyzhorse]

Thanks for posting Scott. It is a good reminder that even experienced shooters can make a simple mistake.

[Ozzieman]

Mine was dropping a 44 special into a 45 LC. I noticed it before I pulled the trigger. I had more than one box of ammo on the bench,,, stupid, stupid, stupid.
Thanks for sharing.

[lockedcj7]

I was helping a friend sight in a .308 win. rifle and noticed after the fact that he had some 7mm-08 ammo in a factory .308 box. I'm not sure if we fired any of the wrong ammo that day but it might explain the flyers.

We all get complacent from time to time and it's something that we must constantly fight against. ALWAYS clear a gun when you pick it up and ALWAYS double-check the headstamp.

[ScottRiqui]

I had more than one box of ammo on the bench,,, stupid, stupid, stupid.

That was probably the biggest contributing factor to my mishap. Also, I was shooting my reloads, and I use the same generic white ammo boxes for both .40 and .45. The boxes were labeled appropriately on the end flaps, but in my carelessness I didn't notice the difference. They were older reloads, and I've since gone to larger fluorescent labels that cover more of the box, and each caliber gets a different color label. Hopefully that (along with paying more attention in the future) will keep this from happening again.

I still have the case, but I think it's up at work. I'll post a picture when I find it. Basically, the .40 case fire-formed to the .45 chamber as much as it could, but then split. If I'm remembering correctly, the split starts as a single crack at the case mouth, then splits into a "Y" shape as it progresses down toward the case head.

[RC20]

I had forgot the 223 I put through the AK a while back.

Now that is truly dumb. I was both shooting on my bench and letting my brother shoot the AK for the first time.

I was talking and re-loading the clip for him (I use the 5 round ban clip exclusively as the 30 round banana is a pain so frequent reload but a more user friendly)

He fired off the shot and I whipped around, huh?

We have to check the gun, that one sounded wrong, maybe a bad round and bullet stuck in the barrel (old ammo, right......)

Found the 223 lodged in the guts and it was, #^&%.

I would not have guess it would chamber load in the clip, let alone cycle it nor fire it, but it did.

No damage other than to my ego but a damned good wake up call.

The 45 GAP was pure ignorance as I did not even know at the time glock had their own boutique round (one more nail in their coffin as far as I am cornered!) Embarrassing it took 3 rounds to figure it out.

You really do have to be careful out there, and mix ammo that might fit is high on the list (30-06 is not going to run in a 223) but some amazing combos that are unlikely can.

So any ammo that is remotely close has to be closely monitored.

Talking and shooting is also a bad idea. Do one at a time and have an awareness gap between each!

[TheNocturnus]

It happens. At least you didn't mistake .22lr for .45acp. We would be having a different discussion then.

[BigJimP]

Thanks for posting ....glad you, or the gun were not damaged...
------------
Its a good reminder - when you have several guns at the range.../ to only keep one kind of ammo on the bench at a time.

Stuff happens !!

[DATL]

Glad nothing crazy happened! I have always had a fear of doing this!

[Joe_Pike]

I've had dreams where my mag is loaded backwards

You mean like this?

[Adventurer 2]

I let a female friend shoot a number of my handguns - she was looking for a ccw gun. She loaded up a CM9 mag. First shot fired. Second shot click. Turned and smiled at me for help. She had loaded the mag with .380.

[jimbob24]

Last summer I went shooting with a couple I had just met and their kids. One of the kids loaded her 9mm ammo backwards in the mag. Thankfully she had a hard time racking the slide and when the mother took a look at it and dropped the mag, well let's just say they had a long discussion after that...

[geetarman]

I have come close to doing the same thing when taking a .40 and a 9mm to the range at the same time.

Now I take a .45 and a .40 or a .45 and a 9mm. Makes life easier.

I would think it would be very easy to do when taking 1911s to the range chambered in multiple calibers.

You can't be too careful. I was at the indoor range a year or so ago and a lady came in to rent a gun to get ready for her department qualification.

I am guessing she did not shoot much at all. Anyway she rented a .40 and the salesman at the counter gave her a box of 9mm.

She was having a terrible time getting the gun to function. Can't imagine why.

She was in the lane next to me and finally I asked to see the gun and the ammo and sent her back to the salesman to get it corrected.

They are all around us

[ScottRiqui]

Just an update - I finally found the case in question. This what you get when you accidentally try to "fire form" a .40 S&W case in a .45 ACP chamber:

[geetarman]

^^Gonna be real tough to resize that puppy. . .

[vossman]

Dang......... Glad ur ok