Things we did as novices

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CSlinger, same thing happened to me with my Mauser while I was reassembling the bolt. I tried to put the bolt sleeve on (I put it on backwards) and got it stuck with the spring under pressure. Couldn't get it back apart. I started fooling around with a wooden mallet. Man, I sure was surprised when that baby came whistling apart and went through the wall of my apartment. The hole is still there!
 
Two stories:

My friend was trying to sell me his Dan Wesson .357 Magnum one day. We went out into the farmyard to pop off a few rounds. Since it was a nice summer day and we were in a hurry, I neglected to put on hearing protection. Standing at the open door of the steel machine shed, I rapid-fired the entire cylinder into the cornfield. The rest of the day was spent listening to a high-pitched wailing in my left eardrum...


I was refighting the Battle of Berlin with my M44:rolleyes: at the range one day. I must have been really in the heat of the moment (The Nazi tin cans were advancing), beause I failed to squeeze the butt of the rifle against my shoulder for a quick shot. The Mosin accelerated through the 2 inch gap and crashed into my shoulder (with a bad rotator cuff). I have since decided that the recoil pad is a fair compromise with historical accuracy:)
 
I once took apart a Remington Nylon 66... in my bedroom... then spent 2 hours TEARING the room apart, looking for a spring, and the plunger that rides inside it... then another 3 days trying to figure out how to reassemble the darned gun...

lessons learned... there is NO reason to EVER dissasemble a functioning Nylon... EVER! (not just experience, but the advice of multiple gunsmiths too!)

NEVER release the hammer with the barrel removed on a Nylon... the bolt, hammer, 2 springs, and 2 plungers WILL leave their home, at HIGH velocity, and go in 4 DIFFERENT directions...

this did NOT stop me from getting MORE Nylon guns... I am up to 17, and gaining... (still need that Nylon 76 levergun!)
 
Bought a just-released G19 when I was a young fella. Field stripped it, looked everything over. Then decided to reattach the slide sans barrel, to have a better view of the internals as things move around. Rack the slide back, then.. oops!.. it won't come off again. :eek:

The funny thing is, years later, I had forgotten all about that and did it again. :rolleyes:

The fix is easy - remove the firing pin - but this was silly nonetheless.
 
The Mosin accelerated through the 2 inch gap and crashed into my shoulder
Click to expand...

I am of the opinion that in most cases the allegedly drastic recoil of the Mosin-Nagant carbines are overstated. That is, assuming that you properly tuck it into your shoulder. Ouch!

I only have 2 novice "stories", if they can be called that.

First: Man, did I ever love my new WASR-10. Dump some magazines, woo-hah! Let's attach the goofy bayonet. OK, it's on. Rip through a few more magazines. All right, point made, let's take off the bayonet. Note to self: Rifle barrels can get very hot.

The second is less of a story than a self-deprecating observation. I wondered for the longest time how the pistol "knew" the magazine was empty and locked back the slide. Of course, I was aware that pistol didn't "know" anything and that there was some mechanical cleverness afoot that I hadn't figured out, but still it puzzled me, and I was afraid to ask for fear of looking like a fool. Eventually, I deduced how it was done. I guess you think you're pretty smart, gun designers of 100 years ago! :rolleyes:
 
The first time I ever fired a pistol, I was 12 or 13 I think... my dad rented a Ruger .22 at a gun range and was going to teach me how to shoot. I tried to load the bullets into the magazine backwards... I dont know what I was thinking haha.
 
Learned that M1s can get real hot real fast. Just because the barrel is surrounded by wood does not mean the metal clips cant burn you. Also picking up brass just shot out of a M1 after oh 100 rds can easily burn your fingers.

And as always having the over head target holder all the way back in a indoor range, and shooting the holder so every ones targets are swinging in the air with yours doing it the worst. ops
 
When I started carrying several years ago, I was one of those that poo-pooed the notion that one needed quality leather to CCW daily.

My first CCW "holster" was an Action Direct Defender (bellyband) and I thought I was SO much smarter than those folk that dropped serious coin on a quality, molded leather (or kydex) IWB holster.

After I finally swallowed my pride and bought decent leather I was amazed that one could carry a pistol larger than a mouse gun 24/7/365 with no discomfort (for one thing, daily carry with the bellyband gave me a nasty case of IBS).
 
After reading this thread, I'll be keeping an eye on all of you. Make sure you keep one on me as well. I've got a tale on this thread, too! :evil:


--John
 
- Spent 5 minutes in a gun store trying to put the mag back in a M1A because I didn't want to look like an idiot and ask.

-Inched up on the stock of a scoped rifle and got my eyebrow split open.

-Taking the bayonet off of a M44 Mosin Nagant I somehow managed to send the spring flying into my forehead. Yeah still not sure how that happened.

-Didn't wear earplugs while shooting clays with my new Benelli. Lost some hearing from that day.
 
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