Negligent Glock Discharge- "It Can't happen to me".

[glockforlife]

CPL holder here who owns several glocks and shoots about 1,000 rounds a month at the range. I, like most of you scoffed at the stories of negligent Glock Discharges believing I am too smart, and too careful for that to ever happen to me.
Well it just did today- and in my own home. As a part of self penance and to use this as a learning aid for others here is my story.

Practicing to become a better shooter, I practice dry fires on my g17 daily as many many gun owners do. I always do a safety check and this morning was not unlike 100's of other times I have done this. I keep my gun as a nightstand gun racked in a holster. Today I took it out to the living room as I do- but first did a safety check- I drop the magazine, rack the slide, and visually inspect the chamber.. yep did all 3 like iv done 100's of times.. Then I proceed to do my first dry fire.. squeeze aimed at he wall- then BLAM!!! ... what just happened?? Time just froze as I sat there frozen in shock looking at hole in the wall and smelling the gunsmoke. My first reaction was that?? That is not possible!! I look at gun, the magazine is out so how did it magically load itself?? Then after the 2 seconds of shock, panic sets in - where is the bullet?? Did it stay in the house?? Oh god! I live in close suburb! I get up and check.. Clean hole in the wall exited into the kitchen cabin and stoped by dishes which had exploded out spraying glass all over the kitchen.

The relief it didn't exit the house was replaced with terror, anger and confusion. I instantly hit the mental rewind and play to make sense of what just happened. I did the safety check just 5 seconds ago!!- and this surreal "that's not possible" emotion like I had just shifted into an alternate universe overcame me. After 10 minutes of trying to recall the clearing of the gun over and over my memory was the same- I droped the mag, racked and inspected chamber.. so what then? THis isn't possible! I am too smart and too carefull for THIS to happen to ME!..

Well apparently not. Here is what happened- Last night I had installed a new Crimson Trace Railmaster. So while doing my safety check which iv done hundreds of times- Somewhow my attention got distracted for a millisecond admiriing my sweet new laser- and in the momentary distraction my brain got the safety check out of order.. I racked, looked at the empty chamber, THEN Droped the Magazine which was loaded. I had chambered a round not even realizing it during my safety check. It just one millisecond of distraction that I didn't even realize ,or record in memory, and I cuased a negligent discharge that could have killed someone, myself, and or or sent me to prison. Just like that. You become so familiar with a routine even a safety check the familiarity and comfort you have with your gun can become your worst enemy.

I was like you, thinking I am too smart too safe for that happen. Before today I would have sneered at this post- what a moron, that wold never happen to me. Nope. You can never be too smart, or too safe when it comes to guns. I am restructuring my safety protocol.. now it's double check tripple check, multi-rack and pinky check. You can never be too smart or too safe.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[VBVAGUY]

Thanks for sharing that with us and letting all of us learn from this. Thank God that no one got hurt. Learn and move on. God Bless

[buckeye .45]

There is a reason the last thing we saw on our base before leaving for patrols in Iraq was "Complaceny Kills" spray painted on a concrete blast barricade.

The second you forget that, is the second it gets someone killed.

[Thunder71]

That's why I have a hard time with those who say the only safety they need is between their ears.

Glad you're ok.

Tapatalk - Helping people post from bathrooms since 2009.

[scorpion12]

OP sorry to hear that happened to you but good to hear noone was hurt.

Maybe a change to your technique...

I'd read this in several places for people that do dry firing practice...

Unload weapon in one room.
Keep weapon separate from ammunition as in completely different areas of the house.
Practice after checking the chamber a couple of times after ensuring that ammunition is NOT in the same room.

[Mike1956]

Reminders are always a good thing. Glad it wasn't worse.

[armado]

Thanks for the reality check. If it can happen to you, it can happen to anyone.

[STLRampage]

Glad noone was hurt.

Another reason I only practice at the range...

[jonny4523]

Glad noone was hurt.

Another reason I only practice at the range...

That's certainly the more expensive way to do it. Nothing replaces dry fire practice and it doesn't cost you a dime!

Glad no one was hurt. I had something similar happen to me in the garage. About destroyed a kitchen chair. Just goes to emphasize to never point at something you're not willing to destroy.

[MJK]

Thank you for sharing your experience...it's good to be reminded that ND's can happen to anyone!

[STLRampage]

That's certainly the more expensive way to do it. Nothing replaces dry fire practice and it doesn't cost you a dime!

It's worth it to me.

Never dry fired a gun in my home and never will. To each his own.

[BritishAgent]

Glad you and yours are okay.

I've had a "friend's" ND whiz passed my head, through some hanging clothes, walls, shower tiles and into a stud. It's a scary, loud, enlightening experience that not everyone has or lives through.

As for dry-fire. I've solved this problem by not dry-firing my EDC (PPS9) regularly. It stays loaded, on me, locked up, or well hidden; but always loaded and holstered. If I get an itch to dry-fire, I do it with the P99 which I keep locked up with a loaded mag and empty chamber.

If you don't like switching platforms, maybe get two G17s, one for Carry and one for "play". I mean I get it, it's a Glock, but I feel as though you shouldn't futz with your EDC all the time, dry-firing, loading and unloading, blind-folded field stripping, etc. Save that for your range guns.

[dukalmighty]

Thats why I check the chamber several times even after dropping the mag etc. before I dry fire my gun

[QKShooter]

Look on the bright side. Nobody was hurt, (yourself included) you'll never do that again, & you get to go shopping for a new set of dishes and some drywall compound.
Don't beat yourself up over it.
That accomplishes nothing.
Learn from it. I'm certain that you already have. Hopefully others here will learn from it also.
Put it in the past...and move on.

[ccw9mm]

One of the things that I was taught to do (well after initially being introduced to pistols) was to both visually confirm the chamber's empty as well as to stick my finger in the chamber to double-check. Can't easily do that without first dropping the magazine and locking back the slide. I've been able to make it my basic routine: drop mag, rack slide a couple of times, lock slide back, visually check, stick finger in as double-check.

Prepping a defensive gun off the range (as we all do, if having a defensive gun at home), the one thing that really concerns me is the risk for unintentionally firing it. I'm glad the four basic safety guidelines overlap. And I'm really glad the person who introduced me to the "finger in chamber" trick did so, even though that occurred years later. No guarantees, still, but hopefully it'll continue to help keep the risk lower than it would otherwise have been.

Glad that everyone's okay.