about 17 years ago, a friend and I were putting an engine,transmission in a 1967 impala, in a barn, dirt floor ,about 40 degrees outside, i was under the car,(it was on ramps), guiding the tailshaft over the crossmember, the chain on the hoist slipped, smashing my thumb between the tailshaft and crossmember,(smashing digits in cold weather hurts) after spewing muliple profanities,and climbing out from under the car,thumb throbbing,i grabbed a beretta .25 that he kept over the door frame in the barn and proceeded to shoot the offending veh in the left door..(mistake)..bullet bounced off and hit me in the left knee,it felt like someone had hit me with a baseball bat..i was instantly face down in the dirt,thumb,knee, and pride hurting, didnt break skin,but left a big welt, and bruised heavily over the next few days,lesson learned..don't hunt impalas with a .25
Actually getting shot...
- Thread starter Bob Lee Swagger
- Start date
Rifleman 173
New member
In my case it was like somebody laid a white hot piece of metal against my left arm. Talk about hurt! I didn't get hit square but took one that more or less scraped my arm. It raised a welt and blistered for a number of days and then finally went away. The bullet also made like an oblong hole in my sleeve too. I couldn't figure that one out unless it depended on how the cloth was laying at the time I got hit.... Who knows?
Bounced back
Spent 23 years as a full time firearms Instructor, a class indoors, targets came back for the bulls eye shooters on a wheeled metal frame (a big one!) a big dent in part of the steel went un-noticed (12 gauge slug?) we shot standing free on range proper.
My classes were max ten students, 5 on the line at a time, all revolver shooters on this occasion, shooting from holsters (ATM employees) verbal commands, stop watch in right hand.
Part of a two shot drill, 158g 38 Special reload found this dent and came right back, at my face, a twitch to the left, and all 158g hit the middle of the back of the right hand (holding a stop watch) driving the right knuckles into my top lip, split lip, loose teeth (teeth were fine in a few days) still have the ragged 1" scar, bled like mad, swelled up instantly, ran under cold tap for a while, it did hurt!a lot! finished class, bunch of band aids, not a place to go with a "Gun shot" wound to a Hospital at that time, not sure how I would have been if I had not moved, seemed to be heading for my throat.
Spent 23 years as a full time firearms Instructor, a class indoors, targets came back for the bulls eye shooters on a wheeled metal frame (a big one!) a big dent in part of the steel went un-noticed (12 gauge slug?) we shot standing free on range proper.
My classes were max ten students, 5 on the line at a time, all revolver shooters on this occasion, shooting from holsters (ATM employees) verbal commands, stop watch in right hand.
Part of a two shot drill, 158g 38 Special reload found this dent and came right back, at my face, a twitch to the left, and all 158g hit the middle of the back of the right hand (holding a stop watch) driving the right knuckles into my top lip, split lip, loose teeth (teeth were fine in a few days) still have the ragged 1" scar, bled like mad, swelled up instantly, ran under cold tap for a while, it did hurt!a lot! finished class, bunch of band aids, not a place to go with a "Gun shot" wound to a Hospital at that time, not sure how I would have been if I had not moved, seemed to be heading for my throat.
Threefeathers
Moderator
I've been wounded 4 times in military service. I see that one of the folks was hit in Nicarauga one of mine was in Honduras I'd like to see if we had some mutual friends.
1 1961 Berlin a bayonet wound at riot control Prior to the Wall. It required 72 stitches and I was on my stomach in the Berlin Hospital for 5 weeks. The initial didn't hurt at all, but the recovery was extremly painful as it kept getting infected. I was awarded the Purple Heart which was taken away because someone decided it 'wasn't combat', It is due to be re-instated.
2. 1967 near the Cambodian border on Route 5. Piece of Mortar round skidded off a Jeep and slid down my flack jacket tearing a nice hole in my left shoulder. It was fairly deep but tore muscle up. Nice scar. It really burned, and I mean burned. I have a piece of the shrapnel on my desk.
3. In Houduras in 1986 I was with 19th Group. We woked with the Gardia Civil or something like that and we were protecting the American Construction folks who were working a Ilipango ? (I can never spell this dang place) Airbase. We were in the mountains southwest near the border and had a group of bandits trapped. We were supposed to keep them pinned so the Houduran folks could capture them. We had a single M-60 machine gun and it was hot. My gunner, (Bob Lewis) told me that the gun was getting hot, I told the assistant gunner to pour some canteen water on it. Suddenly the gun jammed and the idiot did what he sould never have done, he opened the feed tray cover. (You never, never do that) I was standing behind him and had just taken my binoculars down from my eyes. We had a triple cook off. It was fast and one round tore the bottom of my eye out. It was a straight cut that tore muscle and facial bone but didn't hurt my eyeball. I have never even imagined such pain. I saw red-blood, white and then my face went numb. What was worse is that I had to walk nearly a mile to get to a place where a Helo could medivac me out. Luckilly for us the Hondurans had showed up (They were actually getting pretty good). One of them helped me joined Mike W. in getting me to the evac area where the helo was waiting.
I was in good hands within 20 minutes.
Here is where I'd like to talk to the fellow who was in Nicaragua because when I got to the Airbase and the large dispensary I met a Contra officer who was being treated for an eye disease. By that time my eye was swelled but the pain killers were working. Anyway this fellow spoke really fluent English and he told me that he was a teacher in his country and wanted to fight the Communists. I was waiting medivac to Brooke and I was actually interested in speaking to him. What I didn't realize is that he had a rare eye disease that can only be passed if a person is, Exhausted so there is no resistance, and has an open eye injury. I had both.
I was evacuated to Brooke, then sent to the University of AZ Medical Hospital which is still contracted by the military for serious eye injuries. (Dr. Dean Brick).
A year later I was coaching football when I began to get a serious head ache. One of my players said, "Coach, your eye is ****ed up, there's puss running down it." (Tim Taylor whose Dad was the Sgt Major at Ft. Huachuca)
He called his Dad who is still a good friend and they called my wife and an army car took us to the U A Hospital. I was really lucky because one call from Tim's Dad and my paperwork was ready. Dr. Brick looked at the eye and called in a class of medical students. My wife was crying because she overheard one of the students say, "blind within 24 hours."
Luckilly the Mayo Clinic (I love them) had developed an experimental med that can stop and control the disease but not cure it. Dr. Brick had already called them and these wonderful folks drove it from Phx to Tucson. It has worked.
I was in the Tucson VA last Monday getting my 6 month check up because the disease hit twice last year.
4. In 1989 I was teaching a class in Call for Fire. We were at Mortar hill at Camp Roberts. CA. A NG Mortar platoon was firing 4.2 mortars and I was the 19 Delta instructor. I made the first call and we waited for the round to land. All of a sudden someone in FDC yelled on the radio, "Short Round!" I yelled for everyone to hit the dirt. I made certain all of the youngsters were down when i heard the round,. (A spinning end over end 4.2 makes a helicopter blade sound) I was on my back and I saw the damnthing as ait spun down. It it about 50 meters in front of my position and I was hit by a small fragment that must have gone up and then arced down. It taged me in the right femur muscle and it burned like hell, but was a minor wound. Boy were the N G folks excited. I only spent a day in the Ft. Ord Hospital and one of the Guard officers took mt to dinner on the wharf in Monterey.
I have 50 % disability now and that is some good gun money.
Some of you guys should put your money where your mouths are and enlist.
1 1961 Berlin a bayonet wound at riot control Prior to the Wall. It required 72 stitches and I was on my stomach in the Berlin Hospital for 5 weeks. The initial didn't hurt at all, but the recovery was extremly painful as it kept getting infected. I was awarded the Purple Heart which was taken away because someone decided it 'wasn't combat', It is due to be re-instated.
2. 1967 near the Cambodian border on Route 5. Piece of Mortar round skidded off a Jeep and slid down my flack jacket tearing a nice hole in my left shoulder. It was fairly deep but tore muscle up. Nice scar. It really burned, and I mean burned. I have a piece of the shrapnel on my desk.
3. In Houduras in 1986 I was with 19th Group. We woked with the Gardia Civil or something like that and we were protecting the American Construction folks who were working a Ilipango ? (I can never spell this dang place) Airbase. We were in the mountains southwest near the border and had a group of bandits trapped. We were supposed to keep them pinned so the Houduran folks could capture them. We had a single M-60 machine gun and it was hot. My gunner, (Bob Lewis) told me that the gun was getting hot, I told the assistant gunner to pour some canteen water on it. Suddenly the gun jammed and the idiot did what he sould never have done, he opened the feed tray cover. (You never, never do that) I was standing behind him and had just taken my binoculars down from my eyes. We had a triple cook off. It was fast and one round tore the bottom of my eye out. It was a straight cut that tore muscle and facial bone but didn't hurt my eyeball. I have never even imagined such pain. I saw red-blood, white and then my face went numb. What was worse is that I had to walk nearly a mile to get to a place where a Helo could medivac me out. Luckilly for us the Hondurans had showed up (They were actually getting pretty good). One of them helped me joined Mike W. in getting me to the evac area where the helo was waiting.
I was in good hands within 20 minutes.
Here is where I'd like to talk to the fellow who was in Nicaragua because when I got to the Airbase and the large dispensary I met a Contra officer who was being treated for an eye disease. By that time my eye was swelled but the pain killers were working. Anyway this fellow spoke really fluent English and he told me that he was a teacher in his country and wanted to fight the Communists. I was waiting medivac to Brooke and I was actually interested in speaking to him. What I didn't realize is that he had a rare eye disease that can only be passed if a person is, Exhausted so there is no resistance, and has an open eye injury. I had both.
I was evacuated to Brooke, then sent to the University of AZ Medical Hospital which is still contracted by the military for serious eye injuries. (Dr. Dean Brick).
A year later I was coaching football when I began to get a serious head ache. One of my players said, "Coach, your eye is ****ed up, there's puss running down it." (Tim Taylor whose Dad was the Sgt Major at Ft. Huachuca)
He called his Dad who is still a good friend and they called my wife and an army car took us to the U A Hospital. I was really lucky because one call from Tim's Dad and my paperwork was ready. Dr. Brick looked at the eye and called in a class of medical students. My wife was crying because she overheard one of the students say, "blind within 24 hours."
Luckilly the Mayo Clinic (I love them) had developed an experimental med that can stop and control the disease but not cure it. Dr. Brick had already called them and these wonderful folks drove it from Phx to Tucson. It has worked.
I was in the Tucson VA last Monday getting my 6 month check up because the disease hit twice last year.
4. In 1989 I was teaching a class in Call for Fire. We were at Mortar hill at Camp Roberts. CA. A NG Mortar platoon was firing 4.2 mortars and I was the 19 Delta instructor. I made the first call and we waited for the round to land. All of a sudden someone in FDC yelled on the radio, "Short Round!" I yelled for everyone to hit the dirt. I made certain all of the youngsters were down when i heard the round,. (A spinning end over end 4.2 makes a helicopter blade sound) I was on my back and I saw the damnthing as ait spun down. It it about 50 meters in front of my position and I was hit by a small fragment that must have gone up and then arced down. It taged me in the right femur muscle and it burned like hell, but was a minor wound. Boy were the N G folks excited. I only spent a day in the Ft. Ord Hospital and one of the Guard officers took mt to dinner on the wharf in Monterey.
I have 50 % disability now and that is some good gun money.
Some of you guys should put your money where your mouths are and enlist.
Curious
For those who have been hit may I ask a personal question? From my experience after I was aware of the fact that my hand was crushed the rest of the experience - or most of it - was mental (control breathing, etc. and weird levels of awareness). What, may I ask, were your experiences and thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
For those who have been hit may I ask a personal question? From my experience after I was aware of the fact that my hand was crushed the rest of the experience - or most of it - was mental (control breathing, etc. and weird levels of awareness). What, may I ask, were your experiences and thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Threefeathers
Moderator
I realized after both shrapnel wounds I was going to be ok. I remember sitting back a bit dizzy both times. In VN I gave my best friend a can of beenie weenies when Dusty came in. There were other guys hit worse and I just kept my mouth shut. The left side of my body sort of went numb but I think that is an automatic muscle reaction.
My eye was different, it really hurt, I didn't care if I bitched and cried a bit. I can't describe the pain in an eye, but think of poking your eye and you can't do anything about it. When I got back to the medics I got a shot and when the swelling stopped the bleeding the pain started to go away. When I got to Brooke I was surprised that my jaw was so sore.
My eye was different, it really hurt, I didn't care if I bitched and cried a bit. I can't describe the pain in an eye, but think of poking your eye and you can't do anything about it. When I got back to the medics I got a shot and when the swelling stopped the bleeding the pain started to go away. When I got to Brooke I was surprised that my jaw was so sore.
ActivShootr
New member
I guess this counts
Ricochet from a 12ga. slug. I shot a stump about 20 yds away and the slug came right back at me. It felt like someone punched me in the stomach and left a bruise the size of my fist. Still have the slug as a reminder of what not to do.
Ricochet from a 12ga. slug. I shot a stump about 20 yds away and the slug came right back at me. It felt like someone punched me in the stomach and left a bruise the size of my fist. Still have the slug as a reminder of what not to do.
Threefeathers
Moderator
I'm a big boy, I played collegiate American football and was a collegiate wrestler.
All but one of my wounds were relatively minor. I didn't list the injuries in training that were much worse (M113 driving over a 12 foot cliff at night and cargo hatch breaking the safety pin and hitting me in the head,splitting my CVC and putting me in a 10 day coma. My wife was told then I wouldn't make it. Again Fort Ord Medical Center rescues me.)
The eye disease is being researched and I'm one of the volunteers. There are three of us in S AZ who have it, all of us were in the same area in different years. One funny thing, when I go to the Ft. Huachuca Hospital and ther is a new Pharmacist they always say, "Hey I knew this med existed but theis is the first time I've ever dispensed it." I'm a medical celebrety.
Hey if you were a Brit, I was stationed as an exchange soldier with the Green Jackets in 61 in Berlin. Great Group.
All but one of my wounds were relatively minor. I didn't list the injuries in training that were much worse (M113 driving over a 12 foot cliff at night and cargo hatch breaking the safety pin and hitting me in the head,splitting my CVC and putting me in a 10 day coma. My wife was told then I wouldn't make it. Again Fort Ord Medical Center rescues me.)
The eye disease is being researched and I'm one of the volunteers. There are three of us in S AZ who have it, all of us were in the same area in different years. One funny thing, when I go to the Ft. Huachuca Hospital and ther is a new Pharmacist they always say, "Hey I knew this med existed but theis is the first time I've ever dispensed it." I'm a medical celebrety.
Hey if you were a Brit, I was stationed as an exchange soldier with the Green Jackets in 61 in Berlin. Great Group.
I was trail running once when some ******* mistook me for a deer (out of season BTW) and fired a load of 00 buck at me from about 50 yards. Fortunately he was leading me either too much or not enough and I only caught three pellets. One grazed the back of my head, which bled like crazy but didn't even require stitches (although I have a groovy scar). One tunneled in just under the skin under my shoulder blade and was easy to pull out. The third came straight into my right shoulder joint, chipped off a couple little pieces of bone and exited out my armpit, cracked a rib and wound up on the ground.
From what I can remember I felt no pain at all for at least a couple minutes. I had to walk about 1.25 miles back to the road though, and by the time I got there my shoulder felt like I was being stabbed every time my heart beat. I was actually more worried about the head wound because I couldn't see it and even with pressure on it I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. I didn't even know I'd been hit in the back until I got to the hospital.
From what I can remember I felt no pain at all for at least a couple minutes. I had to walk about 1.25 miles back to the road though, and by the time I got there my shoulder felt like I was being stabbed every time my heart beat. I was actually more worried about the head wound because I couldn't see it and even with pressure on it I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. I didn't even know I'd been hit in the back until I got to the hospital.
Bailey Boat
Moderator
One of those "shame on me" things but I once shot myself in the head. A friend and I were shooting the knobs on the dash of an old car down in a field that had outlived it's purpose. I was shooting a .38 with wadcutters and about 1/2 of one ricocheted back and hit me about at the hair line and buried up about an inch under the skin. It hurt more coming out than it did going in!!!!! I just assumed that I had been stung by a wasp or a bee and we kept shooting until I felt the lood running down my face.
Not life threating, but it hurt like hell at the time. The only thing that saved me was my hard head.....
Not life threating, but it hurt like hell at the time. The only thing that saved me was my hard head.....
Luckily, only a ricochet. Plinking with a .357 mag at a dump site years ago a bullet went through my target and into some brush beyond. I saw a white object come out of the brush and hit my shin below the knee. Felt like being hit by a rock thrown pretty hard. I thought it was a piece of rock until I tried to pick up a badly deformed and very hot piece of lead. Someone had dumped a load of concrete block and the kudzu had overgrown it to the point that you could not see it.
Unless you are from the south you may have to google kudzu. Nasty stuff that can grow several feet per day
Unless you are from the south you may have to google kudzu. Nasty stuff that can grow several feet per day
Tough
Can't say i've ever been shot. But, a VERY good LEO friend of mine was shot in the legs with a .357 snub trying to push an elderly woman back into her apartment and out of the line of fire. He's a pretty big guy 6'6" 240. Basically, the ******* stood at the foot of the steps and got in 6 badly aimed shots and ran away when his gun started clicking. My friend had suffered a fully broken femur, massive blood loss from T&T'S and several fractures. The ******* was never caught. However, my friend still walks and can run for several blocks.
That's ****in' amazing.
pardon the french.
Can't say i've ever been shot. But, a VERY good LEO friend of mine was shot in the legs with a .357 snub trying to push an elderly woman back into her apartment and out of the line of fire. He's a pretty big guy 6'6" 240. Basically, the ******* stood at the foot of the steps and got in 6 badly aimed shots and ran away when his gun started clicking. My friend had suffered a fully broken femur, massive blood loss from T&T'S and several fractures. The ******* was never caught. However, my friend still walks and can run for several blocks.
That's ****in' amazing.
pardon the french.
My hat is off to you folks that took one or more for the team...
I served in the USN during non combat times (the 80s) and one of my COs was a river boat officer in Vn. He had an arm full of scars from his experience and went on to become Commander of the Atlantic fleet in the late 90s (Adm Nader).
I wondered what it would be like to be shot and have the presence of mind to continue the fight and save others. Thanks for sharing your experiences...Even if the experience was off the battlefield. 888
I served in the USN during non combat times (the 80s) and one of my COs was a river boat officer in Vn. He had an arm full of scars from his experience and went on to become Commander of the Atlantic fleet in the late 90s (Adm Nader).
I wondered what it would be like to be shot and have the presence of mind to continue the fight and save others. Thanks for sharing your experiences...Even if the experience was off the battlefield. 888
My father (retired Philadelphia, PA police officer) was shot in the line of duty in the chest with a 38 revolver. To this day, I've never asked him about the incident in detail. Unless he brings it up, it's never discussed. He has nerve damage to his right arm as well. He's a tough cookie, and I'm very lucky to have him around. It happened when I was 4 years old.
Bob Lee Swagger
New member
by threegun
Huh...someone was firing .45's during a bowling match? How did that happen?
Huh...someone was firing .45's during a bowling match? How did that happen?
