Have you ever accidently discharged your handgun?

[ROGER4314]

I posted my own experience but had to share the worst one I ever heard.

I was in the local auto parts place talking as guys will do. An older man shared this with us.

He and his wife got their 4 wheel ATV and a Ruger semi auto 22 pistol to pop some turtles in the farm pond. After a bit of shooting, they hung the Ruger on the stub of a mirror. Later, when they were about to leave, he started the engine causing vibration which made the pistol discharge repeatedly. When the smoke cleared, his wife, his leg and the ATV had all been shot!

I know..........it sounds like BS so I immediately challenged his story. He calmly rolled up his pants to reveal numerous bullet holes in his leg!

Flash

[N.H. Yankee]

I wouldn't call it accidently, prematurely maybe. I was lowering my gun on my target held on my PVC target frame, PVC everywhere, blew the top rail in two.

Second one, I really hate to admit this, I saw a coyote slowly walking across the yard from the bathroom window. I happened to just get back in from deer hunting, had my rifle and shells on a chair in the gun room. I grabbed my 30-30 and loaded one in the chamber, I run to the kitchen door, the main door is open but the screen door closed. I open the screen door, as I am exiting I hear footsteps behind me. I step out, the door slams I raise the gun and aim, the screen door hits me in the A$$ and BANG.

My FREEKING DUMBER THAN ME LAB was what I heard running down the hall, she hit the door to go out to see what all the excitement was about and hits me you know where. I ended up 3 steps down on the ground. I looked at her and said, you don't know how lucky you are I had only one bullet!
I still wonder if it was intentional!!!

[Zidru_ret.]

I often cary a .380 auto which has a "push down to fire" safety above the left grip. As with many people, I carried one in the chamber, safety on. This was never a problem during my fall/winter carrying, but when summer arose, and I adjusted to a deeper carry, I learned something rather eye opening. One day, after a rather active time of doing lawn work, cleaning the garage, helping the wife carry groceries, ect., I went inside to shower up. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the safety was now in the fire position. Considering that my summer carry places the barrel of my gun in a position that, depending on what I am doing at a given moment, could result in a grave or even fatal injury in the event of an accidental discharge, I was quite taken aback. Apparently all of the extra motion combined with the closer contact against my body somehow allowed the safety to work itself down. Possibly this was due to the repeated small amounts of pressure applied against it by my moving body. So now I have a standard: winter carry on hip = one in the tube safety on(6+1); summer carry against body = full mag, empty chamber.

[chevysquid]

One time for myself. I'll keep it short and say this-

ALCOHOL + AK47 = 1 DEAD TOASTER

The bullet went through a closet, then miraculousy between a fridge and a wall (magic bullet) without taking out the fridge, then killed the toaster, through another wall, then out the house through a window pane (luckily not the window).

[RayMich]

Fortunately, I have never had an accidental discharge.

I grew up around firearms all my life and learned to shoot very young. I got my first gun (a .22 bolt action rifle) when I was 10-years old, but was only allowed to touch it while dad was present. My dad drilled gun safety into our heads until it was oozing out of our ears.

While growing up, we were never allowed to handle a firearm unless we were under the direct supervision of a trained, responsible adult.

We were always drilled from a very young age to NEVER get complacent or distracted when handling a firearm. We were told that one must always assume that a firearm is ALWAYS loaded, consequently it should never be pointed at anyone. My grandmother used to say, "The devil always loads a gun when you are not looking!"

When hunting, the guns is to be carried empty with the safety ON, until you are situated in your final hunting spot. When field hunting, the gun must always be pointed down range, away from everyone in the hunting party and the safety must always be ON, until you acquired your target and you are ready to shoot.

The finger must always be kept outside the trigger guard, resting on the frame above the trigger guard, until a target is acquired and one has consciously decided to shoot it.

Never point a gun at anyone or anything you don't wish to destroy. This rule even included NOT pointing an empty firearm barrel at anyone, even if the barrel had been removed from the firearm for cleaning.

Always be sure of your target and anything behind it or near it. Be aware of areas you cannot see beyond your intended target. For this reason, a loaded rifle or handgun should never be aimed UP in the air, where if it is discharged the bullet can carry a long way and strike an unknown and unintended target far away.

Always make sure the gun is empty before handing it to someone else and hand it over with the breech open so the other person can see it is empty. This meant that we had to learn how to load and unload our own firearm before we were allowed to shoot it. We practiced with "snap caps" first.

Always be aware of bodies of water or other hard surfaces that could cause a bullet to ricochet or get deflected towards an unintended target.

Every time dad took us hunting or target shooting, he would have us drill through these gun safety rules.

I remember a couple of occasions while returning from hunting, when I was absolutely sure that my gun was empty, but I checked it anyways and sure enough, there was a round in the chamber. Grandma would have said that the devil was fishin' for souls and I denied him the pleasure. She was a very wise lady.

[Suwannee Tim]

When I was about 14 I fired a shot from a Browning Hi-Power in an apartment. There was a party next door and dozens of people. The bullet chopped almost in half a 1X12 wood book shelf and a 2x4 stud, and penetrated two sheets of drywall. If it hadn't hit so much wood it would have gone into the crowded apartment. I learned a lot that day. My brother almost shot himself in the knee with the same gun. He was playing around with the gun, loading , unloading, snapping, loading, etc....and decided to aim it right at his knee and snap it. I told him it was loaded. It was. He did shoot himself with this same gun. We were standing beside a speeding train and he got the bright idea to shoot the train. He got a chunk of bullet jacket in the forehead. He got hisself put in jail overnight with that gun. He was driving down the interstate at God-only-knows-want-speed. He tried to pass an old couple on the right just as they changed lanes which put him in the ditch. He pointed the Browning at them as they went by. They got his tag number. My brother can do things like that and not go to prison. That Browning is long gone, good riddance. Same brother shot hisself with a 30-06. There was a piece of angle iron planted in the ground,about 8" wide and 1/2" thick. He got the bright idea to shoot it from 10 yards. I knew better, stood behind him, I'm 14, he's 24 and I know better, he don't. Got a piece of bullet jacket in the forehead. Same brother fired 8 rounds from an M1 rifle down a road, minutes later a car came down the road. My best buddy killed a man. He was showing his wife how to let the hammer down on a loaded chamber of a SW revolver and the hammer slipped. The bullet hit a man over 100 yards away. He died ten days later. This incident is why your NRA liability insurance doesn't cover you at home. Hard, hard way to learn a lesson. I tried and tried to get him to be more safe but he wouldn't listen. He got the message when he killed the man. One thing I've learned from all this drama is to evaluate myself on gun safety. You can get away with a lot of stuff without being challenged. There is nothing easier in the world than to slip into laxity. I strive for perfection in gun safety. Of course I never achieve it but when I make a little mistake or I'm a little lax, I recognize it and tighten myself up, this is better than having reality tighten you up. When you handle guns every day you have to be pretty close to perfect to avoid a tragedy.

[SAIGAFISH]

I accidentily shot my foot with a nail gun once .hacksawing
the nail to get my foot off the truss was realy fun.

[Huntergirl]

No, can't say I ever did. Spose it'd be one of them 'holy crap!" suprises.

[Uncle Billy]

My Dad often told this story on himself to impress us with mandatory safety issues:
My grandfather was a veterinarian whose practice was mostly made up of dairy farms and the working horses that were everywhere in all sorts of uses before the advent of Model T's and the use of engines- he graduated from Cornell in 1916 and was the only animal doctor in our small city for 50 or so years. He carried a 1911 .45 which went with him on "housecalls" in case he had to put down an animal. When my Dad was a 7 year old (1924 or so), he and his pal were up in the attic of Dad's house doing what boys do- fooling around with whatever was at hand. Dad came across his father's .45 and, against standing orders, picked it up. He was familiar enough with it to drop the loaded clip but wasn't strong enough to rack it. When he pointed it out the attic window toward the back yard and pulled the trigger, it went off. The bullet went between the houses that were on the next street back-to-back with Dad's, went across that street, through the screen door of a house, down the hall, into the kitchen, was deflected by the floor and lodged in an exposed pipe that proceeded to spout water. Dad said he'd have gotten away with it if his friend hadn't ratted him out. The resulting discipline Dad got made a big impression on him- he was still talking about this episode 80 years later.

[Zombi]

I ALWAYS carry one in the pipe. I've never had an accidental discharge.

Get a quality holster made specifically for your gun. Not one of those one size fits all deals.

[doc540]

Yes

inside a bank

during business hours

AMT Backup .380

It was LOUD

[cam]

This wasn't an AD but was almost just as scarry. Was with a friend who carried a 1911 in a fanny pack. We were checking out at a crowded HD when he reached into his fp to get his wallet or something and out flies the gun making a loud noise as it skids across the floor. People started yelling and screaming "he's got a gun-he's got a gun". Took me about 15 minutes before I could stop laughing but poor friend looked scared to death. I don't think he knew what to do.

[raftman]

No accidental discharges, hopefully it will stay that way. I have accidentally dry-fired upon occasion and even that freaked me out.

[tacdriver22mk2]

when i was 10-11 and i was on the range at my lease and i was shooting a mossburg plinkmaster 22 and we needed to get up from sitting and my finger was on the trigger and one in the chamber and when i pointed the gun up to put the but on the ground to help me get up and one went off and man was i embarressed but no one was hert (that i know of) and no one knew so i didnt say any thing

[tacdriver22mk2]

from ray mitch bro that is exillent and is soooooo true can i use this as my signature
My grandmother used to say, "The devil always loads a gun when you are not looking!"

[Firepower!]

I think gun wasn't the problem there.

[big26john]

Not a handgun. I had a bolt action ruger m77 go off when closing the bolt. The trigger was not pulled or bumped. Fortunately it was pointed safely down range. If a firearm is loaded and I have it, it is pointed in a safe direction. No one else at the range even noticed it. I was extremely glad that I am anal retentive with firearms and where the muzzle is pointing!

[Steeler Fan]

Nope.

[faster200]

Several months ago, I was working a odd shift, covering a gap in our production hours to make sure a job got out in time. It was about 11 am, and I had been at work for 17 hours. When I got home (I don't think I should have been driving at that point), I decided I should clear and lock up my pistol before I hit the hay. I had the pistol pointed in a safe direction, but I didn't follow the rules after that. I did not eject the magazine as I normaly would do. As I pulled back on the slide to eject the chambered round, my hand slipped off the back of the slide. Thinking I would drop the pistol, I reflexively grabbed for it. Due to my exhasusted state, my hands turned into flippers when I grabbed for it, and I fired a round though the leg of my desk, though the wall, and into the floor just shy of the doorway to one of our bathrooms. My ears rang for about 30 minutes. After my initial shock, I recounted what I had done (I was very awake at that point) and cleaned up the mess I had made.

I almost gave my firearms to my father and brother-in-law that day, I was so disgusted with myself. Since then I have carefully looked at my habits in firearms handling, and have taken another safety course at a local firearms school. I have almost 15 years of shooting behind me, all without incident. I have and will always be a follower of the 4 rules to the utmost of my ability. I guess it was a perfect storm of possibilities that resulted in my negligent discharge. Thank God I was home alone that day, and that my wife and I do not have children yet.

Mods, sorry for the thread necromancy.

[Sefner]

Keeping thread alive.

One time me and two of my friends were sitting at my budd's place drinking (it had been a really long day for all of us. Let's just say troubles with the mob). One of them put one of their four Beretta 92s on the table next to the bottles. Few hours later the cat gets on the table. At this point the third guy was a little too tipsy and was ranting and raving. All the sudden he pounded his fist on the table and KABLOOEE. Put a new red paint job right in the wall. Cat was nowhere to be found. His wife was not happy.

disclaimer: The above never actually happened. It's a rather famous scene from a movie. Internets to whoever names the movie.

[DGTigers]

Boondock Saints. Great movie and definitely one of the best moments in movie history IMO.

[Hank15]

I've never accidentally discharged any gun.

I am curious though, what happens when you do?

Do you call the police and report it?

[SigP6Carry]

I've never had an a/nd myself, but I've come close. Once while shooting small game with some friends when the day ended, we went back in to the safe and were dropping off the shotguns in the safe. My friend was aiming his at the wall and ceiling and all around. Thankfully, he never pointed the gun at the rest of us and kept his finger off the trigger and the safety on, when he handed me the shotgun to put in the safe, I racked the bolt open and a live round flew out. Guess he had one more than he was used to or thought he had.

Another time, when I was probably 14 and shooting in boyscouts, I unintentionally chambered a round into a shotgun, didn't realize it and handed it to the counselor without thinking. He luckily racked the action and cleared it out before anything bad happened.

edit: actually, I did! My VERY first time shooting, in boy scouts, it was a bolt action rifle, .22 marlin single shot. I chambered the round and rested my finger on the trigger, and POP! I was kicked off the range for the day, for that. I didn't think it would fire so easily. Lesson learned.

edit: I should add, it sounds like a lot of these A/NDs could have been avoided by using snap-caps or empties while cleaning/checking ejection/functions. That's why, for me, snap-caps are a MUST.

[serf 'rett]

Not handgun. Brother still has a pellet in his hand from me reaching out a pulling the trigger on a neighbor's gun lying on a table. Can still re-live that moment of my pre-gun 7 year old life. Never want that to happen again.

[Dannyl]

Hi,
I have used guns since I was 12, and carry every day, round chambered, safety off , hammer down (S&W 4006, first round DA then it goes to SA mode)

I grew up in Israel, and a very important safety rule that is tought there, (in addition to the "golden 4") is that" whenever you hand-over or receive a firearm, check it to make sure it is not loaded". if this is followed, there is much less chances for accidents.
In my family, we check our guns before storing them in the safes (compulsory here if you are not carrying it on you) and when taking them out, I am against taking shortcuts.

If I am going to carry a firearm I load it, and until I unload it, there is no fumbling with it for any reason whatsoever.

One more word of advice; dry firing should be approached with the same caution as shooting, as it involves use of a firearm. it should be something you plan to do, and carry it out as a training excercise. falling into the habit of dry-firing when bored, or watching TV will make you lax, and creates a scenario for a potential diaster. Not only one should carefully check the firearm and magazines for the presence of live ammo before beginning, but I recommend that one must ensure that ther is no live ammunition at all in the same room.

This may sound like a lot of fuss, but IMO it beats the trouble (tragedy?) that can result form shots being fired when they are not supposed to.

Brgds,

Danny