Wrong Bangs & General Foulups

[planeflyer21]

That guy shooting his kid has me all fucked up.  Trying to sell his guns at this time, probably wanted to get gifts...or pay bills because he got gifts.

Safety is everyone's business all the time, don't be offended or defensive when you get that reminder.

In the spirit of "It is better to learn from someone else's mistakes", I'm going to put down my Wrong Bangs.  Those of you that have had them should also, as it may help someone else NOT do it.

Episode 1:  I was a young adult and my room mate and his wife had been in Massachusetts, so he was totally enamored with shooting.  We were in the desert shooting his .357 Blackhawk and .44 Magnum Super Blackhawk.  I was shooting the .357 when he just decided to walk up and fix his target, no warning/cease fire.  So I lowered the hammer and waited for gump to finish.  Start again, BLAM and then click.  Go back to the truck to reload and walking over was cocking the hammer and pulling the trigger when BLAM!, the round I'd not shot when he walked up got fired by me being negligent.  Looking down, the dirt had a perfect .357 sized hole about 2 1/2" from my right foot.

When you're done shooting, clear the weapon.

Episode 2:  A couple of years later, I got a screaming deal on a PT22.  How cool!  It has a little pop-up barrel for loading!  Standing in our kitchen, I was loading and unloading it, loading, then unloading, over and over.  Closed the barrel, took out the magazine, took the rounds out of the mag.  Then had my girlfriend stand next to me and said "Watch this! (yeah, I know)"  My intent was to show her the cute little pistol.  BLAM!! right into the pantry, into a bag of lentils (the sound actually went BLAM!! ringing ears, Indian rain stick sound from the lentils falling all over the kitchen).  She said "What did you do that for?"  Because I was a stupid ass, squeezing the trigger on an unfamiliar firearm.

Thoroughly familiarize yourself with your new firearms, learn the manual of arms, and do it at a range the first time.

Episode 3:  About the same period of time, we'd gone shooting and I'd just gotten done cleaning a FEG copy of a Walther PP in .380ACP.  Being poor, this was my carry pistol also.  Got the magazine loaded, racked one into the chamber, finger off the trigger and applied the slide-mounted hammer-block safety and BLAM!!  The slow manner I had used to depress the safety failed to ensure that there was enough block in the way of the hammer, allowing the pistol to fire.  Not only was the sharp corner of the slide rammed back into my hand, the dog disappeared (even though I had been careful to have it pointed in a safe direction).  The dog had booked it under the waterbed, in between the underbed storage drawers.  She was fine.  The bullet was stopped in the brick wall of our rental.

NEVER trust a mechanical safety and make sure it is used properly, ALWAYS keeping your firearm pointed in a safe direction.

Options on this one are:  Carry condition 3 (good), Physically block the hammer until the safety is engaged fully (better), or Charge the pistol with the safety engaged (best).

Jon

[planeflyer21]

Someone from another forum wrote this:

"Went to a good sized local gunshow and was waiting outside in line for the door/ticket takers to get moving. A guy showed up with an unusual military style rifle, carrying it by the balance point with muzzle swinging all over the crowd. Several guys winced but did nothing. I stepped over asked if I could see the rifle. I then pointed up in a safe direction and told the guy no one wanted to have the muzzle swung in his direction again. He gave me the old bit, not to worry it isn't loaded. At which point I ejected the box magazine which had live ammo in it, and opened the bolt - out popped another round. Fully loaded and off safe too. The audience around us started applauding. I roughly shoved the gun against his chest and told him it was time for him to leave - which the crowd confirmed. The key is you must act and act quickly whenever a dangerous situation arises."

Jon

[shepp]

Someone from another forum wrote this:

"Went to a good sized local gunshow and was waiting outside in line for the door/ticket takers to get moving. A guy showed up with an unusual military style rifle, carrying it by the balance point with muzzle swinging all over the crowd. Several guys winced but did nothing. I stepped over asked if I could see the rifle. I then pointed up in a safe direction and told the guy no one wanted to have the muzzle swung in his direction again. He gave me the old bit, not to worry it isn't loaded. At which point I ejected the box magazine which had live ammo in it, and opened the bolt - out popped another round. Fully loaded and off safe too. The audience around us started applauding. I roughly shoved the gun against his chest and told him it was time for him to leave - which the crowd confirmed. The key is you must act and act quickly whenever a dangerous situation arises."

Jon

That's just pure stupidity.

Only close call I can remember is we were all sighting in for deer season, shooting outta a buddy's barn due to rain. The owner of the barn was trying to figure out his new muzzle loader. He was trying to figure out how to unload it or something, couple of guys huddled around him gun pointed into the hay loft when something was pulled back and let go blam she fired off into the hay loft. Scared the poop outta all of us

[blue109]

That news story really bothered me and still does. My little girl is my life. Literally. I dont think id be able to live with myself. My wife and I lost a child earlier this year and its a whole different kind of hurt thats never going to go away.

Story:

I guess I was 9 ish and pheasant hunting with my uncle in nor Cal (I grew up in sonoma) I was carrying an ols single shot break action 410 (you all had one...with the rainbow patina). The dog hit...and we all started jogging. I remember cocking the hammer...and BAM. dust cloud at my uncles feet. Nobody even said anything. I was so mortified and embarrassed that I think of that moment every time I pick up a gun. Im sure it has saved me.

[unforgiven]

Long time ago when S&W mod.59 first came outwent to the range with the guys after haveing a few beers,mary jane might have been invited ::).We are all shooting,had our mad minute [were told to knock that off] I take a shot sounded funny next one wouldn't chamber tried another mag same thing.Was going out of town left with one of the guy's to check out.Bullet lodged in barrel just enough so a round wouldn't chamber,I had no glasses on.                                                        Go to the range with wife old timer next door having trouble with red dot on Glock.Muzzel sweeps me and the wife Even after I told him we left.                        Daughter's boyfriend I try to get him into firearms,I show him S&W bodyguard revolver.Told him think of the end having a death ray coming out and you don't want it on anyone or you're person.In a couple a minutes he muzzel sweeps the wife,myself,and his own body numerous times take away pistol as I thought about hitting him in the head with it.                                                                            And this doesn't include the 2 bro's that killed themselves with pistols. :(

[Magwa]

Number 1 , I was 14 i think and was going duck hunting before school I had a beretta goldenlark semi auto 12 gauge had to go thru a fence laid the gun under and went thru picked it up and started to walk boooom! the load of number 4's went into the ground about 2 or 3 inches from my right toes I do not know what i did to set it off but i do know what i did not do i did not unload when going thru the fence i now unload put the gun thru then go thru reload and check all safeties...

Number 2 was 23 or 24 shooting a colt combat commander with a friend i shot 3 or 4 rounds took my finger off the trigger and placed it on the front of the trigger gaurd turned the gun downrange and held out my hand for him to take it as i turned my finger slipped off the trigger gaurd and hit the trigger firing a round down range, i then gripped the gun with both hands and dropped the mag and un loaded it we were both shook up My mistake was not CLEARING the gun and making sure it was empty before handing it off never again.

My wife and I do clearing drills each and every time we practice as part of shooting practice we drill it into our brains as much as possible and we show each other a cleared weapon before setting it down or taking it back in the house... and no one shoots my weapons unless they are familiar with it and show me after I show them a clear weapon...

[flatwins]

When I was a kid in the '70s my dad was a "kitchen table" FFL and sold a lot of S&W revolvers to local LEOs.  My brother and I were taught gun safety from an early age and were in NRA markmanship classes, etc. but...  One day my dad had a bunch of guns laid out on the kitchen table and my brother, myself, and my brother's buddy were sitting around the table.  I don't know if my brother was showing off for his buddy or what but he aimed one of the revolvers in the direction of the living room and pulled the trigger before checking to see if the gun was unloaded.  The bullet whizzed past my left shoulder and entered the leg of a chair in the living room.  My dad was in the garage at the time and came rushing in the house.  Let's just say he was not pleased, and rightfully so.

[Madhouse]

Thanks Jon, for starting this thread!

[planeflyer21]

Thanks Jon, for starting this thread!

<thumbsup>

Jon

[Pappy1600]

When I was a teenager my neighbor (X-military) was living in his parents basement appartment, I walked in the basement door and he was lying on his bed reading a book, he hears me enter, I announced myself, walk into his room and for some reason beyond me I yell "DRAW" He instantaneously grabs his Colt Government 45 off his night stand points it towards me and all I remember is seeing the "Flash" then the smoke..... never heard the report of the weapon.... All this was in slow motion on my end..

  All I can see was his eyes, they were the size of saucers... he drops the gun jumps out of bed and you can tell was in shock... He asks "are you ok?" I stand there stunned still trying to take in what happened and start feeling around for the hole.... I look 6" from my hip and see the bullet hole that entered the wall and it had passed through the wall and  into the dresser on the otherside...

I recently caught up to him after 25 years and he still remembers the incident, and still to this day carries the slug around as a reminder... Needless to say the crazy bastard is doing contract work in Afganistan..

Point of the story..... Never yell "Draw" in a crazy bastards house!

[unforgiven]

Grandmother lived on the westside in SanAntonio.One day the gangbangers across the street discharged a round that hit the van breaking the window,thru the exterior wall [drywall] and lodged in the closet.She moves a picture on the wall covering the hole coming thru the exterior wall and it was right at my ear level.Luckily grandma was short.After they discharged the round grandma went across the street and read them the riot act,where they couldn't apologize enough to her.They payed to repaire van and sent a guy over to fix the walls.These were dirt mean hardcore guys that feared my grandmother.

[shepp]

Grandmother lived on the westside in SanAntonio.One day the gangbangers across the street discharged a round that hit the van breaking the window,thru the exterior wall [drywall] and lodged in the closet.She moves a picture on the wall covering the hole coming thru the exterior wall and it was right at my ear level.Luckily grandma was short.After they discharged the round grandma went across the street and read them the riot act,where they couldn't apologize enough to her.They payed to repaire van and sent a guy over to fix the walls.These were dirt mean hardcore guys that feared my grandmother.

I picture a small Italian or eastern european woman yelling at some Mexicans great mental pic glad no one was hurt

[planeflyer21]

Back in the late 1970s, a relative of mine was in a small room, in a small old adobe house (very stout construction), when one of about 8 people in this tiny room decided to show off their new 1911.

They blasted a round off, the bullet then proceeding to ricochet at chest level for several seconds (is how it was reported), hitting all four walls, the distorted bullet making a very loud ricochet sound like in the western movies.  The bullet finally stopped, eveyone covered in a fine layer of plaster-dust, and the air in the room filled with plaster-dust too.

Jon

[NoFail]

It's a big secret of mine around here. I went to the range and did my business (with my LR-308). When I was done I packed up and went home.

That night after everyone was asleep I went into garage & got the rifle to clean. I was in middle of garage holding it at grip & handguard low at the hip. I was standing there, muzzle lower than level, and pulled the trigger. BOOM!! Round hit the concrete, went thru a plastic bin filled with Lego's, flew over my reloading bench & put a perfectly round hole it the Sheetrock, missing the tv I have on the bench. It was kinda loud, ya' know? But nobody responded from their sleep. To this day I haven't said a word, until now.

Idiot, a.k.a. NoFail

[planeflyer21]

That was very fortunate NoFail!

I had a student relay a very similar story to me, but it involved a SIG 226 and insomnia.  Pointed at the window, squeezed the trigger and BANG!!  His wife didn't even wake up.

But he told her over breakfast.

ALWAYS check the chamber!!

Jon