Well, I didn't drop my gun but I've heard at least two stories on local tv over the past few months about dropped guns and at least a couple on guns that went off while cleaning. Although I'm sure some people have thought a gun was unloaded and it went off while starting to clean, I seriously doubt this occurs as often as alleged.

The latest "dropped gun shot shot in the leg story" was on this evening news in Nashville. An Elizabethtown, KY man supposedly had put his revolver on the toilet tissue dispenser while in the bathroom at a Fazzoli's restaurant. I remember a story a couple of months ago about a man dropping his pistol while in line at Walmart. I can't remember if he was hurt or not. As I understand it, he grabbed for the gun and grabbed the trigger.

Question is whether it's probable that the revolver went off due to a drop. A policeman said the bullet's trajectory supported the guy's story. The gun looked like a typical modern day revolver.

Sounds like total BS.
There are those who should not own a gun...............nor drive a car, nor have children, nor.....

I'd have to see the gun to believe it. I do not believe it was a modern, high quality revolver. It was either defective or a model lacking modern safety designs. JMO.

He dropped the gun and it went off when he grabbed it, pulling the trigger in the process. That is the very charitable explanation. Far more likely, he didn't drop the gun and he pulled the trigger, and that's why it went off.

I never clean my guns - it's the most dangerous thing you can do. Far more people are killed when someone is cleaning his gun than are killed by Russian roulette.

Guns don't just go off. Someone has to pull the trigger. If you are inept enough to not check your firearm before cleaning then you should not own them. Get a dog.

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Tom
NRA Pistol Inst

I suppose if it was one of the old Ruger Blackhawk Flat Tops, and he had a round under the hammer, and it hit the floor hammer first, it is very possible for it to have gone off when dropped.

I'm willing to wager one used RARE model 10 that 99% of "cleaning accidents" is a euphemism for "I thought it was unloaded and pulled the trigger."

So the gun did not go off from dropping it. It went off when he pulled the trigger. As guns are supposed to do.

If someone's that stupid,

Please don't, Get a dog.

We Like dogs.

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Dum vivo cano

No disrespect intended here but....

I'm quite sure cleaning a gun is pretty darn safe if unloaded first. That's a bit like saying "I'm not going to shower because I'm afraid of shark attacks".

I'm also quite sure that many 1000 times more folks clean their guns than play Russian Roulette. So, not really a fair or logical comparison.

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paws for friendship

Back around 1971 I flew back to Wisconsin and they were reporting of a Milwaukee policeman who had hung his coat in a restaurant. It fell off the hanger, fired and shot another patron in the neck! I never did hear whether it was a auto or revolver.

I do know of a case where one of those off brand Derringers was dropped and went off. They don't have a hammer block.
It's skiing season out West. It's been noted that folks always get hurt on the last run of the day.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

A couple of years ago at a Publix store a guy claimed his derringer fell out of his pocket when he bent over. He put a round somewhere back in the meat department as I recall. Now, I can understand some derringers doing that. I just would never carry such a gun.

I think maybe he was being sarcastic, at least we can hope so.

Folks, sometimes that happens.

I know of a case where a 1937 Brazilian fell off a shelf, six feet to a wood floor, and went BANG, shooting a hole in the front door.

My gun, my shelf, my door.

It can happen.

Yes, I was stupid. The shelf was plenty wide enough to hold a K (there's one on it right now) but not for that N. This does not change the fact that I "dropped the gun and it went off".

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I always take precautions

The key fact is, as I said in my first post, it was not a modern revolver. I believe your 37 S&W went off from a 6' drop, no doubts here. If you had said your 2007 686, I'd have to call Bullpucky.

These guys never admit that they were playing with a loaded gun and that's really what they were doing...

Does someone actually carry one of those concealed? Must be a big person

I need to correct something. I went back and read the story again and I'm pretty sure the picture of the revolver in the story lead was not necessarily the gun referred to in the story. I looked at another source and the heading had a pistol in the lead. Here's the story.

Fazoli's shooting: Man accident shoots self in restaurant restroom - News Story

I believe that, at least when I was growing up, a lot of the reported cases of "he was cleaning his gun and it went off, killing him" were simply euphemisms for suicide to spare the feelings of shame the survivors may have had.

I imagine most well informed adults understood it for what it was.

I went to a favorite gun shop a few years back, and heard a shot as I got out of the truck. There was an out-door range as well, so I did not sense anything amiss.

When I stepped in the door, the owner, gunsmith, and a customer were all down on the floor looking at a deep gouge in the terra-cotta tile floor.

Seems the smith, who always open carried a Colt combat commander, cocked and locked, had somehow let it drop. Apparently ( right much confusion going on) (???) it landed muzzle first and inertia carried the firing pin into the cartridge. He said the hammer was still cocked and the T S still on when he picked it up.

The smith, although fairly young at the time, (30s) was considered to be a pretty good gunsmith, and had a backlog of work. Had been around firearms all his life, so, just shows you cannot take too much care with a firearm.

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wanna do right-- not right now

I'm quite sure cleaning a gun is pretty darn safe if unloaded first. That's a bit like saying "I'm not going to shower because I'm afraid of getting my clothes wet."

My rendition

Well, the hammer would surely be still cocked or maybe more correctly, recocked. If TS is 'thumb safety', that's a different story then

Is this a case where the gun did just go off like those anti gunners all talk about.

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Carpriver.

Spot on...and, sadly, absolutely true.

Be safe.

An old friend that I bought and traded shotguns with, shoot trap with, hunt birds with and who taught me to reload using a progressive shotshell reloader died of an accidental gunshot wound to the chest while cleaning his 270.

That was the official report. In the end, does it really matter?

Check newspaper accounts. You will see only rare reports of people killing themselves playing Russian roulette, but it is quite common to see gunshot accident victims claiming that they were just cleaning the gun, or took the gun out to clean it, and it went off. Understandable. Doesn't make much sense to tell the nice policeman you were playing grab-***, or fast-draw, or something else stupid when you shot yourself, your spouse or your friend.

I think that most folks on this board know the relationship between Hoppe's No. 9 and ignition of a chambered cartridge. I do, too.

P.S. I suppose I should have posted a sarcasm alert in my first post. Sorry 'bout that.

He was cleaning his gun and it went off. I've heard this story so many times since boyhood. The more likely scenario is that 90% of them ate their gun and pulled the trigger. Sorry to sound crass but in days gone by some things were simply not talked about. This is akin to somebody having urinal or gynecological problems always being referred to as 'bladder trouble'. Everybody had a bladder so it wasn't as improper to mention like a uterus or a prostate.

Unfortunately an old workmate of mine went to the rifle range last week and killed himself. I don't suspect that he was cleaning his gun.

I remember reading that some of Ernest Hemingway's family members denied he committed suicide but rather was rehearsing a scenario for a story he was going to write.

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I like Ike.

They Breed. They Vote. They Live Amongst Us.

I would have to see the firearm before I called BS.

If this person was carrying one of Uberti's Single Action Army clones I can believe that it could have fired if dropped. However, just about everyone I know who fools around with these clones is VERY familiar with the load one skip one loading procedure to insure an empty chamber under the hammer. So final result with one of these revolvers firing when dropped is User Error, or more accurately, incompetence.

If it was a modern Double Action revolver, or a transfer bar equipped Ruger Single Action, I call BS. You just cannot get one of these revolvers to fire when dropped.

Finally about all those people who shoot themselves when cleaning a handgun. There are semi's that require a trigger press to field strip them. Personally I don't own one but even so I'm pretty darned certain if you actually lock the slide back, check by looking down through the ejection port do see daylight under the gip, then look carefully in the chamber in the barrel to insure it's clear, that gun isn't going to go off. So, more User Error, or more accurately Incompetence.

I could be wrong, but would be willing to be that the post was meant to be facetious. I found it amusing.

This interest me because I own a Brazilian. Just what caused it to fire. Mine has the normal hammer block on the rebound slide. Could it actually hit hard enough to move the slide back enough that the hammer could move forward? Light slide spring? Reworked hammer or slide? Not saying it didn't happen, just amazed and concerned that it did. I had always thought S&Ws with this design feature were safe from drops.

I had a guy bring me a 300 Weatherby that went off in his garage while he was trying to unload it. It took out the engine on his brand new Harley . I know a few rifles had that problem when taking the safety off , but this one was not in the S/N range. I've sent it off to Weatherby to let them deal with it. The action appeared flawless to me and he is wanting Weatherby to replace his engine. I saw a picture of the engine and it is devastating what a 300 Weatherby Mag can do not to mention the metal splatter buried in his wife's Audi. He didn't seem concerned about his wife's car.

Two not so bright acquaintances experienced negligent drop and fire discharges in the 1980's. One had his Ravens .25 ACP pistol fall from his back pocket as he sat on a bar stool. The cheap little auto hit square on the back of the slide firing the chambered round into the base of the stool the idiot was sitting on! Lucky for him nobody called the cops.
The second incident involved an even dumber, drunker doofus. He was showing off how easy it was to conceal the little pot metal .22 derringer he'd just bought. We'll he put it under his hat on top his head! When he grabbed for it, the gun fell onto the concrete garage floor and fired into the garage wall. Luckily the gun was destroyed in the incident.

I'm just glad I didn't get hit with the bullet either time. The two idiot discharges did a lot to convince me to always buy QUALITY firearms and leave the $50 pot metal and chrome junk to the idiots.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

An older style revolver with a round under the hammer AND FALLING FAR ENOUGH AND LANDING JUST RIGHT (MAYBE). Some if the hammer was cocked & some "WORK" had been done to it slim chances. A cocked & locked 1911 dropped that defeated both the grip safety & hammer safety, I highly doubt.

I guess there was a reason why Colt designed the Series 80.

I can think of quite a few old design handguns that will fire if dropped, but this case is likely a newer design gun.

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Luke 22:36

Someone suggested to me that the rebound spring could be at fault. I bought a spring kit (Wolffe?) and replaced all, including the rebound spring. It hasn't happened again, but then, I haven't dropped the gun again.

Seems like I've heard of a Victory being dropped and going bang, which caused the Navy to have a modification made to the lockwork (?), and these modified Victories got an S stamped on 'em for "Safe". Or did I dream that?

Anyway, the 37s were made BEFORE the Victories, so if a Victory could fire from being dropped, a 37 could also.

This is the back of my front door.



Here is the front.



Combination of solid-core wood door and Speer "flying ashtray" hollow point prevented full penetration. Good thing, or otherwise I coulda shot the little old lady across the street.

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I always take precautions

Hrump.....

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NULLI SECUNDUS

Re: OP. People seldom tell the truth when it will embarrass them or potentially put them in jeopardy for a possible legal problem. If the revolver involved in this incident was of modern post-WWII manufacturer, then this man's story is exceedingly suspicious. Absent any corroboration, his explanation is unconvincing. That is the nicest way I know of saying that the may is not telling the truth.

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<><

Neither of my 1937's or my 1917 have that safety. I keep five rounds in them just as I do my SAA and clones. Dean

I imagine that Fazolis will have a 'No Handguns Allowed' sign on the front door now....

.

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Kirk / Spock 2020

Get a dog... NO ! They would probably mistreat a dog also.

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

I've heard "news" stories about guns going off -

- While cleaning
- While carried in a holster and jarring up and down riding a horse
- While carried in a purse
- While carried in a backpack
- When the outside temperature got too hot and cooked off the round
- When carried IWB and the carrier sat down at a movie theatre
- While doing nothing more than sitting "loaded and ready to go" in a gun cabinet/night stand/dresser drawer

With all that going on, who needs to worry about lightening their trigger! Apparently you don't even need to touch the trigger to make the evil thing go off.


Sgt Lumpy

This is one of the reasons I'm a little concerned about these incidents. If this stuff continues more stores will post signs for liability reasons if nothing else. The offender was not charged with anything in any of the at least three cases I remember from around here. I think something along the lines of disorderly discharge and/or suspension of carry permit for a year would be appropriate. At least it would create an incentive for one to be more careful.

Another reason is more personal. Although I was brought up around firearms my wife was not. She is afraid of them but sees a need to have a loaded one around the house and fully supported my decision to conceal carry. I assured her that firearms are perfectly safe as long as the user is perfectly safe. They don't just go off. Unfortunately, these accidents make news and she worries every time she hears about one.

Eeeeevil spirits done it!

You folks don't need to be around me----I have had a number of stupids in my life.
If you aint livin you can't be stupid ever once in awhile.
Just sayin.
Blessings

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TEXAS, by GOD

I agree with all of this, HOWEVER, the fine for negligent discharge, probably won't prevent this from happening. The old "it'll never happen to me" mindset applies here.

As a punishment or consequence, it might deter a second occurrence, but the very trauma and embarrassment of having experienced one "accidental discharge" is probably a more effective deterrent than any fine could ever be. It would be to me.

Just a thought...

Well Ill step up and admit this as many would not.

I have had an AD. Yes Me. Mr gun safety.

I learned a lot from that AD , especially the difference between an AD and a ND *NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE*.

Mine was a half breed, half AD *my part* and half ND *previous owners part*.

You see the previous owner had wanted to do a trigger job to a Taurus PT92. In doing so he filed the sear in a way that made the gun full auto *sear would not lock the hammer back at all*. Not wanting federal charges , he opted to sell it to a small LGS about 20 miles from me.

Second issue was the LGS never tested the weapon.

End result was me buying it for like $288. Taking it home, deciding I liked it as my CC, and Throwing a full mag in, hitting the slide release and it discharging Into my stainless table, deflecting off that, through my TV, the entertainment center, the wall behind it, into my neighbors apartment, across their living room impacting their entry door, bouncing off that and resting in their sink in the kitchen.

I was charged with a Class A felony reckless conduct charge.
Class B felony endangering of welfare
Also Class C felony of discharging a firearm inside a dwelling.

Luckily for me when the Evidence Tech put a mag in and racked the slide it went off in the PD in his office.

10 more attempts in a safer situation and he got the same result every time. Slide would move forward faster than the hammer, put a round into battery and the hammer would follow it and drop on the firing pin *weapon did not have a firing pin block*.

Charges were dropped after 6 months of me freaking out, crying, saying goodbye to my loved ones etc, and me getting prepared for the 30 years I was looking at in jail, for a crime I couldnt even fathom had happened in the first place.

In that 6 months I went to school. Not an actual school but I talked guns to everyone that would talk, I read more manuals, books and literature on the inner workings of modern firearms than I had time for, I even quit my job and made figuring out why this had happened a job....for me.

What I found out is Modern guns, other than cases like mine where human stupidity causes an AD........it is ALWAYS an ND.

What I mean in saying that is every gun made after the early 90's has a firing pin block. Preventing the firing pin from going anywhere near the primer.

So in order to fire the weapon you have to put a full mag in to it *or load the chamber. Then deliberately pull the trigger all the way to the rear to deactivate said firing pin block and fire the weapon.

99% of " i accidentally" is actually " I negligently".

It is caused BY PEOPLE.

"I didn't know the gun was loaded" is not an accident, that is being negligent in the fact that said person did not look.

"I didn't mean to shoot him" translates into "i pointed a gun at someone".

So unless the weapons on the news were very old, they didnt drop the gun, they fired the gun and used it as an excuse.

I myself at one point thought that was possible, until I became educated and realized that its not. I've dropped a cheap RIA 1911 Condition 0 +1 on the hammer. I watched the gun fall pointing right at my face and watched my life go before my eyes.

The outcome, it put a dent in my floor. The hammer went forward to the firing pin. It didnt shoot because the pin block stopped it.

If dropping a newer gun set them off, I wouldn't be writing this.

So the news stories are hooey, People Discharged their firearms in a moment of dumb, and are just clamoring for an excuse. The media is dumb enough to pick it up.

Interesting, my brazilian does and the blow up of a 1917 at Numerich shows the hump on top of the rebound slide and the matching one on the hammer that keeps it from being able to move forward. I just took the side plate back off my Brazilian for a positive check and there it is. True that they do not have the redundant little hammer block hand, but still very difficult to make the hammer move forward with these parts. The slide would have to move to the rear or something bend or break. I guess I will prime a case, position it and give that hammer a wack with a big brass hammer.