Unintentional double tap 629 mountain

[pacific keeper]

On a recent hunting trip my son was shooting his 629 mountain w/lock and experienced an unintentional double tap . Loads used are Missourri cast Keith bullets 240 gr @ 1000 FPS . I have shot the bejesus out of this pistol and cannot get it to happen again . Son shot it and boomboom , there it was . I've never even heard of such an incident , but have personally witnessed it twice now . Cylinder was in correct position , primers look normal , it did back the bullets out a little on the remaining rounds and I had a heavy roll crimp . Any ideas ? I wondered if it could be a grip/recoil issue but I've never seen this . His groups are good (4" @ 25 yds ) so I assumed his grip is correct . Any help is greatly appreciated .

 

[sourdough44]

With one trigger pull 2 rounds went off? If so one lined up with the barrel & the other along the side? That would be hard to imagine if so. Not since the days of my 36 cal black powder revolver.

 

[JAREDSHS]

your son had a reflexive reaction to the recoil and involuntarily pulled
the trigger two times. (i know=sounds crazy, but it can happen) I have
seen documented events in the past with the S&W 500 mag.

 

[batmann]

Sounds like a 'double tap' on the trigger. If your son was unfamiliar with the recoil of a .44M, it is possible for his trigger finger to pop off another round without knowing it. I happened to me once shooting my Colt Gold Cup. Boom followed very, very quickly by a second boom.

 

[TDC]

As JAREDSHS mentioned, this is a well documented occurrence with the 500's. It could occur with other revolver calibers when shooting hot loads. The phenomenon generally occurs with inexperienced shooters not having an adequate grip.

It happens so fast the shooter generally believes two rounds were fired at exactly the same moment, one through the barrel and one through the cylinder. Not so...

The combination of firearm upward roll under recoil and the shooters grip in anticipation of that extreme recoil causes the gun to cycle the second round so quickly it seems both rounds were fired at once.

The rare combination of events causes the guns to be fired double action with the guns recoil and the shooters grip aiding the cycling of the second rapidly fired round.

There are several videos on the internet that clearly document this occurrence. I don't believe there have been any reported injuries to people or damage to any of the firearms when this has happened...

 

[Dragon88]

Chick almost shoots herself!!! - YouTube

 

[cmj8591]

So, let me get this straight, the gun fired, it recoiled, the trigger was released enough to reset everything then pulled through the double action cycle again to fire the gun? I hate to flame anyone here but it's a bit hard for me to swallow that this could happen by accident. I can see that happening with the single action 1911 but it's a bit much with a double action revolver. This is just a case of pulling the trigger twice.

 

[Drail]

A gun will move differently in recoil in each shooters hand. Some people fight the muzzle rise with a very firm grip and some will let the gun recoily freely and then try to pull it back down. Time it just right and you will pull the trigger again. I have seen a number of large frame S&W revolvers do what you described.

 

[Sportsterguy]

As JAREDSHS mentioned, this is a well documented occurrence with the 500's. It could occur with other revolver calibers when shooting hot loads. The phenomenon generally occurs with inexperienced shooters not having an adequate grip.

It happens so fast the shooter generally believes two rounds were fired at exactly the same moment, one through the barrel and one through the cylinder. Not so...

The combination of firearm upward roll under recoil and the shooters grip in anticipation of that extreme recoil causes the gun to cycle the second round so quickly it seems both rounds were fired at once.

The rare combination of events causes the guns to be fired double action with the guns recoil and the shooters grip aiding the cycling of the second rapidly fired round.

There are several videos on the internet that clearly document this occurrence. I don't believe there have been any reported injuries to people or damage to any of the firearms when this has happened...

Believe you nailed it on the head sir! Might want to lighten up on them loads.

 

[47D]

So, let me get this straight, the gun fired, it recoiled, the trigger was released enough to reset everything then pulled through the double action cycle again to fire the gun? I hate to flame anyone here but it's a bit hard for me to swallow that this could happen by accident. I can see that happening with the single action 1911 but it's a bit much with a double action revolver. This is just a case of pulling the trigger twice.

Apparently it happens.

 

[pacific keeper]

I also believe this to be a grip issue . Thanks for the help !

 

[wrangler5]

Cylinder rotation on S&W double actions is controlled by the trigger. Hold the trigger back after dropping the hammer, pull the hammer back again, and the cylinder does NOT rotate. It only rotates when the trigger is released and pulled again. So if this gun sent two down the barrel, the trigger had to be pulled two times.

I too find it hard to imagine that you can unknowingly pull the trigger a second time, but I haven't shot anything hotter than 357 in double action revolvers.

 

[Dragon88]

I hate to flame anyone here but it's a bit hard for me to swallow that this could happen by accident.

Click on the videos posted above and watch it happen.

I too find it hard to imagine that you can unknowingly pull the trigger a second time, but I haven't shot anything hotter than 357 in double action revolvers.

Click on the videos posted above and watch it happen.

 

[gr7070]

Have your son hunt with a .357 and wait another year or two for the .44.

 

[TDC]

Difficult as this is to accept, it does happen.... and more frequently that we would like....

Consider the first shot is done in single action. Consider an inexperienced shooter or a person unfamiliar with a heavy recoil gun.

With a fairly light hold on the gun grip the trigger is pulled and the gun begins to lift and roll in recoil. The shooter is attempting to hold the gun down to control its recoil. The very heavy recoil pushes the gun back so hard and so quickly, much faster than the shooter can possibly release the trigger. The combined reactions of both the shooter and the handgun allows the action to recycle through double action faster than any person, with the aid of the horrendous recoil, could possibly do on their own. The phenomenon occurs so quickly it is almost impossible for the untrained ear to separate the report from the two shots... Or observers to perceive or imagine there was a second double action firing....

I shoot a 500. I can only imagine what the recoil must feel like when two hot 500 loads discharge just tiny fractions of a second apart. Imagine a 10 gauge double barrel shotgun unintentionally firing both barrels at the same time -- with no recoil pad.... BIG surprise...

 

[jessegpresley]

Here's a news report featuring the phenomenon, the robber shoots the employee (who lives) and then shoots himself in the head (he dies). I have read it was a .44.

Atlanta Police: Robber Misfired, Killed Self - YouTube

 

[scooter123]

It can happen and it's well documented. It's also one reason why anyone new to a Magnum should have only 1 live round loaded in the cylinder for their first tries at shooting a Magnum revolver with Magnum ammunition. The second reason is that for some the recoil of a Magnum is such a suprize that they can lose all sense of safe gun handling and I don't like to see a loaded gun in their hands when they turn around.

 

[CWH44300]

22- light 44 special- mid 44 special- light 44 mag- mid 44 mag- after a few thousand of these finish with 44 magnum.

 

[TSQUARED]

your son had a reflexive reaction to the recoil and involuntarily pulled
the trigger two times. (i know=sounds crazy, but it can happen) I have
seen documented events in the past with the S&W 500 mag.

Succinctly stated! I have seen it before with new shooters.

 

[zac0419]

The OP stated he was shooting basically 44sp (240gr at 1000fps) loads. Give your boy a quick instruct on his grip technique you'll probably never see it again. Or back down to cowboy loads if you feel it's necessary.

Still weird, glad everyone was ok (no holes in the shooting range ceiling)