negligent discharge

[bruss01]

Nambu wrote:

I was taught by my father and have taught my children, never point a gun at anything you do not intend to shoot.

The most important part of this lesson is, the word "point" refers not to your intention, but to the physical direction of the muzzle.

After dwelling on this for a moment, you realize the gun is ALWAYS pointed SOMEWHERE, even when it's in a holster.

The key is to always keep it pointed in the SAFEST possible direction.

I'm sure that the shooter who had this ND wasn't consciously pointing it anywhere, nevertheless the muzzle was still facing something that wasn't a target, i.e. not the safest possible direction. At the range, downrange is the only place the muzzle should point, because that is the safest direction. At home, it will be different - if you are upstairs and people are downstairs, pointing at the floor is not safest. If you are downstairs and people are upstairs, likewise. It requires a bit of thought to always determine the safest direction. That is what this rule does, it implies that one should always be THINKING when handling a gun. And THINKING will prevent the vast majority of ND's.

 

[Jeff F]

Guy's these kind of things do happen. If you handle firearms long enough the odds are it will happen to you. Hopefully we all learn from these events and no one gets hurt. Live by the four rules!

 

[Loomis]

DrLaw:

The guy that lowers his gun to the target was shooting an old revolver wasn't he? That's how they used to do it. They trained people to shoot that way.

There's nothing unsafe about it imo. What's the worst that could happen? He fires off a round before the barrel is completely lowered to the target?

So what?

 

[papajohn]

If he's lowering the muzzle with his finger on the trigger, yes, bad things can happen. The guy fires the handgun prematurely, the bullet goes through the roof, and comes down somewhere besides the backstop. Not good.

When I was testing pistol loads that took up very little air space in the case, I have been known to tilt the gun up to orient the powder on the primer........but not with my finger on the trigger!

PJ

 

[Loomis]

Are you kidding me? Who the hell takes their finger out of the trigger guard to cock a revolver? The barrel tips up everytime you cock a revolver. So by your reasoning, cocking a revolver is unsafe.

Please, don't make me laugh.

 

[JTW Jr.]

the bll doesn't have to tip up every time you cock a revolver.

besides , who the heck thumbs cocks a double action wheelgun ?

 

[Realbigo]

I've got a question for all of you. How do you react to a newby, on the sales floor mind you, not on the range having the muzzle pointed in your direction as they make sure the pistol they were just handed is indeed empty? After a few responses I'll tell the rest of the story.

 

[hotshotshoting]

dr law normally people tend to jam 2 cartridges in the chamber "area" its called double feed it happens quite often with inexperienced shooters... also if the guy was shooting with 1 hand, standing sideways, 1 hand in the pocket, raising the gun above the target and coming down on to target is called bullseye shooting... odds are you werent in danger regardless how much danger you felt...


be more careful when someone is saying hey this gun doesn't work.. and turns around to show someone while pulling the trigger over and over thats always fun..

 

[Realbigo]

I saw that happen once on NG range. My Gunny went ballistic. Figuratively speaking.

 

[Loomis]

I thumbcock a double action revolver! I suppose I have a tendency to shoot everything as if it were a big ole walker colt black powder 6shooter. And just as another poster here mentioned the "standing sideways and shooting one handed" style of shooting...

I DO THAT AS WELL.

Not just with revolvers, but with ALL handguns. It's the way I was taught as a youngster. I've been stubborn enough to not change for this long, I figgure I'll keep being stubborn for a few more years.

And If some fool kicks me off a shooting range for doing so, there's gonna be a real colorful argument directed right to his face.

 

[Old Grump]

Me too

Usually do it with the off hand but I rarely shoot double action except to keep familiar with it. For target shooting or hunting I shoot single action no matter what gun I am using. I do not put my finger on the trigger till I have a sight picture, one concession to not wanting an accidental discharge.

 

[FCFC]

I mostly shoot revolvers. Almost always shoot them double action. For me, I don't see much need for single action.

How do you react to a newby, on the sales floor mind you, not on the range having the muzzle pointed in your direction as they make sure the pistol they were just handed is indeed empty? After a few responses I'll tell the rest of the story.

I get very uneasy, very quickly.I will always move away from the direction that the gun is pointed in while the person (newb or otherwise) is handling the gun.

 

[GingerGuy]

ND update

ND are nothing to be taken likely , and ND can severely injure someone , safety is priority 1.

Well, I went shooting today again at the August Busch Conservation Range and was talking with one of the rangers. I learned one of the reasons the guy with the ND left so fast.

His ND hit himself in the finger, missed the bone, but did take the meat off too the bone. Must have been a pretty good hunk of flesh that was removed.

The ranger said it was the first one that has happened this year, but they do happen from time to time, even here. And always on the pistol side of the range.