Keaner
Member
This is a true story of a malfunctioning firearm causing a 'true' AD! I am still ND-less, so I'm hoping I stay that way.
So, after having a great time at the opencarry.org Oregon BBQ today (thanks Cougfan2 for a great time!), I decided to go to Portland to open carry with two of the other members.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
I realized during the event, that the Fobus holster I had was not up to the task of long-range carrying, since it was cutting into my side. I decided on a Galco suede lined holster, and a 2 magazine holder. All are pictured here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
Upper left is the bad fobus, lower left is the new mag holder, upper right is the new galco holster, and the hand gun in question on the lower right. Another picture of the holster:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
This is a pretty good holster by the way, extremely comfortable, and fits nicely despite my lack of a good belt.
ANYWAY:
I got back out to my car, and went to chamber a round. I placed the round into the chamber (i know, it can cause wear, but I was kind of being lazy and I was sure the round was all the way in the chamber), pointing the gun in a direction that would not intercept my leg, I closed the slide with the release, and the hammer apparently followed the slide, firing the round, INTO my center console of my car! I looked down, and the casing was on the floorboard, with a distinctive hammer-hit. The hammer was stuck in the middle-catch position.
I went back into the store to see what to do (afraid I might have to call the police or something :/). Oddly, the didn't hear it, even though I was right in front
Pictures of the center console:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
The path that it took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
And from another angle:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
Fortunately, the round missed the part of the wiring harness that is about 2 inches back from where it went through, and it bounced off of the metal floorpan underneath the plastic. I did see the bullet in there right after it happened, but I couldn't get it out, and it moved before I could photograph it.
HOWEVER, that isn't all the damage! In that little tray, is where I was keeping my spare magazines! It hit one of the magazines, fortunately not causing any rounds to go off.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
Another picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
As you can see, the three rounds there, the round that it DID make contact with got seated a little much... see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
The left round is a brand new one, the center is the one that got over-seated, and the right is a snap-cap I have. I spot checked the height of a few of the other rounds from the same box, and here are the heights:
New: 3.22cm +/- .03cm
Snap cap:3.02cm
Depressed round:2.90 cm
as you can see, it depressed more than 30 mm!
All in all, the damage was minor. It is a hole in the console of a car I care very little about, no damage other than the plastic that broke out, and the magazine, and a single round. It definitely could have been worse! I went to a gunsmith here (beavercreek amory) and the guy told me to just send it back to Rock Island.
What I have discovered:
-It was NOT a result of a finger on the trigger, every time I hit the slide release, it drops the hammer to the 2nd notch, hitting the firing pin in a semi-open situation.
-The position of the grip safety doesn't matter
-If I pull back the slide and release it, it will not drop the hammer
-If the round is loaded from a magazine, it will not drop the hammer
-The presence of the magazine is meaningless. Only when there is a round in the magazine will it not drop the hammer.
-The 4 rules saved me, especially that 'never point at things you do not wish to be destroyed' one.
Video of the malfunction to come.
So, after having a great time at the opencarry.org Oregon BBQ today (thanks Cougfan2 for a great time!), I decided to go to Portland to open carry with two of the other members.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
I realized during the event, that the Fobus holster I had was not up to the task of long-range carrying, since it was cutting into my side. I decided on a Galco suede lined holster, and a 2 magazine holder. All are pictured here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
Upper left is the bad fobus, lower left is the new mag holder, upper right is the new galco holster, and the hand gun in question on the lower right. Another picture of the holster:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
This is a pretty good holster by the way, extremely comfortable, and fits nicely despite my lack of a good belt.
ANYWAY:
I got back out to my car, and went to chamber a round. I placed the round into the chamber (i know, it can cause wear, but I was kind of being lazy and I was sure the round was all the way in the chamber), pointing the gun in a direction that would not intercept my leg, I closed the slide with the release, and the hammer apparently followed the slide, firing the round, INTO my center console of my car! I looked down, and the casing was on the floorboard, with a distinctive hammer-hit. The hammer was stuck in the middle-catch position.
I went back into the store to see what to do (afraid I might have to call the police or something :/). Oddly, the didn't hear it, even though I was right in front
Pictures of the center console:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
The path that it took:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
And from another angle:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
Fortunately, the round missed the part of the wiring harness that is about 2 inches back from where it went through, and it bounced off of the metal floorpan underneath the plastic. I did see the bullet in there right after it happened, but I couldn't get it out, and it moved before I could photograph it.
HOWEVER, that isn't all the damage! In that little tray, is where I was keeping my spare magazines! It hit one of the magazines, fortunately not causing any rounds to go off.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
Another picture:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
As you can see, the three rounds there, the round that it DID make contact with got seated a little much... see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29395648@N07/
The left round is a brand new one, the center is the one that got over-seated, and the right is a snap-cap I have. I spot checked the height of a few of the other rounds from the same box, and here are the heights:
New: 3.22cm +/- .03cm
Snap cap:3.02cm
Depressed round:2.90 cm
as you can see, it depressed more than 30 mm!
All in all, the damage was minor. It is a hole in the console of a car I care very little about, no damage other than the plastic that broke out, and the magazine, and a single round. It definitely could have been worse! I went to a gunsmith here (beavercreek amory) and the guy told me to just send it back to Rock Island.
What I have discovered:
-It was NOT a result of a finger on the trigger, every time I hit the slide release, it drops the hammer to the 2nd notch, hitting the firing pin in a semi-open situation.
-The position of the grip safety doesn't matter
-If I pull back the slide and release it, it will not drop the hammer
-If the round is loaded from a magazine, it will not drop the hammer
-The presence of the magazine is meaningless. Only when there is a round in the magazine will it not drop the hammer.
-The 4 rules saved me, especially that 'never point at things you do not wish to be destroyed' one.
Video of the malfunction to come.