Eye Protection: Every time (little kaboom story)

[Corpral_Agarn]

Wear your eye pro every time.

This last weekend, I was trying to see if my gunsmith fixed a cycling issue for an M1 Carbine I had him work on.

After a few rounds, I got a stoppage. The bolt didn't close all the way, so I gave it a bump with my hand, shouldered the rifle, pressed the trigger.

VERY loud boom. being a left handed shooter, it felt like someone slapped me in the face. Concussion gave me a headache. My face felt a like it got sunburned a little.

Blew the bottom of the mag out, spring and rounds ejected out the bottom.

I knew that this event was possible, but also rare and I thought I had the bolt closed all the way. Wrong.

Stay safe out there!

Pics:

 

[drband]

Glad you’re ok. I think I’d be talking to that gunsmith.

 

[George Dickel]

That is not good! Glad you are OK.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Glad you’re ok. I think I’d be talking to that gunsmith.

Thanks.

Wasn't his fault.

This one is on me 100%.

I should have just racked the round that wouldn't feed out. Especially during 'testing'.

'If it doesn't feed itself, don't force it' is my general rule, but I for some reason I tried it here.

DOH. LOL

 

[Walkalong]

Ouch, glad you're ok.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Bwana John]

Did the geometry of the "real" 30 cal M1 carbine receiver prevent this from happening?I

(Hammer could not hit firing pin until lugs were in battery?)

 

[Pat Riot]

Glad you’re okay, Corpral Agarn.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

Did the geometry of the "real" 30 cal M1 carbine receiver prevent this from happening?I

(Hammer could not hit firing pin until lugs were in battery?)

My understanding is that this type of error is possible with the M1 Garand and Carbines.

 

[Legionnaire]

Yep, eye protection every time. Glad you're okay!

 

[TomJ]

I'm glad you're okay as well. Kabooms are but one of the reasons to wear eye protection. I've been hit in the forehead with brass hard enough that it cut my forehead. Imagine what it would do to your eye.

 

[WheelGunMan]

Great advice! Big believer in eye protection. Glad you fared well.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I'm glad you're okay as well. Kabooms are but one of the reasons to wear eye protection. I've been hit in the forehead with brass hard enough that it cut my forehead. Imagine what it would do to your eye.

If that little piece of brass had separated from the case... sharp flying objects are never good!

 

[Bwana John]

My understanding is that this type of error is possible with the M1 Garand and Carbines.

I was under the impression that on "real" USGI M1 Garands, M1 carbines, and M14s there are two safety features which are intended to prevent the rifle from firing out of battery.
The tail at the rear of the firing pin must be aligned with the notch in the receiver bridge.
Also, the spur on the face of the hammer must be aligned with the corresponding recess in the back of the bolt.

High primers and slam fires on soft primers excluded.

But... safety glasses every time regardless!!!

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I was under the impression that on "real" USGI M1 Garands, M1 carbines, and M14s there are two safety features which are intended to prevent the rifle from firing out of battery.
The tail at the rear of the firing pin must be aligned with the notch in the receiver bridge.
Also, the spur on the face of the hammer must be aligned with the corresponding recess in the back of the bolt.

High primers and slam fires on soft primers excluded.

But... safety glasses every time regardless!!!

There was a thread on Garands here not too long ago with a video posted of, basically, what happened to me, but with an M1.

Same thing happened. failure to feed, operator bumped the bolt forward, shouldered, boom.

I am super glad it was just a 30 carbine instead of a Garand!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Yikes! That'll wake you up. Glad you weren't hurt and just got lightly seared.

 

[straightshooterjake]

I am a range safety officer, and I talk to people about eye protection almost every time I am at the range. It amazes me how many people do not take eye protection seriously. I also remind people that eye protection is for everyone on the range, not just people who are shooting. As this thread demonstrates, small pieces of brass can be forcefully propelled from the ejection port, or the mag well, or any other opening. These bits are potentially dangerous to people nearby. And we are still only talking about an out of battery discharge here. With overloaded ammo, things could be much more energetic.

Most of my conversations with people about eye protection are quite short. I just say, "put them on," or "those don't work if they are on top of your hat." But when there is a little more time, I have short talk on this issue. I say "When I see you shooting without glasses, it tells me that you have never seen a gun blow up. Well, I've seen that twice, and it is not something you forget." Then I tell the story of what each event looked like, since there are some specific lessons to be learned from each incident.

But I think the most important lesson people learn when I tell them about guns blowing up is that it really happens. It is not something that some guy who makes up a lot of stories claimed happened once out west. I've seen it twice at the range they are shooting at. It is rare, but it happens at least once or twice a decade at any busy club. Anyone who has shot a lot for years has either seen it or knows someone who has. It is not a made up thing that will never happen to anyone you know.

 

[tark]

Wear your eye pro every time.

This last weekend, I was trying to see if my gunsmith fixed a cycling issue for an M1 Carbine I had him work on.

After a few rounds, I got a stoppage. The bolt didn't close all the way, so I gave it a bump with my hand, shouldered the rifle, pressed the trigger.

VERY loud boom. being a left handed shooter, it felt like someone slapped me in the face. Concussion gave me a headache. My face felt a like it got sunburned a little.

Blew the bottom of the mag out, spring and rounds ejected out the bottom.

I knew that this event was possible, but also rare and I thought I had the bolt closed all the way. Wrong.

Stay safe out there!

Pics:
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I can sure sympathize with you Corpral Agarn. This happened to me a couple of years ago. Had proper eye protection on. Received a nice shiner but nothing serious. The entire rear end of the slide came right off the frame and crashed into my safety glasses. It knocked the lens from the frame and the whole mess hit me over my left eye. The lens acted like a shield, protecting my eye, which was untouched. This is something that can happen to Astra 400s, rarely, but still, there it is. I was using CCI Largo ammo.

 

[Armored farmer]

As a fellow with 14 tiny stitches in his left eye from a fence building accident, I couldnt agree more!

Edit to add.... I'm glad nobody got hurt.

 

[Scooter22]

Glad your OK and thanks for the heads up. I'll add this for what can happen even with a "little .22". I was checking out a multiple feed problem on a vintage Mossberg No.46 tube feed target rifle. (yes there were HB tube feed target rifles). Over 5 rounds the cartridge cut off would allow a dump of cartridges. So I was at the range, gun on the bench in bags, cycling the action to see if I could catch the problem. Several times I had cartridges jump out of the action with no problem. Then the last time one hit the fixed hook ejector and went bang. Not BANG. Yeah just bang but on the wrong end of the barrel. I got a face full of hot powder particles in my eyes and a piece of case cut my cheek just below my right eye. Doctor said nothing serious and I'd be ok in a couple days with eye drops. I took my glasses off AFTER shooting it to watch the feeding. DUH! Use those glasses all the time! The pics can be seen clear on this link. Damn PB is holding my pics hostage since they started charging.https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=459008

 

[WiTom]

So glad you came out ok. We all need that reminder, every once in a while. Mine was a Ruger LCP. Blew apart, and it was like, What happen! Safety glasses are a must.

 

[drband]

I can sure sympathize with you Corpral Agarn. This happened to me a couple of years ago. Had proper eye protection on. Received a nice shiner but nothing serious. The entire rear end of the slide came right off the frame and crashed into my safety glasses. It knocked the lens from the frame and the whole mess hit me over my left eye. The lens acted like a shield, protecting my eye, which was untouched. This is something that can happen to Astra 400s, rarely, but still, there it is. I was using CCI Largo ammo.

Wow. Thanks for sharing that @tark

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

I can sure sympathize with you Corpral Agarn. This happened to me a couple of years ago. Had proper eye protection on. Received a nice shiner but nothing serious. The entire rear end of the slide came right off the frame and crashed into my safety glasses. It knocked the lens from the frame and the whole mess hit me over my left eye. The lens acted like a shield, protecting my eye, which was untouched. This is something that can happen to Astra 400s, rarely, but still, there it is. I was using CCI Largo ammo.

Holy cow!

 

[Odd Job]

Tark you had a close call for sure!

 

[rust collector]

Thanks to all for trying to keep us safe. Hard to imagine losing eyesight because of laziness, time pressure or failure to use mental checklist, but I am sure it happens more often than we like to think.
It's like seat belts. Sometimes even if we do everything properly, the unthinkable happens.