Cautionary Tale
 

>Well....I've always heard it's not a matter of "if", but "when". My number
>came up and I paid a hefty price.
>
>Last Friday I was preparing to go shooting the next AM with a buddy of
>mine. I had just put a new a-grip on my Glock, and was going to clean it
>after my wife and I finished our movie. Crash is an awsome movie BTW.
>
>I put the weapon back together and inserted the mag. I did not pipe a
>Round because I knew I was going to strip it later. I went upstairs and
>put the weapon in the tool box in the garage.
>
>About and hour later (mid-night or so), I returned to the garage to finish
>cleaning and getting gear together for the morning. I picked up the Glock,
>dropped the mag and prepared to remove the slide. I done this literally
>thousands of times in the last fifteen years, but this times things were a
>little different. I grabbed the slide getting ready to push the takedown
>pins and pulled the trigger......BANG!!!!! Apparently I DID pipe a round
>an hour prior. My shooting bud attributes it to force of habit, but why the
>hell didn't I check the chamber before pulling the trigger? Should that be
>force of habit too?
>
>Not only did I set off a .45 in my garage, but I passed right through my
>left hand......Yep....I *******ing shot myself point blank. I'm still
>having
>a hard time getting my head around what I did. I was SO angry at myself.
>I have always been uber safe with any firearm, but one lack of procedure
>changed everything. I'm really taking this hard, and all the "it could have
>been worse", "accidents happen", and "thank god you didn't lose your
>hand statements really don't help. I guess I'm getting over it, but it
>still
>seems very surreal to me.
>
>Here are details....I know you all are morbidly curious, and I don't mind
>telling...it's kinda like therapy for me. I DID NOT hear the shot (nor did
>my ears ring afterwards), and it felt sorta like catching a fastball right
>in
>the palm of your glove. I have a very clear image, and suspect I always
>will, of the hole in my hand...perfect .45 diameter not bleeding....yet. I
>took a few seconds, and then the arterial arch in my palm cut loose.
>Blood like you wouldn't believe. I think the fact that I was a Paramedic
>in a former life helped me out here. I walked into the laundry room and
>grabbed a towel to wrap it up, call up the stairs for my wife to come down.
>I remember thinking "if I go get her, I'll mess up the carpet on the
>stairs".
>No lie. She came down half asleep and kind of grumpy, and I told her "I
>just put a bullet in my hand". Said she was calling 911 and according to
>her I responded "That would be a good idea.." My wife is neo-natal RN,
>and can remain cool as a cucumber. This helped me out too I think.
>
>I went back into the garage, put my blasted hand on the floor kneeling
>On the towel and proceeded to open my ever present jump-bag with the
>other. I opened a US issue trauma dressing with my teeth, and proceeded
>to wrap my hand. Those dressing are the schiz nit by the way. My wife
>later told me it was very "Die-Haredesque"......
>
>I do remember cussing at myself the entire time...I have never been that
>angry before.....
>
>Four cops, the shift sup., a pumper truck and an ambulance later. I was
>off to the ER. I didn't feel any pain until I got in the ambulance. The
>endorphins shut down and it hurt like nothing you can imagine. No tickets
>from the cops, but did have to ask which weapon I did it with. My garage
>looks like an arsenal pre-range trip.
>
>The bullet (a Black Talon no less..) shattered my ring finger meta-tarsal,
>and 'removed' two others. It destroyed the flexor tendon of my ring finger,
>almost separated my pinky tendon, and exited the right side of my wrist
>just above my watch band. There was a definite exit hole, but the blast
>force blew the side of my palm WIDE open about three inches in length.
>I didn't even see the exit wound until I removed my watch for the FD.
>
>Anyway, nine hours of surgery, three screws, a tendon graft from my
>forearm and about two-hundred sutures later I was put back together.
>My surgeon said if anyone has to get shot in the hand, this was how to
>do it. No nerve damage....whew. Physical therapy twice a week for god
>knows how long, and the surgeon expects at least 80% function back.
>
>I've included a pic of the round. Snap-On tool boxes are quite literally
>bullet proof. The jacket separated from the slug when it hit the box,
>that's why the slug is flat on one side. If the mods permit, I'll post pics
>of my hand too.....it's pretty burly, and will drive the point home.
>
>Thanks for listening. My wife thinks I'm crazy to post this, but it really
>does help me feel better. Remember....check the chamber twice, then
>check it again. Deputy Do-Right LASO

Holy Fuck.

You just put the point home again. I will remember to never get too relaxed around the tools.



Holy Fuck.



I hope your recovery is going well. Good fortune in the future.

Is that you or did you paste it?

Eitherway, always, always, ALWAYS VISUALLY CHECK THE CHAMBER.

I make it a habit everytime I pick up a gun or are handed a gun (even it is a gun I just handed someone to look at).

It may seem anal 99% of the time (and it is), but it will save you this sort of problem.

I have had one experience with an accidental discharge many years ago in my own home. Like yourself I failed to chamber check. I just had a trigger-job done (by some hack-gunsmith who didn't know BHPs) and, when I racked the slide, the hammer dropped with it causing a round to discharge. Luckily I DID have my Browning Hi-Power pointing in a safe direction (always treat the gun as if it were loaded) and the round went into the floor. One experience is enough to teach me to be "anal" about safety for a lifetime.

Lebell made a good point - I will chamber check, even on a weapon someone just checked, stripped the magazine and handed over to me with the action locked back. If I check a chamber on a weapon I hand over to someone - I expect them to do the same. I'd be wary about their practice if they didn't.

In fact, not only do I visually chamber check, but I often stick my finger in the chamber to feel the empty feed ramp.

ahhh, glock's the quintessential safe pistol.




/sarcasm

Yes, well, I wasn't going there, but point well made.

Do they still have a KB problem?

Nah it wasnt me. It was sent to me by a guy I went through Basic with. But definitely check those chambers guys.

I take back my comment on wishing you good fortune.

I thought it was you that aerated your hand.

Hmmmm. I should have known with the formatting of all of the ">" at the beginning of the line.

Yeah, these e-mails, although technically SPAM, are almost a public service announcement.

A guy has to puncture a limb to get a wish around here? Tough crowd...

Dammit that sucks. A very good reminder to be extra extra extra safe. That would be shitty to explain.

Fred: Hey Dan WTF happened to your hand?
Dan: "Sigh" Well Fred I shot myself...
Fred: WTF!!!

Ahh the things you never want to have to explain.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Okay, I wish you all the happiness the world can bring, and a cute little puppy by your side.

I just misread the original post, that's all.

heres an even better idea.


dont buy a single action pistol, with no safety or exposed hammer that requires you to pull the trigger to field strip it.

:lol: See, a little love is all I ask for.

One of my friends did the same. Once again, someone who shot all the time and had lots of guns. In and out his hand, in and out his thigh, through the tv and out a wall to god knows where. Be careful.

Good story to keep people checking and double checking..


and triple if needed.



Out of habit I usually check chambers on all my guns about 5 or 6 times before my finger ever touches the trigger.


I do have to disagree on the first sentence.

".I've always heard it's not a matter of "if", but "when"."

This can be said about a LOT of things, but when it comes to your life, and the life of others, it should be a matter of "never"