The day in '98 when I shot 3 guys with my .45

[tom turner]

The story is true . . . and a sad tale of warning to YOU!


It was a clear Saturday morning when it happened that April day, and it all happened within about THREE seconds from the first guy to the last.

Here's the gun I used . . . my trusted favorite handgun of all types, my chopped (to 3 1/4") barrel 25-2, moon-clipped .45ACP revolver pictured here:



It actually happened at a shooting range too, making things worse! Here's what happened . . .

It was at a bowling pin match. Pin matches are shot at a distance of ten yards, typically with five pins on a table that you have to knock completely off the table. Fastest aggregate time wins the match and .45ACP is king.

This match was different though . . . six pins and just knock 'em down on the table. So, I thought I'd get an edge and load powderpuff loads using Unique . . . and use 155gn lead bullets in order to reduce recoil and thus allow a little faster time between pins.

You probably now know where this is going . . .

At the buzzer I nailed the first pin and I noticed a motion out of my eye to my left as I swung to the next pin . . . the range officer beside me went down.

The next pin also fell, then the next in order, then the next. I felt a sharp sting to my stomach, dead center as the fifth pin fell, then the six round dropped the six pin. FAST TIME INDEED!


WHAT HAPPENED . . .

The 350lb., muscle-bound range officer was rolling on the ground, nailed in the privates. Luckily, he was just fine and laughing about it a couple minutes later (lucky for ME).

I just had a little red spot on my stomach.

BOTH these rounds hit each pin absolutely dead center . . . and thus came straight back! Normally, even .22LR ammo will be absorbed by a regulation bowling pin. Wow!

A few minutes later a guy walking by the concession area 100 yards away behind us also got hit by a 155gn .45ACP bullet.

All hit with less force than a bb BUT . . .

THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS . . .

1. ALWAYS wear eye protection at a range at all times!!!

2. DON'T load ammo at very reduced loads, it can be dangerous via ricochets.

3. Light loads can result in squib rounds that lodge in your barrel. My ammo obviously barely had enough "juice" to it to even launch the bullets straight for that ten yards. I could have ruined my favorite gun. ALWAYS FOLLOW maximum AND MINIMUM loading manual recipies!!!

4. Lastly, if you are going to make the mistake of doing what I did, AND if you choose to nail a 6'5" 350lb muscle-builder in his privates with a .45 . . . you better hope he's a friend!!!

Humorously yours . . . but also dead serious in the lesson I wrote as a warning,

Tom

[sophie]

Sounds like real good advice. Very fortunate someone not hurt worse.

[Old 44 Guy]

Good advice. Thanks.

[blackdeuce]

Cool story. Thanks for posting!

I think your buddies ought to be protecting their privates!

[Qball]

I also got hit by ricochets, but 158gains .38 bullets
got nailed on my thigh at a bowlingpin match.
Yep i held the gun my self. No blood but scared me anyway

[427mach1]

You forgot one.....

5. Always wear a cup when shooting bowling pins.

[Jellybean]

I just saw that picture in TNFranks avatar.

Anyway, a local police requalification officer was struck in the forehead by a bullet that bounced of a cable on the range. He fell to the ground thinking he had a bullet lodged in his brain, but there was nothing there but a dimple.

[Kavinsky]

point take but please dont point a loaded gun at the camera, please think of the camera man!

[DeadAye]

I shot my self on the knee once - Blood and everything - Ouch.
A buddy and I took a dead TV to the dump and I shot it with a K17 from about 10 yards away. Hit me right on the knee cap. Didn't even scratch, dent, or dimple the TV screen!

[El Biblioitecario]

If three year olds could type, this is the sort of thing they would post to get attention.

[tom turner]

Originally Posted by Kavinsky

point take but please dont point a loaded gun at the camera, please think of the camera man!

Great point indeed!

Actually, I was the cameraman taking the photo, for I agree with you completely of course.

The camera is my ol' Canon A80 point & shoot, which has a screen that can flip around so you can see yourself. I put it on a tripod and set the timer to count down from ten seconds while I tried to hold dead on with my eye behind the front and rear sights. The gun, of course, was NOT cocked. My right forefinger is not in the normal position when I shoot either . . . its just steadying. A finger that far forward can get messed up from ejecting gasses and spatter from between the front of the cylinder and the forcing cone.

The distance to the camera from the FRONT of the lens was carefully measured too, and the aperture opened up so the front of the barrel would be sharp but the face and arms would blur. Lots of stuff had to be just right!!!

You'll see that the "catch light" white spot in my left eye is perfectly behind and centered with the sights. It took a few "shots" WITH the camera, and a VERY steady hold of the gun waiting for the camera to go off to get the image . . . but it is kind of cool.

DISCLAIMER: No cameras were killed or injured while making this photo! LOL

[papajohn428]

I have said for thirty years that if you train with the ammo you carry on duty, reduced loads are unnecessary and a bad idea in general. If you use them to gain an advantage during some sort of match, use them with caution. Just don't try to call it training! Realistic training is its own reward........games are something else altogether.

[FordTruckGuy]

Dude, great thread. damn nice gun. Thanks for the good info and glad the big guy was your friend.

[Kavinsky]

Originally Posted by tom turner

Great point indeed!

Actually, I was the cameraman taking the photo, for I agree with you completely of course.

The camera is my ol' Canon A80 point & shoot, which has a screen that can flip around so you can see yourself. I put it on a tripod and set the timer to count down from ten seconds while I tried to hold dead on with my eye behind the front and rear sights. The gun, of course, was NOT cocked. My right forefinger is not in the normal position when I shoot either . . . its just steadying. A finger that far forward can get messed up from ejecting gasses and spatter from between the front of the cylinder and the forcing cone.

The distance to the camera from the FRONT of the lens was carefully measured too, and the aperture opened up so the front of the barrel would be sharp but the face and arms would blur. Lots of stuff had to be just right!!!

You'll see that the "catch light" white spot in my left eye is perfectly behind and centered with the sights. It took a few "shots" WITH the camera, and a VERY steady hold of the gun waiting for the camera to go off to get the image . . . but it is kind of cool.

DISCLAIMER: No cameras were killed or injured while making this photo! LOL

ah gotcha, but even then its unsettling and if someone doesnt bother to read this post it might make a bad impression on them, plus real or not no one wants a loaded gun pointed at them through the screen like in this video:

S&W 1006 Visita www.gbverrina.net - YouTube

as you never quite feel comfortabile watching or looking at anything after seeing that in your face, real or fictionious

although its kind of funny about the bouncing off thing, there was just a post about a 9mm bouncing off of a dogs head, kinda makes you wonder if that was a handload or a weak load of some sort and you atleast want 850fps out of something for the bullet to penetrate or break up on the target.

[chud333]

Thanks for sharing this. Hopefully it will save someone on here
from injury. Very good advise. This is why i like this forum so much.
I learn something every day.


chuck