analysis of an accidental discharge
finished cleaning my gun. going over the outside to make sure I didn't miss anything. after a while of looking at it, I wanted to feel the heft of a fully loaded pistol. that would be nice. so I put in a loaded magazine. moved it around and pointed it at a few things. after a while, I remembered I haven't racked the slide yet after reassembly, so I pulled on it.... seemed like it was stuck. ??? hard to pull back. pulled and pulled, it went back maybe 2 inches and I gave up because I didn't want to break anything. has problems closing too. well dammit, what did I do wrong? have to take it apart and look. pulled the trigger to get the slide offBANG!!!
doh! ...that's what you get with a loaded magazine, you dumbass
the bullet zipped through a grocery bag and blasted a hole in the wall.
I thought oh no, it probably went through that wall, through the other wall and out the exterior brick wall and put a hole in the neighbor's house. went and looked, nothing like it. not even a mark on the other side of the wall. did not penetrate. must have been thinking about an AK because the .40 sure didn't do that.
it wasn't anywhere near as loud as I thought it would be. I thought if I ever had an AD indoors my ears would be ringing for minutes and would probably hurt. as it was, they only rang for 20 seconds and hearing was mostly restored.
I went outside to assure the neighbors that it was just an accidental discharge and everything was okay. guess what, nobody cared. nobody came outside, nobody looked out the window, nothing. after a while I went back inside to take a closer look at the damage.
.40SW FMJ, 180 grains, rated at 1020 ft/s. 184 power factor, 416 ft-lb kinetic energy.
the plaster was 5/8" thick. the FMJ blasted a wide hole and broke the lathe behind it, but that must have sapped all the energy because it only skidded off the 2x4 door frame stud and bounced off the wall stud next to it (perpendicular). that was it.
this picture shows the skid mark and where it bounced off.
my thoughts:
1. that was it??? I need to get a 10mm
2. I had heard that most AD's happen when cleaning the gun. I always thought that was silly. it has to be unloaded when it's all taken apart in peices, and you know it's unloaded when you put it back together. what, do people have an AD trying to clean a fully assembled loaded gun? well what happened here is a more likely scenario that is never mentioned: AFTER you clean it, you putz around and load it, shortly afterwards having it in your head that it's still unloaded (because you just cleaned it, right?) and there you go. that's what to watch out for.
doh! ...that's what you get with a loaded magazine, you dumbass
the bullet zipped through a grocery bag and blasted a hole in the wall.
I thought oh no, it probably went through that wall, through the other wall and out the exterior brick wall and put a hole in the neighbor's house. went and looked, nothing like it. not even a mark on the other side of the wall. did not penetrate. must have been thinking about an AK because the .40 sure didn't do that.
it wasn't anywhere near as loud as I thought it would be. I thought if I ever had an AD indoors my ears would be ringing for minutes and would probably hurt. as it was, they only rang for 20 seconds and hearing was mostly restored.
I went outside to assure the neighbors that it was just an accidental discharge and everything was okay. guess what, nobody cared. nobody came outside, nobody looked out the window, nothing. after a while I went back inside to take a closer look at the damage.
.40SW FMJ, 180 grains, rated at 1020 ft/s. 184 power factor, 416 ft-lb kinetic energy.
the plaster was 5/8" thick. the FMJ blasted a wide hole and broke the lathe behind it, but that must have sapped all the energy because it only skidded off the 2x4 door frame stud and bounced off the wall stud next to it (perpendicular). that was it.
this picture shows the skid mark and where it bounced off.
my thoughts:
1. that was it??? I need to get a 10mm
2. I had heard that most AD's happen when cleaning the gun. I always thought that was silly. it has to be unloaded when it's all taken apart in peices, and you know it's unloaded when you put it back together. what, do people have an AD trying to clean a fully assembled loaded gun? well what happened here is a more likely scenario that is never mentioned: AFTER you clean it, you putz around and load it, shortly afterwards having it in your head that it's still unloaded (because you just cleaned it, right?) and there you go. that's what to watch out for.
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Glad no one was hurt.
I will own up to it, I did an equally dumb thing with a .22 mag pump, about 6 months ago. I had been dry firing it for about 4-7 days. Sighting through the scope. Stupid like, I loaded the tube mag with rounds.
The next day, I was pointing it out the window. Racked the forearm. Squeezed the trigger. Boom!!
I have now blown a hole in a 4X5' window. Built in casement. It will not be cheap.
Dumbest thing I have ever done with a Firearm.
I felt like an Idiot. (And) I was.
I was not going to admit it here, but if you are brave enough to take the heat, well then, so am I.
Yes Sam, That was the first round fired through your .22mag. :?
A rather humbling experience.0 -
got used to telling people to KMA. not a problemKenK/84Bravo wrote:I was not going to admit it here, but if you are brave enough to take the heat, well then, so am I.0 -
# 1. Glad no injuries
# 2. You were lucky
# 3. All guns are loaded0 -
buschmaster wrote:
this picture shows the skid mark and where it bounced off.
Is that the only skid mark? Don0 -
buschmaster wrote:
got used to telling people to KMA. not a problemKenK/84Bravo wrote:I was not going to admit it here, but if you are brave enough to take the heat, well then, so am I.
My rear 4X5' Window tells me that everday. I can not help but look through it/see it every single day. Currently a duct tape patch.
What a Dumb A$$. :oops:0 -
What make/model gun?
why not continue to clear gun when you noticed slide was hard to pull ?
why pull the trigger to get the slide off ?
don't you clear the gun before start of disassly?0 -
What make/model gun?
why not continue to clear gun when you noticed slide was hard to pull ?
why pull the trigger to get the slide off ?
don't you clear the gun before start of disassly?0 -
montanajoe wrote:What make/model gun?
why not continue to clear gun when you noticed slide was hard to pull ?
why pull the trigger to get the slide off ?
don't you clear the gun before start of disassly?
He re-installed a loaded magazine, Joe.
Somewhat akin to my loading the tube magazine, the prior evening.
No excuses. Simply a DA move.
First and only negligent discharge I have ever had. (Simply Stupid.) I own up to it.0 -
KenK/84Bravo wrote:My rear 4X5' Window tells me that everday. I can not help but look through it/see it every single day. Currently a duct tape patch.
if it wasn't such a big window it would be easy. pry off the 1/4 round, replace glass, put the 1/4 round back and paint it. buying, transporting and installing a 4'x5' piece of glass is the problem. replacing with plexiglass would be easier. tho plastic that big you might want to put a support in the middle. can be done with 1x40 -
montanajoe wrote:What make/model gun?
G22
why not continue to clear gun when you noticed slide was hard to pull ?
thought it was an empty mag (duuuuuh, it's heavy, it's loaded)
why pull the trigger to get the slide off ?
the trigger had reset when the slide was pulled back 2".
don't you clear the gun before start of disassly?
I thought it was unloaded, no need to check again. I just cleaned it, right?
any other time I would ALWAYS remove the mag and check the chamber before pulling the trigger to get the slide off.
...but I just cleaned it so it must be unloaded...0 -
Again,glad there were no injuries. Thankfully, I haven't done a AD, and continue to hope I never do. 0 -
Dumb ass is not the term I would use. You could have killed someone. 0 -
I have a couple of de-cocking/clearing boxes that I bought from a guy that got them in in a government auction. They have ceramic blocks inside bullet proof material that'll keep an accidental discharge in the box. Luckily they've not had to catch any of mine so far. 0 -
penguin1 wrote:Dumb ass is not the term I would use. You could have killed someone.
I applied that to myself. I was pointing at a tree trunk outside. Not at nothing in particular. Thanks for jumping in with your "analysis," Penguin.
You can think what you want. I could care less.
Aren't they missing you over in "Ask The Experts," with your inane BS? "What is ..........?"0 -
Years ago, I posted a story about doing stupid things here.
Man, did I get piled on!!!0 -
yep, I don't ever point a gun at something that I don't want shot, loaded or not. let alone pull the trigger. just in case there's an accident such as this.KenK/84Bravo wrote:
I applied that to myself. I was pointing at a tree trunk outside. Not at nothing in particular. Thanks for jumping in with your "analysis," Penguin.penguin1 wrote:Dumb ass is not the term I would use. You could have killed someone.
when I pull the trigger on an unloaded gun to disassemble it, it's always in a safe direction. and that's what happened here. (no other people in the house) if it was something more powerful like a rifle it would have been pointed up.
I would never, ever, point it at a person. accidentally shooting a person is simply not going to happen.
so I made a dumb mistake but all of the above safety rules were successful. things like the refrigerator, microwave, computer, etc didn't get shot, because I wouldn't point and pull the trigger at those; some other person or a pet didn't get shot, because they would never get pointed at in the first place.
and that was the purpose of this thread, to discuss things like that, to help other people less likely to have an AD and if so, to minimize the damage.
that, and I think I need a 10mm.0 -
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Smitty500mag wrote:I have a couple of de-cocking/clearing boxes that I bought from a guy that got them in in a government auction. They have ceramic blocks inside bullet proof material that'll keep an accidental discharge in the box. Luckily they've not had to catch any of mine so far.
that's pretty nice. I think you could do the same thing with a bunch of 2x12's nailed together to make a block, or a chunk of a tree stump. don't need an enclosed box as long as you shoot it in the middle.0 -
buschmaster wrote:
that's pretty nice. I think you could do the same thing with a bunch of 2x12's nailed together to make a block, or a chunk of a tree stump. don't need an enclosed box as long as you shoot it in the middle.
Yeah you probably could but I got these cheaper than I could buy a 2x12 for and I didn't have to build anything nor did I have to put a tree stump in my workshop.0 -
Yikes! Those guns look dangerous.
I was in college, I pulled back the slide to see if there was one in the chamber of my .22 Ruger rifle, it was empty, I released the slide and for some reason pulled the trigger. BOOM!
I was in my college apartment, blew a little hole in the sheetrock, not too bad. Damn.0 -
Thanks for sharing, enjoy your new 10mm. 0 -
I was about 22 and had just left the range... I always left the range with an empty gun... except this time I decided to shoot a couple of holes in a freezer... leaving a loaded gun and got in the truck to go back home. Well some reason I decided to relax the spring in my g19 and pointed it out the window and boom... it was like slow motion the slide went back and the case hit the roof ... I was absolutely surprised. I lucked out because I was in a national forest and nothing for miles , but Thing is it wasn?t an accident. When you pull the trigger it is a Negligent Discharge.
Now about a year later I was lowering the hammer on a 410 h and r single shot and the single action spring was not what I expected and boom. 410 in the wall. I learned that single actions are not my cuppa. Lowering a 1911 makes me nervous..
I found a new respect for guns and now I always assume it?s loaded. Even if I just took out the ammo and racked it.
I?m just glad nobody was hurt... or even home...0 -
"lowering a 1911 makes me nervous"
You're doing it wrong. 1911's have a safety. Lowering on a chambered round,defeats chambering a round. Use the safety.0 -
Glad everyone is OK.
I for one thank you for sharing.
Cheers.0 -
Well, so much for the purported "power" of the .40 short and weak. 0 -
OK :
As Ive always taught in all the Classes I teach :
There is No Such Thing as an Accidental Discharge !!!
You violated at least One of the Basic Safety Rules !!!!
Dang : Glad no one was injured !
Thanks !!!0 -
Somebody who knows how to set up a survey. Had accidental/negligent discharge: Needed a condition one quick draw and shoot: Never had either one.
I'd be willing to bet on the outcome, but I could be wrong.:)0 -
I will readily agree/admit to mine being an "Negligent Discharge."
Dumbest thing, by far, I have ever done with a firearm.
I was pointed out the window, at a tree trunk about 20' beyond the window. Sitting on my couch. To say I was stunned, would be a gross understatement.
I have shared with a couple close friends, all prior service Military.
I have now come clean and shared my shame here. :oops:0 -
A guy I used to work with lived out in the country with just his wife. Sometimes he would sit on his couch in the living room and shoot targets in the back yard through his open sliding glass door with his pellet gun.
One day he went to the bathroom and then came back and set down and commenced shooting again. Only thing was while he was gone to the bathroom his wife shut the sliding glass door. Yep...Crack! Crash! He killed his door!
Now that my friends is the definition of stupid.0 -
Back when we were retail....an older lady came in the store with her husband, she was PISSED and he was silent. She said he was there to return the gun he bought. He just stood there She yelled out "show them the hole in your pants"......he did.....then she says....."show them the other holes". This is when she explained he had shot the dresser where ALL of his clothes hung and he now had holes in every piece of his clothing.
She was NOT happy.
I've always heard its not if you ever will have an accidental discharge.....but when. Keep things pointed in a safe direction and be as careful as you can. I'm glad you are ok. Thats an impressive hole!0
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