# Accidental Discharge



## P97 (May 8, 2006)

Thought that we might learn, and be reminded to be more careful, by reading from experiences of accidental discharges that we have had. About 30 years ago, My Wife and I were going fishing in a pond at the ranch. I had a Ruger .30 Carbine Revolver loaded with H.P. bullets. I kept it in the closet, loaded in a holster. When I got it and started down the hall way and through the kitchen, with my wife one step behind me, ( I was carrying it in the holster, in my hand, because I was going to just lay it in the truck), I tipped up the holster and it slid out, hit the floor on the hammer, and the bullet went in my leg, just above the knee, and came out and lodged in my credit cards in my billfold. I was very lucky, because it could have hit my wife who was just one step behind me, or could have hit me in the vitals. We can think we are careful but A.D.'s can happen anyway, so the thing is to always be on guard. Please feel free to tell us about any A.D.'s you have experienced !!!


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

P97 said:


> Thought that we might learn, and be reminded to be more careful, by reading from experiences of accidental discharges that we have had. About 30 years ago, My Wife and I were going fishing in a pond at the ranch. I had a Ruger .30 Carbine Revolver loaded with H.P. bullets. I kept it in the closet, loaded in a holster. When I got it and started down the hall way and through the kitchen, with my wife one step behind me, I was carrying it in the holster, in my hand, because I was going to just lay it in the truck, I tipped up the holster and it slid out, hit the floor on the hammer, and the bullet went in my leg, just above the knee, and came out and lodged in my credit cards in my billfold. I was very lucky, because it could have hit my wife who was just one step behind me, or could have hit me in the vitals. We can think we are careful but A.D.'s can happen anyway, so the thing is to always be on guard. Please feel free to tell us about any A.D.'s you have experienced !!!


Been there. When I was 16 I dropped an old 22 revolver that my grandad had given me. It landed on the hammer and sent the round into my left shoulder. It entered just above my armpit and it took a surgery to remove the slug from my upper shoulder. Don't ever let anyone tell you getting shot with a .22 doesn't hurt. Even though I thought I was handling the gun in a safe manner I still had an accident. Accidents can happen even when propper safety is being used. So I think your post is a good reminder to always practice propper gun saftey. Thanks for sharing, P97, it takes a lot of guts to be the first to post such a story.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

I've dropped my share of guns over the years - thank god they all have drop safeties (firing pin blocks)


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## Rustycompass (Jun 25, 2006)

*Thanks to BOTH of you... P97 and Maximo*

Thanks for sharing guys, It did take guts for BOTH of you to share your storys. Alot of other folks wouldn't have done that...perhaps for fear of catching the flak of wisecracks from others. It's a GREAT reminder to be cautious & watch out for ourselves & our shooting friends. It just goes to show you it can happen to any of us, the past~time / hobbie or sport that we all enjoy can be dangerous.

P97 and Maximo are top noch folks & always contribute good posts/info to the forum.... thanks


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

Thanks for the stories, it is a good reminder about what can happen when your attention wanders for just a second. P97 and Maximo, I've had several people in my classes over the years that did the same basic thing and got the same result. I agree with almost all of what you said except the part about safe handling. Dropping a gun isn't safe handling.


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## -gunut- (May 8, 2006)

My friend's father had an AD once. When he was a kid, him and his friend were trying to get their .22 rifle to go full auto. This friend was tinkering with it and hit the trigger and sent a round into my friend's father's leg. He can now flex his leg and make a hole appear in his calf.


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## Guest (Jul 10, 2006)

Only experiences like that was when I got shot in the knee with a crossbow pistol by my friend when I was 7 and another time when I was 13 I almost got shot in the foot by a .223 rifle because of an idiot friend of mine.


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

Here's a link to a good write up about a negligent discharge.

http://www.thegunzone.com/nd.html


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

On another forum, a few months back, a gun shot himself in the hand trying to disassemble his gun. Pretty nasty too - he posted the pics and stuff... Yuck!


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## Bob Wright (May 10, 2006)

*Good Point!*

I hate to sound like a Goody-Two-Boots, but I've never had an accidental discharge, thank God for that. I attribute this to having a Mother dead set against my having guns as a youngster and a Dad who smoothed the way for me. I lived with the knowledge that a miscue would end those priviledges.

First, I never kept a loaded gun around. And I learned how to check every gun myself to see if it were loaded, and how to clear it if it were. And I learned early on to check each gun everytime I picked it up after it had been out of my possession. At least two times that I can recall this had stood me in good stead. Once I was handed a .45 Geovernment Model Colt and told, "It's not loaded." I opened the slide and a live round popped out on the counter. Another time it was an Ithaca pump. When I racked the slide a shell flipped out and bounced off my chest. Never take anybody's word on that.

As to single action revolvers, I learned at a very tender age to keep an empty chamber under the hammer. Even with the New Models, I still practice that.

But Thanks for your posts. Safety is something that can never be over-emphasized!

Bob Wright


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## 2400 (Feb 4, 2006)

Shipwreck said:


> On another forum, a few months back, a gun shot himself in the hand trying to disassemble his gun. Pretty nasty too - he posted the pics and stuff... Yuck!


That's the link I posted.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Is it? I read about it on the XD Talk site, I think...


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## SuckLead (Jul 4, 2006)

Knock on wood, I've never personally had an accidental discharge. But I still have two stories!

A guy from my last job (I was an armored guard) had shot his bed with his Hi-Point. He just missed the guy sitting on it. But thankfully no one was hurt.

This story I love. I talked to another girl who had worked for another armored company than I did at some point and she told me this story. A guy she worked with had bought a new gun and was playing with it in the back of the truck one day. He accidently fired off a round, but made it into the front of the truck and closed it up before he or his partner got hit. The armored trucks are, obviously, bullet resistant. So the bullet spent some time bouncing around.


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## Thor (May 11, 2006)

I no longer ascribe to the "accidental discharge" terminology, just like I don't ascribe to term, "automobile accidents". For every problem, there is a cause, be it negligence or what.


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## P97 (May 8, 2006)

Thor said:


> I no longer ascribe to the "accidental discharge" terminology, just like I don't ascribe to term, "automobile accidents". For every problem, there is a cause, be it negligence or what.


This is Websters Terminology
1. Literally, a befalling; an event that takes place without
one's foresight or expectation; an undesigned, sudden, and
unexpected event; chance; contingency; often, an
undesigned and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or
unfortunate character; a casualty; a mishap; as, to die by
an accident.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

SuckLead said:


> Knock on wood, I've never personally had an accidental discharge. But I still have two stories!
> 
> A guy from my last job (I was an armored guard) had shot his bed with his Hi-Point. He just missed the guy sitting on it. But thankfully no one was hurt.
> 
> This story I love. I talked to another girl who had worked for another armored company than I did at some point and she told me this story. A guy she worked with had bought a new gun and was playing with it in the back of the truck one day. He accidently fired off a round, but made it into the front of the truck and closed it up before he or his partner got hit. The armored trucks are, obviously, bullet resistant. So the bullet spent some time bouncing around.


I've shot at steel plates years ago. They just bounce right off righta way. Chances are, the bullet didn't go all over inside of that area. It probably stopped after hitting 1 hard surface, maybe two if ya count the possible fall after the initial impact.


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2006)

Have you all seen that pic of the guy who shot himself in the foot with a shotgun? It's a pretty nasty pic.
http://www.ogrish.com/archives/2006/july/ogrish-dot-com-accidental_shotgun_discharge.jpg
WARNING EXTREMLY GRAPHIC!!


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

Maser said:


> Have you all seen that pic of the guy who shot himself in the foot with a shotgun? It's a pretty nasty pic.
> http://www.ogrish.com/archives/2006/july/ogrish-dot-com-accidental_shotgun_discharge.jpg
> WARNING EXTREMLY GRAPHIC!!


I'll pass....


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## Maximo (May 26, 2006)

There is an excellent article in this months American Handgunner about accidental discharge. Shane Gericke who writes articles for the mag shared his experience of his first accidental discharge. The article is another great reminder that it can happen to anyone. Even when handling a firearm in a safe manner accidents can happen ie. a sudden case of butterfingers, but if we always observe the #1 rule (never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy) even damage caused by accidents can be kept at a minium. Check out the article if you can.


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