Which guns can fire when dropped?

[PowderBurn]

My SKS went off as I pulled the bolt back and released it to chamber a round. Finger was not in the trigger guard, and safety was ON. Scary! Fortunately, gun was pointed downrange and I was alone at an outdoor range at the time.

 

[geekWithA.45]

I recall reading somewhere that the most common reason a dropped gun discharges is because the operator tried to catch it, and ended up with fingers or thumbs in the trigger guard.

I am not aware of any guns of modern design in sound condition that will fire when dropped. That's a solved problem, over and done with.

As for the m16/ar, the bolt, if locked back, will in fact slam home if you drop it, and potentially chamber a round. I've never seen or heard of any case where the sear released the hammer.

You _can_ get a slam fire, if the firing pin is so crudded up or bent such that it's essentially locked into place, but that's rare as hen's teeth. I suppose strategically placed pebbles cemented to the bolt face by mud might do the trick too, but that's a stretch and a half.

 

[Psssniper]

Certainly none of the guns that have passed Kalifornias drop test would ever fail no sir no way uh uh

 

[benEzra]

PPK-type semiautos are not drop-safe unless the safety is engaged (which is why the instructions tell you to keep it on safe). If it's on safe, the firing pin is shielded by thick steel, but if it's off safe and lands on the hammer it can discharge.

Newer-design guns with interlocks (e.g., S&W 3913) are drop-safe with the safety off, though it's still better not to drop it.

PowderBurn,

What brand ammunition were you using? U.S.-made ammunition uses way softer primers than most eastern-bloc self-loaders were designed for, raising the risk of slamfires. If you were using eastern-bloc ammo, check to make sure you firing pin channel isn't crudded up with powder residue or dried cosmoline.

 

[Justin]

I'd ask the person you're debating with whether they've ever had their car suddenly accelerate without them first putting foot to gas pedal.

 

[PowderBurn]

benEzra

I was using Wolf ammo at the time. I'd run a couple hundred rounds of various brands through the gun before it started going off when the bolt slammed, so it's probably not cosmo, just crud. I'm anxious to check the pin when I get back to the cabin (where I keep the SKS). I keep most of my guns very clean, but got the SKS as a low-maintenance, knock-around plinker. If a guy ever needed an incentive to keep his weapon clean, a spontaneous ignition surely provides it.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Greybeard]

Worth repeating: "I recall reading somewhere that the most common reason a dropped gun discharges is because the operator tried to catch it, and ended up with fingers or thumbs in the trigger guard."

Yep, yep. Better to just let 'er fall, especially pistolas.

 

[BluesBear]

I would think that any gun with a floating firing pin and no firing pin lock (think series 70 and series 80 1911's) have the potential to fire when dropped.

Think again.

A series 70 type 1911 pattern pistol will sometimesfire IF;
(a) dropped on the muzzle
(b) while the hammer is down on a loaded chamber.

This doesn't apply to older Star and Llama clones that did not have inertia firing pins.

With the hammer cocked it is damn near impossible to get a 1911 pattern pistol to fire when dropped. And with the Series 80 or Series 90 Colts as well as others with firing pin blocks faageddaboudit. It ain't gonna happen unless you drop it off a really high cliff and it breaks into several pieces when it hits the rocks below.

 

[mussi]

Sig P210

The SIG P210 isn't that drop-safe neither unless the safety is engaged, and when one drops it then, it's still risky business.

 

[TaxPhd]

"A series 70 type 1911 pattern pistol will sometimesfire IF;
(a) dropped on the muzzle
(b) while the hammer is down on a loaded chamber."


Hammer doesn't have to be down. The possibility exists even cocked and locked.

 

[BluesBear]

The possibility exists even cocked and locked

I admit the possibility exists, but after extensive testing (do a search on it with my name) I have only been able to get it to happen when,
A) the firing pin spring is weaker than normal
AND
B) it is dropped from a height exceeding six feet

I have never been able to get a cocked and locked 1911 pattern pistol to discharge from a height of less than five feet.

 

[Third_Rail]

Jonathan, that file doesn't exist. Is there another link?

 

[Jonathan]

Here's the video: http://www.microsqft.com/files/g18_kilgore.wmv.avi

The host regularly cleans out it's files, so it will only stay up for a few days.

 

[P95Carry]

Thx for the link ... worth showing to folks that one ... the potential for that turning out quite different is not requiring too much imagination!

 

[DRZinn]

Put a gun lock on a household fire extinguisher...pretend there is a fire ...oh yeah they will slam, bang, all sorts of stuff to a FE to get the lock off or get FE operational [ this I know for a fact]

OLEG! OLEG! A poster of a fire extinguisher with a trigger lock on it, and a caption asking how much sense that makes!

 

[BluesBear]

Our esteemed member, GeekWithA.45, did it over a year ago.

 

[DRZinn]

Other people are always stealin' my ideas before I have 'em....

 

[Ivy Mike]

The Makarov coul discharge if dropped. It did pass the California drop-test though. I carry mine safety-off, hammer down on a loaded chamber. Never had a problem.

BTW, let GeekWithA.45 know that he should store his knives sharpened edge up in the block. Keeps the edges sharper longer.
Sorry, old cooks trick.

 

[Double Maduro]

thorn726,

I like to cook and I enjoy teaching young'uns to cook. One of the first things I show them is my left index finger, then I tell them "if you drop a knife, DON'T catch it".


All guns can fire when dropped. I know, I know, disconnects, blocks, etc., etc..

If you believe in the mechanical function of firearms, how come you point it in a safe direction when you use the decocker? Why do you make sure it is pointed down range all the time?

The answer is SAFETY.

Treat all weapons as if they are loaded and can discharge at any time. This is the reason for Rule 2.

Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.

The chances of the safety devices malfunctioning are tiny, but it only takes once.

Sh** happens. We do our best to prevent it but it still happens.

Be safe, don't drop your weapon. After reading a couple of the above posts I would also ad "don't try to catch it".

DM

 

[Texshooter]

Well, I had a P220 drop out of a defective shoulder holster (read that to mean retaining strap broke while on foot chase) and it discharged when it hit the ground. Shortly after this, Sig changed the way their decocker works.

ANY mechanical device can break, ANY!

 

[Orthonym]

Just a Slight Thread Veer, Here.

I recall that a friend told me, when he was learning to be a rocket machinist at Redstone Arsenal in the late 60s, that he was told, if he happened to drop a $1,000 carbide milling cutter (Prolly 20k these days) that he should come to attention, NOT try to catch the thing, and rely on his steel-toed machinist's shoes to save his toes.

A dangerous tool does't have to go boom to hurt you.

 

[Third_Rail]

I just watched that video. That could've easily been either person's life.


And the cameraman laughed....

 

[carebear]

Comedy is tragedy plus time. In this case, a second or so.

One common response to shock is laughter, kind of an acknowledgement of "what could have happened" but didn't.

Plus your buddy face-planting is inherently funny.

 

[mr hanky]

quote:

"Anti's want protection, they don't want responsibiility."

amen sm, i don't think you could have put it any better. I would also add they don't understand how to protect themselves.

Lots of good advice for safety guys, thanks

 

[BluesBear]

re: The Video

The Doofus trips and stumbles (and fires) then falls (and fires again).

The FIRST thing he does after he gets up, is work the slide so he can fire again! And then he turns to face his buddy!


I propose a Rule #5.

Don't go shooting with a Doofus.