Accidental Discharge

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rennaissancemann

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Why they’re called the 4 rules instead of the 4 suggestions…

After carrying a Glock as my CCW for the last couple of weeks, I decided to switch to my P7M8. Locked the slide back, inserted a magazine, pointed the muzzle in a safe direction with my finger off the trigger, and tripped the front strap to chamber a round…

BOOM

So, I stand in place and take inventory. Nobody struck by a ricochet, I’m not injured. OK, that taken care of, I check to make sure my finger is off of the trigger, then I remove the magazine, and eject the chambered round. Next I ask myself how this managed to happen. My first thought is that I’ve had a mental lapse and had my finger on the trigger when I tripped the front strap. I visualized the sequence in my head and, no my finger was indexed alongside the frame.

Then Tamara shows me the spent case with the bulged base.

Conclusion, I’ve had an honest-to-God weapons malfunction where my pistol slam fired as the slide closed. The most likely cause was debris in the striker assembly.

Bottom line…

No personal injuries, no property damage, just an adrenaline dump and ringing eardrums. Thank you Jeff Cooper.

Respectfully,
 
Having had a certified ND before, I can attest that the loudest sound in the world is a "BOOM" when you expect a "click" or "snap".

That honks. I'm glad that everybody was OK, and nothing essential was perforated. Guns are mechanical devices, and all of those fail every once in a while. I hope you don't lose faith in that P7 after that AD...statistically, you'll be able to carry that thing for another 450 years now without another AD.
 
Glad you followed the Four Rules and nothing bad happened.

I had an AD when a Ruger MkI slam fired. Thank goodness for sticking to the Rules.
 
You ain't kidding about the loudest sound being a BOOM instead of a click!

The muzzle was pointing in a safe direction, and that's the bottom line, the last line of defense against an accidental injury or a death.
 
Glad you are OK, hope no permanent hearing damage. Have OSHA sue BATFE on your behalf for making gunfire a health hazard by their enforcement of NFA34.
 
WOW

My brother had something similar happen. He put a nice whole in the wall. Are you going to need to get out the spackle or were you outside??
 
Truly an accidental discharge and not a negligent discharge. Glad no one is hurt and delighted you exercised proper muzzle control.
 
I guess I never really considered that there was much of a difference between an AD and an ND but this makes the case pretty clearly.

Glad no one was injured (not counting your wits!).

Cheers,
ChickenHawk
 
"I guess I never really considered that there was much of a difference between an AD and an ND"

You're right. 99% of the AD's are actually ND's.


"Then Tamara shows me the spent case with the bulged base."

Why would the base bulge if it was just a slam fire? There must have ben something wrong with that cartridge.
 
WHAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!

;)

Today's lessons:

1) That bit about "Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction" ain't just talkin' to hear your head roar.

2) All guns can malf. All of them. "But mine's an HKEdBrownSIGSauerLesBaer..." I don't care. All guns... :scrutiny:

3) If you follow the four rules all of the time, the only thing that can get wounded is your dignity. And your underwear.
 
Chipperman,

Why would the base bulge if it was just a slam fire? There must have ben something wrong with that cartridge.
Click to expand...

Because it fired out of battery, while the case was only halfway in the chamber.

I will try and provide detailed pics of the case, the projo, and the impact zone in the not-too-distant future.
 
Thanks to all of you for the kind words

Marko

I hope you don't lose faith in that P7 after that AD...statistically, you'll be able to carry that thing for another 450 years now without another AD.
Click to expand...

Spoken with the pride of good German craftsmanship, and no… I haven’t lost faith in my P7, but I may step up my timeline of having the pistol Bodycoted after Shannon does a complete strip, clean, and inspection.


sturmruger

Are you going to need to get out the spackle or were you outside?
Click to expand...

I was inside when it happened, but no spackle is required. When the P7 discharged, the bullet missed the safe I was standing in front of, grazed a plywood divider, hit the back wall and rebounded out into the room and ended up on the floor about a foot and a half behind me. Following the four rules had a lot to do with why no one was hurt, but luck or divine intervention had a hand in that as well given the path that the bullet followed. I’m now looking at how I want to install a clearing station near the safe.


Regards,
 
I had my first "neglegent discharge a while back". Always said, that Im to smart for that, it will never happened to me. But it did. Took the magazine out of my .22 pistol cleared the chamber and was dry firing it in my Bro's room. When I was done screwin around I put the mag back in and chambered a round. Put the gun down on the bed and went to the bathroom. Was real tired and not paying attention, went back to the pistol completely forgetting I had reloaded it and did not reinspect like I always do... And shot my Bro's brand new guitar case. What a night:banghead:
I guess the lessoned learned is dont screw areound with guns when you're tired and dont have your head in the game.
 
Who, yes, if you use it properly. I saw one doggie shoot another coming off sentry many moons ago (standing opposite each other).:eek:

ren, you may want something bigger. If go with 5 gal, put sandbags (or that play sand you get at Lowe's) under bucket that way if miss will not ric off concrete floor ("KABONG!").:uhoh:
 
Wow!

Have you detail stripped the gun to make sure your suspicion about the cause is correct?
Not being able to find the cause would be like a cold stone in my stomach - know what I mean? I'd never really trust the gun until I was convinced I knew what caused the malf.

Keith
 
5 gal bucket of sand will work fine IF you always aim straight down. If you aim at a shallow angle, well, even a 55 gallon drum of sand may not be enough.
 
RE: Bucket of sand

I too need a safe direction to chamber a round in, the problem is I live in an apartment on the second floor, so down definetly is not a safe direction. I've been pointing at the wall facing the parking lot, but that still worries me. Any suggestions?
 
I live in an apartment on the second floor, so down definetly is not a safe direction. I've been pointing at the wall facing the parking lot, but that still worries me. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Does your neighbor have a cat you can borrow?

Keith
 
Keith
Detail stripping a P7M8 is out of my skill set envelope, hence the reference to sending it to my local gunsmith (Shannon).

Zer000
IIRC Gunsite used to sell a Kevlar panel that you could hang on the wall like a picture for use as a safe backstop when dry firing. This was my first thought on what to use in the house, but as I'm on the bottom floor of a house it seemed like the bucket of sand was a more economical option for me.

Field Expedient Clearing Barrel
A 5 gallon plastic bucket filled with dry playground sand and covered with a plastic lid with a bunghole. The muzzle goes in the hole, you point the muzzle at the center of the bottom of the bucket and either chamber a round or dry fire after clearing the chamber. It goes without saying, or should, that you don't stick the muzzle into the sand when you do this.

Regards
 
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