AD = Endangerment at local WalMart

[jkc]

The local news is reporting that a 24 year old man will be charged with endangerment, after what's been described only as a revolver fell from his pants in a restroom stall and discharged, the bullet ricocheting off a wall and narrowly missing another customer. What sort of revolver, or in what carry condition, might discharge when dropped onto a presumably tile floor? I know this is a possibility with single actions without transfer bars, carried with the hammer over a live round, but I'm hard pressed to imagine how a modern DA wheelgun would fire when dropped. (Nothing in the report says it was modern ...) ???

Took a little searching to find a second report, which describes the gun as a "Ruger .357-caliber Western style revolver".

 

[roundgunner]

Stupid people do stupid things, even at Wal Mart. Mr. stupid is probably lucky the other guy didn't kick his face in.

 

[Tom K]

The local news is reporting that a 24 year old man will be charged with endangerment, after what's been described only as a revolver fell from his pants in a restroom stall and discharged, the bullet ricocheting off a wall and narrowly missing another customer. What sort of revolver, or in what carry condition, might discharge when dropped onto a presumably tile floor? I know this is a possibility with single actions without transfer bars, carried with the hammer over a live round, but I'm hard pressed to imagine how a modern DA wheelgun would fire when dropped. (Nothing in the report says it was modern ...) ???

Took a little searching to find a second report, which describes the gun as a "Ruger .357-caliber Western style revolver".

Undoubtedly an Old Model (no transfer bar) with a round under the hammer.

 

[feralmerril]

Years ago a milwaukee cop hung his overcoat on a hook in a resturant. It fell off the hook, and the gun, (I dont know what kind) went off and the bullet hit another customer in the neck! I once knew our small town police cheif was in the station restroom and shot himself somehow in the butt! I aint saying what town as he was a close family friend to my folks.
This stuff happens! Without fail, know it all lucky people that never have been in a accident or around one, are going to start damning the people involved. Stuff happens! The other day I was looking off walking down my own sidewalk in front of my door. I forgot it had a 5" dropped level and stumbeled and fell. I even hit my head on a rock in front of our shrubs and it sounded like hitting a mellon! Oddly I wasnt hurt. If you can stumbble in your own yard-----, three years ago I was weak and recovering from haveing my nose removed from cancer. I was out back on our patio and stumbeled over something falling flat on my face breaking my brand new nose and shoveing it flat over my face!
My pet peeve is hearing these sancimonious types that know it all and proclaim the people that have accidents morons. I doubt there are many people over 50 years old that finger point. The longer you live, things happen and you learn that you dont know it all.

 

[bitstream]

Another report I just read refers to it as 'antique' and in a 'western style' holster.

 

[jimmyj]

Knowing the accurate reporting of a newspaper--was it really a revolver??

 

[tripledipper]

Newspapers never have attempted to get it right. The local NY rags back in the all revolver days would report "police officer was cleaning his gun at home when it went off". Yeah, right.

 

[feralmerril]

The first early ruger single actions were like single action colts without transfer bars. Carrying a round under th hammer was just like carrying a colt single action that way. You aint suppose to!
I dont know how, but all the same have heard and read of modern day DA revolvers dropped and went off. I just wrote of one incident above that happened to a cop family friend when I was young. Never asked him how or why, but am sure a uncle told me it was a snub nose, and I knew him to pack one when he wasnt in uniform. No one was in the stall with him, so who knows what really happened? I doubt he or anyone else would admit to "toying" with it while doing their business!

 

[A10]

This stuff happens! Without fail, know it all lucky people that never have been in a accident or around one, are going to start damning the people involved.

Gonna have to disagree with you on this one Feral, stuff like this doesn't just happen and the causes need to be looked into. Maybe the guy didn't know that carrying a live round under the hammer in an early single action is a bad idea. Maybe his holster failed or he wasn't using a holster at all. Maybe there were other, better choices of a PDW he could have carried. Truth is, this was predictable, therefore preventable. Hopefully this will be a lesson learned, and thank God nobody was hurt.

 

[Fishslayer]

Undoubtedly an Old Model (no transfer bar) with a round under the hammer.

Unmodded 3 screw Blackhawk. Darn shame. Those are nice guns & unlikely he'll see it again.

Wouldn't be my choice for concealed carry...

 

[papajohn428]

Even money says it wasn't dropped..............he was "examining" it and the hammer slipped...............but he'll never admit it.

 

[oldman45]

This happens often. Too often. A recent post told about a lady setting her purse on the floor in a mall and it went off, striking a shopper in the legs. A local man was dropping his pants in the local police station restroom and his revolver hit the floor and went off.

Many, if not most, of todays handguns are drop safe but none of them are idiot proof.

 

[7shooter]

About 10 years ago court tv showed a civil suit in Montana against Ruger for the death of a man who had worked as a gun store salesperson. He had borrowed a Ruger single action revolver that he knew did not have the block from a friend and had it in his pack loaded with 6 rounds. The revolver fell out of the pack and discharged killing him. The east coast liberal court tv announcers were shocked that 11 of the 12 jurors were gun owners and the 12th lived with a gun owner.

Ruger won.

 

[lawandorder]

Knowing the accurate reporting of a newspaper--was it really a revolver??

Jimmy's right it was probably an AK-47. Reporters never can get a gun description right.

 

[Dr.-d]

I wonder if this guy will try to sue Wal-Mart for putting the toilet paper dispenser too low.

 

[mball]

As we all know, owning and/or carrying a firearm is one of the more serious decisions you will make in your life. Put aside comparisons with auto accidents. You can wreck digging for your cell phone, texting or even intoxicated and it will not have the same impact whether someone was injured or killed or not. Nor will it carry the same stigma.

If you own and especially if you carry there always has to be a small part of your mind dedicated to that weapon. I am aware we all make mistakes, God knows I've made my share, but this is one that needs to be avoided.

Much like some of you I cannot envision sitting down on a toilet after unfastening my belt and pants w/o being aware of my sidearm. I lean toward this guy playing with his roscoe in a public restroom. Either that or he really had to get down to business quickly. In any case they need to rethink letting this guy carry.
Mike

 

[brucev]

Even money says it wasn't dropped..............he was "examining" it and the hammer slipped...............but he'll never admit it.

Almost certainly correct.

 

[ladder13]

Arizona officials have more common sense than those in Florida, that's for sure.

 

[Dadsnugun]

Even money says it wasn't dropped..............he was "examining" it and the hammer slipped...............but he'll never admit it.

I'll take that bet...

Another report I just read refers to it as 'antique' and in a 'western style' holster.

If one is going to open carry, the handgun must be secured. A "hammer thong" does not secure the weapon and must be checked constantly or they will work themselves loose. Then the "cowboy" sits, the holster tilts, and the gun falls out. Has happened to me out in the boonies, thankfully, I always carry my "cowboy guns" with an empty chamber under the hammer...even the "safe" transfer bar Ruger Vaquero...honestly, it's been years since I've worn a cowboy rig for just this reason. If I'm out in the woods, jostling around, in and out of the pickup a lot, and carrying one of my SA's, it's in a highrise with a thumbreak, much more secure than a western rig.

This fellow was just asking for trouble from the get-go. If I had to guess, I'd say "too many Saturday morning westerns, too little real world experience".

 

[tops]

There are people carrying guns that shouldn't be the same as there are people driving cars and doing other things that they are not really qualified to do. If someone has a wreck with a car it is an accident but if an accident happens with a firearm the public reaction is unreal. A kid playing ball gets hurt and it is just part of growing up but if he gets shot while in a shooting sport the public is outraged. I have to agree that accidents happen but so many people don't understand how their guns really work and that every thing mechanical will eventually fail. Larry