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Who here has ever had an "accidental" firearms discharge?
- Thread starter AlongCameJones
- Start date
I was tuning the trigger pull on a revolver. I got it set just right and put it back together. Loaded it since it was my carry gun. Awhile later I wanted to admire my work. Pulled the trigger on a live round. Front door had a big hole in it. I was embarrassed and never repeated the mistake.
stinkeypete
New member
I believe there is a mindset “curve”. Then people start new things, they are very cautious. Over time, they get complacent- this is the dangerous phase. Then they are involved in something that shakes them up and a new type of respect sets in.
I never went through that complacent stage, as I have seen many near-harmful accidents and never feel comfortable around loaded firearms. If one is in the pipe, I want the hammer down and safety latched. That’s just me, you do you.
There is a great family story about the big hole Grandad put in the asphalt highway unloading after a deer hunt. No one was hurt because he always controlled his muzzle, and such an accident surprised us all. He was Mr. Gun Safety. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
I never went through that complacent stage, as I have seen many near-harmful accidents and never feel comfortable around loaded firearms. If one is in the pipe, I want the hammer down and safety latched. That’s just me, you do you.
There is a great family story about the big hole Grandad put in the asphalt highway unloading after a deer hunt. No one was hurt because he always controlled his muzzle, and such an accident surprised us all. He was Mr. Gun Safety. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
Aguila Blanca
Staff
All photos I have seen of my maternal great-grandfather show him with a beard.
He wore a beard because he shot himself in the face while cleaning an "unloaded" firearm.
He wore a beard because he shot himself in the face while cleaning an "unloaded" firearm.
Only accidental discharge I had was with a JC Higgins .22 LR rifle. Pulled the trigger while aimed at a sitting cotton tail. Realized the safety was on. Disengaged the safety and… bang. Was still aimed at the rabbit, but missed.
Stopped hunting that day. Got it fixed.
Mechanical failures, I consider accidental. Maintaining the other safety rules kept it from being “negligent”.
Friend went to lower the hammer on his single shot, shotgun and it slipped from under his thumb. Nearly shot his own foot. That was negligent. Should have opened the barrel before lowering the hammer.
Stopped hunting that day. Got it fixed.
Mechanical failures, I consider accidental. Maintaining the other safety rules kept it from being “negligent”.
Friend went to lower the hammer on his single shot, shotgun and it slipped from under his thumb. Nearly shot his own foot. That was negligent. Should have opened the barrel before lowering the hammer.
Seedy Character
New member
AD is a malfunction of the firearm
DA is a malfunction of brain behind the firearm
Rule #1 keep booger hook off of bang switch until you are safe and ready for BANG.
40 years ago, I was young and dumb.
A co-worker had asked about the possibility of borrowing a rifle to go deer hunting.
I took him to gun club and instructed him on use of my old, sporterized 03A3.
(His telling)
He booked a 1 day hunt on day lease. Drove up the evening before and slept in his truck.
Got up and went to the orientation, then was driven to his stand.
He fell asleep and woke up to sunshine a huge buck 40 yards in front of the stand.
The rifle was sitting on the blind floor, between his knees, muzzle up. Staring intently at the buck, he wondered if he loaded the rifle? So, he leans forward, takes his thumb and pushes down on the trigger.
.30-06 going off inside a box blind is not fun. Luckily, leaning forward, the muzzle was above his cap bill.
He did not get a deer.
AD? No
DA? YES!!!!!!
I have NEVER lent a gun, where I was not present, again.
DA is a malfunction of brain behind the firearm
Rule #1 keep booger hook off of bang switch until you are safe and ready for BANG.
40 years ago, I was young and dumb.
A co-worker had asked about the possibility of borrowing a rifle to go deer hunting.
I took him to gun club and instructed him on use of my old, sporterized 03A3.
(His telling)
He booked a 1 day hunt on day lease. Drove up the evening before and slept in his truck.
Got up and went to the orientation, then was driven to his stand.
He fell asleep and woke up to sunshine a huge buck 40 yards in front of the stand.
The rifle was sitting on the blind floor, between his knees, muzzle up. Staring intently at the buck, he wondered if he loaded the rifle? So, he leans forward, takes his thumb and pushes down on the trigger.
.30-06 going off inside a box blind is not fun. Luckily, leaning forward, the muzzle was above his cap bill.
He did not get a deer.
AD? No
DA? YES!!!!!!
I have NEVER lent a gun, where I was not present, again.
Who here has ever had an "accidental" firearms discharge?
Fortunately I have been spared both a AD and DA but will share a story of a good friend. He removed a .380 ACP from his safe thinking the gun was not loaded. Without checking he pulled the trigger and the gun discharged. He put a bullet through his new Dillon Precision loading scale killing it instantly. He confided this to me and I suggested he send the scale back to Dillon with a brief note explaining he shot his scale. Pretty apparent from the looks of the scale it was shot. Nope, too embarrassing he did not want to do it.
Well, OK then give me the scale and I'll send it to Dillon and look stupid and see if I get a new scale. He thought about it for a week and decided to do what I suggested. Sure enough Dillon sent him a new replacement scale at no cost. Says a lot about Dillon and while they likely had a chuckle over the dead scale they were nice enough to replace it.
My wife's cousin's husband managed to discharge a Ruger 10/22 rifle in their Arizona home while Wife's cousin was visiting us here in Ohio. Little 22 LR passed through a basic wall and hit wife's cousin's beautiful antique mirror in bedroom. Didn't end well for wife's cousin's husband at all. Likely would have been better if he shot himself in the leg or even just a bullet into the ceiling, anything but the mirror.
All of the accidental or negligent discharges we read about are easily prevented by following the basic safety rules everytime we handle a gun, any gun. Really is that simple.
Ron
Fortunately I have been spared both a AD and DA but will share a story of a good friend. He removed a .380 ACP from his safe thinking the gun was not loaded. Without checking he pulled the trigger and the gun discharged. He put a bullet through his new Dillon Precision loading scale killing it instantly. He confided this to me and I suggested he send the scale back to Dillon with a brief note explaining he shot his scale. Pretty apparent from the looks of the scale it was shot. Nope, too embarrassing he did not want to do it.
Well, OK then give me the scale and I'll send it to Dillon and look stupid and see if I get a new scale. He thought about it for a week and decided to do what I suggested. Sure enough Dillon sent him a new replacement scale at no cost. Says a lot about Dillon and while they likely had a chuckle over the dead scale they were nice enough to replace it.
My wife's cousin's husband managed to discharge a Ruger 10/22 rifle in their Arizona home while Wife's cousin was visiting us here in Ohio. Little 22 LR passed through a basic wall and hit wife's cousin's beautiful antique mirror in bedroom. Didn't end well for wife's cousin's husband at all. Likely would have been better if he shot himself in the leg or even just a bullet into the ceiling, anything but the mirror.
All of the accidental or negligent discharges we read about are easily prevented by following the basic safety rules everytime we handle a gun, any gun. Really is that simple.
Ron
Aguila Blanca
Staff
I respectfully disagree.All of the accidental or negligent discharges we read about are easily prevented by following the basic safety rules everytime we handle a gun, any gun. Really is that simple.
Accidental discharges are accidents. Following the safety rules will usually prevent an accidental discharge from shooting another person or yourself, and maybe even prevent shooting an antique mirror, but following the safety rules cannot prevent a mechanical malfunction.
And the same really applies to negligent discharges. The basic rules of gun safety are redundant by design, for a reason. A negligent discharge is [virtually] always a result of violating at least one of the safety rules. If all the other rules are being followed, the lapse in following that one rule will hopefully not result in an injury or fatality.
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I respectfully disagree.
Accidental discharges are accidents. Following the safety rules will usually prevent an accidental discharge from shooting another person or yourself, and maybe even prevent shooting an antique mirror, but folloowing the safety rules cannot prevent a mechanical malfunction.
And the same really applies to negligent discharges. The basic rules of gun safety are redundant by design, for a reason. A negligent discharge is [virtually] always a result of violating at least one of the safety rules. If all the other rules are being followed, the lapse in following that one rule will hopefully not result in an injury or fatality.
__________________
Well I can certainly agree with that. A mechanical failure can without a doubt have dire consequences. It does indeed happen even with the best of guns. Remington safety's come to mind and decockers on several pistols.
So yes, in cases of mechanical failure or poor design of a firing mechanism a gun can accidently discharge. Negligence is another story.
Ron