Close calls ???

A bunch of friends and I went out to the local range to shoot and a buddy of mine decided to use his glasses as adequate eye protection.

Unfortunately, another buddy had a G22 with him. You know, the older generation model that throws the empty casings back at the shooter? Anyhow, this was the first time that we were shooting with this gun and my buddy took his turn with it only to have the hot casing lodge between his eye and his glasses. OUCH! :eek:

As a result he turned around in the opposite direction and, without knowing it, started waving around the gun while trying to take the casing out.

Luckily, one of our guys pointed the gun downward and helped him get his glasses off.
 
I will add some I have experienced with other people when I was a Safety Officer at IDPA matches.

Several incidents of shooters who were disappointed with how they shot a stage and started to immediately turn around before their weapons were clear. This is one reason why I am a believer in remaining very close to the shooter when I am a Safety. http://www.sportshooter.com/compete/where_is_ro.htm

I have had to physically prevent 3 shooters from turning toward the peanut gallery when they were finished.

In another case, a woman was shooting a 9mm 1911 which had an erratic ejection pattern. She wasn't finished but started bouncing around toward the 180. I just took the gun out of her hand. She released it immediately and started digging a piece of hot brass out of her bra! When she got it out, I gave her gun back and gave her a restart. She was good looking and not strong, so the whole incident didn't bother me.

As a teaching point, one of the things that I observe new shooters do frequently is "collapse" the instant they fire the last shot. I.e., no followthru either on the shot or the stage. Mostly this leads to a dropped last shot from lack of followthrough, but the turning incidents are also a result of no followthru.
 
I used to read posts like this and wonder how someone could do some of these dumb things with firearms-after all, we all know better. Much humbler now! Here's my story:

I own a couple of Witnesses, a poly-framed .45, and a steel .40. I had just cleaned and reloaded the .40 for my carry gun, and taken out the .45 to clean. Did so, and practiced my dry-fire routine, everythings cool. Get thinking that the trigger pull is a little better on the .45 than the .40, so decide to check. You can guess the rest. Double-pane 6-0x3-0 windows are expensive, and need replacement in a hurry here in North Idaho in December.

DUH!

STUPIDSTUPIDSTUPID

Scared the crap out of me!

Bri

Lets keep this one quiet-this is the first time I've shared it with anyone...long story.
 
My Stupid moment was 6 years ago, late at night at work alone not long before I was going to leave and go home. Let me stress this was after a long day and a long week, I am normally considered a smart person. Anyway I decided to do a little dry firing, quick draws, etc., as I was finishing up with work with my Sig P220. At some point I decided to put a full mag in so the gun had the correct weight and balance. (Nothing in the barrel, no problem) 15 minutes later I worked the slide and noticed it hung up a little on the way forward. That was weird so I looked down the barrel and pondered what could have caused the slide to hang up like that. At that point I realized I was looking down the barrel and thought I should pull the trigger. The next thought saved my life. I remember thinking nope you don't point the gun at anything you can't replace. So I pointed the gun behind my back and tried to aim at a spot on the back door. POW!!

I shot an airhose that was hanging from the ceiling, "loud" never did find the bullet or a hole in anything besides the air hose.

I left work that night a much older and wiser man. Watch out for fatigue it makes you stupid.

Take Care
Sam
 
My close call was at an indoor pistol range. I was out with some cow-workers who I'm always preaching safety to about keeping it pointed down range.

Anyway, I'm shooting my Tomcat and somehow a spent case bounced off the stall wall and came right down inside my shooting glasses. I'd swear I could hear that case sizzling on my cheek. For a few seconds, that gun pointed in every direction while I slapped at my face trying to get that case out.

I'm usually good about this sort of thing. I've had bees land on me at the outdoor range and have been able to keep control long enough to lay down the weapon before running around screaming like a little girl.

LL

FWIW - I've developed a plan so that if this happens again in the future, I yell "GRENADE" so everybody drops, then I throw the pistol down range, then I remove the shell casing and seek medical attention. (kidding of course :))
 
LightningLink: A hat with a brim is a good idea -- it reduces the chances of a spent casing getting between your glasses and your eye.

M1911
 
Last night was range night for our little group and I was this week's range master. We were doing timed double tap drills when I noticed a new guy in our group doing something not right. He was carrying a 1911 Mexican Cross Draw. We set him up on the left wall so that he draw and swept the wall and not any of the participants. What I saw astounded me. He was actually carrying Mexican Cross Draw in Condition 2! Although the gun was pointed down range, he would let the hammer down with his strong hand thumb, safety off of course, turn the gun around as he reholstered! When I and a more experienced shooter explained the inherent dangers of this method, he seemed unphased and thought us over reacting. The logic he used was that since he carrying cross draw and the gun did not have an ambi safety, Condition 2 was the safest way to carrying since if he ended up in a struggle and his right/strong hand was busy or incapacitated, he could draw left handed, cock the hammer, and fire, but he could not work the non-ambi safety left handed. When we suggested getting an ambit safety, he apparently had been told he could not get one for his Mark IV Series 80 Colt, hence the reasons why he did what he did in the manner he did. Amazing.

I still can't get the image out of my mind of him lowering the hammer one handed and from my perspective, turning the gun towards himself as he reholstered. In reality, he probably did not sweep himself too badly, but holy cow, a condition 2 sweep is not a good idea!
 
Only one close call here.....so far!!!

I was at the range about a month or so ago with my wife. We brought along our G23 and HK USP 40c, for some plinking and a little competition and bragging rights between her and I. I know what you're, thinking....my wife can shoot!
Anyways, I was trying out some different gripping techniques when I was letting my thumb ride a little too high on the back strap. Sliced the webbing in between my thumb and trigger finger. I am extremely thankful that I wasn't doing any double taps. Lesson learned-

Semper Fi-
JJC
 
Whew, the only close call I know is what happened to a couple of ex-roomates of mine -- I sure am glad they weren't living with me...

These two brothers are DJ's and they also like to go pin shooting. Well, the older brother decides to mess around with his brother's Kimber, and from what he told me, the gun goes off, trashes a few crates or records, and ricochets. This is all in a second-story apartment and they have neighbors all around. I don't hold these guys too highly on intellect, and I can now rule out safety as well. Here's another thing -- they hand load while watching TV... with one of those plier looking reloaders... can't wait to hear another story...
 
I was at an outdoor range a few years ago, four of us shooting rifles. The fella next to me was shooting a .50 caliber black powder rifle. During a 'cease fire" we all went out to check our targets. I guess I took a little too much time because I heard a "THWACK!" about 15 feet to my right -- the black powder shooter had put a ball through the bullseye. Thank goodness he was a good shot. When I returned to the line I said "Give me a heads-up next time, I'll put on my catcher's mitt." --LBC
 
LBC - you've got to work on that "kinder, gentler range ettiquette" thing you've got going. Namely, get rid of it. That guy would have ended up with a BP rifle that could shoot around corners if that had happened to any number of people I know. And he would have had to go see his friendly proctologist.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top