Tuck gun into waistband, gun goes boom. Common?

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Patchbunny

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My brother knows I'm into guns, and asked me the following question today.

How often does someone tuck a gun into their waistband (not a holster) only to have it go off? How unsafe is it?

I think I've come across one incident of this in Darwin Awards, but I can't recall hearing in the news of someone suffering such a fate. Anyone know?
 
It's way too late at night (need to be in bed) for me to look it up, but yeah-- it's happened, and more than once.


Gives a whole new mental image of someone referring to their "bits and pieces."


-- John
 
However often it happens, it's not a significant percentage of the time. By comparison to, say, using a proper holster, the difference is likely to be alarmingly huge.

Holsters protect the trigger from catching on things, protect the gun from you (oil, sweat, hair, skin flakes), you from the gun (hot metal, cold metal), greatly increase retention (nothing like having a gun fall out of your pants leg), and can speed deployment by keeping the firearm in the same place at the same angle all the time.

Since even cheap-o holsters make such a world of difference when it comes to carrying firearms, why would anyone consider not spending $15 to $50 on a halfway decent holster?
 
How often? Might as well ask how often fools get their hands on loaded guns.

I watched a guy in a gun store discharge his pistol as he was reholstering it. He had their gunsmith install a wide trigger shoe, and sure enough, it was wider than the trigger guard and when he reholstered it (a DAO auto) the tightness of the holster cocked and fired it. Fortunately for him, it only caused a minor flesh wound. Unfortunately for the rest of us, he's probably still carrying a gun.
 
All sorts of clothing have different buckles, strings, buttons, elastic this and thats. I am sure it happens all the time. Always use a proper holster.

Now think of all the improper holsters or holster button snaps that have been jammed into triggers suprised LEs as well as CCW holders.
 
I have no idea as to how often sometimes once is plenty, had an incident last year here where it took out a femoral artery. Plenty of heads up?
robert
 
Often enough that sane people rule out "Mexican carry" as any sort of a responsible way to carry a gun; I've heard it referred to as a "Mexican vasectomy".
 
A cop told me of a friend of his (also a cop) that shot himself in the testicles while tucking in a compact Glock “Mexican style”. Ouch! Always use holsters.

FerFAL
 
Not common, and happens disproportionately to criminals (because they are much less likely to use holsters). Basically, a gun will not just "go off," but it may well fire if your waistband/belt/buckle/finger/whatever pulls the trigger.

Happened to a small-time Canadian hitman named Chang Thong Vo, who became known on the street as "No Wang Vo" after sticking a .45 in his front waistband, sans holster, and had a mishap...

http://www.canadafirst.net/back_issues/cih-jan.html (second entry)


Kidnapper pulls a similar stunt:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15737511/
 
This is a good thread!

If I were going to carry sans holster, I'd put the gun at the small of my back. I can deal with getting shot in the butt...but shooting Mr. Willy or his two friends is not an option!

I don't even like SOB carry due to the difficulty of reholstering.
 
Well, I was there when a co worker had a Davis Derringer go off in his back pocket - blew out a section of jeans the size of silver dollar, and the luck of the Irish had the 38 Spl bullet bounce between his legs up into the ceiling of the truck bay. Nerve wracking at the time, (discharge of a weapon in an armored truck bay? That WILL get your attention!), funny as all get out later, especially the video of him dropping trou to check his abused behind!
The high speed vasectomy I have heard of, but never witnessed. I heard a guy did it to himself down here many years ago with a super short sawed off 12 ga. I believe he may have died from the wound, don't remember, years ago.
 
Over twenty years ago in Ventura County, CA. A robber stuck a cocked Derringer in his waistband in preparation to holding up a liquor store. Shot his 'friendly' weapon when the guardless trigger snagged on his belt.

Pilgrim
 
I wouldnt assume it doesnt happen any more often when a firearm is uncocked or the safety is on. I have to admit I at times will go mexican if I am at home and the pizza guy comes to the door or the like, but normaly I leave my holster on all day. Carrying a pistol ANY WAY cocked and unlocked is just stoooooopid.
 
Happened to a small-time Canadian hitman named Chang Thong Vo, who became known on the street as "No Wang Vo" after sticking a .45 in his front waistband, sans holster, and had a mishap...
Click to expand...

LOL!!! :D :D :D

It does not help that companies sell such things as 'clips' to attach to guns to carry without a holster - EVEN on DAOs like my Glock and P3AT! :banghead:

I must admit, I *have* stuck my Bersa in my waistband before, but never any farther than from my house to my car to stick it in the glovebox. IIRC, I stuck it on either the right or left at 3:00, canted forward. Safer for me, not so much for who or what ever is behind me...!

Anyhow, I don't carry the Bersa muchanymore (as I have something bigger and smaller now), but would never actually "carry" it "Mexican style."
 
It's never happened to me. I've carried cocked and locked 1911s, a Star BKM, various S&W double action revolvers and an occasional single action for about forty years now with never a shot through me or my trousers.

Actually, the practise was pretty common when I started. I remember comments from both the late Elmer Keith and the late Skeeter Skelton admitted they had carried in such fashion. Mr. Keith died at age 85 or so from old age and Mr. Skelton died from unrelated health problems. I personally knew many other old timers who "Mexican carried" on a regular basis.

Then again, us old guys carry those dangerous single action autos and outmoded wheel guns.


Perhaps I'm just lucky.
 
guns shoot when the trigger is pulled. Pushing the gun into your pants (or holster) or taking it out with your finger already on the trigger will make it go BANG. Second, are there any other things down there that might snag the trigger as you put it in our out (and no, I am not counting the sex organ, unless you are packing that wierdly, it isn't around the trigger when doing a wasiteband carry.


Really though, waistband carry isn't all that risky for discharge, it is risky for the gun to fall out. especially if there is running, sitting, or hell anythign but standing still just like you were BEFORE you put the gun in your pants
 
I had a need once to carry my Ruger Security Six IWB, so I picked up a little wrap-around holster that would hold most any full size revolver or semi, but didn't cover any of the trigger area.

I call it my "Ralph Nader holster...unsafe at any caliber". :p
 
Bad idea to carry like that any way you cut it. Looks cool in the movies. Flat out dumb, stupid, and idiotic to do that in real life.

benEzra makes a great point too.
 
If you carry a Glock, they sell a plastic block that fits directly behind the trigger to prevent AD's and pops out instantly if you flick it with your trigger finger. Tried it in the store and looked to work pretty good.
 
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