patriotthad
New member
Can anyone direct me to stats for A.D.'s? I am wanting percentages while loading/unloading, holstering/unholstering etc.
"Accidental discharge"
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Percentages...?
How would that be possible, seriously?
I have been handling firearms for 30 years and have never had an AD/ND. But you can't add my numbers to any "percentages" unless we figure out how many times I have actually handled firearms. Carrying concealed just 10 years.
While I agree that what you seek would be interesting and useful...
--HOW-- would anyone ever get quality stats on this?
How would that be possible, seriously?
I have been handling firearms for 30 years and have never had an AD/ND. But you can't add my numbers to any "percentages" unless we figure out how many times I have actually handled firearms. Carrying concealed just 10 years.
While I agree that what you seek would be interesting and useful...
--HOW-- would anyone ever get quality stats on this?
Bartholomew Roberts
Moderator
The CDC’s WISQARS tool tracks accidental firearms injuries (based on reporting to the hospital). That’s probably the closest you get to any specific numbers on firearms accidents.
(In 2015, 17,311 non-fatal accidental gunshot injuries (does not include BB/pellet injuries which are tracked in a separate category but occur mainly to those under 24yrs of agr.)
(In 2015, 17,311 non-fatal accidental gunshot injuries (does not include BB/pellet injuries which are tracked in a separate category but occur mainly to those under 24yrs of agr.)
Do the military or do the police keep track of accidental/negligent discharges while on duty? (I don't know.)
There's no way they could know about problems when their members are not on duty. Likewise I think the margin of error, that is the number of problems in the civilian sector NOT reported would be so high to make any number you could come up with by tracking 'reported' problems worthless.
There's no way they could know about problems when their members are not on duty. Likewise I think the margin of error, that is the number of problems in the civilian sector NOT reported would be so high to make any number you could come up with by tracking 'reported' problems worthless.
patriotthad
New member
What I was wanting was 70% of A.D.s occur while holstering etc. I am putting together a firearms safety class and just wanted some numbers ammo.
Nobody would have any figures other than for themselves.
Shooting ranges take note of ADs, maybe even maintain a total, but doubt that they track the circumstances.
As an observer, most ADs that I've seen were during "speed reloads" in timed competition.
I've seen a few where a round was triggered before the gun was on target, usually striking the ground somewhere between the firing position and target.
When I was shooting every weekend, I might see 1000-1500 rounds triggered each time I went to the range, and maybe two or three ADs a year, so . . . carry the two . . . one AD per 15,000 - 20,000 rounds?
That's a pretty small sample size of ADs, and hard to break it down by type.
EDIT: I've never seen an AD while holstering.
Shooting ranges take note of ADs, maybe even maintain a total, but doubt that they track the circumstances.
As an observer, most ADs that I've seen were during "speed reloads" in timed competition.
I've seen a few where a round was triggered before the gun was on target, usually striking the ground somewhere between the firing position and target.
When I was shooting every weekend, I might see 1000-1500 rounds triggered each time I went to the range, and maybe two or three ADs a year, so . . . carry the two . . . one AD per 15,000 - 20,000 rounds?
That's a pretty small sample size of ADs, and hard to break it down by type.
EDIT: I've never seen an AD while holstering.
carguychris
New member
To add to what Sevens said, about the only way you're going to get statistics is to look ONLY at ADs in which someone was seriously injured or killed AND where a police report was filed.
Many (I'd guess most) ADs do not result in injuries, and in most cases, no police report would usually be generated. Even if someone WAS injured, whether a report is filed is likely a matter of state or local law, or perhaps even local police department and/or hospital policy.
Let's say you shot yourself in the foot reholstering, and nobody else was involved in the incident in any way. Would YOU call the police? Let's assume you go to the ER; if your injuries were minor, in the absence of a local regulation requiring them to do so, would the hospital staff bother reporting it?
Even if they DO report it, there's no guarantee that the report is going to detail exactly how the incident happened; they're more interested in the specifics of the injuries to the patient.
Local variations in reporting standards are likely going to corrupt any data collected on these sorts of incidents.
Additionally, keep in mind that people often lie when discussing ADs, particularly when injuries (or even near-injuries) to a third party are involved. "I was cleaning my gun, I dunno what happened" sounds a lot better on a police report than "I was practicing dry-firing at my TV and I forgot that I had left a loaded magazine on my side table."
Many (I'd guess most) ADs do not result in injuries, and in most cases, no police report would usually be generated. Even if someone WAS injured, whether a report is filed is likely a matter of state or local law, or perhaps even local police department and/or hospital policy.
Let's say you shot yourself in the foot reholstering, and nobody else was involved in the incident in any way. Would YOU call the police? Let's assume you go to the ER; if your injuries were minor, in the absence of a local regulation requiring them to do so, would the hospital staff bother reporting it?
Even if they DO report it, there's no guarantee that the report is going to detail exactly how the incident happened; they're more interested in the specifics of the injuries to the patient.
Local variations in reporting standards are likely going to corrupt any data collected on these sorts of incidents.
Additionally, keep in mind that people often lie when discussing ADs, particularly when injuries (or even near-injuries) to a third party are involved. "I was cleaning my gun, I dunno what happened" sounds a lot better on a police report than "I was practicing dry-firing at my TV and I forgot that I had left a loaded magazine on my side table."
The number of injuries that was posted above is higher than I expected.
I’ve never had an AD or ND, but all
The ones I witnessed were caused by pulling the trigger prematurely. An example would be someone trying to cock a handgun with a hammer, the finger contracts, bang. But I would think it be hard to make the data.
I’ve never had an AD or ND, but all
The ones I witnessed were caused by pulling the trigger prematurely. An example would be someone trying to cock a handgun with a hammer, the finger contracts, bang. But I would think it be hard to make the data.
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
If you go to the hospital with a gunshot wound it will be reported to police. "I was cleaning my gun and...' is often a way to circumvent a detailed police investigation. I am personally aware of on husband who was almost certainly shot by his wife, and they maintained it was a cleaning accident when they got to the hospital.
I'm not going to claim that this anonymous poll is a scientific study, but it does have some interesting information from almost 600 responses.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/how-did-your-unintentional-discharge-happen.114287/
The number one cause of unintentional discharges according to the poll? Pulling the trigger intentionally accounted for 50% of the unintentional discharges in the poll.
I bet many TVs have been destroyed by shooting and UNLOADED (assumed unloaded) gun at the nightly news....Mine always have snap caps after I double and triple checked and I still aim at something safe for the first trigger pull...
one night cleaning about 6 hand guns watching TV...dead certain all were unloaded... I grabbed the Walther PPK... no mag in the grip... shot some talking head and had to go buy a new TV the next day..... one in the pipe I missed clearing
Taught me an expensive lesson... now I am insanely focused on clearing all my guns
one night cleaning about 6 hand guns watching TV...dead certain all were unloaded... I grabbed the Walther PPK... no mag in the grip... shot some talking head and had to go buy a new TV the next day..... one in the pipe I missed clearing
Taught me an expensive lesson... now I am insanely focused on clearing all my guns
Ballisticrat
Inactive
Accidental Discharge?
At my local range, there is no such thing as an accidental discharge. Guns fired unintentionally are referred to as NEGLIGENT DISCHARGES.
At my local range, there is no such thing as an accidental discharge. Guns fired unintentionally are referred to as NEGLIGENT DISCHARGES.
No idea but here's a good accidental discharge story.
Two guys were mouthing off back and forth outside a bar local to me, seemingly about to start throwing punches. Out of the blue there's a gunshot and one of the guys falls over. Was playing with a pistol in his pocket and shot himself in the leg
.
Story went from dumb to dumber when the guy who shot himself limped over and tossed the pistol in the woods and hung around for long enough for the cops to arrive, who then quickly retrieved the gun.
Sad but true story. Probably learned his lesson.
Two guys were mouthing off back and forth outside a bar local to me, seemingly about to start throwing punches. Out of the blue there's a gunshot and one of the guys falls over. Was playing with a pistol in his pocket and shot himself in the leg
. Story went from dumb to dumber when the guy who shot himself limped over and tossed the pistol in the woods and hung around for long enough for the cops to arrive, who then quickly retrieved the gun.
Sad but true story. Probably learned his lesson.
blackwidowp61
New member
riffraff...I would say that the only way that guy would have learned anything would have been if the bullet had traveled a little higher and tighter and taken him out of the gene pool...I believe it's called a Darwin Award winner! 
Ballisticrat is right. All those mentioned are NEGLIGENT discharges. The ONLY accidental discharge is one that is created by malfunction within the firearm itself. Perfect example of a true accidental discharge is the Remington 700 trigger malfunction where a rifle fires as the bolt is closed down.
blackwidow - oh ya a whole lot of stupid & dangerous going on there right from when he put one in the chamber and dropped the pistol into his pocket.
Must've been real surprising to the other guy. I'm sure although the police took it very seriously, and they should have, they've had some good laughs over that one for years.
Must've been real surprising to the other guy. I'm sure although the police took it very seriously, and they should have, they've had some good laughs over that one for years.
I have done my best to teach my grandchildren the ins & outs of handling firearms. At the range, it's: weapon loaded, always down range; unloaded, always down range; unloaded & disassembled, always down range. However, in a stressful situation, where you may believe you are threatened ( or know you are being threatened ), the flood of adrenaline can be difficult to keep in check. Situations like that can be difficult to weigh quickly.
I know someone who cycled a round indoors ( a 500 Mossberg & a .12 gauge slug ); and it discharged; punching a hole through the carpet, & leaving a small crater in the concrete underneath. No injuries, but unnerving. I believe there was something wonky about the gun; and he had it examined by the manufacturer. Haven't heard anything about it yet. He may have been emptying the tube, holding the action release.
stinkeypete
New member
I have not had a negligent discharge. Yet.
A firearm is always loaded. Even when unloaded, treat it as loaded.
Don’t point it at anything you don’t intend to destroy.
Don’t pull the trigger because it will go off, even when unloaded. Expect it.
Pump and lever actions are a bit of “what my family has always shot” and that long tube that feeds the cartridges or shells- every youngster hears the story of how grandad (now great granddad) put one in to the ground after deer hunting due to a weak or frozen spring and that last one that didn’t come out until later, with a boom.
To answer the op.. the probability of an accidental discharge is zero for me. If it went bang, I was responsible and negligent. That’s just how I roll, I guess.
Someday, I could mess up. Call it a huge respect for a very powerful tool.
A firearm is always loaded. Even when unloaded, treat it as loaded.
Don’t point it at anything you don’t intend to destroy.
Don’t pull the trigger because it will go off, even when unloaded. Expect it.
Pump and lever actions are a bit of “what my family has always shot” and that long tube that feeds the cartridges or shells- every youngster hears the story of how grandad (now great granddad) put one in to the ground after deer hunting due to a weak or frozen spring and that last one that didn’t come out until later, with a boom.
To answer the op.. the probability of an accidental discharge is zero for me. If it went bang, I was responsible and negligent. That’s just how I roll, I guess.
Someday, I could mess up. Call it a huge respect for a very powerful tool.
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