My second trip to the range...and first grazing!

[xenophon]

Ok, so as some of you know, I recently got into firearms, dove right in being a newbie, and I just got a glock 19 just over a week ago. I went to the range today for the second time since owning my first gun. The first trip to the range, there was no one there so I had the whole place to myself. This time, there was a guy in bay 2 firing what must have been a .45 judging from the big boom and big holes in his plastic winchester ammunition holder. So I go down to bay 7 (fartherest on the right) , wanting to keep my distance This is an indoor range with a 50 foot backstop, located in the basement of the gun shop. Very nice setup, and electronic target retrieval system. Anyways, I watch the guy shoot a round bullseye like target at the 50ft mark. Ok, so he's a good shot. I start my 9mm shooting at 7 yrds, and about 2 magazines into my shooting as I'm reloading, I feel a sting on my right arm, and look down to see a slight red mark. Something grazed me! Ok, I was a little shocked at first cuz I'm new to all this and all, but it did wake me up! I went right on with my business of loading up and kept on firing as usual, thinking to myself "now I know why I wear safety glasses." The guy in bay 2 finished up like 2 min. after I was grazed and was out the door. When I got grazed, the guy had his target about 25ft out, so I dunno *** happened, and I didn't mention anything to him because 1) I didn't get hurt and 2) I didn't think it would have mattered anyways, sh*t happens. My question(s) is was that a bullet fragment that came flying by? I have no idea what backstops are made of, but this place has concrete walls on both sides, and it looks like if you shoot too high, you hit a cement ledge above the stop (ok, that would have to be a VERY bad shot, but still) Are grazing like this common? I looked on the floor around/behind me, but only saw shell casing from my own gun. And this wasn't no shell casing that hit me, that son o b*tch had some velocity on it and left a good mark (that 6 hours later is gone). Don't worry, this slight incident didn't scare me off from ranges, I'm having too much fun as it is with my first gun.

x
(edited for spelling, ahem)

 

[Thumper]

Not terribly uncommon. I think Jeff Cooper characterized the experience as "exhilarating."

Kind of weird with an angled backstop indoor range, though.

 

[Brian Dale]

you wrote, "now I know why I wear safety glasses."

As Thumper wrote, it's not terribly uncommon. I started shooting at age 5 and I'm 43 now. I think that I've only been hit by a fragment once; it was lead shaved at the cylinder-barrel gap in a poorly-functioning revolver. I'm only an occasional shooter, but I've put a lot of lead downrange over the years. I have seen it happen to others (no, they weren't my fragments). I almost wrote, "don't expect to see it happen every other time at the range," but that's wrong. ALWAYS expect it, plan for it, avoid it, dress for it.

And here's the silver lining: when you're shooting with others, and someone in your party doesn't want to wear eye and ear protection, tell 'em how you really feel.

 

[xenophon]

ah, it's good to hear it's quite common. I was wearing jeans and a shirt sleeve shirt. might consider long sleeve, but it's pretty hot in that indoor places right now....few more months and it'll be more favorable.

Anyone ever get hurt pretty bad from a fragment?

 

[Glockster35]

I had this happen to me at an outdoor USPSA competition once. I was no where near anyone firing their pistols...but I chalked it up to experience.

From there in I wore a long sleeved shirt (normally a t-shirt) to help protect my arms. While you say you didn't get hury, I did suffer a laceration and bleeding in my "exhileration". I loved it.

I wouldn't worry about it much, this stuff happens, but this is exactly why you should always wear eye protection.

 

[Thumper]

it's good to hear it's quite common

Whoa...not "QUITE common!" It does happen sometimes, though. .45 ACP ball seems to be a common culprit.

 

[Fly320s]

It's happened to me several times in the last two years.

Probably because I do a lot of steel plate shooting with jacketed ammo. 9 times out of 10, it's a piece of the copper jacket that comes bouncing back off of the steel plate.

About two years ago I was watching some guys shoot steel plates with rifles. The plates were from 50 to 100 yards from the shooters who were about 10 yards in front of me. So the closest plate was roughly 60 yards from me. I was standing under a metal roof when I was hit in the back of my neck with a piece of copper jacket.

The only way that could have happened is if the jacket piece bounced off the underside of the roof.

Amazing.

 

[mete]

There is always a possibility of getting hit in any range but unfortunately there are also some ranges that are very poorly designed . On these ranges the odds are much higher and it's not just with pieces but even whole bullets. Shooting glasses are NOT an option.

 

[Iain]

Not a shooting story but to confirm that weird things do happen like that.

Was bending one of my mum's dress making needles some years ago (don't even remember why) anyway they are not designed to be bent and it snapped. Saw the sharp end shoot away in front of me in the smallish sewing room. Searched for it for ages, about ten minutes gave up and went downstairs. Later on put my elbow down on the table and felt a sharp pain. Sure enough the pointy end of the needle was in the back of my elbow.

The only way this could have happened was if it bounced off the wall in front of me, the pane glass behind me and into my elbow (which I hadn't noticed at the time in my haste to close my eyes).

Do people get seriously hurt by these fragments?

 

[Thumper]

Nope. Key part of the equation is that these are spent bullets. Had one hit me in the base of the throat once. Got my attention...

 

[cracked butt]

Always wear the eye protection- I had a bad load go off in my 92fs last year that sent alot of hot gas and brass into my face- the glasses I was wearing saved my eyes.

Xenophon- if you ever want to try some rifles out, and are willing to make a road trip up to Sheboygan, send me an email sometime.

 

[Don Gwinn]

People who wear eye protection generally have nothing to worry about, but they do tend to sting. If you get a cut, it's probably from a piece of the jacket that separated or tore.

It doesn't happen much, but as someone pointed out, using steel targets makes it more likely.

 

[ACP230]

I saw a shooter injured at a bowling pin shoot once. A fragment bounced off the pin or the steel table. He was hit in the lip and bled quite a bit. The paramedics who were attending went out and did first aid and then he went off to the hospital. He was back the next year with a small scar on his upper lip.

At the same shoot I felt something graze the side of my face. I think it was plastic off the pins that were being shot. I also found a whole bullet, complete with rifling marks, lying in the grass behind the spectator's area.

At a steel shoot a guy standing at the end of a pickup got hit with a bullet fragment. It raised a welt. I was protected by the side of the pickup and the wheel.

At an indoor range I caught a fragment of a 40 grain .22 bullet. I fired the round and felt something hit my arm. I looked around the booth and found a small piece of a .22 bullet. I knew it was mine because I was the only one shooting at that time.

I always wear ear and eye protection while shooting. I usually also wear a long sleeve shirt, long pants, and a ball cap.

 

[Blackcloud6]

In a bowlng pin match I got hit in the knee from a .45 ACP round I just fired that bounced back. It stung, no biggie.

 

[meathammer]

Anyone ever get hurt pretty bad from a fragment?

I am assuming you were at the Shooter's Shop? That's the range I usually go to.
Last Saturday my best buddy and I went shooting there and our range session turned into "one of those days."
I was shooting .45 230gr. fmj and all of a sudden I hear "Ow!" Followed by some colorful language.
I knew right away what had happened since I was the only one shooting. I unloaded quickly, set my pistol down and went over to see my buddy crouched down in the corner rubbing his shin.
Yep, 230 gr. ball right in the leg! He said it felt like someone hit him in the leg with a hammer.
It left a really nice welt, but didn't break skin. After he rubbed the hurt out of it we went back to shooting. His first shot of 9mm, "Bang!" Immediately I feel something bounce off my hat. We laughed about it. Just one of those days.

This is why I ALWAYS wear a hat, pants (my friend had shorts on) and the obvious eye and ear protection!

 

[DontShootMe]

Fragments

I've been hit with fragments (mainly from my own gun) nearly 30-40% of the time I go shooting - 9mm WWB seems to be the ammo that gets stuck in my forehead, neck, and arms most of the time.

Occasionally I'll get fragged from another shooters weapon, but mostly just mine. Once a faily large chunk of something lodged itself into my forehead and I had to pick it out while washing my hands after the session. I didnt even notice it was there until I saw it in the mirror.

 

[xenophon]

meathammer: yeah, the Shooter's Shop was the place I was at. So it got you two also huh? Hrrm, I'm beginning to wonder about that place. First time I'm there with another shoot there and I get hit, and then you two on the same day back to back. I wonder what's up with that place.

x

 

[W Turner]

I found out first hand how tough the plastic coating on bowling pins is at a local outdoor range last year.

I had just gotten my new 870 and had set up paper targets and bowling pins to shoot at with birdshot. About halfway thru the first drill, I shot a pin and immediately felt like I was being stung by bees. I noticed it, but continued the drill. When I got done, I went downrange to paste the paper targets and when I set the pins back up I noticed that they had a bunch of tiny indentations on them. THe only thing I can think is that the birdshot had ricoched into the tops of my thighs. Stung a little but no big deal....just glad it wasn't a little higher....

 

[keyhole]

I have been at different outdoor ranges, where other shooters got hit by fragments. One guy took one in the front of his throat, looked bad, and turned out ok. The other took one in the shoulder, ( fragment of .40 ) pulled his t-shirt into the would. ER pulled it out, cleaned it out, and sent him home. Nothing serious, and glad that it wasn't worse.


Happens when you play with guns

Just have to wear appropiate protection.

 

[MagKnightX]

Apparently, it's pretty common to get hit with fragments or shavings from a .22, especially a pistol. I was shooting someone's P22, and almost every shot, I felt a couple of small stings on my face. It was no big deal, but it was annoying. At my last trip to the range, a little sliver from our .22 revolver hit my face right under my left eye. Hurt, but no problem.

 

[Zer000]

I've taken it in the arm from a 9mm fragment, and in the legs a few times with .22 fragments. No biggie. It has convinced me to wear pants instead of shorts no matter how hot it is outside, however.

 

[CWL]

At a local indoor range, there was a guy shooting a .454 Casull rental next to me. I don't know what ammo he was using, but every shot blasted fragments back into the faces of everyone on the line.

I wear a baseball cap, glasses and a longsleeve, non-V-neck or open collar shirt. That's about all I can do.

Never been grazed by a real bullet riccochet, but have had numerous brass casings cut half-moons into my forehead though.

 

[Hardtarget]

I've never been hurt by fragments, ( have been hit a time or two), but my friend Tony has a nasty scar under his eye from jacket material from a center fire rifle. Told me he was shooting at a dirt bank 50 yds away. Doesn't know what he hit but that fragment only missed his eye by less than an inch. Certainly got his attention. I believe in the safty equipment, too.
Mark.

 

[geekWithA.45]

Ouchie...

I didn't get hit with expended bullets, I got nailed, twice, by ejected shells.

The dealio was that I was testing out new 3rd party mags (promag) in my P245.

The small cut was from the last shell in the first mag, and the larger half moon cut is from the last shell in the second mag.

After putting a bandaid on, I packed them into my range bag, and never used them again.

The pic is attached.


Edited to add:

I always wear my "eyes" along with my "ears", and I've added the "baseball hat" to the ensemble as a result of this.

 

[NRA Instructor]

Regarding the two problems at Shooter's Shop.
When shooting at an indoor range that uses a metal backstop, there should be a couple of rules posted and enforced.
One, the use of lead bullets only.
Two, no ammo used that has a muzzle vel. of over 900 fps.
I shoot at an indoor range with the above rules and I not heard of any problems like the two men from Milwaukee have reported. There is no reason for the two of you to take a risk on getting hurt or hurting someone else.
The owner is risking not only the health of his customers, but the health of his business which could be shut down with a big law suit.
And come on guys, always wear eye protection.