HotGuns

I am bringing this up because I was just informed that one of my friends shot himself in the leg.

The details...
This man is 64 years old and is a heart patient. He takes nitro pills and keeps a bottle of them in his pocket...the same pocket that he keeps his .32 Keltec in.

He went to grab a pill, and when he reached in his pocket to get the bottle out, it was somehow fouled with his gun, and the gun went off, shooting though his lower leg and stopping in the cab of his SUV. For those that care, it was a Winchester Silver-tip...and it showed little expansion...luckily for him.

He was fortunate. The bullet did not fragment and trash an artery, it just chewed up some muscle and is very painful. He took 4 days off from work ( this happened on a Monday) and finally went back on Friday.

I know that a lot of people on this board carry pocket guns and many of them carry a bare gun in their pocket.

Although I have never recommended carry in that way, and only recommend that you carry in a small pocket holster, the dangers of pocket carry don't seem to get discussed much.

At least in pocket holster designed for such, fouling with other objects would seem to be more difficult.

So here is a friendly reminder to keep you from accidently shooting yourself and ruining your week...

If you do happen to carry a "naked" gun in your pocket, make dang sure that you dedicate that pocket to your gun and ONLY your gun.

DO NOT carry anything else in it...change, keys, bottle of nitro pills, rings, good luck tokens, your kids chewed bubblegum, even a pocket knife could get wrapped up in it and cause bad things to happen.


Life is hard enough without shooting yourself by accident...

__________________
AR. CHL Instr.

If you carry a gun for protection, then learn to shoot like your LIFE depends on it, because some day it might.

JonInNY

+1

And, if you must pocket carry, and your gun has a safety, make sure it's on. Practice drawing (unloaded, of course), and turning off safety simultaneously. My $.02 worth.

__________________

• "The right of voting for representatives is the primary right by which all other rights are protected."
  --Thomas Paine

____________________________

• Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
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EW3

You should NEVER carry a pocket pistol without a holster that covers the trigger up. I don't care how double-action that trigger is.

I always get really nervous when I see these belt clips or other contraptions on small pocket-type guns:

__________________
"The Soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war."
Gen. Douglas MacArthur, U.S. Army
“Duty, Honor, Country”
West Point, NY, 1963

XD9mm

I'm sorry to hear about your friends. It just goes to show no matter how old you are, no matter how many times you have done something, freak stuff can and will happen. Unfortunately, this was a very painful lesson for him but luckily no one else was injured.

ccw9mm

There are two primary rules of pocket carry, IMO: having it in a proper holster (as with any gun), and not carrying anything else in that pocket but the firearm.

__________________
Your best weapon is your brain. Don't leave home without it.
Reports: CZ P01 pt1, pt2.
Thoughts: Justifiable self defense.
Goal: Experience; learn; find wisdom from that; rinse/repeat.

wmhawth

I rate pocket carry slightly higher than S.O.B. carry. It's not for me although I do understand why people do it.

__________________
William

matdicdad

I pocket carry every once in a while and I would never carry without my holster. Just too dangerous. Glad your friend is ok.

retsupt99

HotGuns...

Great reminder for all...

Never, never, never...carry ANY gun on you person without the trigger covered in a holster (of some type).

Stay armed...carry properly..stay safe!

__________________
‘‘Four out of five politicians surveyed prefered unarmed, ignorant peasants.’’
— Unknown

Liberals are as American as 'dog dodo' pie...

wht06rado

Pocket holsters are cheap... Glad to hear that your friend is ok.

Wht

__________________
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I'm not pro gun, I'm pro rights. What are you?

NRA Member
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Roadrunner

With a good holster I see no dangers to pocket carry; without a holster... well, as this thread shows, the results speak for themselves.

__________________
- Kurt
“Freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have the courage to defend it.” ~Pericles of Athens
Primary Carry - Colt Commander .45 in a Brommeland Max-Con V