STUPID!

sniper · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:59 am Post subject: STUPID!

have posted this on some other forums as a warning against complacency,carelessness, and stupidity. If it is in the wrong place, moderator, please feel free to move it.

I was loading some CB ammo for my revolver, and decided to check a few rounds at random, to insure proper fit.

About a week before, I had done the same thing. I opened the cylinder, to find ONE round remaining! WHERE did that come from? Shocked

I absolutely KNEW I had cleared the weapon before I put it away the last time.

Obviously, I had not!

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!

I KNEW that gun was unloaded. It is just a good thing I didn't do some dry firing!

Like they told me in Journalism school, NEVER ASSUME NOTHIN!

I know this will receive least several well-deserved "aw shit!" comments, but NOBODY can say anything I haven't said to myself multiple times. Turns my insides to water, just thinking about it.

BE CAREFUL! Be Safe! It co$t$ nothing to re- check.

I might have injured someone, or worse!

Thanks for allowing me to rant at myself!

Deleted_User_2665 · Super Member Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 380

Once when a lot younger, I was humping a hill with a loaded .270, two hand hold, as if I was anticipating a deer at any moment......

Can't explain what happened, but it went off...blasting into the ground right beside me.

Had someone been walking beside me, they'd of took a 150 grain Nosler.....point blank.

I was alone on that mountain ridge that day, and I'm glad of it. That event has NEVER left my mind and to this day I hunt with a cold chamber. I taught my kids to hunt with a cold chamber and won't hunt with anyone who hunts hot.

I was sure my safety was engaged when I chambered that round, but when I looked dumbfounded at it after discharge, the safety was OFF. Can't explain it and have given up trying. It was a life changing event that made me a safer hunter to this day...

Safety First.......................

ElyBoy · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:34 am Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Don't feel bad Sniper.
The same thing happened to me just this week.
The absolute first time that it ever happened to me.
Monday I went to the range for some shooting.
I took out my Ruger Mark II Target Pistol, put five rounds in the magazine, pulled the slide to feed a bullet in, and a live round flew out of the chamber.
The week before, before I was finished shooting, some guys came in and we started talking.
Somehow I didn't check good enough, and the live bullet was left in the pistol.
I never dry fire the gun, but none the less the live load was in the chamber.
With my trigger job, the pull weight is 1 1/2#
I guess that we all do stupid things, and I hope that we learn from them.

Eric

gelandangan · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:52 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Happened last year - my 308 suddenly acquire a round on its chamber too

Dont know where it came from..

shrpshtrjoe · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:01 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Were all Human sniper. We all make mistakes Bang Head

. The good thing is no one was injured.
Joe

twofifty · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 7:04 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

These stories about live rounds suddenly 'appearing' in chambers or magazines are a great reminder why muzzle control and keeping fingers away from triggers is so important.

Because humans make mistakes, redundancy helps to prevent tragedy.

robfromaz1977 · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Sounds like the same thing happend to my 17 year old cousin. He and a friend got a Ruger Blackhawk in 357 out of the friends dads safe and started playing with it. It had one round in it and that was all it took. The friend spun the cylinder and when it stopped he cocked the gun all the way. Then he supposedly turned to walk toward my cousin and tripped. At the same time pulled the trigger. The gun went off and the next thing my cousin knew was he was on the ground. The bullet went into his abdomen about 3 inches to the right and below the belly button. Bounced off of his hip bone and broke into pieces. A small piece bounced through his intestines putting many holes in it. After he was flown to a major hospital they told his mom that he may lose his leg and have a bag to go crap in for the rest of his life. Luckily neither happened but he was in the hospital for a week. He is truly lucky to be alive.

Dawgdad · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:40 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Something I picked up from my competition shooting is an ECI. Empty chamber indicator. A plastic flag that inserts into the chamber and extends out the ejection port to clearly show a safe weapon.

Safety first - Safety last.

twofifty · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 8:59 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

First time I saw an empty chamber indicator was last year at a sanctioned match. ECIs confirm, at a single glance, the safe status of guns being moved on and off the firing line. They provide peace of mind.

I have two ECIs now.

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:43 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Years ago, at a gun show, I picked up a repro horse pistol, a big ol' single shot muzzle loader. My youngest daughter, who was maybe 3-4 at the time, was in my other arm. She said "Be careful Daddy!" Without thinking I said "Don't worry, it's not loaded." She grabbed a handfull of my beard, pulled my head around to face her and said "Daddy, ALL guns are ALWAYS loaded!" It's a bit humbling to be corrected by a 3 yr old and have to appologize to her! But that's what she had been taught, by me and her Mom. Guess it was a good lesson for me too as I've never forgotten it.

Vince · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:44 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Good post Sniper.

shrpshtrjoe wrote:

Were all Human sniper. We all make mistakes Bang Head

. The good thing is no one was injured.
Joe

As Joe says...we are all human and make mistakes. Good thing is that you did the right thing in checking the cylinder BEFORE playing with the gun, so obviously your "training" is up to speed...you just made a mistake, which is allowed of all of us at one time or another...so long as we learn from it. Much better to learn from other's mistakes though. Thanks for the lesson mate.

Cheers, Vince

SingleShotLover · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:13 am Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Excellent post.

On a similar vein it proves the necessity of making sure that every firearm is not only treated as loaded but that we also can never forget where that muzzle is pointed. Walking into the deer woods one day many years ago, I chambered a round in my 30/06 Remington 700 only to have it fire upon the bolt closing. Thankfully, the muzzle was pointed up and the only thing that was damaged was my right hand (recoil slightly bruised my palm with the bolt handle) and a very bruised ego. this was just before Remington admitted that the safety arraignment on that generation 700s could cause a discharge on bolt closing.

Good lesson learned at a cheap price. At least this way no one was hurt.

ElyBoy · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 7:15 am Post subject: Re: STUPID!

I am starting to use pieces of orange edge trimmer cords that the shooters put through their chambers after their course of fire is finished.
It's much easier for me to be sure that their chambers are clear.

This has been a very good post for all of us.

Eric

roklok · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

My dad only has nine toes thanks to an "unloaded" .410 in the hands of his brother.

gelandangan · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject: Re: STUPID!

Further to this topic,

Do you guys carry your guns (pistol or rifle) when hunting, with a loaded chamber?
It could be loaded and locked etc but there is a live round in the chamber..

I usually carry it with empty chamber until I am close enough to begin my stalk.