Good Firearms Discipline Saved the Day

[Mainsail]

Please tell the story of your good firearms discipline saving your day. I’m not looking for the times when nothing happened, I’m interested in the time when something certainly would have happened but for your adherence to the rules for safe firearm handling. I’ll give two examples:

The first happened many years ago while I was demonstrating the features of my 1911 to a friend who was unfamiliar with handguns. I showed him how to chamber a round in my AMT Longslide Hardballer after going over the basic rules. I was about to fire off a couple shots to give him a picture of the kick when I realized I had forgotten to show him the thumb safety. So I clicked it fully into the up (safe) position and said, “The gun will not fire with the safety on.” I pulled the trigger and the gun, safely pointed downrange, discharged, shearing the thumb safety off. Keeping the gun pointed downrange saved us from potentially getting a nasty perforation.

The other happened recently. I opened my small gun safe and pulled the shotgun (first in the line) out. When I did, my RFB and my AR both tumbled out onto the carpet. No damage to the guns or scopes. I picked up my AR and went through the motions to make it safe when I noticed the bolt was closed. (I normally store it with the bolt locked to the rear and a full 20 round mag in place, safety on.) I wondered if the kid had figured out the combo somehow, then realized it happened when it fell and the bolt release was pushed in- chambering the round. My checking the gun for loaded condition helped prevent me from having an ND inside the house.

My point is to hear stories that ended well, or as well as can be expected, and property damage or injury/death was avoided. We can all learn from the mistakes of others, and we can also learn from the almost-mistakes of others.

 

[halfded]

Been waiting for the right time to come along for this:

I'd gone to purchase a handgun (beretta 92fs) from a private seller and had met at his house. I had already gotten my gun and was making small talk about some of the others he had for sale.

He asked me if I wanted to take a look at his "custom" 92fs, to which I said "sure". He hands me the 92 from an open hard case sitting on a shelf. He didn't check the action before he handed it to me.

Here comes the mental lapse on my part.

I, seeing the child locks on the doors, toys on the floor, and 9 other unloaded (I could see for sure) guns on the floor, didn't check the action either. I started to pull through the double action stroke and it flashed through my mind that I hadn't checked this particular gun. I eased off the trigger and handed it back to him.

He starts talking about the upgraded guide rod he had installed amongst other things (looked just like mine) as he has it pointed toward the ceiling/his face/my general direction he says "oh, let me check the chamber" as he racks the slide and a LIVE ROUND FALLS FROM THE GUN!!

I murmured something about leaving my phone in the car and beat it outta there.

I was really shaken up the rest of the day with how close I came to putting a round through this guy's wall, then him almost putting one through his ceiling/head. All of this while his wife and child are upstairs. I was also quite angry with myself for the complacency I had allowed to occur.

I now make DAMN SURE every gun in my vicinity that I have control of is now visibly made safe in front of me before it's handled in any way.

 

[GIJOEL]

I was at the range about 2 years ago, I loaded a mag with my usual hardcast reloads. Smacked the mag in, hit the slide release, and the gun went off. I found the spent case and there was no firing pin strike, i'm assuming it was a slightly high primer. The gun was pointed down range and no one was hurt. A few months earlyer I had noticed that I was getting sloppy with my muzzle discipline, if I had been loading with the gun with the muzzle to the left (in my right hand) I would have launched that bullet at a dozen or so other shooters.

 

[Mp7]

the first handgun ive ever held ... was handed to me
by the Dad of the neigborfamily. They had a bunch of hunting
guns ... and he kept his family collection in the bedroom.

He told me he hadnt fired a gun in 15 years ...
... and none of his collection were loaded.
And then told me i could have his Dan Wesson 8"
as a bear-backup for hunting ...
AND handed it over loaded.

My respect for the gun told me to inspect the gun
and swing out the cylinder.
He was a nice an caring guy ... you could
see the shock in his face.

i had been told that every gun is considered loaded
unless checked. I was 15.

(After that he told me he trusted ME,
and told me to grab the SxS and the Wesson for
hunting, whenever i wanted ...)