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Old May 18, 2009, 06:46 PM   #1
m&p45acp10+1
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It happened to me

I have been wanting to share on this topic in writing. I have given the speech many times, but never have taken the time to write it out. If you are new to fire arms, or know someone that is please read all of this and show it to them. You have my premission to reprint this for helping to educate anyone on gun safety so that they may avoid going through what I and my blood brother have. It nearly cost both of us our lives, and I still have the scars to remind me of the lessons that I had to be riminded of the hard way.

I grew up around guns. My maternal grandfather was former army. WWII, and Korean war veteran, a ranger, and member of the 10th Special Forces. He grew up traveling with a wild west show, and was a trick shooter. He taught me well. I think he started teaching me as soon as the diapers came off. His biggest thing to impress on me was the first three factors when handeling fire arms. They were SAFETY, SAFETY, AND SAFETY. The Ten Comandments of Safty were heavily instilled in me. Safe handeling became like second nature to me.

This brings me to the point where I am going to tell ablut the things that I quite knew better than to do, and did anyway. I learned several lessons from it, at the cost of nearly loosing my life, I am alive by no small miracle.

I was 18 young, strong, stubborn, full of fire, and thought that I knew everthing I needed to know. (Generaly a typical 18 year old male). I had in the week before been stabbed while walking home from work. It was a rare thing in the small Texas town I grew up in. I had been jumped, and suffered 17 superficial wounds, if I had not known how to fight back I truly belive I would be dead. I was able to injure 3 of the 4 attackers enouhg that they dicided it better to leave. I had to walk over a mile to the nearest house to use a phone to call the police, and an ambulance was sent as soon as they heard that I had been stabbed. I gave a description of the car, and the attackers injuries, they had covered thier faces with bandanas, typical of gang bangers. They were captured. The next day some people had informed me that some gang bangers were asking where the guy that got stabbed lived. It seemed to me like they were looking to retaliate for thier frineds going to jail. I made the detective aware of this, he thought I was just being paranoid. I decided to take no chances, and my mother freaked out big time. I was walking because my jalopy had broken down again and I was trying to make enough money to get it running again. Needles to say mom says no way are you going to wind up walking again. So it was time to get me a good truck. Also hearing about possible retaliation she allowed me to unsafe grampa's rifle for defending the house. We lived way out in the sicks, respnse times from LEO were usualy at least 15 minutes. Mom wanted us to be able to defend against an attack if it happened.

2 days later I was in town pumping gas in my truck when a car pulled up at the pump across from me. The guys inside piled out quick and were coming right at me. Some how I pulled the fuel nozle out of the truck and sprayed them with it. I still do not remember doing it. I remember holding my zippo lighter open, they were staring hatefuly at me. One seemed to do all of the talking. He said we will get you, he made reference to a gang and made some hand sighns. I said I think I need a smoke. They left. The clerk in the store called the police. They showed up shortly after the gangbangers left.

I talked to the detective again. He suggested I stay away from the town that they lived in, that I should watch for sighns of them possibly following me, and to call if they continued to bother me. I realized right then and there that twice lucky was pushing it. I needed a stand off weapon. I went to my tribal blood brother's house. The two of us picked our brains for what would be a good stand off weapon that was legal. I was too young for a hand gun that was out of the question. We came up with the idea of a sawed off shot gun. I went to a few pawn shops and found what I thought would be good for the use. It was a single barrelled single shot, single action with external hammer. I cut the barrell off to 19 inches, and filed it smooth. I pistol gripped the stock. I then did the major no-no. I turned it into a widowmaker. I removed the trigger, and trigger guard, and did the work to make it fire by simply pulling the hammer back, then let it go. I thought it to be a stand off weapon. I knew if at gunpoint I had the other person knew if my thumb left that hammer he was going to die. I kept it loaded with bird shot. It is deadly at close range, without chancing over penetration. Just what I wanted.

Now to the point. I was at my blood brother's house with a few other friends, I was relaxing with a few drinks that turned into a few too many. I had the gun in the pocket of my duster. my blood brother put it on because he was fixing to go to the store, and I told him he could wear it. He said here take your gun. He pulled it out of the pocket, and was turning it to face upwards, I crossed its path, the hammer caught on the sleeve of the jacket, and was pulled back enough it discharged. I was getting up off of the couch at the time, and found my self spun sightly forward, the raor of it echoed in my ears, I noticed that I was holding my chest. We made eyecontatct for what seemed like forever. I tried to speak and nohting came out. I looked down and saw the blood. I realised also that I could not breathe. I was shot in the chest from arms reach distance with a 12 ga. shot gun with #6 shot. My left pectorial was shredded, my lung collapsed and was now filling with blood. It missed my heart, and the aortic arch by a miralce. Less than 1mm from what the surgeon said.

Here is where it gets interesting. Everyone was panicking. I started to walk outside. It was an unseasonably cold November night for North Central Texas, Somewhere in the 10 degree area. I made it to the porch and I remmber falling. I opened my eyes and it was dark where I was but I could see purple light, and a person above me saying he is dead. I remember it well, I could hear people screaming in the back ground. I could hear my blood brother's mom screaming his name, saying don't do, please don't do it. I head a gunshot. I jumped and tried to talk, there was so much blood in my mouth I just gurgled. The man standing above me looked with great disbelief, and I rember hearing a beeb beeb beeeb sound. He touched my neck and then turned me on my side said spit it out if you can. He yelled he is alive, I have a pulse he is breating, get that helicopter here now. Things started to move real fast, I can not rember much for the next few minutes, I just kept tring to ask how is my brother. When I finaly got the words out, one of the medics said he is alive, and they are putting him in protective sustody on suicide watch, he almost shot himself, a cop knocked the gun away from his head, and it went off. He is ok, just shaken up.

I was in the operating room before I knew what was happeinig. I have no memory of the next 3 days. I spent 23 hours on the operating table, 5 surgeons worked on me. Thankfuly I am left minus a piece of lung the size of a baseball, I still have use of my left arm, I have left pectorial muscle. A scar about as big around as the bottom of a soda can right over my heart. another scar from the chest tubes and a long scar that runs along my left side where they opened me up to repair the lung. I spent 6 days in the hospital. I was strong, young and stubborn, I was home for thanksgiving. My mother was dying of terminal cirrosis of the liver I knew it could be our last one together, I was not going to spend it in a hospital. The doctor released me to go home. I stopped at the police station in my home town to thank the first responders that helped to save my life that night. They were all happy to see me. Surprising as that may seem, I had a tendency to raise some cain on occasion as they usualy were called when I did so.

They asked if I would agree to have the gun destroyed. It was legal, but they felt it dangerous, it had nearly taken 2 lives in 1 night. I said no. I agreed that it shoud be made inoperable, pictures of me from that night should put on a plaque with the gun, and it be used as a teaching aid for gun safety. That idea won out. The detective still has it, and uses it. My blood brother was released to me from suicide watch. We hugged, and made a pact right then and there to never mix alcohol and guns, and to always break one open when handeling, and keep it pointed in a safe direction. We still shoot together, and are closer than ever.

Last edited by Bud Helms; May 18, 2009 at 08:32 PM. Reason: A couple of spaces to aid the reading - Bud
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Old May 18, 2009, 07:00 PM   #2
m&p45acp10+1
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Things I learned from the experience

1 No matter how many times it is done and nothing happens when handeling guns unsafely. It only takes 1 time of something happening to KILL YOU.
2 Never assume anything check and check again. Never point a gin in a person's direction unless you intend to shoot them.
3 Life is precious, do not take it for granted. Tell the people you love how much they mean to you. You may never get that chane again.
4 Be as active as you can in instilling safety, be it BB guns with kids, or real guns with new shooters.
5 Try to not learn the hard way. Yes it realy drives home the message, but sometimes that lesson comes at the epense of somone being killed.
6 Learn CPR it saved my life and has counless others.



PS The gangbangers were rounded up while I was in the hospital. Most are still in prision on various charges, the ones that stabbed me are all still serving time.
I am a CCW carrier and have been since I turned 21. I cary everwhere it is legal to. I know what can happen when there are those intent on hariming or killing someone. I pray that the time never comes when I actualy have to use my gun. Untill then I train and practice.
So all in all stay safe,
Nate
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Old May 19, 2009, 04:37 PM   #3
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Wow!
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Old May 19, 2009, 05:06 PM   #4
Brian Pfleuger
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Quote:
They were SAFETY, SAFETY, AND SAFETY. The Ten Comandments of Safty were heavily instilled in me. Safe handeling became like second nature to me..... We came up with the idea of a sawed off shot gun. I went to a few pawn shops and found what I thought would be good for the use. It was a single barrelled single shot, single action with external hammer. I cut the barrell off to 19 inches, and filed it smooth. I pistol gripped the stock. I then did the major no-no. I turned it into a widowmaker. I removed the trigger, and trigger guard, and did the work to make it fire by simply pulling the hammer back, then let it go.

Apparently not....
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Old May 19, 2009, 05:33 PM   #5
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You are lucky to be alive.....You kept mentioning "blood brother" in your post, are you American Indian? Not trying to be funny, just curious.

Last edited by mtrain; May 19, 2009 at 07:52 PM. Reason: change
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Old May 20, 2009, 11:09 AM   #6
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'Try to not learn the hard way."

The moral of the story is the hardest challenge.
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Old May 20, 2009, 06:39 PM   #7
m&p45acp10+1
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Mtrain to awnser your question yes I am Native American. My maternal grandfather was half Cheyene, my fraternal grandmother is Ogalala Sioux. My blood brother is Kiowa.
On another note I would post a picture of the scars if I could figure out how to get a picture to post here. I keep trying to cut copy and paste it, it will cut and copy just will not let me paste it.
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Old May 20, 2009, 06:57 PM   #8
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The photo has to be hosted on one of the hosting websites like photobucket. Once it's on there, copy and post the link. If that's what you're trying, try typing the address in the add-photo box on here. Or PM me the pic's address and I will try to post it for you.
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Old May 20, 2009, 07:21 PM   #9
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Post with the image as an attachment. Submit Reply. Edit the post and click on the attachment. Copy the url of the attachment. Return to th edit session and use the image tags to post the image url.

That's how to post a pic inline.

However, a pic of scars may be better left as an attachment, y'know? Grandma's watching.
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Old May 20, 2009, 08:20 PM   #10
m&p45acp10+1
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I hope this works this is a picture of the scar 14 years later. I had a team of the best of the best surgeons in thier respective specialties, and they did an outstanding job.
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Old May 20, 2009, 08:40 PM   #11
Kyo
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wow man. I read the widow maker part and I disagreed with it completely. tough and lucky guy. hope you had some kids and made some good memories cause your on borrowed time bro.
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Old May 20, 2009, 09:27 PM   #12
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G'day.
With the benefit of hindsight and 14 more years of maturity, what would you have done differently?

Thanks for your story. I will be sharing it.
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Old May 21, 2009, 05:46 PM   #13
m&p45acp10+1
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Things I would have done differently are
1 never drink around guns. (alcohol quickly removed the safty thinking in my brain) it is amazing how quickly it killed out years of safe handling habbits.
2 left the trigger and trigger guard alone, to keep the gun functional as it was desighned to be.
3. I would not have put it in the pocket of my jacket, and left it in the truck.(I was scared to be caught without it. The gang bangers that were bothering me knew what my truck looked like, and the town was small so they could have found me quickly, and easily.)
I had also mentioned that the gang bangers had been rounded up while I was in the hospital. (they were rounded up because they tried a drive by on my house. Luckily mom was at the hospital with me when they did it.
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Old May 23, 2009, 12:53 AM   #14
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No guns being casually handed around anywhere.

Ever.

Whenever a gun gets introduced into a situation I am in,I am at full alert.

People have called me many names but I always defer to the killing power of any handgun.

Your true story tells why.

So very glad to read that your blood brother did'nt kill himself in grief and that you are alive.

Thank you for posting your true story.

You might have saved some lives by doing so.
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Old July 30, 2009, 08:05 PM   #15
m&p45acp10+1
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Bump. Had someone that wanted to read this so I am bumping it maybe some one can use this to show that one time is all it takes.
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Old July 31, 2009, 07:31 AM   #16
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what's a blood brother?
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Old August 1, 2009, 08:43 AM   #17
m&p45acp10+1
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Blood brother is a tribal term. Similar to broter in arms. Or more closely deinfed as adopted brother. We still to this day are very close.
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Old August 1, 2009, 09:33 AM   #18
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Here's one, not to hi-jack your thread.

I stopped by my bosses house last weekend to pick up a bandsaw to use with cutting kydex. Anyway he's a new gun user but not a new gun owner. He has a WWI colt 1911 (belonged to his uncle a WWI vet) that he's been wanting to sell because he doesn't like "that style" of pistol. He went and got it out of the safe and brought it out on the porch. He looked it over for a few moments "I've never looked at it in the sunlight" he racked the slide and handed it to me. Only it had a full mag in it and he'd just chambered one and handed it to me off safety and loaded... I made the mistake of looking at both sides of it before racking the slide myself to verify it was unloaded. I felt like an idiot for not checking when he first handed to to me, he almost got sick when this old round (looked 30 years old) ejected out on the porch. The one good thing was I held the slide back and released the magazine, at least I didn't rechamber a round.

A week earlier a friend of mine had accidently shot his wife in the chest with a 357 needless to say she didn't make it. Charges haven't been filed "yet" I'm sure he'll be charged with something...

It only takes one misstep and you'll have a lifetime of regret. Be safe.
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Old August 1, 2009, 09:53 AM   #19
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I faced a similar situation when I was 16,it too involved a sawed-off shotgun and gang members. Shots were fired,unfortunately thats as detailed as I can be without breaking the forum's rules.I leave the rest to your imagination...
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Old August 16, 2010, 08:53 PM   #20
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^^what rules would you be breaking^^

Amazing story MP. There are several morals to this story.

(bump, as we were discussing and linking this story in another thread)
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Old August 16, 2010, 09:26 PM   #21
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Imagine what would have happened if he used buckshot...
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Old August 16, 2010, 10:34 PM   #22
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Rampant, you're wicked! (referring to that sig line)

m&p45,

First, thank you for posting that utterly horrible story. As a disinterested (not "uninterested") reader only, the most terrible part of this would have been if your "blood brother" had succeeded in executing himself. God bless you for your merciful heart, and for assuaging his burning guilt and keeping a friendship. I know I wouldn't kill myself under those or any similar circumstances, but I can understand wanting to.

Nothing short of a miracle? You got that right. The good Lord does provide, after His own plans, if not ours.

And, dude, stop screwing around with your guns! Oh, but you know that.

Seriously, purchasing the shotgun and installing a pistol grip was comprehensible, but after that, whoa!

Oh, and how much did Dr. Pepper pay for the product placement?
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Old August 16, 2010, 11:08 PM   #23
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Cliff Notes with BOLD highlights

Quote:
We came up with the idea of a sawed off shotgun. I went to a few pawn shops and found what I thought would be good for the use. It was a single barrelled single shot, single action with external hammer. I cut the barrel off to 19 inches, and filed it smooth. I pistol gripped the stock. I then did the major no-no. I turned it into a widowmaker. I removed the trigger, and trigger guard, and did the work to make it fire by simply pulling the hammer back
Why not a SxS or pump shotgun?


Quote:
I was at my blood brother's house with a few other friends, I was relaxing with a few drinks that turned into a few too many..
<edit>
He pulled it out of the pocket, and was turning it to face upwards, I crossed its path, the hammer caught on the sleeve of the jacket, and was pulled back enough it discharged
That was inevitable


Quote:
I was shot in the chest from arms reach distance with a 12 ga. shotgun with #6 birdshot. My left pectorial was shredded, my lung collapsed and was now filling with blood
<edit>
I started to walk outside. It was an unseasonably cold November night for North Central Texas, Somewhere in the 10 degree area. I made it to the porch and I remember falling. I opened my eyes and it was dark where I was but I could see purple light, and a person above me saying he is dead
Birdshot users take note here



Quote:
We hugged, and made a pact right then and there to never mix alcohol and guns, and to always break one open when handeling, and keep it pointed in a safe direction. We still shoot together, and are closer than ever.
Takes a lot of cojones to post a story like this on teh intrawebs


I'd like to narrate this fascinating story Mystery Science Theater 3000 style, but perhaps that would make me look too insensitive
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Old August 17, 2010, 01:57 AM   #24
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Thanks to the OP for posting. It takes courage to post a blatant screw-up like that in public, but what you've contributed to helping other people stay safe goes a long way to balancing the scales. And that was an excellent idea about turning the gun into a teaching tool. In the end, I'm glad you and your Blood Brother are still tight, I have a friend like that, neither one of us has a biological brother so we sorta adopted each other.
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Old August 17, 2010, 02:57 AM   #25
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Glad to hear your ok M&P, but in all honesty making the weapon capable of firing by just pulling the hammber back is one of the most dangerous things i've ever heard of.

As for the story about the 357 and the mans wife that is sad to hear. When it comes to pistols i'm almost scared to handle them, i do handle them extra safe. But it's just the fact you can turn it 180 degrees with the flick of a wrist.
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