A Humorus Sidearm Story: Don't wear your gun while having an MRI.

R

Rome

New member
Fellow TFLers:
I came across this article in the October issue of Chemical & Engineering News and thought I’d share it with you.

It appears that a LEO from Rochester, NY needed an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image). He was off duty but armed when he arrived for his appointment. When he asked about his sidearm, the people at the clinic said he could keep his .45 on his person while the image was being taken.

Now, folks, anyone who knows anything about the MRI knows that it uses an off-the-wall magnetic field to make the digital image. Your watch will not survive an MRI simply because it has metal in it. Well, you can imagine what happened when the officer entered the MRI room and the device’s powerful magnet was turned on. It ripped the gun right out of his holster, hit the machine and discharged! The bullet lodged in a wall but, fortunately, nobody was hurt. Three hours were required to power down the magnet before it would release the weapon from the wall.

A sergeant, who runs a firearms training unit, said the MRI magnet if four times as powerful as those used to lift cars in junkyards. The victimized officer’s weapon is now out of service. Firing it would be too risky, the sergeant supposedly said, because the magnetic field may have altered its molecular structure.

Simply amazing.!
 
ROFLMAO !!! :D

I bet the people at the desk who gave him the go ahead to keep the gun on his body, while they had him take off his watch and any other metal object, knew this was going to be an "Anti-Gun" moment...

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SHOOT,COMMUNICATE AND MOVE OUT !

[This message has been edited by GIT_SOME.45 (edited October 20, 2000).]
 
I dunno about the use of this kinda magnet. What if somebody had a bolt in their leg holding an artificial hip?
Or worse yet, a plate in their skull? Imagine the pain when this magnet pulls that sheet of surgical steel out your forhead? Or any excotic "piercings??" ooooooo I don't wanna thing about it.
 
The story itself sounds a little suspicious. I watched Trauma: Life in the ER, where a guy showed up at the ER, with a knife stuck in his head....to the hilt. He was given an MRI, and it apparently had no effect on the knife itself, though it did screw up the image. Which is the reason you don't wear metal. They would have asked the officer not to wear his .45, or any other metal objects.
 
Actually, I'll bet on the type of weapon... I can hear the conversation now...

"Okay, ossifer, you've gotta take off all the metal that you're wearing."

"Even my gun?"

"Yes, even your gun."

"But it's a Glock. They're plastic."

"Well, I guess that's okay..."
 
BadMedicine: The metal used for internal fixation of fractures usually involves a titanium/vanadium alloy which doesn't really have any problems with the magnetic field. Heck, I used to have a plate and 8 screws on my tibia and I never even got to set off a metal detector at the airport. No fun!
 
My stainless steel caps (teeth) had no problem nor did the rivits and button on my jeans. I know the Mag field is pretty massive but the real tech stuff is the Superconductor in the ring.
 
I live in Rochester. The piece was all over the news here. Apparently the cop asked what to do with the gun, and the nurse (likely suffering from cognitive dissonance at the mention of the word "gun") told him to just hang on to it. The stories didn't mention the gun firing, but did mention "the bullets getting pulled out", which I guess means the magazine ejected.

The magnet in question is extremely powerful. Ferrous metals would leap at the chance to get close to it. This gun did, and it took three hours to shut the magnet off and remove the gun.
 
After reading all the posts here and back in September, I figured that the attendants of the MRI machine didn't want to take responcibility for the weapon and, absentmindedly, told the LEO to take it with him. Obviously this was a HUGE blunder and could have resulted in a tragic situation. Also, I figured that the officer must have tried to grab it as it started to leave his holster and pulled the trigger with his finger. Modern pistols should be able to withstand the "drop test" and I'm sure the officer had a modern, well tested piece. All in all this was certainly avoidable but it did provide all of us with at least a good smile.

It reminds me of the story about the fella who was hunting frogs at night and found that the fuse on his headlights had failed as he left. Not having another fuse, he decided that a .22 round would fit nicely and proceeded to install it. Lo and behold his light went on but after a little while the round went off and the bullet found its way into his crotch. Reportedly, his wife's first question was "Where were the frogs".(Check the Darwin Awards for the rest of the story).

Hope this little story brought a bit or humor to your day!

Rome
 
I live in the rochester area to, I understand he was in a gown or something and it was before the test started and the gun was in his hand, consequently he wasked in the door very close to where the magnet was.
 
I had one done a few months ago, among the questions they ask are if you have had any gunshot wounds, apparently concerned about metal fragments. I was asked to remove my watch and rings, but it was OK to leave my belt on. The magnetic field tugged at my belt buckle when entering/exiting the machine but I find it hard to believe it would be strong enough to pull a weapon out of a secured holster.

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I used to sleep at the foot of Old Glory
And awake in the dawn's early light
But much to my surprise
When I opened my eyes
I was a victim of the great compromise. -
John Prine.
 
I also had a MRI in July and was told to remove all metal. I was asked about artificial implants and joints. The major concern to them was if I had any metal chips in my body especially eyes.
 
This does sound like an urban legend, but if it is true, I'll bet that it was a learning experience for everyone involved. :)

7th

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SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL POLICE, KEEP THEM INDEPENDENT.
 
I talked to my MRI pals across the hall about this. None of them believed that a MRI technologist would have allowed this guy to enter the suite with a gun. Neither did they believe that an MRIs magnetic field would alter the pistol in such a way as to render it unsafe to use. I remain skeptical.

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"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed—and thus clamorous to be led to safety—by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."
— H.L. Mencken
 
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