[Confederate]

Thanks to new safety features built into pistols nowadays, if you drop one you don't have to worry about it going off. And it's a well known fact that many folks used to carry their earlier guns with an empty chamber under the firing pin. My question is: How many people here have ever dropped a loaded firearm? And if you did, did it scare you?

(I've heard tell of accidental discharges with Glocks where the trigger was impacted on the way down, but never of a revolver.)

Ruger used to run an ad saying that cowboys would roll up folding money and stuff it into the unused chamber to cover burial costs in case they were killed.

[Biker]

Yes. Decades ago, I dropped a Ruger 3 screw Blackhawk in 45LC and it fired a 260gr handload which passed pretty close to my ear.
I was either lucky or unlucky - flip a coin.

Biker

[XavierBreath]

In one class I attended, a student dropped his Ruger DA revolver, I think it was a GP100, but I honestly cannot recall..... The revolver landed directly on the hammer, on carpeted concrete. It was fully loaded. It did not discharge. It did not function afterwards either, the hammer was stuck, or the action jammed in some way. It was taken to the resident gunsmith, and I never learned what became of it.

[rbmcmjr]

Biker,

The Ruger Three Screw is not protected from this problem. That is the reason why they were replaced with the transfer bar models.
For a while, Ruger would update the lockwork if you sent it in.

[Confederate]

They still will, but you lose any collector's value because Ruger will not send it back with the 3-screw configuration. They'll make it safe, but they'll essentially upgrade it, which can be good if it's a shooter; bad if it's a collecter.

[capbuster]

I can remember dropping a Smith & Wesson md 28,.357 magnum out a Jordan holster while on duty many years ago. I wasnt worried about the handgun going off but was concerned that the drop might seriously alter its appearance.

[earplug]

Bent over helping a lady pick up some dropped item, my Bulldog fell out of my bib overalls top pocket.
She was just fine about it.
Had a nice prewar 1911A1 Commercial Colt drop out of a hiding place in my car. Passenger tried to stomp it to death.
Friend and I were shooting his Python my Smith M27, we left both on the hood of my car and they both slid off when we sat on the fender.

[Confederate]

They fell off your fender...and what? Did you mar that beautiful finish on the Python? Was your friend upset?

Just think about all those idiots who shoot people and then say they dropped the gun and it went off! It doesn't take a Lt. Columbo to figure that one out on most newer guns. I also like the one about cleaning the gun and it just went off. Why does the media still buy that?

*Sigh!*

[.38 Special]

Dropped a 686 (heavily modified for competition) during a Bianchi style match. Fell out of the "holster" which relies on a large spring-loaded ball bearing to grip the trigger guard. If you don't get the gun all the way in before letting go of it...

Wasn't at all concerned about it "going off", but felt like a complete tool. Cleaned the mud out of the muzzle, made sure I wasn't disqualified, and got back to business.

[symr00]

I dropped my 1911 cocked and locked from the dresser, nothing happened. I had the Wolff heavy duty FP spring in it. I also dropped my SP101 from about 2 feet. It sits between the mattress and boxspring and slipped out while getting out of bed.

[JohnKSa]

I have dropped a loaded Glock onto carpet accidentally. There was no incident and no damage.

I have also had a loaded PPK fall out of my safe. It hit the metal lip of the safe and landed on the carpet outside the safe. Again, no discharge and no damage to the gun. It chipped the finish on the lip of the safe.I've heard tell of accidental discharges with Glocks where the trigger was impacted on the way down...I'd be interested to see links or other reference information to these occurrences. I have done some testing trying to snag a dropped Glock trigger (unloaded of course) but have never managed to snag it to the point of getting the firing pin to drop....you lose any collector's value because Ruger will not send it back with the 3-screw configuration.It is my understanding that they also return all the original parts to you so that you don't lose any collector value.

[earplug]

It and my M27 hit the dirt. Was sorta muddy that day and no damage.
Don't haul a soft cased Python and a bench vice in the same tank bag, that might break a hammer spur.

[jad0110]

I also like the one about cleaning the gun and it just went off. Why does the media still buy that?

Agreed. Guns don't just go off. I think a lot of people think they can. I know some of those poeople. They believe whatever the Clinton News Network and Commie Broadcasting System tells them to think. Like guns can jump up and start shooting at baby carriages all by themselves. How dangerous :scrutiny:!!!

When a gun fires, it fires because someone told it to. Negligently, in some cases unfortunately (remember the 4 rules!).

It is my understanding that they also return all the original parts to you so that you don't lose any collector value.

Probably true, but I'd certainly check first and try to get it in writing.

[V-fib]

Dropped myTaurus 94 twice once on dirt and once on the basement floor. no damage or dishcharge either time. :uhoh:

[Ohen Cepel]

Dropped an NAA mini .22 Mag from waist height onto concrete. However, since it's designed for the hammer to rest between rounds nothing happened (besides me cringing!)

[SergeantC]

I dropped a loaded Glock 19 on carpeting once while taking it out of my holster. It didn't go off, but my hear did stop.

The odd thing is that the impact onto the carpet caused the action to cycle. I picked it up, checked it over, unloaded it, and realized I was 1 round short in the magazine. The missing round was lying on the carpeting a couple of feet away.

[revolverguy]

was working in the shop late one night wearing my taurus 85 in a don hume holster just clipped on my pants [no belt]:banghead: i bent over and the taurus fell on the wooden floor, didnt expect it to discharge and it didnt.

[BobMcG]

Probably twenty years ago I dropped a loaded Dan Wesson .357 out of a too slick pants holster onto a concrete sidewalk. I was p.....off but the magnum didn't go off!

[Cosmoline]

If you're afield with one very long, you *WILL* drop it. It's one reason I like Hogue combat style grips, because they allow for much better control when your hands are freezing, wet or just not positioned quite right.

[SouthpawShootr]

Once. Luckily it was a padded, carpeted floor. I just let it fall. Even with DA revolvers, there's still a chance that you could inadvertently pull the trigger during recovery. This is not a natural response but one which I believe is the safest all around. I'm not in the least bit worried that the gun will go off if I drop it. Anything I keep loaded, I'm carrying and all my carry guns have automatic firing pin safeties.

[jad0110]

I just let it fall. Even with DA revolvers, there's still a chance that you could inadvertently pull the trigger during recovery.

This is a very real fear. If it is loaded, DON'T reach out to grab it. Just let it go. I was a few feet away from a lady that shot herself in the foot with a .22 Ruger Mk II doing just that. The Ruger slipped, she grabbed at it, POP = .22" diameter hole in foot and lots of embarrasment.

I read a story on TFL about an LEO (not sure which organization) who went the restroom and sat his Sig on the back of the toilet. When he was done, he reached out to pick up the Sig and bumped it. It bouced off the wall and fell towards the toilet bowl. When he grabbed for it, BANG! One dead toilet.

[scott5]

Hello all,
Back when my brother and I still lived in the same room, we were both playing with my dad's Herters single action 357 magnum in our room.
This revolver was a German copy of the Ruger Black Hawk with a 5 1/2 inch barrel.

Well we had it loaded with six rounds and when we were done we left it on the bean bag chair in our room.
The next day my brother forgetting about the revolver grabs the bean bag chair to fluff it up and feels something drop, looks down just in time to see and feel a bullet wizz by his head into the cealing.:what: :fire: :fire: :cuss:

It shure scarred him, and it scared me when he told me about it:what:
I had my Dan Wessons by then so we didn't use it much after that.:D

[rockstar.esq]

I dropped my taurus 445ch whilst decending my deck stairs. It fell out of my new hoffners holster which as they say "makes me a sad panda". The gun hit muzzle first onto sandstone pavers marring the front sight. I have to admit I was running a pucker factor of 9.5 watching it bounce on the hard stone but I did have the presence of mind NOT to grab for it as it was falling. End result no AD and the front sight was damaged superficially. In fact the sight picture wasn't changed at all. I also had a Taurus PT92 fall out of a IWB hoster while running in a prarie. That just made the gun dirty and made me sad.

[duckjihad]

Have dropped 3, sadly. Dropped a Browning Hi-power years ago. A sp101 a couple years back, and recently, my Kimber Compact stainless. the kimber and hi power were loaded. No problems. Marred the sight on the SP 101, and the hi power safety gouged the slide ever so little (Which still surprised me). Odd thing on the kimber. It fell out of my shoulder rig (Didn't have the snap fully engaged it turns out) when I stooped down. Only fell a foot and a 1/2. When I picked it up, I saw the slide stop had popped out about a 1/8 of an inch, as if I was field stripping it. Had to unload and reassemble the thing.

[Headless]

Dropped a 642 ~2 feet last night. Uneventful.

[TexasRifleman]

Ugh. My poor 386PD. I guess I must have dropped that thing a dozen times.

I don't know why either, I never drop any other firearms.

[Shifty]

IIRC the PRK only allows pistols that pass drop tests into the state now. has to pass a muzzle first and hammer first drop onto concrete or something to that effect.

[pharmer]

I have, no damage. Awhile back a guy on the coast had a .22mag mini-revolver in the door pocket of his dump truck. When he jumped down, it hit the pavement, fired, bullet hit him in the lower back, killing him. Guess he didn't have it in the "safety notch". Joe

[Raine]

I've dropped a Taurus model 66 before, landed on concrete. Didn't go off, and didn't cause any damage it.

I've also seen several instances of S&W model 65s being dropped onto concrete, and none of them have fired so far [I work for the Dept. of Corrections, it happens way too much].

[countertop]

I dropped a loaded S&W Model 66 once. Scariest split second of my life so far.

It didn't go off.

[RustyShackelford]

I had my used nickeled Taurus model 82 .38spl revolver slide out of my cheap old $5.00 nylon holster and hit a tile floor. :uhoh:

That incident was strong arguement for high quality gear/holsters :D .

I now use a Bianchi UM-84R for my carry-duty .38spl revolver.

Rusty

[gandog56]

Remember dropping a revolver once, but it was not even loaded.

[Moonclip]

I have a couple of times but both were modern S&W's so discharge didn't scare me but marring the blue on one and something snapping internally in ejector rod mechanism on other sucked.

an old S&W or old Rugers w/o a transfer bar would have scared me though. old beliefs die hard too. I was going to loan a friend a handgun for home defense once, he refused a Colt King Cobra as being unsafe if dropped and only could be loaded with 5 rounds he said! keep in mind this guy was only like 25 at time in 1999! he used a Cz52 for a few days instead, much safer home defense handgun:rolleyes:

[vito]

I didn't drop my S&W 19; it jumped out of my holster and starting shooting at everyone in sight. Of course you understand that guns shoot people, and this one was tired of sitting around for years without being fired. I've asked Sarah Brady and Mayor Bloomberg for some advice on how to handle this dangerous species.

[P97]

I dropped a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine, on a Kitchen Tile floor and it fired and went in above the knee and came out in my hip and lodged in the credit cards in my billfold. Was a hollow point and left the copper jack in the muscle of my thigh and it worked to the outside about a year later. My wife was one step behind me when I dropped it. I was very fortunate because it could have hit me in the vitals, or hit her. I didn't carry on any more loaded rounds until the firing pin block came out.

[IV Troop]

When I was a uniformed cop I had a couple of incidents of struggling with suspects who had guns. One in particular, I recall the gun getting knocked out of his hands and doing a frisbee across the asphalt. No discharges.

Kinda funny though, I remember I was still struggling with the guy trying to cuff him and thinking "Holy crap I hope somebody friendly gets to that thing first if i don't."

I also recall giving someone an opportunity to drop the gun he was holding before things went bad for him. I startled the guy, as I came from a different angle and he was confronting other officers in the front of the trailer.

When I gave him his options (and let him know i was there) he acted as if the gun had just magically caught fire. He literally threw his hands up in front of him and let the gun go sailing into the hard packed dirt. No discharges, at least from the gun. He looked like he needed a new set of BVD's according to the guys in front who could see his face.

Nothing says fun and games like no contact orders, guns and alcohol.

[RexDart]

It is my understanding that they also return all the original parts to you so that you don't lose any collector value.
Probably true, but I'd certainly check first and try to get it in writing.

They do so in the back of their current catalog. Ruger lists the replacement/upgrade program, and states: "The value of the gun will not be impaired, and we will return your original parts for collector’s purposes."

Details are also on their web site: http://www.ruger.com/Firearms/PDF/SafetyAnnouncements/SafetyOfferAd.pdf

[tubeshooter]

I dropped a .38 snub (Taurus 85) about 3 feet once onto a hard surface (concrete/blacktop). No discharge, very slight damage to finish (of course any damage at all has to make you :( at least a little).

I know the reputation for older revolvers possibly going off if dropped. The one I dropped was probably not quite 10 years old at the time, and not old enough for me to worry. Cross my mind yes, but truly "worry" about a discharge, no. Maybe I should fear it more than I do.


Anyway, to me the real danger would be not surpressing the natural reflexive urge and trying to catch the daggone thing where time/positioning permits. Now that might cause a problem. Come to think of it, I have had this same gun fall out of my grip once or twice and was able to overcome that "catch it" urge and also have the presence of mind to try to soften the landing with my foot. But I had thought about making myself not catch it in the past. Your mind thinks pretty quick. I guess that ties in to why training is important and all, but that's a whole 'nother topic.