Are negligent discharges more likely with a semi auto?

[Timthinker]

Clipper, you NEED to start a thread about the Broomhandle Mauser. I would love to have one of those and I am sure other here feel the same way. Be careful with that one since I have heard some of those old Mausers have safety problems. Good luck and share some of your experiences with it.


Timthinker

 

[mrsig]

If all unintentional discharges are either negligent or accidental, I believe negligent discharges are far more likely to happen with a self-loading design. It is impossible for the recoil on a bolt or lever rifle to be involved in another round being fired. A self-loader on the other hand may be negligently discharged rather easily.

- Sig

 

[Clipper]

Tim, Oh yeah, the safety is one of the things that don't work right now (it was purchased cheap, as a 'As is, do not fire' item at Williams Gunsite), but since I'm only shooting on a private range, and I'm not carrying it between even shot strings with any ammo loaded, it's priority is just behind eliminating any chance of a full-auto burst! It's a really old frame that I installed a 1932 barrel & extension on, and I had to grind off a small lug on the frame, because the lug had been eliminated on the model the newer barrel came off of, so it didn't have the corresponding groove, and the internal workings of this pistol are not only complex, but a screaming PITA to assemble... Obviously lots of hand fitting, too. I can see why Germany never adopted this pistol, I just can't figure out why a few other countries did!

 

[B yond]

Negligent Discharges are more likely if you're negligent. It has very little to do with the weapon. It is the owner's responsibility to know their weapon and how it functions before it is ever loaded, and to always use it in a safe and responsible manner.

 

[Notch]

A ND is possible with any firearm, but I would be wiling to bet that these days it happens more often with semi autos, with no external safety or hammer, than any other type of firearm. A safety that relies on the trigger seems counter to logical thought.

 

[Zoogster]

Semi Autos are more common with newer shooters now.
However I would actualy argue that one could have a ND easier trying to decock a big bore magnum power revolver (very heavy hammer spring) than a semi auto. So it is purely coincidence and highlights popularity more than anything else.

That would be like saying gasoline powered vehicles are more likely to be involved in car accidents than diesel power vehicles. Well you would be right, simply because they are more popular and common.

Every police agency now issues semi autos. The military issues semi auto sidearms. Most citizens are going to purchase semi autos following the same trend.

The most famous manufacters of highly engineered revolvers now offer run of the mill semi autos because that is what demand was showing. One is more likely to make profit selling mediocre quality autos than high quality revolvers. That right there directly shows the current market.

Most people purchasing new revolvers are either hunters/outdoorsman wanting power unattainable in common autos, or the simple ruggedness of one over the delicate moving parts of an auto.
Or they are cowboy actions shooters purchasing it for a hobby, or as a novelty piece.
Some still get them as a new gun as the line of thought is still preached they are better for new shooters.
Yet others like the thinner profile and reduced size available in small revolvers which can be hard to match in an auto for CCW purposes.

Yet those are all niche crowds and the average purchaser gets an auto now, so the average ND is going to be done with an auto. In fact I could also without looking at any facts confidently say most are going to be in 9mm, .40SW, or .45ACP, all auto cartridges, but also all the most popular calibers.

I guess one could argue that since revolvers are now becoming more of a niche market for experienced shooters desiring something specific, they would statisticly be less likely to make foolish mistakes due to experience, but that would be reaching. We have all seen even the "only ones professional enough" who teach weapons safety for a living can have a ND.

The common theme is it is the operator that makes the difference.
They say a person is most likely to get into an accident within a few miles of thier home. This is because it is the most familiar part of thier journey, the one they can drive the best hardly paying attention. The new shooter and the old shooter that is extremly comfortable with the weapon are therefore both at risk. The new one due to inexperience, and the old one due to carelessness because they have become complacent.