I'm embarrassed. Negligent Discharge.

[Orion8472]

I'm really embarrassed about this. Negligent discharge. I'm still fairly shocked...

So, the firearm is a Henry lever action [I have a scope on this one]. I got one of those tubes that hold 12-15 rounds so that you can dump them straight down the tube instead of loading one at a time through the window. I was doing a test for this a few nights ago. I dumped them in, then turned the rifle the other way and dumped them out...so I thought.

This morning, I was doing a visual of my scope out the back window [faces a field]. I ran the lever, then was going to lower the hammer down with my thumb [like I have done all the time], but this time....murphy's law....the hammer slipped past my thumb as my thumb hit the bottom of the scope,...and one of those rounds was still in the chamber.

Not sure why I didn't do my usual several cycles of the lever...but anyway,...I'll be buying a new glass door. :-(

Updated: More of an accidental discharge than a negligent discharge really. Some negligence based upon my ignorance of how Henry rifles hold a cartridge when dumping rounds out of the tube.

 

[drband]

Glad you’re safe.
Visual and tactile verification every time. Period.

 

[Orion8472]

Yup. I usually do. This was just a "perfect storm". I'm gonna be even more vigilant from now on.

 

[LoneGoose]

A reminder for us all.

 

[Water Garden]

Glad you’re safe.
Visual and tactile verification every time. Period.

I'll look and even look again but I'm not checking with my finger.

 

[22250Rem]

It can happen....... BTDT....... Years ago when I scoped my 10/22.... Took it to the range and finished zeroing it in... Got distracted talking to another shooter while I was packing up to leave. Didn't clear the gun..... Mag. was empty but there was one in the chamber; safety was off....... Didn't realize it until I was unpacking everything at home in the basement and decided to look through my new scope one more time.... shouldered the gun and looked through the scope and even had my finger on the trigger...... Bang..... Luckily there's just a ding in the basement wall but it could have been a lot worse. Distraction can be just as bad as forgetfulness and I'm glad we occasionally see safety reminders like this thread. We can all use little mental safety reminders to keep us alert.

 

[Blkhrt13]

It happens. At least you were on the other law. Which is safe direction.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Glad to hear the door was the only casualty.
Maybe you can write off the cost of the glass as an educational expense.

 

[Speedo66]

Sorry it occurred, thanks for manning up and admitting it as a warning to everyone.

 

[Wisco]

It probably happens to far more shooters than will admit it. I’ve seen it enough or close enough to happening that I’m aware there’s a chance my time is coming...

Tube magazines require more care than some others in ensuring they’re unloaded. I “cleared” a Marlin 60 once only to get home, charge the gun and load a round from the “empty” tube...

Another example of how using TABK would’ve saved something, property in this case.

 

[Armored farmer]

Not uncommon for a round to hang up in a tube magazine.
I always "dump and bump" then cycle the action a couple or three times with the tube follower replaced.

 

[ontarget]

Yes, thanks for the reminder. Glad nothing was hurt but your glass and your pride. We can never be too careful.

 

[JohnKSa]

A good reminder that for all the hand-wringing and debate about various gun designs and the impacts of those designs on firearm safety, the fact remains that the most common cause of unintentional discharges is intentionally pulling the trigger.

 

[kcofohio]

Orion, glad you're just telling of a broken glass and broken pride. Thanks for fessing up and giving us all a reminder of how things can go bad fast.

 

[WestKentucky]

Similar happened to me. Mine went through my boot though. Its the reason I refuse to buy a gun without some form of safety or a solid safe workaround. I get flamed for it every time I bring it up, but what happened to you is also possible on all of their guns, many of which are intended for children. Dumb design, there should be a positive safety system.

 

[mokin]

I'm glad nobody got hurt.

A guy in high school had something similar happen. He had to work all summer to replace the TV and pay for other repairs. Made believers of us all.

 

[jmr40]

I responded to a thread here yesterday about brightly colored magazine followers and pointed out that this isn't uncommon with lever actions. A brightly colored follower might have made the difference here. Of course this is just one of many reasons I'm not a fan of Henry rifles. I don't like to load or unload with my hands so near the muzzle. Give me a side loading gate on my lever rifles.

At any rate I'm glad things weren't any worse.

 

[Scooter22]

Glad no one got hurt. Wasted a perfectly good glass door and a pair of shorts. I don't put live ammo in a gun at home except for my HD shotgun. When I got my first SKS I cleaned it but didn't know about the sticky FP issue. Loaded 5 rounds and let the bolt go to chamber a round and all 5 shots ripped off. Gun was pointed downrange but it sure wanted to climb.

 

[MedWheeler]

I've loaded and unloaded my Henry .22 several times. I'm never able to get all the rounds out without cycling the action a few times.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[FL-NC]

Hope you learned a lesson.

 

[RecoilRob]

I fired a .22 into the floor of the living room out of my 10/22 with heavy aftermarket barrel....and this after multiple cycles of the bolt just to be 'sure' that it was empty. Of course, the tight chamber was holding a round and the extractor just couldn't grip it well enough to pull it out....so BANG! It's been said the loudest sound is a round going off when you're expecting a light 'click'. Even after working the bolt or cycling the lever....suggest you do a visual or finger check of the chamber and then you KNOW it's empty.

 

[Kingcreek]

I had my thumb slip off the hammer of an H&R single shot .410 at about 1/2 cock when I was cocking it. I was trying to stealthy out the front door to deal with a feral cat hunting under our songbird feeder. Blew a quarter sized hole through the trex decking plank on my front porch. Luckily I had a few scraps left over stored out in the barn. I had just finished replacing the damaged section and swept up when the wife came home.

 

[LocoGringo]

A negligent discharge is quite the wakeup call. It's surprising, shocking and scary...sends chills down your spine and very soon afterwards you (I) start(ed) thinking about how much worse things could have been (assuming everything was "ok").

Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Slamfire]

Thanks for telling us, it is important to be reminded about checking, and rechecking, before pulling the trigger.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Never had an AD/NG but when I went to shoot my 308 bolt rifle two weeks ago had a unexpected surprise. I hadn't shot it since December last year. Stuck in a fresh mag, went to cycle the bolt and low a behold a round popped out on the ground. Apparently the gun had a round in the chamber stored all winter.

I'm a stickler for clearing firearms before casing them up but we're all human I suppose.

All we can do is use the situations folks are sharing to try an reenforce safety and strive to be that much more vigilant.