The importance of muzzle awareness (GRAPHIC)

[bkjeffrey]

As many of you may know if you read my previous thread you know I was recently shot due to a friends lack of weapons safety. He was playing with loaded gun in my home (unknown to me). He was unaware that his gun was loaded and I am now a surviving lesson to all shooters. Let his mistake and my recovery be a grim reminder to all that weapons are to be respected at all times. NEVER FORGET THE BASIC WEAPON HANDLING RULES.

-TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT IS LOADED. NEVER ASSUME A WEAPON IS UNLOADED
-ALWAYS KNOW WHERE YOUR WEAPON POINTED!

Theres more, but in my case these apply.

9mm entrance wound

exit wound

EVH site

I hope we can all learn something from this. Complacency kills ladies and gentlemen. I am recovering fine and expect to be 100% in a month or so.

I hope the mods let this post fly. THR is a very busy site that holds a high regard to weapon safety. We can preach all day about it, but every once in a while people need a lesson to remind them that hazards are real....my best regards to all.......

bkjeffrey.

 

[docnyt]

Ouch. Hope you recover well.

 

[LRS_Ranger]

Good lesson for all of us.. don't let the guard down, and don't assume that others will be safe because you know them or are your friend.

 

[cottonmouth]

Hope you are alright. That looks bad! What kind of 9mm was it?

J.B.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

Good thread.

Nothing like reality to help sink it in. I imagine those staples are pretty painfull.

Get well soon.

 

[bkjeffrey]

What kind of 9mm was it?

115 gr ball, thank god.

 

[Six]

Thank you for sharing your lesson.

Out of curiosity, it looks like the round pretty much went right through the knee area, why the incisions on the thigh and calf?

 

[bkjeffrey]

why the incisions on the thigh

EVH (google it) ...no more popliteal artery.

and calf?

its called a fasciotomy

It was a last ditch effort by surgeons to save my lower leg. When the popliteal artery was destroyed the flow of blood from it was pumped into my calf and caused instant compartment syndrome.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compartment_syndrome

 

[riceboy72]

Wow. I'm so sorry it happened, and thankful that you're still here to share this with us. Thank you for sharing this, painful and personal as it is.

Very good reminder that it can happen to any of us, at any moment. Gun safety, be it in the hand of a friend or your own, is something that can never be compromised - ever.

Heal fast, friend. Hope you'll be mobile enough by summer to get out and enjoy it.

 

[bkjeffrey]

Thank you for sharing this, painful and personal as it is.

Ive been a member here at THR for years and I love getting and sharing info. I consider many of you to be "good friends" in wierd sort of way.

"personal" yea, maybe.

I just want every one here to remember that the hobby we enjoy cannot be taken for granted. I think what I have to share should be a wake up call to us all because ( many wont admit it ) we all get complacent.

Ill be fine. Heck, I just went and bought me a new Glock 19 yesterday, my wife thinks crazy! And Im walkin again...little limp, but that will go away.

 

[sidheshooter]

May I assume that you will be loading the G19 with something other than ball?

Seriously, though, thanks for the unpleasant reminder; as you say, a wake up call for all of us is a gift.

As Mas Ayoob once opined: it's bozos and us who make mistakes. The bozos are on their own, but we who handle these things regularly need to stay cautious.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

 

[Flintknapper]

Once you heal and get to go shooting again, don't be surprised if your left leg turns and wants to go the other way.

It might take a few trips to the range for your leg to get over the nervousness.

Joking of course, thanks for an excellent post and the reminder to always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction (and your %*&#@ finger OFF THE TRIGGER)!

I wish you a full and speedy recovery.

Flint.

 

[AOK]

Sorry to hear you had to go through such an ordeal. Thank God you will be okay though. Any therapy or are you on your own? Hopefully no additional procedures are needed.

The #1 and #2 biggest mistakes I see people make in gun safety is muzzle awareness and keeping their finger in the trigger guard when the firearm is not pointed down range. You see it on ranges and I have even seen it in defensive firearm classes.

Thank you for the post!

 

[61chalk]

Yikes...now thats graphic!....I always taught my 2 sons since they were very little until this day...."What is the most dangerous gun?".....then I would tell them a unloaded gun...they would ask why.....an then I would tell them why....I drilled this into them.
I wish the best for you...but for myself....I would be looking for a different friend.

 

[bkjeffrey]

Once you heal and get to go shooting again, don't be surprised if your left leg turns and wants to go the other way.

It might take a few trips to the range for your leg to get over the nervousness

The shooting happened two weeks ago. You wouldnt believe the comments people have made. I thought I'd heard it all!

But THAT up there is by far the very best. I will tell that joke to everyone that asks about my leg for the rest of my life.

Thanks!

 

[birdshot8's]

i have seen taxidermy that didn't get that many stiches.

 

[Hatterasguy]

Ouch glad your ok.


I yell at anyone who handles a weapon poorly. One of my friends just doesn't get it and everytime he holds a pistol or rifle he puts his finger on the trigger and points it at everyone. He is like its unloaded. He also isn't invited shooting anymore.

So now when I hand him a rifle the bolt comes out first, or on a pistol the slide and barrel come off. He gets pissed but I told him I can't trust him to treat a weapon like it should be.

 

[halfded]

If you can't trust him, why hand it to him at all?

 

[bkjeffrey]

If you can't trust him, why hand it to him at all?

He was playing with loaded gun in my home (unknown to me).

Well, as I stated before, let this be a lesson to all. We all share a common enthusiasm here in the shooting sports. And with that passion comes a hefty amount of responsibility and awareness. Again, please let my injury and recovery be a grim reminder that the hobby we indulge ourselves in carries dire consequences if it is taken for granted.

Once you heal and get to go shooting again, don't be surprised if your left leg turns and wants to go the other way.

I love that..

 

[Hatterasguy]

If you can't trust him, why hand it to him at all?

Well he kind of got the point after that and hasn't asked to look at my guns since.

But good point.

 

[Quoheleth]

I remember your first post about this and that you're insured by the same company (soldiers, aren't you?). Anything come out of that for your friend - either being sued by the insurance company or charged by the police?

Q

 

[ChaoSS]

The shooting happened two weeks ago. You wouldnt believe the comments people have made. I thought I'd heard it all!

Get a lot of people who think you should be antigun now?

 

[bkjeffrey]

Get a lot of people who think you should be antigun now?

Not yet, to my surprise. Most are sympathetic. I explain it to them like this:

"A racecar driver gets in a wreck, he doesnt stop racing"

"A foot ball player breaks his leg and he doesnt stop playing football"

"A hunter falls from a tree stand he doesnt stop hunting"

"A skier hits a tree, he doesnt stop skeeing"

and so on..........

They get the point. Lessons learned in life that make us better people. And the people that learn from others lessons are even more well equiped to handle lifes situations.

 

[61chalk]

"A skier hits a tree, he doesn't stop skeeing"

Unless your Sonny Bono.

 

[Chumango]

The importance of the safety rules you noted above can NEVER be emphasized enough.

Just before Christmas last year, the Knox County (Knoxville, TN) law director's son was killed due to disregard of the above rules. He (20-yr old) was at home with his 11-yr old brother and his 12-yr old neighbor. The older brother was not ignorant of guns, being a member of a competitive shooting team of some sort (probably rifle), and about to enter the military.

He was showing a pistol to the younger boys. He removed the magazine and handed it to his younger brother, who then pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger. As you can guess, there was a round in the chamber. They had assumed that since the magazine was removed the gun was not loaded.

It was a tragedy all the way around. Imagine the things the 11-yr old will deal with the rest of his life.

Teach your kids (and other adults)!