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Fess up...Accidental discharge

49K views 210 replies 146 participants last post by  OldBoldPilot 
#1 ·
who has had an accidental discharge?
I did lastnight. I was going thru the motions of drawing my spare weapon. (I put my weapons away empty, my friend used it at the range last) I failed to clear it and shot thru my kitchen wall. I know I should have double checked, but I took it for granted. Lesson learned...scared the hell out of me...Im just thankful nobody was injured.

Jeff
 
#2 ·
Somebody will be along to explain to you that unless the gun malfunctioned, you had a negligent discharge. Tomato, tomahto. Clear it, clear it again, then clear it one more time before dry-firing, but now I am preaching to the choir, right? Glad no one got hurt. In answer to your question, I have.
 
#5 ·
Have had the Buck Mark go bang before I was completely on target. Making the transition from
let's say a "normal" trigger to that ultra smooth extremely light trigger will do that. Always down
range.
I have "found" a live round chambered once in the .45. Reinserted the mag at the range and
jacked the slide ... oops ... where did that come from ! The .45 was my HD gun and I neglected
to clear the chamber when I headed to the range. That was a wake-up call.
 
#6 ·
OK. Here goes.

I sort of "just got into guns" last Feb. I alwasy wanted a leve gun. so I found one from the Marlin owners board. I bought a 336 in 30-30.
While cycling through about 5 rounds, cocking it then letting the hammer down slowly, I didn't know I could just "rack" it continuously, ejecting the bullet. Well, my thumb wasn't on the hammer this time. The rifle discharged, bullet went through the tail of a model airplane, through an outside wall of my hangar, through the stockade fence outside, and off into the woods.
My daughter was in the room with me, and I have ALWAYS known and NEVER point a gun in an unsafe direction. The gun was intentionally pointed at the outside wall.

No one or no property was harmed or hurt (except the model & wall), but it certainly got our attention, and we'll never forget, for safety's sake.
 
#64 ·
WOW that is why you don't put your finger on the trigger until you are WOW really. well be safe glad nobody got hurt.
 
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#8 ·
I'm not going to get into the accidental/negligent discharge argument, which is pointless, but I would place that one in the "stupid" discharge catagory. Consider yourself lucky no one was hurt and a lesson was learned. Now patch the hole!
 
#11 ·
I'm not going to get into the accidental/negligent discharge argument, which is pointless, but I would place that one in the stupid" discharge catagory. Consider yourself lucky no one was hurt and a lesson was learned. Now patch the hole!
You just defined negligent discharges. They are the result of stupidity.
 
#12 ·
I haven't had a 'negligent discharge'... but a true 'accidental discharge' with an old Mossberg pump shotgun.
After a couple of hours of rabbit hunting...I was racking out the magazine...and it discharged (I was nowhere near the trigger).
The gun was pointed down and in a safe direction...no harm done.
I was probably around 20 at the time...and didn't know much about guns.
I got rid of it. Didn't trust it anymore. The buyer was informed prior to purchase.
Follow 'the 4 safety rules' and even a true (and extremely rare) accidental discharge will be harmless.
 
#18 ·
I had an accidental discharge last year. As I was competing in an action pistol match and shooting an array of multiple targets, I fired when the pistol was still moving between the last and prior target (just short of last target). This was a trigger manipulation error on my part to be sure, but it was not negligence. Some would say this was simply a missed target, but I know why I missed it - an accidental discharge.
 
#188 ·
I've had this same feeling happen to me. Exactly one time within the first couple of weeks or so with one of mine. I was fast firing at a target, and the 6th or 7th shot wasn't actually my choice. It felt weird. I kept firing. Explained it to my friend there with me, and that was that.
 
#19 ·
I was a Watch Officer over in the sand. One of my lookouts had ND. The higher ups wanted to send me to Captains Mast because it was one of my guys.
 
#23 ·
My platoon sergeant was the head jump master on a particular jump. During the jump master personnel inspection, one of his assistant jump masters, the battalion training NCO whose primary job was to carry the colonel's clip-board for him, and to stay puckered up until needed, inspected and passed the guy jumping the M60 machine gun. The bungy line was mis-routed and mis-attached, and the inspector missed it. It was a 750' jump, so the kid jumping the 60 released it as soon as his chute opened. The 60 crashed and burned from 350 feet, which, as it turns out, exceeds its design and structural limitations. My platoon sergeant, who was not involved in the inspection, was court-martialed nonetheless because he was the NCOIC of the jump. He had to buy the machine gun, was fined, reduced in rank, and barred from re-enlistment with seventeen years in service. The REMF from battalion who tubed the JMPI denied any and all involvement, and suffered no consequences whatsoever.
 
#20 ·
Happy to say that every round I've touched off in my 40 years of firearm ownership has been intentional... most have actually hit the intended target as well.
That being said, we (hopefully) learn from our mistakes, as I'm sure the OP just has.
 
#21 ·
Never had one. I was trained (rigorously trained) to check, double check, triple check by feeling the chamber with your finger. And you do this EVERY TIME you pick up a gun. If I put it down, and I turn my back, you check again! It sounds like the OP either didn't get properly trained, or didn't take the training seriously.

If a negligent discharge occurs that range I used to belong to before I moved, after a damage/injury check, the shooter was escorted out of the building, banned from re-enter for 1 year, and was required to take one of their 1 on 1 safety courses before they can re-enter the range.

Check, double check, and triple check by finger in the chamber and feel it is empty.
 
#25 ·
Kudos to Jeff (OP) for having the testicular fortitude to admit his error on this forum, knowing that the forum is mostly inhabited by perfect people, who have never made a mistake in their lives, and knowing that these perfect people would point out that it could never, ever happen to them, because they are perfect. It also makes the OP feel better when some of the perfect people call him names too, because we all know this helps prevent future accidents or "negligence". (Sarcasm font off).

Jeff, I'm not in the perfect people class, because I've experienced two (2) in my 57 years, that I'd like to have back. I'll share those with you, so the perfects have someone else to judge, which might just take a little heat off of you.

The first one was when I was a teenager, and had been squirrel hunting with a buddy with .22 rifles. We had finished for the day, and I was getting out of his truck in front of my house, when I reached up to grab my rifle out of the gun rack (yeah, we used to have gun racks in our trucks back then), and apparently pulled the trigger on my rifle, that I had clearly not unloaded when we left the woods.

No one was more surprised than I, when his back window shattered, right behind his head (still sitting in drivers seat). Lots of errors here, and I know what they all are, as will the perfect people, and a great deal of learning took place right then. And yes, he and I are still friends.

Fast forward to three years ago. Had just finished cleaning my KelTec .380, carefully keeping any live ammo away from the gun. Was reassembling the pistol, and was having problems getting it back together. Sat down in my chair in the living room of my home (home alone at the time), and looked at some youtube video's on the subject, and negligently, foolishly, and stupidly put a loaded magazine into the gun, racked the slide, and pulled the trigger, with both hands on the pistol. Thankfully the gun was pointed in a relatively safe direction, as the round went through the arm of my chair, out the other side, through three walls, lodging in a linen closet, barely missing my rock fireplace, and the wrought iron fireplace tools.

Like you, I didn't need anyone telling me I was stupid...I knew it. Thank God, he looks out for drunks and fools, and I certainly qualified as a fool that day. I've carried a gun for over 35 years, have worked as a Primary Firearms Instructor, have sat in judgement of others that have had negligent discharges with their service pistols, as well as investigated those instances for my agency. They should never happen. I know that. You know that. Hopefully we all learn a little something about ourselves when they do.

Be safe.
 
#28 ·
Kudos to Jeff (OP) for having the testicular fortitude to admit his error on this forum, knowing that the forum is mostly inhabited by perfect people, who have never made a mistake in their lives, and knowing that these perfect people would point out that it could never, ever happen to them, because they are perfect. It also makes the OP feel better when some of the perfect people call him names too, because we all know this helps prevent future accidents or "negligence". (Sarcasm font off).


Be safe.
Thanks...Youre right at least I was able to admit my mistake. I'm sure there are a few more on here who have done the same and are afraid to admit.

To the members calling me out...What a great way to treat a new member, real welcoming feeling....again I admit I made a STUPID MISTAKE....for Christs sake I am a human being, I know what I did wrong...Thanks for rubbing my face in the sh*t

Im off my soapbox now
Jeff
 
#27 ·
I've had one before. It was both accidental and negligent ("accidental" just means "unintended"). I put a hole in the bottom of my car's trunk while emptying my gun. It was the classic rack-drop error where I racked the slide prior to dropping the magazine.

The only thing that got hurt (apart from my beater of a car) was my pride, and, man, I still feel shame over it. The good news is that I can't forget it and my safety habits have been better formed. I check, check, check, and check again before touching the trigger.
 
#30 ·
Jeff - Don't let them rattle you. I'd rather one humble guy than a dozen arrogant.

Welcome to the forum!
 
#31 ·
Most of the people I know that have ADd at home were dry firing... and all but two of them pretty much have the same story. They unloaded, go through their DF drills, load up but don't put the gun up, have a brain fart and go back to DF drill mode. I have yet to AD, but I know it can happen. Complacency is usually the culprit.
 
#35 ·
I can relate a funny (kinda) story about a negligent discharge while holstering. At the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick, GA, with a basic agent class (U.S. Customs) at the firing range. This class was nearing the stage of training where they'd be required to qualify with their weapons, and those that didn't qualify, would be washed out of the training, and lose their jobs.

One agent (who will remain nameless) accidentally/negligently shot himself in the right buttocks, while holstering his assigned pistol (S&W 6906). Bullet just grazed his butt, but he was bleeding pretty bad, and all the safety measures in place were executed, and he was treated and released to come back to class.

Later that day, when I spoke to him about the incident, which he was greatly embarrassed about of course, when he lightened up for a minute and said "Sir, At least I shot the SOB that shot me". I about rolled on the floor laughing. This gentleman went on to have a long and productive career as a U.S. Customs Special Agent.

Be safe.
 
#41 ·
Later that day, when I spoke to him about the incident, which he was greatly embarrassed about of course, when he lightened up for a minute and said "Sir, At least I shot the SOB that shot me". I about rolled on the floor laughing. This gentleman went on to have a long and productive career as a U.S. Customs Special Agent.
Now that's funny right there!
 
#36 ·
Many years ago after cleaning my Bersa 22 and prior to inserting the magazine I dropped a round into the chamber and thumbed off the slide release. It is unbelievable just how loud a 22 can be when it unexpectedly fires. Had a gunsmith check it and found out it had a bad firing pin spring.
 
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