I wear glasses so have had the brass under the eye treatment a time or two. As someone else said I can't figure out how this still happens while wearing a ball cap with the bill pulled down low. It has to make at least two right angle turns to do this yet still happens.
I walked into the aftermath of someone committing suicide at a range with a rental gun. I kind of saw it happen out of the corner of my eye. Very bad scene. They changed their rental policy as a result. Had to have a gun with you or someone with one. I remember coming in to shoot a few weeks after this. I was alone and didn't have a gun with me. The guy behind the counter asked me how my mental attitude was. At first I was
and then I was
. Clerk knew me very well and went ahead and let me rent but I didn't really enjoy myself much that day.
Only time I've been hurt was while teaching a young woman to shoot. We'd done .22 pistol and rifle and she wanted to shoot a "real" gun. I had several pistols with me and she picked out my SP101 as one to shoot. Loaded some .38 wadcutters and handed her the pistol.
She held it with the fingers of her left hand along the side of the cylinder. Told her not to fire and take her finger off the trigger. She did and I reached up and repositioned her hands. Just as I started to move my hands away I said okay and she immediately pulled the trigger. The top of my left ring finger took the brunt of the damage. Ripped most of the skin off, imbedded powder grains, and generally burnt everything that wasn't shredded.
I pulled powder grains out for about a week. Still had some migrate out after six months. About a year before I managed to finally dig out the last couple of grains. I have a small keloid on the top of my ring finger and on occasion it will swell and hurt for a few days. Certainly got my attention.
I dramatically changed the way I teach people to shoot. Except with a .22 I have people hold and dry fire anything before they actually get to shoot a loaded gun. With the .22 I have them simulate a trigger pull on an unloaded gun by sliding their finger along the bottom of the trigger guard. No more flash flame burns for me! The cylinder gap on revolvers is not flesh friendly
I've also had an ND. Started to put a .22 rifle up to my shoulder with my finger on the trigger. About the time I got the muzzle a couple of feet in front of my feet, still pointed down, I pulled the trigger. I was about 10 and out by myself squirrel hunting. Scared me so bad I unloaded the gun and went home. It was a good month before I worked up the nerve to go out hunting again. Never told anyone, basically till now, and haven't had an ND since. I'm 52. I still think about how bad this could have been a second earlier or if the round had hit a rock in the ground.
Be safe out there. Accidents do happen. I worked with a old german cabinet maker in high school. He would put his hands down on the table saw and count his fingers before turning it on every time. I asked him one day why. He told me that if he didn't have the time or was too distracted to count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 fingers it was time to do something else. Its been a lesson that has stayed with me.
