Wow, big screw up...

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Marlin60Man

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So I went out to my girlfriend's place this new year's to do some shooting. I finally got back a day ago and decided to clean my guns now. So I go over to grab my rifle and I think, "Okay, this gun is loaded.... Guns are always loaded," while in the back in my mind going, "But it's not really." So I switch the safety on and pull the bolt back going, "Okay, now time to unload it, even though I know it's not really..." AND there you go, a nice jacked hollow point sitting there ready to be chambered. :cuss:

So somewhere along the line I screwed up. I noticed the rim of another cartridge underneath the one inline to be chambered in the feed-throat... So I began cycling the bolt. I left 8 of them in my Glenfield 60!

Took me a while to figure out what happened and I feel even worse about it. We kept getting jams with the rifle, and so I decided there was too many people around to keep having to clear the jam and worry about the muzzle direction, so I put it up. Problem is I had locked the bolt back to clear a jammed round, and only visually checked that there were no more shells in it and I must just not have seen the rim of the next shell in the feed-throat, so I just closed the bolt before putting it up, didn't cycle it or do a "magazine dump" or anything, just relied on the visual check.

It makes me feel really stupid and unsafe. I'm glad that I've made a habit of following the "four rules" though, but I'd rather not have to be saved by them--it's kind of like when you get the guard rail on the highway, you're glad it's there but not glad you messed up enough to slam into it.. I think I might start cycling the bolt handle to make sure it's unloaded from now on, not just a quick visual check....

Anyway, I know that this is the kind of thing the rules are meant for, and that mistakes happen, and the rules allow you to continue on living to learn from them... But I just can't help but feel like a major idiot. I don't know if I really want to go shooting with other people anymore now too, I think it was too distracting and also just increases the potential for accidents that much more.
 
Glad there's no damage, other than to your self-esteem. When I clear my model 60 I empty the chamber, lock the bolt back, pull out the mag tube, point the gun at the ground and thump on the stock a few times, then cycle the bolt repeatedly by hand after replacing the mag tube. My buds think I'm anal about it, but it only takes one time to screw up bad.
 
The way I see it, the rules did exactly what they were supposed to, and you followed them, preventing disaster.
 
Marlin60Man:
At least most people on this website, if not all, don't think that they are 'above' making a mistake. There was a serious injury from an AD with a Mini 14 at an IL gun show last winter, and a second at a different show, with a handgun. The guy with the handgun then did it a second time at the show.

I've noticed that at gun shows near Memphis, many visitors handle guns without seeming to check the chambers, at least for a while. They appear to assume that the seller has already done so.

This might not be a factor, but some people around the country have suspected that anti-gun types or psychos have intentionally inserted a round into guns' chambers in several situations, then walked away.

Reportedly some US soldiers years ago in Germany handed in their Beretta 9mm handguns after the range session.

A young enlisted guy asked an officer to check the chamber etc before handing it over.
The irritated 1st Lt. or Captain said something like "Yeah, it's empty!" as he pointed it at the guy's chest and squeezed the trigger.
The young soldier died.
 
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I did that one time with a Ruger 10/22. Had put the gun away for a few years, I think, in its case. One day, I showed it to a girl I was hanging out with. I found the bolt closed on an empty chamber. I opened it to check the chamber, but it simply closed again because I had forgotten that their is no automatic lock-open in this gun. So, I yanked it back open, and the first of ten CCI Mini-Mags waiting to go popped out of the chamber.
 
Safety First

I was wasting time at the LGS and picked a .338 out of the rack, turning it over, I noticed rounds in the magazine. I very carefully gave it to the guy behind the counter.
Bless the Four Rules.
 
ShawnC, absolutely right.
The way I see it, the rules did exactly what they were supposed to, and you followed them, preventing disaster.
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No shame or guilt in following the rules.
 
Ya, you did make a mistake but like you said following the rules saved you. As far as going shooting with people again. Just slow down and be an example of good safety habits. You will be doing more of a service by being out with people as a more aware and safety concious shooter. Don't beat yourself up too much but learn and don't repeat. Everyone has made mistakes.
 
I treat all my guns like they are always loaded, and check them everytime I get them out of the safe. I am scared to death that I will have a mishap. I had one one about 30 yrs ago when I was showing someone my 44 and was holding it in a safe position relative to where he was and forgot it was loaded and shot a hole in the side of my house, scared the hell out of my wife downstairs. After she handed my ass back to me I swore to myself this was never ever going to happen again.
I have practiced rules without fail ever since no matter what.
 
montgomery381 said:
Ya, you did make a mistake but like you said following the rules saved you. As far as going shooting with people again. Just slow down and be an example of good safety habits. You will be doing more of a service by being out with people as a more aware and safety concious shooter. Don't beat yourself up too much but learn and don't repeat. Everyone has made mistakes.
Click to expand...

Could not have said it any better!
 
The Lesson is as important (if not more so) for the avid gun enthusiast as it is for the rookie. I was in my 50s with well over 35 years of varied & extensive gun handling experience before having my first AD/ND. You're NEVER too smart, you're NEVER too experienced, you're NEVER too old...to remember the rules! But a big, unexpected BOOM will sure remind you of that, in a hurry.
 
BTDT slightly differently and log it as an important learning tool then do some heavy Karma massaging each time I remember it - REALLY - every damn time as mine involved a near (but not) tragic event.
 
There are two kinds of people who ride motorcycles: Those that have laid a bike down, and those that will. Same principle applies.

That's why you always follow the rules. Rule 2 is the easy one. The rest are there for situations like this. There were no injuries (except pride) and no property damage. Good job. I'm betting the lesson sticks. Mine did. I've been seen checking an O/U three times for sunlight instead of brass before putting it away.
 
It is a good thing to have a little scare every now and then. Just not a BIG scare like an AD/ND. It just goes to show that you can be comfortable with firearms but you should never lose respect for them. And yeah, even though it gets old to ALWAYS triple-rack the slide, visually AND physically inspect chamber, etc. Those are good habits to maintain.

One more reason I like my Beretta 92FS and Buck Mark so much. The open slide design of the 92FS and the 2-sided open slide of the buck mark make visual inspection that much easier. (I still physically check but it is mostly out of habit) Conversely, most handguns and rifles really do require you stick your finger in the chamber to be 100% sure.
 
When I took courses at SIG, the handgun protocol was to drop the mag, open the slide, visually inspect, look away, look back and visually inspect again, and then stick your finger inside.
 
I see this as a "glitch" in your normal safety regimen. No injuries occured...that makes it a great lesson. My bet is it will NEVER happen to you again and you will be a better shooter/instructor for it! We all instruct new shooters once in a while.

Don't beat yourself up.

Mark
 
At least most people on this website, if not all, don't think that they are 'above' making a mistake.
Click to expand...

I never make mistakes, just ask my Ex wife.

Not that I think it will make you feel better about yours, but a good friend of mine once brought a single shot break open 12 ga. to my house for me to do some work on, he told me that he unloaded it before he left his house, I unrolled the blanket he had it wrapped up in, opened it up and a live shell popped out and flew over my shoulder.

He apologized for about an hour, and still brings it up from time to time, about how lame it made him feel.

So I can (indirectly) feel your pain.
 
I always check to see if gun is loaded. I don't care if the person that just checked and handed it to me. When I receive it I check it That is my rule number 1.

And I follow the other three also.

40 years ago, I had a revolver on my night stand. A friend was visiting. He had been over on many occasions. We walked in to my bed room talking about something. Before I could say anything he grabbed my 38 to dry fire it. Swept by me and pulled the trigger. Blam he shot it in my bedroom. 5 feet away away the bullet hit the block wall ricocheted behind me and hit a third wall.

Needless to say he was never asked back,ever.

I asked what are you doing? His reply I see you dry fire it all the time. Idiot


Last point when ever I look at a gun someone's personal or in a store. I always ask permission to to dry fire if I'm going to pull the trigger.
 
I was handling an AR in someone's house once. He stated it was unloaded about the same time I cycled the action only to have a cartridge come hopping out. Good lesson learned.
 
That's what's so good about a multi-level safety regimen, it catches stuff like this.
 
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