I had an "unloaded" shotgun go off in my bedroom when I was a kid. My dad taught me to unload and I made an effort to always remember to do that. I was going to clean it after a hunting trip and I had put it back in the case and transported it back home without unloading it. I dry fired it to take it apart and BOOM. Thank God it went through a back bedroom wall and tore some bark off of a tree in the back yard. Had I been facing 90 degrees to the left, the point of impact would have been right where my Dad was sitting in the next room. I've never forgotten that incident and I'm to this day, paranoid about an ND. When I take a gun from the safe, it gets checked EVERY time, no exception. If I've just checked it and put it back in the safe, it still gets checked again if I pull it out, no exception.
STUPID,STUPID,STUPID!
- Thread starter sniper
- Start date
sniper,
Might I suggest a Lee Factory sizing/crimp die as your final handloading step. Your reloaded case is sized full length again after the bullet is seated. It insures the loaded cartridge will breeze in and out of you cylinder's chambers.
So long as you don't seat bullets out so far as to extend beyond the face of the cylinder, there is no need to check them. Just box'em up and go shooting.
Might I suggest a Lee Factory sizing/crimp die as your final handloading step. Your reloaded case is sized full length again after the bullet is seated. It insures the loaded cartridge will breeze in and out of you cylinder's chambers.
So long as you don't seat bullets out so far as to extend beyond the face of the cylinder, there is no need to check them. Just box'em up and go shooting.
Stupid, stupid don't really describe the feeling one has after an incident like that. My wife is on still my *** to get our kitchen replacement window replaced or repaired(rather than taped) after dumping the shells on the table early in the Spring and dry firing one time with my model 66 at this garden crows eye through the window. afterwards, looked down at only 5 shells on the table Missed the eye too by 3/4"
Think I read where the good Colonel Jeff Cooper once took out a neighbors gas meter or some such thing but it don't keep me from feeling like a complete idiot and almost not posting this
Think I read where the good Colonel Jeff Cooper once took out a neighbors gas meter or some such thing but it don't keep me from feeling like a complete idiot and almost not posting this
To leave a handgun loaded all the time makes it unsafe all the time. You will never think "safe" because you know better.
Sometimes we may tend to think of our favorite handguns as if they are pets. "fluffy" the pet gun can kill YOU.
Loaded guns are respected as such. Those that are thought to be unloaded do not get the same respect.
Sometimes we may tend to think of our favorite handguns as if they are pets. "fluffy" the pet gun can kill YOU.
Loaded guns are respected as such. Those that are thought to be unloaded do not get the same respect.
38-44HD45
Absent Comrade
Actually, Col. Cooper had a worse boo-boo than that: He once launched a round of .308 from a Scout Rifle through either the wall or the ceiling of a hotel room! That one was pretty well publicized. Luckily, no one got hit, but I never did hear how many walls, ceilings, or other building components got punched.Originally posted by btruman:
Stupid, stupid don't really describe the feeling one has after an incident like that. My wife is on still my *** to get our kitchen replacement window replaced or repaired(rather than taped) after dumping the shells on the table early in the Spring and dry firing one time with my model 66 at this garden crows eye through the window. afterwards, looked down at only 5 shells on the table Missed the eye too by 3/4"
Think I read where the good Colonel Jeff Cooper once took out a neighbors gas meter or some such thing but it don't keep me from feeling like a complete idiot and almost not posting this
Racegunner
Member
An old friend of mine bought a new 10mm Smith auto back in the late 80s. He "unloaded" it and reinserted the mag for dry firing. For some reason he placed his left palm over the muzzle and pulled the trigger. At that exact time he realized he had not checked the chamber, but it was too late. It was the loudest CLICK he had ever heard, but the pistol did not fire. He was quite shaken to discover a live round in the chamber as he had feared ... and a shallow dent in the primer! The true definition of dumb luck.
SEG
Member
After 32 years of being around firearms ( got my 1st @ 7 years old) and being on a soap box preaching fire arm safety. I blew a 8 inch whole through the wall of my house and took out $800.00 worth of RC Toys, all because I NEVER STORE ANY LOADED. I guess I got complacent, I'm just glad no one was home and I missed the cat.
davemuzz
Member
Yeah.....but was the miss intentional?
Hey....I'm just askin!
Dave
bigt5150
Member
Thanks for reminding us that we can't be too careful. The important thing is that no one was hurt and that a valuable lesson was learned.
Stay Safe.
Stay Safe.
SEG
Member
Yes the miss was intentional, I was really going for the Cockatoo.
A friend told me of dry firing at his TV with a 44 mag. He then reloaded and laid the gun beside his chair. A half hour later, not thinking, he picked up the revolver and blasted the picture tube to hell.
A cousin was showing me his dad's old Winchester pump shotgun in the basement, a WWI trench model. He stuck a shell in and chambered it with his finger on the trigger, forgetting that it did NOT have a disconnector. Put a hole in the ceiling and one hell of a shot pattern in his parents bedroom door. The charge came too close to me for comfort.
I have done it too with a "unloaded" revolver I forgot to check before pulling the trigger to dry fire it. Nice hole in the wall, both sides, and into a box of stored papers.
ALWAYS double check before dry firing and keep your finger off the trigger when loading a firearm.
A cousin was showing me his dad's old Winchester pump shotgun in the basement, a WWI trench model. He stuck a shell in and chambered it with his finger on the trigger, forgetting that it did NOT have a disconnector. Put a hole in the ceiling and one hell of a shot pattern in his parents bedroom door. The charge came too close to me for comfort.
I have done it too with a "unloaded" revolver I forgot to check before pulling the trigger to dry fire it. Nice hole in the wall, both sides, and into a box of stored papers.
ALWAYS double check before dry firing and keep your finger off the trigger when loading a firearm.
uncle norman
Member
Maybe a little sideways from the main topic but my wife and I and her brother and his wife were waiting in the living room of my wife's stepmother's home for stepmom to retrieve a little .32 that my wife's very recently deceased dad always carried. We could hear her walking up the basement steps when all of a sudden we heard the unmistakeable clicking of the trigger being pulled. Thank God it was empty because she probably had no idea which end the bullet would come out. Us kids just stared at each other in fear and amazement.
Chubbs103
US Veteran
Two years ago, a very experienced NSW officer had an ND while clearing his weapon outside of where I was sleeping at the time. Thankfully, the round went straight into the ground. Feeling very supperior and incapable of making a similar mistake, I was quite suprised when I set myself up for a similar problem. When I was exhausted one night, I went to clear my weapon. I dropped the magazine. Racked the slide back and locked it open to both clear the chamber and easily inspect it. I then (without reason and without thinking) reinserted the magazine and released the slide. Thankfully, I realized what I had done.
Just as foolish and potentially deadly: I once got off duty and cleared my weapon...only to find the chamber empty.
Just as foolish and potentially deadly: I once got off duty and cleared my weapon...only to find the chamber empty.
Just check the action TWICE if haven't handled that gun in a while.
No reason to 'freak out' just because there's a live round in there. It's bound to happen, only a question of 'when'.
And if you ALWAYS POINT IN SAFE DIRECTION you are golden.
No reason to 'freak out' just because there's a live round in there. It's bound to happen, only a question of 'when'.
And if you ALWAYS POINT IN SAFE DIRECTION you are golden.
Guys, there is a dent in the center of my gun safe just to the right of the trifoil that releases the bolts. It was put there by my oldest daughter after I "unloaded" a .44 Special (dumped the cylinder w/o using the ejector rod) and handed it to her. Four in hand is not five... The swc bounced off the door and hit my youngest daughter on the left leg, 10' away.
It was my wakeup call, and it scared the three of us completely out of our minds. The dent is staying right there. It is a constant reminder. Ashamed? You bet. Human? Yes, unfortunately.
It was my wakeup call, and it scared the three of us completely out of our minds. The dent is staying right there. It is a constant reminder. Ashamed? You bet. Human? Yes, unfortunately.
troutstalker2
Member
I had a friend who thought it was cool to put his unloaded ruger to his head and pull the trigger( I was never around for this stupidity) The unloaded ruger blew a hole in his head 9 months ago. I couldn't believe someone could do something so idiotic, but I guess its natures way of weeding out the stupid. Always, always assume its loaded.
David
David
flop-shank
US Veteran
A seven year old kid once taught me to count the holes when you empty a revolver. Good advice is good advice regardless of the source. I never dry fire in a direction in which the bullet does not have a proper backstop. If you don't have a proper backstop, or someone is in front of your line of fire, you better be in a gunfight or you're wrong.
If I ever unload a gun to show someone and reload it in their presence. I inform them "I'm loading this gun. It's hot"! I started doing that after my dad almost fired my 360 PD in his house after I loaded it. He had been dry snapping it and thought it was still empty.
I'm personally quite sick of all the sloppy gunhandling I see in stores. You'd think people and some of them "gun guys" would have enough sense not to flag everyone with their muzzle. Their sense of muzzle awareness is zero.
If I ever unload a gun to show someone and reload it in their presence. I inform them "I'm loading this gun. It's hot"! I started doing that after my dad almost fired my 360 PD in his house after I loaded it. He had been dry snapping it and thought it was still empty.
I'm personally quite sick of all the sloppy gunhandling I see in stores. You'd think people and some of them "gun guys" would have enough sense not to flag everyone with their muzzle. Their sense of muzzle awareness is zero.
uncle norman
Member
I went to a gun auction today where almost 300 pieces of all types were sold. Not a single one was opened and cleared prior to the auctioneer's helpers waving them around and pointing them in all directions. I was a little uncomfortable.
