Have you ever accidently fired a gun?

Question

I'm retarded. I just bought a Beretta 8000 Cougar and I was indoors, checking some stuff on it out. After advancing a few unfired shells by pulling back the slide, I removed the magazine. Aiming the gun straight up at the ceiling I pulled the trigger, unaware that a round was still in the CLIP! Then bang! I'm the newest member of the retard club. Boy am I lucky that
A) it was the ceiling on the top floor and B) I've always been in the habit of never pointing a weapon at people or else I might have killed myself, my friend or his puppy that was sitting near us. I feel really bad about it, and it really hit home that I need to take WAYYY MORE CAUTION with all my firearms in the future Anyone else have a similar experience?

Answer 1

can't say that I have!

Answer 2

I will admit to it since maybe others can learn from my mistakes. I made an error once. It was when I was 18. I had a Springfield Armory 1911 and it had a problem with jamming. I tried cleaning it really well and different magazines, but did not have any dummy rounds. To solve this problem, I loaded live rounds into the magazine and inserted it into the weapon, intending to rack the slide back, eject the rounds, and test the feeding.



I racked it back and chambered the first round, no problem. I did it a second time and it ejected the round, but jammed the second round. So, to fix this, I grabbed it in my left hand and with my right hand, hit the back of the slide with my right hand to try to force it forward. This did fix the problem and the round chambered, except it created another problem. My fingers were holding the weapon too tight and my index finger went to the trigger upon the forward movement of the gun. I ended up pullng the trigger and firing a .45 ACP round off to the front right side and up where it went through the wall and eventually out the roof. This is after it went through two solid pressure treated beams of wood and a steel pipe.



I just thank my lucky stars everyday that the round never hit myself or anyone else. Since then, I have been extra cautious and have invested heavily in dummy rounds and "snap caps."

Answer 3

I have not.



I have been on the RECEIVING end of someone who wasn't careful enough and decided to uncock a thumbed hammer on an old shotgun while the range was called cold and I was downrange changing targets. The person wasn't paying attention and his thumb slipped and the gun fired it's payload about two feet in front of me, close enough that a lot of the pellets bounced up and hit my legs. I am real glad I had on a pair of thick leather workboots.



First, your gun didn't go off accidentally, you pulled the trigger on purpose. So your gun went off NEGLIGENTLY.



I hope you learned your lesson, and it sounds like you did.



Finally, after removing the magazine, you can still have a bullet in the CHAMBER, the clip is slang for magazine.



Get in the habit of dropping the mag and then jacking back the slide, hard, and then looking in AND feeling/ pinkey-poking, to make double sure. You'd be suprised how often when you 'expect' to see an empty chamber, but the extractor didn't work and you didn't look all that careful, a VISUAL inspection can still fail.

Answer 4

Yes, I have accidentally fired a gun. It happened 20+ years ago. I was addicted to giving my guns trigger jobs at the time. I wanted every gun I own to have a light trigger. I purchased a new short barrel semi-auto light weight carbine. The first thing I did after I took it out of the box was lighten the trigger. I didn't even test the trigger pull before I started working. The trigger breaks cleanly just a little over 0.5 pound on the first attempt. That carbine gave me my very first hair trigger experience and I was thrilled! After breaking in and sighting in the carbine, I decided to take my new carbine out on a rabbit hunt. I failed to realize that I'm not familiar with the carbine AND I'm definitely not familiar with triggers this light. Ten minutes into the hunt, I spotted my first rabbit. I raised my carbine, aimed and the gun barked without notice! I missed the rabbit by few inches because the gun fired unintentionally as soon as I laid my finger on the trigger. The hair trigger doesn't seem so fun anymore. I lower the carbine and my trigger finger brushed on the trigger slightly. The gun went off and I almost shot my toe off. I jumped high into the air just like that rabbit I missed seconds ago. When I landed, my finger somehow found the trigger and the real fun begins! The weight of the carbine, plus gravity, plus a loose grip (I was trying to toss the carbine but finger got caught) and a hair trigger really worked wonders with the semi-auto mechanism of the carbine that afternoon. The accidental discharge escalated into an accidental bump fire! I never thought my new carbine is capable of "full-auto" rate of fire! I lost control of the carbine completely! It was spitting fire and lead inches from my leg. I felt the muzzle flash burning my leg hair and I really couldn't do anything except trying to get my leg as far away from the muzzle as possible. Luckily, I only have 7 shots left in the magazine and the "full-auto" experience only lasted less than a second. I'm so glad no one was around to see me hopping on one foot with a very distorted face.



PS: I still have all my toes.

Answer 5

Back in 1991 I "wet-fired" (the opposite of dry firing when you fail to check the chamber or chambers) and I planted a 158grJHP slug from a CCI Blazer .357 Magnum about 4" from my big toe. At the time I was more embarrassed and ashamed (looking around for spectators) than worried about how close I came to changing my name to "hop-a-long".





I was handling a GP100 .357 Mag and had the bad habit of not opening up the cylinder to check for rounds (as opposed to looking at the rear for caseheads). The aluminum caseheads blended in quite well with the satin stainless finish of the gun. ALWAYS open up the cylinder (via the crane) of a revolver (or loading gate of a single-action) for a round check. Having an open-breech handgun should not lead you to do otherwise. I also failed to have the gun pointed in the safest direction as well (which would have been staright out at the shooting berm where my target was hung.





UPDATE: After reading some of these answers, I would rather be shooting around someone who has had a gun unintentionally go off sometime in their shooting career. It's the people who claim to have never done it that worry me.

Answer 6

I was a beat cop at the time in a small town. I had just finished the midnight shift. I walked into my kitchen, pulled my Colt .45 auto out of my holster and set it on the kitchen table. I was taking off my pistol belt when the phone rang. It was the dispatcher, she wanted me to return to the station, there was an emergency situation developing. I pulled my belt back on and grabbed my .45 off the table. BANG! I blew a hole through the kitchen table and kitchen floor. Took me awhile to figure out what had happened.

I had trained with the Colt to hit the thumb snap on the holster and sweep the safety off as I drew the gun. I trained until the movement was a "muscle memory", something you do without a conscious thought. I was tired after the shift and must have drawn the gun, and swept the safety off without realizing it. When I grabbed the gun from the table I carelessly put my finger on the trigger, the weight of the gun and gravity did the rest.



Tired plus careless equals an Accidental Discharge.

Answer 7

A couple of times. After practicing draw and dry fire from the holster, I loaded up my .357 revolver. Prior to storing the revolver in the safe, I decided to practice "one last time." I got my reflection in the mirror square in the heart with a .38 158 gr. SWCHP. Luckily, the mirror was the safest direction for a negligent discharge, as it was backed by the plaster and brick of an exterior wall. But it was a very anti-gun city where it happened, I could have gone to jail for that.



Lessons learned: Use brightly colored snap caps. And no more "one last time."



Another time, as a hunting partner and I were standing on a trail, about ready to split up to walk to our stands, and loading up our rifles as we were chatting. Somehow a round got away from my .30-30 Marlin 30AS. Have no idea what happened, except the chamber must've been loaded and finger was on the trigger. At least it was pointed in a safe direction, as the slug buried itself into the base of a good sized tree.



Lessons learned: keep the chamber empty until you are ready to hunt. No distractions while manipulating firearms or ammunition.



Follow all of the "four laws of gun safety," even though you really need to break all 4 laws to screw up.

Answer 8

It's called an AD - Accidental Discharge - and it happens to the least experienced shooters AND the most experienced shooters. People who handle pistols on a daily basis can become complacient, they've been safe so long they feel secure, bend a rule - and then you have an AD. You see allot of professionals keep their firearm in the leather, take it off in the leather and put it back on in the leather. It's the guys who have to constantly clean them that usually have accidents.



Next to that - being unfamiliar with a firearm is probably the biggest downfall to an experienced shooter.......... and admitting you 'don't know something' , well, guys just don't do that.



I've been a rifle/pistol competitor for 40 years, instructor for 20+ years, always carry a concealed pistol - and it's a wonder I haven't had one yet. I've known seveal folks who have. One friend had his 12ga go off and it blew a chunk out of the ceiling and the floor where his litttle girl was sleeping. I know at least three guys while I was in the military who have shot the mirror in their room - (practicing quick draw..... but wouldn't admit it). One of my good friends shot his foot doing a quick draw in the house - pistol discharged in the holster, missed his leg, but entered his brand new pair of $900 boots and cut slice out of his ankle. He was more made about the boot than his foot. Texan.



My favorite was when the military decided one day everyone was to carry a 45. Poof, everyone was strapping them on - no training, nothing, here's your pistol, three mags - have a nice day. Five guys with 45's in a small room unloading their pistols - BANG - the guy who actually fired the round had no idea his was the one that went off and hit the wall. First words out of his mouth, "What was that???". On the other side of the wall was the coffee mess........ one guy was pouring a cup of coffee when the AD happened - bullet never penetrated the wall, but, he freaked and threw hot coffee all over himself. Had to give both guys the day off they were so shook.



Right now, you are the best person to speak to others about this....and save someon's life...... because it actually happended to you. I've preached safety for many years, but, nothing says it better than coming from somone that actually expeienced it. So please, don't keep it a secret. Just be thankful you kept it in a safe direction. .......... so your not retarted. Just human.

Answer 9

Yeah, I pulled an Elvis once. My father gave me a Marlin 336 with one of those thumb thingies on the hammer. I was cleaning the rifle in my living room (no longer allowed per wifey) and wasn't aware I had left a round in the chamber. I pulled the hammer back using the thumb trigger and it slipped and bang an AD.



The good part is that nobody got hurt. The bad part is that the bullet hit the fireplace and manage to go bouncing around in my entertainment center costing me an awful lot of money.



Lesson Learned...

Answer 10

Yes. I fired my 10/22 into the ceiling of my kitchen and 2 of my friends were there and laughed at me for doing it.

A few years ago I gave my mom a .380 semi-automatic and she accidentally shot her bed with it. But then she used the same gun to escort a thief off of my property when I was on vacation and she came to feed my dogs, so since the hole in the bed didn't do any real damage and the thief was stopped, I think on balance the gun was worth the trouble.

Keep yours loaded and just be careful.

We are all human and make mistakes...

Answer 11

TO ALL THAT PUT SOMETHING ON HERE SO WE ALL CAN LEARN....THANK YOU !!!!!!!



one day comming out of the armory i had to clear my 45 after being relived for the day, as always stick the barrell of the 45 into the clearring drum and clear the weapon, I reverst a step and put a round into the drum. this is how , I pulled the slide back and saw there was no round chambered, let the slide go ( now chambering a round )took the magazine out, pulled the triger to drop the hammer and it went off, From that day on ive never forgot the stupidity on my part,, Mag first then clear.......thank god it was 20 years ago and nothing else sence.

Answer 12

Be careful Doug

I used to self righteously spout that same line



I didn't have my first real ND until I was 44

My friend who was born with a gun in his hand had his at 60

That's Negligent Discharge not Accidental, NDs are what are being describing here

So far only John DeWitt has described an Accidental Discharge



NDs and ADs happen

While it does take a responsible person to handle guns it still takes a person

We make mistakes from time to time, just as Glacierwolf pointed out



That's why there are four rules

If you brain fart and flub one the others will take up the slack , just a little

Answer 13

JS, you couldn't be more wrong. I have been around guns all my life and although I'm not the oldest person here by any means, I have never been so irresponsible to accidentally fire a gun. In the military, any GOOD basic pistol training, you learn to check the gun before you even think about touching the trigger or aiming it at something. I won't even take a gun from someone if they do not check it themselves before handing it to me with the magazine out, the slide/action open and the safety on (if there is one or if possible when slide/action is open). Then after I take the gun from them, I work the slide/action numerous times, check to make sure nothing is chambered and then I will look at it or dry fire it. Some of these stories could have been avoided...it takes a responsible person to handle a gun.



EDIT:

Your opinion is your's vangion, in the military, ADs and NDs are the same thing...and I couldn't agree more. Negligent people cause accidents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negligent_discharge



I'm not saying I will NEVER have one, but I have plenty of 70 year old ex cop/military uncles and Grandpas who have never had one and I don't plan on having one either. So I make sure I know the gun before I pick it up.

Answer 14

I think pretty much everyone who has handled guns has had an accidental discharge at one point or another. My fathers truck once got a 30-30 round right through the oil pan. The big lesson here is check once, check twice, to ensure the gun is unloaded. That includes a visual inspection of the chamber after the other rounds have been removed. Always point the gun in a safe direction even for dry firing or practice.

Answer 15

Twice, with different rifles: one as I closed the bolt (a new trigger group, and that one's still a good rifle), and another hog hunting that fired as I snicked off the safety (also fixed with a little gunsmithing).

Answer 16

I've had two AD's in 40 years of handling firearms and both were operator error.

Answer 17

nope never i hate the way you have accidentally and fried in the same sentence. Scarey stuff.

Answer 18

I've never done it



But thank God no one got hurt,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, You live and learn !

Answer 19

Here are some links to dummy ammunition. (I think you need some.)



http://www.shootnhunt.com/catalog/JM/gun_accessories/dummy_rounds_snap_caps/



http://www.stactionpro.com/



http://www.tacticalresponsegear.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=2456

Answer 20

Never have, thank God!