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I post this as a teachable moment not only for myself but for anyone else that happens upon the post. This past weekend I had what may be the scariest moment personally I've yet to face, and hopefully god willing ends up being the scariest I'll ever have to deal with. It involved a Glock 19 loaded with a Speed Gold Dot 124gr JHP
While at home with my wife and a few family members, I was demonstrating a holster drawing technique I had been practicing for defensive action to show as an example for a new shooter in the family interesting in CCW. I was using my Glock 19 and had unloaded my magazine and replaced with snap caps. What I failed to do was observe rule #3, "ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use," and by extension check and verify that the chamber is empty before any kind of practice. I also failed to observe as a hard lesson learned I realized after the face that even while practicing, you should ALWAYS know what is beyond your firearm when pulling the trigger, whether in training or life fire.
The result was an accidental discharge into the living room exterior wall of my house that had at least a small penetration through the exterior of my home. I live in a suburb and there are houses across the street from me, and my living room faces a down hill direction, so the remnants of the round may have traveled quite a distance, but were not found. Luckily everyone was accounted for in the path of the round and there were no injuries or damages that could be found. By only the grace of God was no one injured, either in the house or outside the house
The bullet hit drywall, and then a two by four frame piece of the house that was on the corner of a bay window, and then the siding that was on the outside. The hole it created started large and narrowed until it was the size of the metal of a coat hanger. What actually made it out of the house would have been no larger than about 3/4 the size of a .22lr bullet, and the funnel it made as a hole in the wall thankfully showed it didn't penetrate as a full intact round exiting the house the way an FMJ likely would have.
The sound made was intense and caused a few seconds of complete ringing in the ears, as well as an obviously shaken wife and few family members. It was by the following of the other safety measures, meaning not pointing at anyone else and pointing in a "safe direction" that no one in the room was injured. It was by pure luck that no one outside was injured. I called the local police department, and they were very professional and understanding. They decided as an accident no to arrest or have any charges, and said they would let me know if anyone reported anything locally on damage or injury. It was absolutely the most tense moment I've had in my life. Worrying that someone may have been injured or killed by a purely accidental discharge I do not wish on anyone, ever.
I can now personally attest to 9mm JHP 124 gr. Speer Gold Dots being able to penetrate an exterior wooden frame wall in the home, even with drywall and stud framing as well as siding in it's way. It won't leave with much left and may only be fragments remaining, but it can make it through. It has caused me to realize, after my heart slowed below "holy crap" speed, that my previous thought for a home defense situation if I have to fire in my living room is simply not a risk I want to take. If I miss, the round can make it outside my home and off down a hill toward neighbors houses. I now will adjust so that if at all possible in that scenario, I will be firing from a bedroom into the kitchen that is a downward angle small staircase, where the exterior wall is a brick one after drywall. I don't believe the round would make it through, and if so, the house on the other immediate side is brick and would necessarily be at a downward angle based on house they line up.
I personally will be purchasing a training barrel for my Glock that I will use every time I wish to train or practice, and will never again be using snap caps without it. I also will be doing all practice in my basement toward a concrete wall that is all underground as avoid any possible situation as this again. I will NOT be practicing anywhere else in my home with a live barrel again regardless of what the circumstances are.
I hope this story helps someone else in the future understand the real responsibilities and dangers of firing a firearm in not only a defensive situation, but also the safety involved in practicing with a firearm. Being too confident, too calm, too careless, and not applying all of the safety rules when handling a firearm can absolutely lead to a dangerous and potentially life altering accident. Take it from someone who said it will never happen to them, observe the rules of firearm safety at ALL times, no matter the few extra seconds it takes or what others may think of you and if you are good with a firearm or not. It is paramount to observe the safe rules for handling a firearm at all time.
While at home with my wife and a few family members, I was demonstrating a holster drawing technique I had been practicing for defensive action to show as an example for a new shooter in the family interesting in CCW. I was using my Glock 19 and had unloaded my magazine and replaced with snap caps. What I failed to do was observe rule #3, "ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use," and by extension check and verify that the chamber is empty before any kind of practice. I also failed to observe as a hard lesson learned I realized after the face that even while practicing, you should ALWAYS know what is beyond your firearm when pulling the trigger, whether in training or life fire.
The result was an accidental discharge into the living room exterior wall of my house that had at least a small penetration through the exterior of my home. I live in a suburb and there are houses across the street from me, and my living room faces a down hill direction, so the remnants of the round may have traveled quite a distance, but were not found. Luckily everyone was accounted for in the path of the round and there were no injuries or damages that could be found. By only the grace of God was no one injured, either in the house or outside the house
The bullet hit drywall, and then a two by four frame piece of the house that was on the corner of a bay window, and then the siding that was on the outside. The hole it created started large and narrowed until it was the size of the metal of a coat hanger. What actually made it out of the house would have been no larger than about 3/4 the size of a .22lr bullet, and the funnel it made as a hole in the wall thankfully showed it didn't penetrate as a full intact round exiting the house the way an FMJ likely would have.
The sound made was intense and caused a few seconds of complete ringing in the ears, as well as an obviously shaken wife and few family members. It was by the following of the other safety measures, meaning not pointing at anyone else and pointing in a "safe direction" that no one in the room was injured. It was by pure luck that no one outside was injured. I called the local police department, and they were very professional and understanding. They decided as an accident no to arrest or have any charges, and said they would let me know if anyone reported anything locally on damage or injury. It was absolutely the most tense moment I've had in my life. Worrying that someone may have been injured or killed by a purely accidental discharge I do not wish on anyone, ever.
I can now personally attest to 9mm JHP 124 gr. Speer Gold Dots being able to penetrate an exterior wooden frame wall in the home, even with drywall and stud framing as well as siding in it's way. It won't leave with much left and may only be fragments remaining, but it can make it through. It has caused me to realize, after my heart slowed below "holy crap" speed, that my previous thought for a home defense situation if I have to fire in my living room is simply not a risk I want to take. If I miss, the round can make it outside my home and off down a hill toward neighbors houses. I now will adjust so that if at all possible in that scenario, I will be firing from a bedroom into the kitchen that is a downward angle small staircase, where the exterior wall is a brick one after drywall. I don't believe the round would make it through, and if so, the house on the other immediate side is brick and would necessarily be at a downward angle based on house they line up.
I personally will be purchasing a training barrel for my Glock that I will use every time I wish to train or practice, and will never again be using snap caps without it. I also will be doing all practice in my basement toward a concrete wall that is all underground as avoid any possible situation as this again. I will NOT be practicing anywhere else in my home with a live barrel again regardless of what the circumstances are.
I hope this story helps someone else in the future understand the real responsibilities and dangers of firing a firearm in not only a defensive situation, but also the safety involved in practicing with a firearm. Being too confident, too calm, too careless, and not applying all of the safety rules when handling a firearm can absolutely lead to a dangerous and potentially life altering accident. Take it from someone who said it will never happen to them, observe the rules of firearm safety at ALL times, no matter the few extra seconds it takes or what others may think of you and if you are good with a firearm or not. It is paramount to observe the safe rules for handling a firearm at all time.
