Lesson Learned: Always make sure a gun is unloaded!

[armed85]

Today I went to a pawn shop I've never been to before. This was a small shop, owned by what I think was a husband and wife, and they had a small collection of used guns. Under the glass display I saw 1 Glock and 4 Taurus revolvers. Disappointed that they only had 5 guns in the whole shop, I started talking to the owner.

After talking for a few minutes, he told me he just got a "nickel plated Smith & Wesson." After I asked to see it, he handed me what turned out to be a pinned and recessed Smith & Wesson 66 that it's previous owner had polished to a bright shine.

After drooling over it, I asked if I could dry fire it. The owner said, without any hesitation, "of course." I didn't notice at a quick glace the danger. A few moments before I dry fired it, I heard the voice of the family friend that taught be firearm safety many years ago, and swung open the cylinder.

I instinctively swing open the cylinder or retract a slide before I handle a handgun. It's a habit and a damn good one, but after many years of handling guns, it's a habit I took for granted.

Well that lesson has been reinforced because when I swung open that cylinder to look if it was unloaded, I had six live rounds staring back at me!

I couldn't believe I didn't notice it before that! You can usually tell when a revolver is loaded by looking at it from the side, but these buggers where well hidden. I've never handled a recessed revolver until today, but I've handled so many guns at gun stores and pawn shops (never once was one loaded) that I didn't give it a moments thought.

I was less than 2 seconds away from putting a .357 caliber hole in that man's display case

While I don't believe FFL licenses are necessary, apparantly having one doesn't mean the holder has the interest of pubic safety in mind.

 

[Valkman]

Well good for you for checking! I cannot believe the guy handed you a loaded gun! When I've dry fired revolvers it's always been checked by the seller and then by me - always.

 

[armed85]

Believe it or not I've been handed guns right off the shelf without the seller checking. Half the time they check and half the time they don't. I've gotten used to it, but I'm a lot more leery now though

 

[peyton]

Good move,
My son and I were at a range that rented pistol's to try before you buy. My son was looking at all the different models and asked "I don't think this bullet should be in here??" . The owner apologized and said that 5 people hand handled that pistol and my son was the only one that caught the loaded condition.

Peyton

 

[obxned]

Thank heaven you remembered!!!!

 

[gear_merc]

Glad you remembered the "Gun safety rules".

Glad no one (or property) was hurt.

Spread the news and educate all!

 

[Plink]

I had a similar experience in my own home years ago. I'm a fanatic about checking my guns to see that they're unloaded. I always check and double check before packing them up after a shooting session. I had just gotten home from shooting, and was going to do a little dry firing to try and solve a trigger control issue I was having at the range. Knowing that I "always" check and double check my guns before packing them up, I got lazy and took aim at the wall on the other side of the fridge and prepared to dry fire. Then I scolded myself for being lazy and not checking again. I racked the slide and out popped a round! I've NEVER have to scold myself for being lazy again, because I always do it 100% of the time now. We're the lucky ones to be able to relearn a valuable lesson without anyone or anything being damaged in the process. I hope others will be wiser and not get lazy to start with.

 

[miko]

I always put the snap-caps in when I dry-fire. That is an extra assurance.

miko

 

[Koos Custodiet]

Duuuude, you're approaching this wrong.

It's not "make sure the gun is unloaded".

It's "the gun is _always_ loaded".

Even when I'm cleaning a gun, I'll point it in a safe direction. If I absolutely have to point it at myself (to get at a difficult bit) I stay the hell away from the trigger. If I have to play with the trigger, it's pointed in a safe direction.

Because the damfool thing is loaded.

Even if it's a Lefacheax or however you spell that pinfire where the last known ammo for the thing is in the Smithsonian. It's *loaded*.

Because it's the unloaded ones that kill you.

 

[03Shadowbob]

While it is a good thing that you checked the firearm and found live ammo in it before "dry-firing" it, I think the pawn shop owner would have had the "a gun is always loaded" lesson branded into his mind forever, should you have put a nice hole in his display cabinet.

 

[Ala Dan]

Excellent lesson learned, my friend~!

I'm very happy to hear that no one got injured with a loaded handgun;
and that you had the gumption to check it out before dry firing. Congrat's
on a job well done. The S&W 66 is one fine handgun; I own one, a
2.5" barrel Smith model 66-4. It took me a long, long time too find one;
but its home with me now~! Enjoy.

 

[1BLINDREF]

Good job jr, I was taught at a very young age to always open the action when handing someone a gun. If someone hands me a gun with the action closed, the first thing I do is open it.
Uhmm.... Did you end up buying it??

 

[P97]

Any gun should never be pointed at anything you won't shoot. I dropped one and it hit the floor and fired and went through my leg. That stopped me from having one on a loaded chamber before the firing pin block.

 

[TonyStarks]

I just cant beleive the guy handed over a loaded gun....i wont hand over a loaded gun to anyone unless i have mine pointing at you or i know you VERY well!

 

[Alan Fud]

You would hand over to someone a loaded gun if you were pointing your's at 'em? Forgive me. Maybe it's early and the brain isn't fully awake but I don't follow that.

 

[Lovesbeer99]

Ok, what does pinned and recessed mean?

 

[svtruth]

Picked up

a rifle at the LGS, a .338, I think. Turned it over, oops, the magazine was full.
I just handed it to the guy behind the counter as I was unfamiliar with its manual of arms.

 

[Jomax]

Good that you checked it before you dry-fired it. Maybe the store owner used that gun for protection over the years and figured he'd try to sell it if someone was interested, but completely forgot it was loaded. Every store I go into always checks the gun before handing it to me and unless I cannot clearly see that it is unloaded as iit's being checked right in front of me, I always check it again. I say that only because many times, they'll hand me a revolver with the cylinder swung open or a semi with the mag fully dropped out and the slide locked open so it's easy to visually confirm that it's unloaded. If the slide doesn't stay locked open, I always rack it back to check for myself.

 

[Mac's]

jragsdale:
Kudos to you for following gun safety rule number 1:
All Guns Are ALWAYS Loaded

Double that and Amen! A lot of people are killed or injured with "unloaded" guns. I teach firearms use and expect the student(s) to know the three golden rules.
1...The gun is always loaded
2...Never point it at anything you're not willing to kill/destroy.
3...Never touch the trigger until you're ready to shoot.
Regarding someone handing me a firearm without checking it first: I figure if they don't know enough or are not polite enough to check it first, I don't want them operating the action anyway. I'll just politely stay out of the line of the muzzle, accept it from them and check it myself. Keep yer powder dry, Mac.
Tuff-Gun Finishes. The Name Says It All
Mac's Shootin' Irons
http://www.shootiniron.com

 

[kellyj00]

Shoulda put a hole in his display case and blamed it on him "you said I could dry fire it!" it'll teach him a lesson!

Kidding of course. Good work!

 

[Ken Rainey]

Congratulations on finding out that it was loaded in the nick of time.....
Having been in Law Enforcement for many years, I've heard many stories and witnessed a few (mine included!) .... so now you know the reason for my "note" at the bottom of my posts ! .... Anytime I've handled a firearm, whether working on it or just looking it over, I've always adhered to that rule and it's paid off.

As they say, S%!t happens .. anyone can have a brainfart, like the owner who handed you the loaded revolver without telling you it was loaded or unloading it himself ....

By the way, did you get it? I love those "old" S&W K frames !

 

[buck460XVR]

I also was taught at a young age to always open the action before handing a gun to anyone....and to never take a gun from someone unless the action is opened. I also always ask the clerk behind the counter, anytime I look at guns to open the action before I take it from them if they have not already done it. Whenever the other person questions why I ask then to open the action first before I will take it, I tell them it's basic gun courtesy. If they are in open racks, I will open the action immediately when I pick the gun up. Only exception I have to this rule is in the field when taking a gun from a hunting partner before crossing a fence or other obstruction. Then only if the operation of the action will spook nearby game, otherwise I use the same protocol.

 

[logical]

Only thing I'd suggest adopting is that you do that check immediately after it is handed over to you.....not just when you decide to "dry-fire" it. I always hand over a revolver cyl open and a finger blocking it from closing. If handed a closed revolver, I open it before anything else.

"all guns are loaded" is a good attitude when shooting but I am more comfortable with the premise that you " treat all guns as loaded until confirming otherwise"

 

[k-frame]

You never know

During a conversation my neighbor, who knows nothing about firearms, told me that his father in law gave him a set of shotguns 15 years ago when he and his wife got married. Said they had been in his attic all this time and did I want to see them?

His FIL is from Texas so I was expecting waterfowl guns. Nope. My neighbor brings out two Mossberg 500s still in the boxes - the kind with the pistol grip and the 18.5-inch barrel. Turns out daddy in law kept them on his yacht in case he got raided by bad guys in the Caribbean.

Keep in mind these have been in my neighbor's attic - untouched - for 15 years. So I work the pump - and a $#@& shell pops out! I about wet my britches. My neighbor said I turned kinda white.

I laid it down and tried the other - VERY carefully now and aimed VERY safely - same story, different round.

Long story short I emptied them both and told him to get some instruction if he intended to keep them.

 

[SgtRage]

I once handled a Mak90 in a pawnshop in the bad part of town, found the mag was full with one in the chamber, safety off. Owner had taken it in on consignment. He thanked me profusely, saying that if one of the locals had found it like that, they'd probably shoot him and take off with it. The next day, all 4 guns he had from the same fellow on consignment were gone.