A Close Call

PJR · March 22, 2001, 06:56 PM

This is a hard post for me to write but I'm doing so in hopes of sharing an experience that someone else might learn from. It's a story about as close as I've ever come to a serious accident with a shotgun. No one was hurt but even thinking about it still gives me the willies.

Recently, a friend and his wife expressed an interest in learning about shotguns. We went through a brief safety drill at my home and went to a local skeet range where took over an idle field and started to shoot low targets from station 7.

We had two of my 12 gauges with us -- an over/under and a semi automatic. Because my friend's wife had expressed a concern about recoil, I borrowed a 20-gauge over/under from another friend for her to try. I only own 12 gauge.

After they had shot their fill, I decided to shoot a bird or two with the semi. I fired a couple of rounds but on the third bird, the gun went click. Racking open the action, I quickly checked the chamber, saw it was empty and was about to drop a 12 gauge shell into the chamber when the alarm bells went off. With the action open, I inverted the gun and holding the muzzle in a safe direction, gently tapped the butt against the skeet pad. Out popped a 20-gauge shell that had lodged in deep in the forcing cone.

At the time, my wife and two good friends were standing within 6 feet of me. I shudder to think what might have happened if I hadn't remembered about the risk of a 12/20 burst and had instead dropped that 12 gauge shell into the chamber and fired. Simply checking the chamber wasn't enough. I needed to see daylight coming through the other end and didn't.

After a few minutes to compose myself, I fired the gun a couple more times and then packed up and we left.

It was a lesson I'll never forget. Always look for daylight coming through the barrel and be extra cautious when shooting a 20 and a 12.

Paul

Kharn · March 22, 2001, 07:24 PM

Or even better, account for all the 20 gauge shells before bringing out the 12s. Good save. When i buy shells, i always make sure my 12 gauges shells are black, my GF uses yellow 20 gauge shells, any mix-up is instantly visible to the two of us, and we keep our ammo boxes several feet apart.

Kharn

Al Thompson · March 22, 2001, 09:17 PM

Good presence of mind. Long ago I went to the range with a .41 and .44 Magnum revolver. Guess who fired six .41's through the wrong gun. Wish I had kept the cases as an example.

I was not as smart as you - thanks for the reminder.

Giz

Dave McC · March 23, 2001, 06:43 AM

Good post, Paul, it took guts to post that.Thanks...

And, this underscores the fact that no matter how long we've been shooting, no matter how good we are or think we are, safety HAS to come first...

I avoid this by simply not having both gauge guns out at the same time. When the 12 gauges get put away,so does the 12 ga ammo, and vice versa.

M1911 · March 23, 2001, 08:27 AM

When I bought my Remington 870 a few years ago, it came with a safety video from Remington. The video had the usual safety stuff, plus a video of 12 guage 870 fired with 20 guage shot shell lodged in the barrel ahead of the forcing cone. The video camera was behind thick bulletproof glass for a reason. The barrel literally exploded.

I'm very glad you caught the situation before then.

M1911

March 22, 2001, 09:17 PM	#3
Al Thompson Staff Alumnus Join Date: May 2, 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 3,611	It happens.. Good presence of mind. Long ago I went to the range with a .41 and .44 Magnum revolver. Guess who fired six .41's through the wrong gun. Wish I had kept the cases as an example. I was not as smart as you - thanks for the reminder. Giz __________________ http://www.scfirearms.org/

March 22, 2001, 06:56 PM	#1
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	This is a hard post for me to write but I'm doing so in hopes of sharing an experience that someone else might learn from. It's a story about as close as I've ever come to a serious accident with a shotgun. No one was hurt but even thinking about it still gives me the willies. Recently, a friend and his wife expressed an interest in learning about shotguns. We went through a brief safety drill at my home and went to a local skeet range where took over an idle field and started to shoot low targets from station 7. We had two of my 12 gauges with us -- an over/under and a semi automatic. Because my friend's wife had expressed a concern about recoil, I borrowed a 20-gauge over/under from another friend for her to try. I only own 12 gauge. After they had shot their fill, I decided to shoot a bird or two with the semi. I fired a couple of rounds but on the third bird, the gun went click. Racking open the action, I quickly checked the chamber, saw it was empty and was about to drop a 12 gauge shell into the chamber when the alarm bells went off. With the action open, I inverted the gun and holding the muzzle in a safe direction, gently tapped the butt against the skeet pad. Out popped a 20-gauge shell that had lodged in deep in the forcing cone. At the time, my wife and two good friends were standing within 6 feet of me. I shudder to think what might have happened if I hadn't remembered about the risk of a 12/20 burst and had instead dropped that 12 gauge shell into the chamber and fired. Simply checking the chamber wasn't enough. I needed to see daylight coming through the other end and didn't. After a few minutes to compose myself, I fired the gun a couple more times and then packed up and we left. It was a lesson I'll never forget. Always look for daylight coming through the barrel and be extra cautious when shooting a 20 and a 12. Paul

March 22, 2001, 07:24 PM	#2
Kharn Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,531	Or even better, account for all the 20 gauge shells before bringing out the 12s. Good save. When i buy shells, i always make sure my 12 gauges shells are black, my GF uses yellow 20 gauge shells, any mix-up is instantly visible to the two of us, and we keep our ammo boxes several feet apart. Kharn

March 23, 2001, 06:43 AM	#4
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Good post, Paul, it took guts to post that.Thanks... And, this underscores the fact that no matter how long we've been shooting, no matter how good we are or think we are, safety HAS to come first... I avoid this by simply not having both gauge guns out at the same time. When the 12 gauges get put away,so does the 12 ga ammo, and vice versa.

March 23, 2001, 08:27 AM	#5
M1911 Senior Member Join Date: March 28, 2000 Posts: 4,055	When I bought my Remington 870 a few years ago, it came with a safety video from Remington. The video had the usual safety stuff, plus a video of 12 guage 870 fired with 20 guage shot shell lodged in the barrel ahead of the forcing cone. The video camera was behind thick bulletproof glass for a reason. The barrel literally exploded. I'm very glad you caught the situation before then. M1911