Negligent Discharge

[Darkemp]

This is why I don’t keep anything chambered while storing. Cameras, alarms, physical door security give me time to chamber a semi. If I didn’t think that was good enough I’d probably keep a revolver in my bedside safe. When I take off my CCW I drop magazine, and rack repeatedly visually verifying the chamber and round that was expelled.

 

[Crosseye Dominant]

Your cousin was the only one in that room professional enough to handle the .40

DEA cop: I'm the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of, to carry this Glock 40. I'm the only... (*shoots himself in the foot*)

Discover topics like idiot, fail, guns, unmuted, and the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users like Zergcollective.

imgur.com

 

[Threeband]

“I could have sworn the chamber was empty, because I checked.”

I didn’t realize the mag was loaded. Actually put one IN the chamber.

Fortunately, had muzzle in a safe direction and 94 year old 1” thick oak floors stopped the .380 without penetrating the ceiling.

“What was that?”

”I dropped something”

Minwax wood filler is my friend.

No alcohol was involved. Just dumbassery.

That doesn't speak well to .380 penetration.
Obviously I need to upgrade my pocket carry.

This is why I don’t keep anything chambered while storing. Cameras, alarms, physical door security give me time to chamber a semi. If I didn’t think that was good enough I’d probably keep a revolver in my bedside safe. When I take off my CCW I drop magazine, and rack repeatedly visually verifying the chamber and round that was expelled.

Rather than repeatedly chambering and clearing the same round, it might be better to leave your carry gun in it's holster when you take it off.

 

[FrankZ]

That doesn't speak well to .380 penetration.
Obviously I need to upgrade my pocket carry.

Do you expect the bad guys to be wearing wooden armor?

 

[fwgj]

This.
I love guns and like alcohol. I never mix the two.

Co-sign. Three times.....

 

[Threeband]

Do you expect the bad guys to be wearing wooden armor?

I have nightmares of being attacked by Pinocchio.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Do you expect the bad guys to be wearing wooden armor?

My floors are the exception. Certainly NOT the rule in more modern (post WWII) homes. And at an angle, 1” is more like 1.5” of extremely hard, aged wood.

Not .5” hardwood or engineered hardwood over particleboard.

 

[welder516]

Glad everyone was okay, glad it was/is correctable accident some are not.

 

[lazarus]

I was visiting family in GA the last week. While there my nephew was showing off some stuff he had in the safe. At one point he had his M&P .40 out to show. He cleared the gun and as he did my brain registered a round entering the chamber. Before I had a chance to say anything he pulled the trigger (he seems to do this after clearing). Standing looking into the ejection port I am surprised I was not hit in the face with the brass, but the sound was incredibly loud. People upstairs thought something had fallen in the basement.

Thankfully no one was hurt. The metal flamingo didn't fare well though.

We had a good discussion about this afterwards, when I could hear something again.

Slow down. He was excited about the toys and was going too fast.
Don't drink and handle guns. He had had a beer and a whiskey and he admitted that he didn't have clarity of thought.
He believed he had removed the magazine. I have made it a habit of looking at the magazine and confirming the ammo I have loaded. It forces the thought process.
Don't pull the trigger unless you really need to. I am not sure why he feels the need to pull the trigger before storage, but has become part of the habit.

He is still mortified by the incident, and I can't say I blame him.

I am glad everyone is okay. I don't touch guns or open my safe if I've had anything at all to drink (maybe it if was an emergency. Not like you can plan for a break-in. Well, I'll adjust that. I don't open my safe to fingerbang guns. Since I do keep a bit of cash in there (not a lot, but a couple of hundred bucks on hand), and I've had occasion for a "oh, I owe you some money, let me grab that for you". But yeah, drop magazine, check/clear chamber. In that order. Always.

Hopefully it was a good learning lesson. Often the negative ones stick the best.

So far in life I've never found a gun loaded when I didn't think it was. I have had a few times a gun went click when I thought it should have gone bang. That's as much sometimes cycling a bolt back far enough to eject a round, but not far enough to pick-up the next (My Howas do this for sure. You cycle slowly and they hang up after ejecting, but really want to go another tenth of an inch to get behind the rim of the next round. Cycle with some intention behind it and no problems. Cycle slowly trying to leave the brass on the bench and you have to be careful you cycled far enough).

That's in part that I never ever leave guns loaded. Yup, even the bedside gun. If I had a carry gun on me, yes it would be loaded. But eject mag, clear chamber, upon getting home to put it away. If the second to cycle the slide is too long, I was probably already SOL.

But I always check a gun when I take it out of the safe. Heck, I always check a gun before I pull the trigger on it or do anything else cleaning/smithy on it. Even if I'd cleared it a few minutes ago and put it on my bench. Paranoia for sure. I plan to never have an ND.

Well, never have an ND that was from carelessness. I've had NDs because of mechanical issues or poor shooting stance. I doubled my Garand once from a rest because I didn't have it in to my shoulder very tight in heavy winter clothing. And my G34 was doubling at the range this past week, but that was a mechanical issue. The trigger bar angle wasn't right, so there wasn't enough overlap on the striker. It was fine when I installed it at home. It was even fine on my last range trip, when it was about 60F. But at about 38F outside in the morning, I guess there was just enough shrinkage the trigger bar was slipping off the striker when I released the trigger. The first one was a shock, but both rounds landed on the target. The second one I was prepared, because I wasn't sure if I'd just yanked the trigger really quick. Nope, fired on the release. Eject mag, clear gun. Take gun home, fixed. Awaiting another range trip to check it, but there is visually sufficient overlap now and it hand cycles properly without doubling after throwing it in my fridge freezer for 15 minutes.

 

[River02]

If he were paying attention.

I always rack more than once even after checking the magwell. Eyeballing an empty magwell is a good idea.

^^^This is the way--

 

[lazarus]

My floors are the exception. Certainly NOT the rule in more modern (post WWII) homes. And at an angle, 1” is more like 1.5” of extremely hard, aged wood.

Not .5” hardwood or engineered hardwood over particleboard.

Just curious, oak over subfloor? Or oak planks directly on the joists? I don't particularly care about the penetration, I am just curious how the house was constructed. Most newer houses from the 1950s on at least would be plank over 3/4 plywood. So in most cases you'd be talking somewhere around 1 3/8-1 3/4" total thickness depending on how thick the flooring is over the subfloor.

 

[platekiller]

If he were paying attention.

I always rack more than once even after checking the magwell. Eyeballing an empty magwell is a good idea.

I always rack 3 times. Hard to ignore rounds popping out if you leave mag in by accident.

I go over gun safety with my 7 and 10 year old sons. I go over the big 4 (treat loaded, safe direction, trigger finger, know backstop). We also go over what to do if they are at someone’s house and a gun gets involved or they are a gun laying around. My thought is it’s not as fascinating at a friends, etc if I allow them to know and handle guns in a safe environment.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Glad everyone is ok!

The Flamingo dissents

 

[Biggfoot44]

[QUOTE="eruby, post: 6903890, member: 2381"




Wouldn't that be a premature discharge?
[/QUOTE]

Premature would have to do with the timing . Accidental would have to do with the placement .

 

[Biggfoot44]

The gunshot, or the discharge?

Both . ( Serious comment)

 

[Biggfoot44]

Your cousin was the only one in that room professional enough to handle the .40

DEA cop: I'm the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of, to carry this Glock 40. I'm the only... (*shoots himself in the foot*)

Discover topics like idiot, fail, guns, unmuted, and the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users like Zergcollective.

imgur.com

I get the humorous reference , but there's a big difference.

OP's Nephew still followed the safety rule of having pointed in safe-ish direction .

Three overlapping safety rules here , following any one of them could , and did prevent injury .

Ammo in gun
Pull trigger
Muzzle in safe direction


Certain parts of the action shooting world ingrain. " ..... And pull trigger to show safe " . This habit can and does carry over to gun handling in general .

The other approach common in LE - ish universe ( and methods evolved from that linage) is " ..... Lock back slide/ open cylinder , check gun , and show safe gun to RO " . Teaches shooter to double check own gun , and reduces autopilot ADs .

 

[FrankZ]

The Flamingo dissents

It has added character now.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Just curious, oak over subfloor? Or oak planks directly on the joists? I don't particularly care about the penetration, I am just curious how the house was constructed. Most newer houses from the 1950s on at least would be plank over 3/4 plywood. So in most cases you'd be talking somewhere around 1 3/8-1 3/4" total thickness depending on how thick the flooring is over the subfloor.

Good point.

I have not observed the second level subfloor but I have seen the 1st level (From the basement) and there is a .5”X 6” wide T&G laid at a diagonal over 2”X8” wood beams.

So yeah. There was a shitload of wood for that .380 to go thru.

BTW it did expand. I could not back it out of the rather clean hole it made. (I was so rattled it took a while to find)

”Why are you opening all the windows up there?”

“Oh, ah, it’s kinda stuffy. Needs fresh air!”

 

[FrankZ]

I get the humorous reference , but there's a big difference.

OP's Nephew still followed the safety rule of having pointed in safe-ish direction .

Three overlapping safety rules here , following any one of them could , and did prevent injury .

Ammo in gun
Pull trigger
Muzzle in safe direction


Certain parts of the action shooting world ingrain. " ..... And pull trigger to show safe " . This habit can and does carry over to gun handling in general .

The other approach common in LE - ish universe ( and methods evolved from that linage) is " ..... Lock back slide/ open cylinder , check gun , and show safe gun to RO " . Teaches shooter to double check own gun , and reduces autopilot ADs .

Very much. The gun was not pointed at anyone AND it was pointed in a downward angle.

 

[Overboost44]

Glad no one was hurt. Isn't it against the law to shoot a flamingo?