Close calls while shooting?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Pinecone

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 4, 2013
    28,175
    I was a military combat arms instructor for almost 20 years and never had an issue on the range. Went to On Target one time and had a pistol pointed at me twice. That was 15 years ago and I never went back. I commented to the holder of the pistol that what they did was unsafe. "It's empty" was the reply. I left.

    Reminds me.

    We were at a USPSA local match at Quantico. A Reserve out fit was doing pistol quals on the formal range.

    So we are listening to the range commands:

    This will be a dry fire exercise.

    DRY FIRE ONLY.

    DO NOT LOAD ANY ROUNDS.

    Ready on the Right

    Ready on the Left

    Ready on the Firing Line

    Commence DRY FIRE ONLY.

    BANG.

    CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE.

    We were rolling on the ground laughing.
     

    Mack C-85

    R.I.P.
    Jan 22, 2014
    6,522
    Littlestown, PA
    I had just started to work for the Federal Protective Service. We went to the range while they were doing annual qualifications and if there were open spots between the officers qualifying, us Rookies filled in the open lanes. After a day or two, the lead instructor (Army Marksmanship Unit Retiree) figured out that he had three or four of us that were experienced shooters and he started using us as Assistant Range Officers to give him a better span of control. I was doing this when a female officer, who failed to fire on the "go" whistle, raised my attention. When the "stop" whistle blew, she commenced to shoot. I yelled "cease fire" only to have her turn 180 degrees, with gun raised, finger on the trigger, pointed right at me, and say "what?" I'm a big boy, but I had a pretty decent foxhole dug, damn quick!!!

    She had issues qualifying (oh, really?) and was complaining about her gun not being accurate. Sarge, says "let me shoot it" shes complains he's too good, it won't matter. So he gives me her gun and throws out "well, let the rookie shoot it" I shoot somewhere in the low 290s out of 300.......kinda screwed up her claim.
     
    Last edited:

    BuildnBurn

    Professional Pyro
    Oct 25, 2012
    731
    Frederick County
    I had recently joined a local gunclub and waiting my first annual range officer meeting to start I went the range with my 1911 .45 acp that i had just changed the hammer, disconector, and trigger.

    I stupidly loaded 7 rounds rounds in the pistol it doubled and put a hole in the gutter of the new range cover. I was embarrassed to say the least and went and found the Chief Range Officer and explain my misdeed.

    He listened to my story and told me since you told me about the accident there is no problem, but you will be here on Saturday to patch the hole and when changing parts only load one round
     

    Kiwiknoll

    Active Member
    Jan 16, 2015
    102
    Clarksville md
    As kids of the 70s, my cousins and i chased a sparrow into a steel air conditioner box. We lined up western style and unloaded our bb guns. One by one the folks to my left and right fell outta line yelping in pain. I think 3x got stung before we realized what we were doing.
     
    This isn't really a "close call" but somehow my girlfriend double tapped with my M1A at AGC. Still haven't figured out how. Almost every time there was *boomboom*, one right after the other like burst fire. Fortunately they both went into the berm, but she doesn't shoot that anymore

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
     

    Kiwiknoll

    Active Member
    Jan 16, 2015
    102
    Clarksville md
    +1. I went one step further and bought a $100 kid size single shot .22 rifle for my 8 year old. He likes that it is his size, and has better control. Great trainer.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by protegeV View Post
    I let the oldest start shooting 22s at 9. He didn't shoot my AR or 9mm pistols until age 11 and he's 12 now.
    The next youngest is now 10 and has only shot 22.

    I have a 6 and 8 year old who I have let shoot a single shot 22 under careful supervision.

    Even the oldest doesn't shoot anything without CLOSE supervision. They are all well versed on gun safety, but they don't have the muscle memory and it's much easier for them to have a brain fart that could end up being very dangerous.
    Good deal, I was thinkin a single shot 22 would teach them patience to settle down and actually aim, then I could move them up to the lever gun if they could heft it - Henry Octagonal - and then finally the 22 auto pistol and 10/22 once they were maybe double digits in age, and a lil more mature. Appreciate you sharing your experience. --JB
     

    dbledoc

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 8, 2013
    1,526
    Howard County
    My first time ever at a gun range (indoor range in South West VA), the local gun smith was teaching his wife to shoot. The pocket pistol jammed. So, he decided to clear it with his palm covering the muzzle. First GSW I got to see.

    In Medical school, I was a part time volunteer RSO for our faculty shooting club at the Illinois Police training institute range. We would go there once a month to shoot. Every visit, we would find new holes in the walls of the gun cleaning room or class rooms from AD (mostly SWAT team members).

    At the same range a police officer decided to check and see if her Glock was loaded while at the cleaning table. She points the muzzle at her partner and pulls the trigger. Boom. She gut shot him. Sad part is, her partner complained to his supervisors for months that she was dangerous and was going to kill someone. Worse still, directly in front of her was a bullet trap designed for the officers to point their sidearms into as they pulled the triggers on the their Glocks before cleaning....
     
    My first time ever at a gun range (indoor range in South West VA), the local gun smith was teaching his wife to shoot. The pocket pistol jammed. So, he decided to clear it with his palm covering the muzzle. First GSW I got to see.

    In Medical school, I was a part time volunteer RSO for our faculty shooting club at the Illinois Police training institute range. We would go there once a month to shoot. Every visit, we would find new holes in the walls of the gun cleaning room or class rooms from AD (mostly SWAT team members).

    At the same range a police officer decided to check and see if her Glock was loaded while at the cleaning table. She points the muzzle at her partner and pulls the trigger. Boom. She gut shot him. Sad part is, her partner complained to his supervisors for months that she was dangerous and was going to kill someone. Worse still, directly in front of her was a bullet trap designed for the officers to point their sidearms into as they pulled the triggers on the their Glocks before cleaning....
    Did he survive the gut shot?

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
     

    dbledoc

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Apr 8, 2013
    1,526
    Howard County
    Did he survive the gut shot?

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

    Yeah he did. Many months in the hospital.

    The bullet severed his mesenteric artery.
    I was on my surgery rotation and got to scrub in on many of his surgeries. We had to pack his belly open because his intestines were swollen. I think I was involved with at least 5 of his many surgeries.
     
    Yeah he did. Many months in the hospital.

    The bullet severed his mesenteric artery.
    I was on my surgery rotation and got to scrub in on many of his surgeries. We had to pack his belly open because his intestines were swollen. I think I was involved with at least 5 of his many surgeries.
    Wowsers. Very fortunate. Was he able to rejoin the department? What happened to the shooter?

    Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
     

    Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    Reminds me.

    We were at a USPSA local match at Quantico. A Reserve out fit was doing pistol quals on the formal range.

    So we are listening to the range commands:

    This will be a dry fire exercise.

    DRY FIRE ONLY.

    DO NOT LOAD ANY ROUNDS.

    Ready on the Right

    Ready on the Left

    Ready on the Firing Line

    Commence DRY FIRE ONLY.

    BANG.

    CEASE FIRE, CEASE FIRE.

    We were rolling on the ground laughing.

    People that dumb have no business being around firearms.
     

    GolfR

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 20, 2016
    1,324
    Columbia MD
    A few years back I was hunting in PA with my family including my younger cousin (about 18 at the time) who was not exactly the most responsible kid. We finished a drive and we're unloading guns to get into the truck and I was keeping an eye on my cousin while unloading his 30-30 lever action. I walked over to him and asked him if his gun was unloaded and got a smirk and a sarcastic yes. I saw two shells in his hand and asked how many he had loaded and he said he didn't remember and started laughing. I took the gun away from him and racked three more shells out to the ground. I unloaded a series of insults and foul language about two inches from his face, threw his gun on the ground. My uncle (not his dad) walked over asked what was going on and when I told him, the response was that he had done the same thing the day before. I got in my truck and left and haven't hunted with him since.
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,234
    Carroll County
    I don't know if he was able to return to the force.
    The shooter was encouraged to resign.


    She probably became an anti-gun activist. "Guns are just too dangerous for anyone to have!"

    This isn't really a "close call" but somehow my girlfriend double tapped with my M1A at AGC. Still haven't figured out how. Almost every time there was *boomboom*, one right after the other like burst fire. Fortunately they both went into the berm, but she doesn't shoot that anymore

    Good chance she bump fired, especially if it never happened to you. I'll bet the rifle was bench-rested, right?
    On the other hand, doubling in a Garand/M1A can be caused by grease/oil/lube on the hammer hooks. Make sure they're dry.
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,608
    White Marsh, MD
    My old man had a guy at Elk Neck load an 870, turn and point it down the bench showing off to his buddies, rack it, and then turn and fire.

    He left right after that. Never worth getting killed.
     

    Bertfish

    Throw bread on me
    Mar 13, 2013
    17,608
    White Marsh, MD
    Here's a good story. A "close call" but slightly humorous.

    My parents bought a house for my paternal grandparents to live in up by us in Darlington. My grandfather outlived my grandmother by quite a bit and lived there solo for some years. He used to prop the back door open to sweep out the kitchen. Turns around one day and a raccoon has waltzed right in the house and is scratching at the pantry door. He yells, the coon doesn't even budge. He hits it with a broom, it walks back to the pantry. Finally he golf clubs the damn thing in to the yard. Well it had pissed him off so bad by this point that he retrieves the Taurus 92 he kept for protection figuring the animal is either sick or something. Loads the handgun and goes outside only to find the little SOB has fled. All this excitement made the old man tired so he walks back in the house, lays down, and goes to bed. Wakes up an hour later, sees the handgun laying next to him with the hammer back, picks it up and squeezes the trigger "to unload it".

    Well, it unloaded. Right in to the wall. Interesting to note that the wire they used to put in the corners of plaster walls will actually deflect a 9mm projectile fired at close range as it bounced in to three walls in the bedroom before stopping and falling out on the floor. You could just hear something was wrong in his voice when he called and said "CAn you guys come by here please, I've had an incident". Kind of scary but it always makes us laugh to talk about it.

    RIP Pop, you were the best.
     

    AliasNeo07

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 12, 2009
    6,548
    MD
    Bad habits when I was a new shooter. I was firing a revolver and fired 5 shots but was sure it was six. For some reason instead of opening the cylinder to make sure it was empty, I pointed it in front of me and pulled the trigger. Scared the living hell out of me. It was deliberately pointed in a safe direction but it was still stupid and I learned my lesson quickly.

    Another time I was at Del Marva at the pistol range (separated from the rifle range by a pile of dirt). I noticed the rifle shooters call a cease fire and walk downrange to change their targets. 60 seconds later (long before they could have been back) I'm loading mags and I hear a gunshot from the rifle range. Some old guy with a hunting rifle let off a round not realizing there were other people down range. They were pissed, to say the least.
     

    Grampa G

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 11, 2010
    2,452
    Washington Co.
    When my step brother was small he loaded a shotgun in the kitchen and blasted a hole in the stove.

    While on my first deer hunting trip in Virginia someone opened up from the other side of a clear cut and put a round into a tree about 3" above my head. Don't know if it was an accident or message but didn't need to ask.
     
    Good chance she bump fired, especially if it never happened to you. I'll bet the rifle was bench-rested, right?
    On the other hand, doubling in a Garand/M1A can be caused by grease/oil/lube on the hammer hooks. Make sure they're dry.

    You are correct about the bench rest. And yes the hooks are dry. She was the only one to do this, and so far still has been the only one ever to do this.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,943
    Messages
    7,259,752
    Members
    33,350
    Latest member
    Rotorboater

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom