How do you recover?

[onebigelf]

You can follow a protocol of sticking your little finger into the chamber as well as visually checking it before dry firing without a magazine.

This is one of the things I was taught to do. An old Korean War era Gunny taught me, drop the mag, rack twice, visually verify the chamber is clear, stick your pinkie in the chamber in case there is an invisible bullet there. Like every single other part of gun safety, do it every single solitary time.

I have one of the yellow plastic practice barrels for my Glock. It's very visible and I ONLY do dry-fire practice with the yellow barrel and the blue magazine. Without that, and I don't think they are available for the CZ-82, unload the weapon and leave the magazine and ammunition in another room. I used to lay mine out on the kitchen counter, then leave the room and dry fire practice in either the bedroom or living room after RECHECKING that the weapon is empty. Dry-fire practice is one of the best practices you can do. It is extremely valuable. It's also one of the most likely times to have an ND (Negligent Discharge, there is no such thing as Accidental Discharge -AD- of a weapon, just NDs and Malfunctions.)

How do you get over it? Learn from it.

John

 

[mrbro]

I have had an ND. Circumstances are irrelevant, it was due to a combination of errors, fault is irrelevant, the responsibility was mine because the gun was in my hands. No one was hurt.

Personal lessons learned:
1. Never, ever, ever become complacent in safety matters
2. Every gun is always loaded, all the time, unless proven otherwise and it has been disabled
3. Safeties are mechanical devices that can fail or be disabled
4. Any cartridge with a live primer in it needs to be treated with respect
5. Dummy rounds are the only way to function test off the firing line

Stupid mistakes can be fatal.

 

[M-Cameron]

if you havent had a ND yet.....its only because you havent been around firearms long enough....

thats why there are redundancies in the safety rules, so when one inevitably fails....you are 'covered' by the redundancy.

we are only human, slip-ups happen.....

so long as you realize the mistake you made.....realize how serious of a mistake it was.....and learned not to make that same mistake again......and most importantly, no one was hurt.........theres really no reason to continue to beat yourself up about it.

 

[shockwave]

If you havent had a ND yet.....its only because you havent been around firearms long enough....

Allow me to disagree. Among aircraft pilots, there's a "belly landing" club - the guys who forgot to lower the landing gear before touchdown. And for them, this is the equivalent of a ND. Listen to these clowns talk, and they always say, "sooner or later, it will happen to you."

Which is not true. Most pilots finish their careers without making this error, and most shooters manage to avoid firing a bullet by mistake.

There should be no conventional wisdom such that negligent discharges are some kind of badge of honor - no, they are a mark of shame.

What a ND means is that the owner has not internalized the Rules of Safety. He "knows" them, but he hasn't made them automatic habits. Neurological programming takes about 2 to 3 months of constant repetition and reinforcement. So to the OP: Practice safe firing every day for the next 60 to 90 days.

1. Clear the gun.
2. Inspect the chamber.
3. Rack the slide.
4. Reinspect.
5. Point the gun in a safe direction.
6. Dry fire.

Do this until you have made it a part of your DNA.

 

[Loosedhorse]

If you havent had a ND yet.....its only because you havent been around firearms long enough....

Allow me to disagree.

+1.

I believe in my heart that I can, with each of my students, give them the knowledge, skill, and attitude to never let it happen. I do not ascribe to the attitude that they cannot be prevented if you handle guns "enough."

And to me, preventing AD/ND/UDs is almost the most important goal of teaching. (The most important goal is making sure the students always have the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.)

One of the other very important goals is, of course, "Have fun!" But there is no fun without safety.

 

[Live2offroad]

There should be no conventional wisdom such that negligent discharges are some kind of badge of honor - no, they are a mark of shame.

What a ND means is that the owner has not internalized the Rules of Safety. He "knows" them, but he hasn't made them automatic habits. Neurological programming takes about 2 to 3 months of constant repetition and reinforcement. So to the OP: Practice safe firing every day for the next 60 to 90 days.

I agree that there is no "badge of honor" element to this.. But.. But, stuff happens. I look at it along the lines of the old adage, from my other hobby "There are only 2 kinds of motorcycle riders - Those that have crashed, and those that will crash".

I have owned and maintained firearms since about age 8 and I am embarrassed to say that I have one (1) ND in my past. I simply, stupidly, failed follow proper safety procedures once. I hate that memory, but I can tell you I own it. To me that is the key, own the mistake and learn from it and move on. I am, as all with an ND are, damn lucky no one got hurt. I carry that with me always as I move forward.

 

[JVaughn]

I only dry fire after cleaining to be sure everything is re-assembled and in place before I reload. I have not had a ND and hope I never do so I don't know how you recover from it. In you case, I would say call it a lesson in complacency and never forget it. I'm glad for you and your neighbors no one was hurt. Don't let this change your enjoyment of guns, let it enhance it and make you more aware. Best of luck.

 

[M-Cameron]

Allow me to disagree. Among aircraft pilots, there's a "belly landing" club - the guys who forgot to lower the landing gear before touchdown. And for them, this is the equivalent of a ND. Listen to these clowns talk, and they always say, "sooner or later, it will happen to you."

Which is not true. Most pilots finish their careers without making this error, and most shooters manage to avoid firing a bullet by mistake.

There should be no conventional wisdom such that negligent discharges are some kind of badge of honor - no, they are a mark of shame.

What a ND means is that the owner has not internalized the Rules of Safety. He "knows" them, but he hasn't made them automatic habits. Neurological programming takes about 2 to 3 months of constant repetition and reinforcement. So to the OP: Practice safe firing every day for the next 60 to 90 days.

1. Clear the gun.
2. Inspect the chamber.
3. Rack the slide.
4. Reinspect.
5. Point the gun in a safe direction.
6. Dry fire.

Do this until you have made it a part of your DNA.

its really not a question for debate(not trying to sound like a jerk.....let me explain)

its a simple fact that humans cannot do everything perfectly 100% of the time.....its just not going to happen, it what makes us human, and not robots.

say you have a 99% "perfection" rate..........there is still 1% chance that you will "screw up"......

now if you only shoot once a month......you may go your entire life with out a ND......you may get lucky and slip by........but if you shoot 2x a month......your chances of a ND just doubled......3x a month, tripped........ect.

you increase your exposure...you inevitably increase your chance of ND......its really only a matter of time before the averages dont play in your favor.

you shoot 1x a month and live till the age of 30....chances are good you wont have a ND......

but if you shoot several times a week, and live till 80.....its bound to happen eventually.

 

[AKElroy]

"It's not a toy, and it damn sure ain't your little friend. It's as dangerous as a rattlesnake, and you should regard it as hostile every time you pick it up."

Best quote of this thread. I have posted regarding my two ND's, one was reloading a 1911 and lowering the hammer post cleaning with an oily thumb. It slipped. Cocked & locked is the safest path, my friends. The second was a Glock I was CERTAIN I had just cleared, pulling the trigger prior to take-down for cleaning. A dumb as nails design, but still my fault. Both were in the middle of a sleepless night, and were about 10 years apart, the last being over 12 years ago. Now, I never clean my guns when I can't sleep. Having been "bitten" (no injury, even half-asleep rule#1 was practiced), I always treat my weapons out of respect for the destructive devices they are.

If this has not happend to you, you are fortunate to not have the imprint of the look on your wife's face at two in the morning jumping out of bed rushing into the kitchen to determine if I had innadvertantly offed myself.

 

[Ben86]

You move on by realizing you are human, and naturally capable of serious mistakes. Take solace in knowing that you realize what your mistake was and how to correct it. Teach others about your experience so that they are less likely to repeat it.

 

[vito]

The good part of your experience is that it is unlikely that this will ever reoccur. Even less traumatic mistakes can permanently change awareness and prevent repetition. Once, shortly after moving into my current home, I left the garage door open all night. The next morning when I saw what I had done I felt a bit sick since I had just bought a new motorcycle and a new expensive lawn mower. Both were still there, untouched, but to this day (about 6 years later) I check the garage door every night before going to bed and I mean every night, even if I just came in and closed the door a few minutes earlier. I had a similar incident with trying to ride off with a disc lock still on the brake disc of my motorcycle. $800 damage and a bruised leg later I learned my lesson and now check EVERY time I get ready to ride. I am not comparing my incidents to the seriousness of yours, but just noting that sometimes the good that comes out of a careless mistake is eternal attention to detail.

 

[Chuck Dye]

Why would you choose to involve the police?

While a cursory search has not found it in Oklahoma law, many jurisdictions require body shops to report bullet holes. Preemptive checks are in order.

As to "recovery," if you are not in some way incapacitated by the experience, embrace it and make it part of your gun handling consciousness. If the event is causing you psychological problems, there are ways to deal with those. Caution is advisable, though, as official record of mental issues, gun purchase, and gun ownership often don't mix well.

 

[EddieNFL]

The 4 rules of gun safety

The 1st Law of Gun Safety - The Gun Is Always Loaded!

The 2nd Law of Gun Safety - Never Point A Gun At Something You're Not Prepared To Destroy!

The 3rd Law of Gun Safety - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!

The 4th Law of Gun Safety - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On The Target!

You can violate one rule and nothing horrific happens. You violated all four. Very, VERY lucky.

 

[Johnnyb8612]

Thanks for all the responses, this is why I appreciate THR. I wholeheartedly agree that complacency played a big role in this most sobering situation. And yes, it has made me permanently change my practices regarding my handling of firearms, as the horror of the smoking gun and the hole in the wall is burned into my brain. I have decided that (FOR ME) there is no reason to leave a round chambered in the gun when it goes to the nightstand. It will be just as easy for me to rack it if some thug decides to break our door down (and we have had a few incidents around our area recently). When the gun was on the nightstand was the only time the gun ever had a round chambered, so now I have resolved NEVER to chamber a round unless I am going to fire the gun. (I'm also considering leaving the loaded mag next to the gun, but I haven't decided on this one yet. I don't want to be fumbling with the mag in the dark while BG is rushing me with a tire iron.)

I've also decided that there isn't really a good reason for me to dry fire the gun. I know this gun well, and I practice with it at the range often. That is better practice than dry firing.

In a sense, I am thankful that this happened now, and without more serious consequences, as it possibly saved me from continuing in this negligence and experiencing something disastrous down the road. My attention to detail, the seriousness with which I take handling a firearm, strictly adhering to the standard rules of firearm safety as well as working to develop personal ones, and my sense of responsibility have all been extremely heightened, and I am going to ensure that it STAYS THAT WAY from now on. I have come to realize though, that if my negligence had resulted in the loss of a life, the 'I'm only human' argument would not have cut it. The responsibility is mine for the gun in my hand, and while it is true, and mistakes do happen, that doesn't seem to fit with the seriousness with which I now must take the handling of my firearms.

I also respectfully disagree that simply shooting more often increases your risk of ND. Wouldn't shooting more reinforce your habits of safety, as it makes your safe habits 'part of your DNA' as others have described?

Chuck, thanks for your concern, I think my 'mental is stable.' =) My wife was verrrrry upset at first, but now mainly just thankful that everyone's OK. Thankfully, she agrees with my new safety precautions, and isn't going to make me sell my precious 82 or any other of my guns.

 

[MachIVshooter]

My #1 safety rule is finger outside the triggerguard. If I do put my finger in there for any reason, I make darn sure beforehand that the weapon is in the state that I want it in, and that the gun is pointed where it needs to be pointed. IE all other safety steps complete, then finger goes in trigger guard.

I'll respecfully critique your approach here. 2 of my 3 unintentional discharges occured without touching the trigger.

Rule # 1 and by far the most important is POINT IT IN A SAFE DIRECTION!

If you havent had a ND yet.....its only because you havent been around firearms long enough....

Allow me to disagree. Among aircraft pilots, there's a "belly landing" club - the guys who forgot to lower the landing gear before touchdown. And for them, this is the equivalent of a ND. Listen to these clowns talk, and they always say, "sooner or later, it will happen to you."

See above. While not necessarily an ND, unintentional discharges will almost certainly happen to someone who is around guns long enough/often enough, just as a pilot who flies enough for long enough is more likely to land a plane with malfunctioning landing gear. Of course, planes are inspectd and maintenanced much more frequently than any privately owned firearm, so the odds of that equipment failure are inherently lower. Nonetheless, my point remains.

 

[mrbro]

there should be no conventional wisdom such that negligent discharges are some kind of badge of honor - no, they are a mark of shame.

+10000

 

[Loosedhorse]

I've also decided that there isn't really a good reason for me to dry fire the gun.

Your call, of course. But dry fire teaches you things that live fire cannot.

I also respectfully disagree that simply shooting more often increases your risk of ND. Wouldn't shooting more reinforce your habits of safety

It is often said that "Practice makes perfect." That is wrong, IMHO. Perfect practice makes perfect.

You can check the statistics on this, but if something has a 1 in a million chance of happening, and you give it a million chances to happen, it has about a 63% chance of happening. So if you're planning on handling the gun a million times, your techniques have got to allow less than a 1 in a million chance of negligent discharge. Preferably, a lot less.

 

[thefamcnaj]

I had a situation sort of like this at the gun range with my wife. I had taken a few glocks to the range for a fun little outing. My wife doesnt care to much for semi auto's. I had loaded up four of my Glocks and put them in their cases on the bed of the truck. My wife ask if she could driy fire the g19, I told her yes but let me "saftey check it first. I racked the slide and ejected the bullet from the chamber. But stupid me I didn't drop the mag so it just chambered another round. I handed her the gun and said, "now its safe, point it down range and dry fire it." She pulls the trigger, BANG. That was the loudest gun shot I've ever heard. Its scared the life out of both of us. I felt bad because she trust me to do the right things and keep her safe, and I failed her.
Now I'm even more saftey conscienc than I've ever been. I'll saftey check a weapon numerous times (ocd now i think) before I feel comfortable. You made a mistake buddy just like me and alot of other human beings. All you can do is learn from it and know that your were a safe firearm handler before this accident happend and you will be still now that its over. Than God everyone was unscaved in your accident as well as mine.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

"Let he who is perfect cast the first stone (lecture)." It won't be me.

 

[MikeNice]

I had an old man tell me one time, "there are two types of shooters, the ones that have had an accidental discharge and the ones that are going too."

People make mistakes. I know a guy that qualifies as a "master" every quarter. He is also a range master for a police department shooting range. He is a hard case for gun safety. Even he has had an AD/ND.

He heard a banging on his front stoop. He went to investigate. He threw open the door and a black bear slammed in to the storm door. He jumped back and fired his service weapon through the couch. It went through the couch, through the floor and ended up in the barell of the dryer, in the basement.

His wife was washing clothes and he only missed her by about 8 inches. An incident like that is scary, but it makes us take the weapon that much more serious.

 

[Weevil]

Hey at least you're honest and admit you caused the whole thing.


A lot of people try to blame it on the gun and use that most famous of all lies when an ND happens.


"Gee I dunno what happened it just went off".

 

[pa4445]

I have had several scary things happen in my time, but I think the most important rule is keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Redundancy in the safety rules has probably saved many lives.

 

[rwilson37643]

several years ago I was preparing to clean my Glock 19. After clearing the weapon I left it on the coffee table while I attended to another more immeadiate concern( I had to go to the bathroom). when I returned I immeadiately removed the slide. pulling the trigger is required, the bullet that had been placed in the chamber by my father passed through 3 walls before lodging in the furnace.

I dealt with this by becomeing an NRA instructor. I was safe and as a former Marine knew how to safely handle a firearm but teaching keeps meon my toes.I also made a neclace out of the spent casing and wore it for about 8 years as a reminder. now it is used as a zipper fob on my range bag.

 

[Ben86]

several years ago I was preparing to clean my Glock 19. After clearing the weapon I left it on the coffee table while I attended to another more immeadiate concern( I had to go to the bathroom). when I returned I immeadiately removed the slide. pulling the trigger is required, the bullet that had been placed in the chamber by my father passed through 3 walls before lodging in the furnace.

This is why I practice an "out of sight rule." If the gun is out of my sight for any length of time, even if I just checked it, I re-clear it. You just never know.

 

[1911Tuner]

There's a saying among pilots.

"Any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing."

An unintentional discharge is a little like that. As long as nobody got hurt and nobody died...turn it into a positive thing, and let it be a reminder to remain focused on the task at hand.