Perfect conditions for an "oopsie!"

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Yoda

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I usually carry a J-frame revolver. My normal gun was a S&W 940 (9mm with moon clips), but I passed it on to a daughter-in-law and replaced it with a S&W 442 (good ole .38 Spl).

When unloading the 940 before putting it away in a safe, it was always obvious that it was unloaded. All the rounds dropped out together in a nice moon-clipped package. However, with the 442, I've had the same thing happen twice in the past week, and it could have led to a ND.

When ejecting the cartridges from the 442, one of the rounds has somehow remained in the cylinder. This has happened twice. Invariably, it's the one that needs to clear the cylinder release.

The little pile of cartridges in my hand LOOKS right--how many of us can tell four rounds from five rounds at a glance--and I don't realize that there's still a round in the cylinder until I place the rounds back into the plastic 5x5 rack that they came in. THAT's when I notice that I'm one round short.

I re-open the safe, and there the missing round is, still in the cylinder, right in position to rotate under the hammer and go "BANG!" if someone happens to pull the trigger. And note this: If you hold your revolver in your right hand, and instead of opening the cylinder to verify that it's unloaded, you instead just glance through the cylinder-frame gap to see if there's any rims visible, well, if you're right-handed, you wouldn't see this stray round!

SO, lesson learned: It pays to be obsessive about gun safety. I wasn't obsessive enough to VISUALLY VERIFY THAT THE GUN IS REALLY, REALLY EMPTY AND SAFE, or I wouldn't have put the gun away--twice--with a stray round in the cylinder.

The other rules, the ones about keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction and such, might have prevented an "oopsie" from turning into a tragedy, if someone had taken the gun out, NOT opened the cylinder to verify that it was unloaded, and then mindlessly pulled the trigger.

(Ever notice how many guys automatically stick their fingers in the trigger guard when they pick up a gun? Ever notice how many guys in gun shops and at gun shows wave guns around while mindlessly yanking on that little trigger-thingie? I don't do that, but still...)

I should be ashamed of myself.

- - - Yoda

=================
 
Thanks. You cannot be too safe.

You might want to bring the 442 to a 'smith and have it looked at - there's no reason why all of the rounds shouldn't eject at the same time, unfailingly. I have a 442, and have never had that problem (nor with any other revolver. I just swing the cylinder out (with the gun pointed in a safe direction and my finger NOT in the trigger guard), and firmly push on the ejector rod and out pop the cases (loaded or not). This shouldn't be a problem.
 
Don't just visually inspect the gun to make sure it's unloaded. Do it by feel as well.

If you get in the habit of visually and tactiley checking the gun you'll be able to determine it's status even in low light.

For an autoloader, put your finger in the mag well to confirm the magazine is out. Then lock the slide back (if you haven't done so already) and look at the chamber and then feel into the chamber with your pinkie through the ejection port to confirm the chamber is empty.

For a revolver, open the cylinder and visually inspect the chambers. Then run a finger over each individual chamber to confirm they are empty.

Yes, this is redundant, and yes, this seems unneccesarry in good light, but you are training yourself to be able to tell the gun's condition in poor light as well. And redundancy in things like this saves lives. "Unloaded" guns kill people every year.
 
Point the muzzle up. Control the cylinder with your support hand to make sure the cylinder is all the way out to the maximum extension of the crane. Whack the ejection rod several times. Point gun down. Inspect the chambers.

As Trebor said, "unloaded" guns are used to kill many people every year.

Remember the NRA's formula: gun + ammunition + person = able to fire. Remove one of the variables and the gun cannot fire.
 
+1

Always point a revolver muzzle up when extracting empties or live rounds.

With J-Frames and thier short ejector rods, hit the rod several times while rotating the cylinder at least 1/2 turn.

Last but not least.
Look at it & count the rounds when you get done.

rc
 
how many of us can tell four rounds from five rounds at a glance
Click to expand...
Actually, I think almost everyone should be able to accomplish this. Rainman may have been unique in that he could distinguish several hundred items in one glance, but the rest of us are more than capable of distinguishing at least up to 6 items in a single glance.
Once you found out your gun had this known issue, you should especially be paying attention to the number of rounds in your hand.
 
For a revolver, open the cylinder and visually inspect the chambers. Then run a finger over each individual chamber to confirm they are empty.

Yes, this is redundant...
Click to expand...

I too have a j-frame (M 36) and the same thing occurs occasionally.

Not only do I perform the above drill - but I also count every round in my hand twice - close the cylinder - and then re-open and look again.

That may sound a little obsessive - but redundancy and safety go hand-in-hand.

For a great tutorial on the proper way to load and unload a revolver - and a very graphic demonstration of the problem described by the OP - use the following link to Kathy Jackson's "Cornered Cat" website:

http://www.corneredcat.com/RunGun/loadrevo.aspx
 
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This is how I had my ND and shot my TV. I was carrying a S&W 13 and decided to dryfire and dumped my load and did not count how many fell into my hand. I ended up shooting my TV during the last few minutes of the show Agency. Always count the rounds that you dump out of the cylinder.
 
A co worker many years ago did the exact same thing with my 357 snub in the office, dumped the rounds, visually verifiedthe number of rounds in his hand, asked to test the single action pull, and drilled a round into the wall. Nobody hurt, damage minimal, and it happened the same way you describe.
Always verify light comes through all chambers in the cyclinder is what my Dad taught me. Glad nothing bad happened!
 
I wasn't obsessive enough to VISUALLY VERIFY THAT THE
Click to expand...

You know this now I guess, but visually checking the cylinder is hardly "obsessive"! Now visually checking, checking with your fingers, then getting a Qtip and running it through each chamber 10 times might be a bit obsessive... :p
 
I always pop the cylinder out, spin the cylinder while pointed at a safe light source to verify that it's unloaded (when it needs to be).

Just what I do.

Now... I haven't had it unknowingly loaded, but the other day I was in a hurry to get somewhere (after my whole CPS episode that some of you know about), grabbed my 581 out of the safe (was only in the safe during the CPS home inspection), holstered it, and left to wherever I went. I got home late that night and went to put something inside the safe and noticed 6 loose .357 rounds and the loaded speedloader on top of the safe.... I was in such a hurry I didn't notice my gun was unloaded while out that night... Needless to say, I did feel like quite the idiot.
 
I wouldn't use the word "obsessive". It sounds like you simply failed to unload your gun, and then followed that by failing to even bother to check to see if you had successfully unloaded it.
 
I always pop the cylinder out, spin the cylinder while pointed at a safe light source to verify that it's unloaded (when it needs to be).
Click to expand...

Likewise, I look at the leftmost chamber as I spin the cylinder slowly a couple times and ensure I see daylight through all of them.
 
J-frames and other short-barreled revolvers can have issues with the shorter ejector rod that mean you have to pull out spent cases on your own, especially when combined with case expansion.

However, if you have a round that doesn't come out at all when the gun is unfired, you might want to have a smith look at that.
 
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