How many guns will fire when dropped?

[Mousegun]

I now carry XDs .45 and in my thinking it would be on the virtually impossible side to drop a XD and it go off, seeing that two safety mechanisms have to move in opposite directions....

I actually did drop my XDS45 on a concrete floor from about 3 feet. It must have landed perfectly flat because there is no visible marks on it where it landed.

No bang involved but I wasn't very happy about the drop but it was thrilling.

 

[MedWheeler]

Twiki357 writes:

I doubt that the Kel-Tec P-11 mentioned in post #19 would fire as it is striker fired DAO and the striker is small and light and relies on spring power to contact the firing pin.

The P11 has a hammer, shrouded by the rear of the slide. The weight of the gun and that of the hammer are so reduced that it is indeed true that it is virtually impossible that the gun could fire from a drop incident. But, there is not the protection from such a discharge that there is within Kel-Tec's other compact pistols, which have the hammer partially blocked by the sear.

So, while you are incorrect on the striker, I'll give you that the P11 can be considered "drop-safe."

 

[KMatch]

True Lies. (And it is a popular enough Hollywood effect that there are probably many others.)

Yep, True Lies. But didn't Mythbusters attack that one? If so, what was the outcome?

 

[BrotherFrankie]

I saw some strange show called Strange but True or something like that this past weekend. As we are on the topic of drop guns firing, I thought I would share this one:

Some lady had a bad dream about “having a gun in the house” and worried that somehow a family member would be shot. In her dream, she had a double action revolver which did not fire on several chambers when trying to shoot an intruder. Then in real life a few nights later, the exact same thing happened. The double action revolver did not fire when trying to shoot an intruder. BUT the “intruder” was her son who was “visiting late at night” unannounced. BUT IT gets better… she is so happy to see him and that he did not get shot … she drops the gun at top of the steps and it fires multiple times in the way down the steps. BUT IT gets better… an intruder who had already broken in and was hiding downstairs right next to her son just moments ago. That intruder is shot and killed by the dropped handgun.

The viewing public must be naïve to believe just one part of it… But the entire load of BS back to back!!! The prop revolver used to film looked like a Smith and Wesson which should have a drop safety.

chuck

PS: I was channel surfing and not actually watching.

thats my story and im sticking to it... LOL

Some lady had a bad dream about “having a gun in the house” and worried that somehow a family member would be shot. In her dream, she had a double action revolver which did not fire on several chambers when trying to shoot an intruder. Then in real life a few nights later, the exact same thing happened. The double action revolver did not fire when trying to shoot an intruder. BUT the “intruder” was her son who was “visiting late at night” unannounced. BUT IT gets better… she is so happy to see him and that he did not get shot … she drops the gun at top of the steps and it fires multiple times in the way down the steps. BUT IT gets better… an intruder who had already broken in and was hiding downstairs right next to her son just moments ago. That intruder is shot and killed by the dropped handgun.

 

[Ranger Roberts]

I think the original version of the M16 would go off if it was slammed hard enough (this was told to us in boot camp, so it might just be army lore used to scare us).Also the Japanese Nambu type 14 pistol would go off if the bottom of the butt was hit hard enough.

 

[Frogman]

The M16 story is that the charging handle is locked to the rear with the bolt group, and a loaded mag is in the firearm. Yes if the heal of the weapon is struck hard the bolt will fly forward charmbering a round and potentially firing a round. Thats why you always have a loaded weapon pointed in a safe direction.

 

[dmazur]

But didn't Mythbusters attack that one? If so, what was the outcome?

Yep -

http://mythbustersresults.com/hollywood-gunslingers

Excerpt -

A MAC-10 machine pistol dropped down a flight of stairs can start firing by itself. (Based on a scene in the film True Lies.)

busted

Grant and Tory set up a flight of stairs and a rig to drop a MAC-10 (loaded with blanks) at the top. Two tests with different drop heights failed to cause a discharge; Grant commented that the movie weapon may have been fitted with a hair trigger or other modifications to set it off.

I gave up on Hollywood realism in re guns long ago. The scary thing is, many of these Hollywood myths seem to be believed.

I was talking to a "non-gun" person a while ago and she completely believed the "handgun blows the person off their feet and through a window" special effect. Such as was used in "Last Man Standing".

Compared to Hollywood versions of gun capabilities, the truth just isn't as interesting. Which is probably why they don't worry about it too much...

 

[J-Bar]

I heard a lot of French rifles were thrown down during WWII, but I don't think any of them discharged...

 

[osprey176]

I own a T/C Contender that fired when dropped from my arms(full of jackets and other items).It slipped out of it's holster,an Uncle Mikes nylon holster,landed in the driveway and fired,hitting the door jamb of my garage.Missed my fat head by inches.I don't carry it loaded till it's time to shoot anymore.Broke a basic rule of gun safety and nearly paid the final bill because of it.Lesson learned!

 

[Texan Scott]

All guns will go off if dropped. Some claim they won't, but I'm a pessimist. I won't listen to theory-based arguments. Anyone who cares to prove me wrong can go stand in the street and drop theirs repeatedly on the concrete. Please post video footage. Yes, I'm trolling. And all Plymouth Roadrunners deserve to be shot.

Don't drop your guns.

 

[dmazur]

Actually, there are "drop tests" designed to prove whether a certain gun design will withstand being dropped from some height, without discharging.

I understand it only applies to handguns, and I don't know why long guns were not included.

However, there is certainly nothing wrong with believing a gun will go off if dropped, even if it has a firing pin block. If it results in more careful gun handling, I'm all for that belief.

 

[Texan Scott]

^ dingdingdingding!

 

[JRH6856]

a RG 22 will fire if it falls out of the car and lands on the hammer..

Sometimes, that is the only way to get an RG to fire.

 

[Chemistry Guy]

A friend of mine was shooting his old Walther P38 when it jammed. He started trying to open it up to clear the jam and it fired right into the ground. It turns out a piece of the firing pin had broken off inside the chamber. He still doesn't know if it was a hang fire or if the magazine spring itself provided enough force to break the primer.

I could see how a firing pin that is broken like his could cause some guns that would otherwise be drop-safe to not be.

 

[taxiflyr]

Detonics

I had a early combat master that would

 

[R.Greene]

...

However, there is certainly nothing wrong with believing a gun will go off if dropped, even if it has a firing pin block. If it results in more careful gun handling, I'm all for that belief.

One reason is that it's probably better better to let a "drop-safe" gun fall rather then they to catch it, since you might grab it inside the trigger guard and cause it to fire.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Some older guns will.

 

[dmazur]

Yes. Dropped knives have no handles and dropped guns are a member of that class, too.

What I meant was, firing pin safeties shouldn't encourage carelessness.

 

[MedWheeler]

^^ True. I used to teach this. A dropped knife is all blade, and a dropped gun is all trigger. Let it go.

 

[we are not amused]

I know for a fact that a cz-52 will fire when dropped with a round in the chamber. Come by and I'll show you the hole in my carport roof. Scared me but no-one hurt. round in chamber, hammer down, safety on!

EEEK!

That is why I always carry my CZ-52 with the hammer cocked and safety on, just like my 1911.

Still good to know it can happen, I was wondering, and didn't want to find out.

 

[Odd Job]

Although I don't know of any specific case where it happened, the Vektor CP1 was subject to a recall by LIW because the gun "might go off if dropped."
LIW modified the slides of all the CP1s recalled - I posted a thread on it here on THR.

 

[Sambo82]

A Mossberg 500 will fire if you drop it vertically on the butt stock,apparently. My buddy had a sling break while he was walking through the woods. It fell straight down and went off right behind him. Apparently it scared him a tad.

 

[rgwalt]

My Colt M1991A1 would likely fire if dropped on it's hammer. I removed the Series 80 parts long ago. Improves the trigger pull. I make sure to NOT drop it.......

Or it will fire if dropped on the muzzle... the firing pin would keep moving, though the gun would stop moving once the muzzle hit the ground. A Wolffe extra power firing pin spring will help minimize the chance of this happening, however nothing will fully safe-guard against this happening short of the series 80 measures, or not carrying the gun with a round in the chamber.

 

[savanahsdad]

I know for a damn sure fact that a Winchester Model 97 shotgun will go off if you lay it in the back seat of a Buick and slam the door into the stock.

oh please tell me you got a pic of that to share !! no one got hurt ? right,

 

[jmr40]

I'd say close to 1/2 of the long guns made have safeties that only block the trigger. If they hit hard enough and in the right position many of them will. Most handguns have devices built into them to prevent this from happening.

That is the purpose of the bar in a Glocks trigger. Without it there could be enough force for the trigger to pull and fire if dropped at the right angle