What's the worst you've seen?

[Roundman]

Reading one of the other threads got me thinking. I've seen some dumb gun handling in my time. While loading his new gun this fella forgot to cut the string that held the price tag on the gun. His finger wasn't on the trigger, but his hand did grip the string thus pulling the trigger for him. When he released the action on the semi-auto 12ga it went off. Luckily it was pointed in a safe direction and nobody was hurt. Another young man in Walton, WV pick up a .357mag and accidentally shoot his own calf muscle. He pulls the handgun from behind the store counter and says "does anyone want to"  BOOM.  Both things happened in the late 70s, but it's always stuck with me. Now days I don't hesitate to speak up if I see something going down. When I'm shooting at the range I keep an eye on the people around me.
I know it's not the best idea to post things like this, but if it makes you think the next time you load or unload it's worth it.

[FinsnFur]

I have kind of a habit to watch for it also. It amazes me how reckless some people can be.

I think the scariest stuff I've seen or gone through was while educating my son, in the house and in the field. I cant believe I'm still alive. 

I love watching for reckless firearm handling on some of these hunting videos. 

[vayotehowler]

i didnt see it i did it. roommate in Coast guard had a S&W 40 cal and he was on duty ine night and got it out to look at. was in his room and sighter in on the doorknob( i grew up hearing treat every gun like it's loaded ) momentary lapse of reason , blew the dooknob all to chit . we lived in apt at merrit island fl , when that gun went off , do did some bodily functions( not literally but close to it ). Now I am thinking about 5-10 min cops gunna show and called my step dad to say what do i do when get here . he said tellem u cleaning it. not a problem cops never showed . WHEEW, was at walmart at 1am buying a new door knob, went thru his wall into my bed room and hit the floor and slid into my closet(the bullet. I know better now . L , I knew better then

[FinsnFur]

  Hang on a sec here, I gotta try to read that one again vayotehowler 

[vayotehowler]

yeah u read right was looking at his 40 and sighted in the door knob and shot the door knob into pieces and went the the wall that divided his bedroom from mine in the apt , and was worried about the bullet going thru to other apt next door, and found the hole in the carpet where it hit the floor in my room and slug slid into the closet across the room . Scary i know!!!!
NOT ONE OF MY FINER MOMENTS. see everyone at LBL , jsut kidding , I am emphatic on safety after that incident. more so than before that lapse in judgement anyway

[KySongDog]

I would like to know what kind of gun the boy was handling in that discharge incident and the details of the shooting.    Their local paper said he was loading the gun when it went off.   Muzzle discipline was not followed obviously.   A very sad accident that has ruined the lives of all involved.   


I heard there was an accidental discharge at that FnF Redbird hunt back in '09.   Accidents can happen at any time.  Thank God no one was standing in the line of fire. 

[weedwalker]

I think I put this on here once before.

I had been muzzle loading deer hunting with one of my sons. He was 18 at the time. I had already pulled my cap off my gun and was sitting in the truck waiting on him to do the same. There was a big briar bush on his side of the truck and he got his arm hung up in it. He was trying to jerk his arm out of the briars and had his gun pointed towards the inside of the truck. I was just getting ready to tell him to point his gun away when it went off. A 50 cal  M/L is VERY loud when it goes off inside your vehical. It instantly filled the whole cab with thick smoke. I felt a sting in my leg and I'm thinking, "he just shot me". I was trying to look thru the smoke for blood. Even feeling my leg then putting my hand up to my face to see if there was any blood. I opened my door so the smoke could clear and checked myself out. A piece of the bullet jacket had hit me but didn't go thru the thick coveralls I had on. The bullet went into the glove box, exploded the Maglight flashlight inside, then thru the heater control box, and finally stopping with a big dent in the floorboard about an inch above my toe where I had my foot on the gas pedal. When I looked at him he was sure he only had seconds to live. I WAS MAD !!! I was so mad that I probably wouldv'e hurt him so I told him to just shut up and get in the truck. He was crying all the way home cause he knew something was coming. I just let him think about it for a few days. He learned his lesson.

[slagmaker]

I was at a gun auction in the southern part of the Hoosier state and during the pre auction while we were checking out the firearms before the bidding someone farther up the line was looking at a shot gun and it went off. Shot a hole in the wall behind the table full of firearms. 20 gauge semi-auto and some one had left it loaded when it went to auction. The firearm even had two more shells in it. Luckily no one was hurt but there were a lot of people that were pissed at the guy handling the firearm and the auction company for not checking. Then when the auction was about half way through they had some air rifles that were up for bid and one of the handlers was holding it up for everyone to see as it was being bid on he pulled the trigger and shot out one of the 8 foot fluorescent lights. People wern't to happy with him either.

So that was two accidental discharges in one auction. If you have ever been to firearms auction you probably have noticed the number of people that will handel the firearms and have no idea about muzzle discipline or how to treat a firearm.

[KySongDog]

Here is an incident that I know happened because I was there.  I was at my favorite gun dealer's store (6000 guns under one roof).  All of the long guns are on racks where any one can pick them up.   I saw one of the employees going down row after row of shotguns checking the chambers.   I discreetly asked her what was going on and, because she knew me, said that some one had slipped a live shell in a shotgun and put it back on the shelf.  She was checking them all now.    No discharge happened but it makes you wonder what kind of nut case would intentionally set a gun up to possible cause injury or death to someone. 

[Bills Custom Calls]

About 12 years ago me and 3 other guys were rabbit hunting the one guy brought his young boy along the boy was between 10 and 12 years old he was carrying a .410 single shot and I had kicked up a rabbit and there were no shots fired as we kept walking along and had thought the boy was being watched by his dad.The boy walking between me and his dad his gun went off and the shot kicked dirt up in my face.
When I asked what happened the boy had cocked his gun when I kicked up the rabbit and nobody checked him out before we started walking again and while walking he was trying to let the hammer back down easily and it slipped and fired the gun and that is the closest I came to being shot 

[alscalls]

I was at the Red Bird Incident.......... and I was damn near SHOT.
There was nothing accidental about it...... the trigger was pulled on purpose to show it was unloaded...... And I was against this practice before..... and I most certainly am now.
The round hit the ground......VERY close to my face, causing gravel to scratch my glasses. 

[Bopeye]

The round hit the ground......VERY close to my face, causing gravel to scratch my glasses. 

You are going to have to go into further detail for this one. My mind conjures up weird images when someone says a round "hit the ground very close to their face".
Were you taking a nap? Pooping on a wood pile?
Please explain. 

[FinsnFur]

ROFLMAO!!!

[Jimmie in Ky]

I once had one accidently discharge . I was reloading my double barrel after firing at doves. As I closed the barrels both barrels went of nearly jerking hte gun from my hands. Since I always practiced good safetey n0o one was hurt. But it made me even more aware of how quickly things out of your control can happen. Gunsmith found a bad sear that had possibly been bent from the factory. I had onwed this gun for several years by then and still do. But you can bet I watch where it's looking any time I handle it. Same for any gun.

What scares the crap out of me at times is hunting with newbies like I do. Am amazed at some of hte things I have seen by folks definately old enough to know better. Even told one he needed to take a hunters safetey course as soon as possible. Jimmie

[alscalls]

The round hit the ground......VERY close to my face, causing gravel to scratch my glasses. 

You are going to have to go into further detail for this one. My mind conjures up weird images when someone says a round "hit the ground very close to their face".
Were you taking a nap? Pooping on a wood pile?
Please explain. 

We had just unloaded at a running coyote....... We were both using Ar-15's ......... The only extra shells I had were in the compartment in the buttstock....... I knelt down to remove the shells, and my backpak....... I look at the other guy and he is gonna pull the trigger to clear the gun........ I say....... CLEAR YOUR GUN MAN! DONT>>>>>>> he says Oh its empty......... BANG!!!!!!!!       Right beside me....... If he weren't so old Ida beat his ass!
TO CLEAR YOUR GUN YOU OPEN THE CHAMBER BY HAND>>>>>>> AND LOOK UP INTO THE CHAMBER TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SHELLS>>>>>>> THEN YOU STILL TREAT IT AS THOUGH ITS LOADED!!!!!
And if you dont know how ........then you never hunt with me again.

[Bopeye]

We had just unloaded at a running coyote....... We were both using Ar-15's .........
TO CLEAR YOUR GUN YOU OPEN THE CHAMBER BY HAND>>>>>>> AND LOOK UP INTO THE CHAMBER TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SHELLS
And if you dont know how ........then you never hunt with me again.

That cleared that up.

One question though. My bolt locks to the rear on my AR as does every AR and M-16 I ever shot. I have never had to open the bolt to clear the chamber on an empty AR by hand. The bolt will already be open to the rear if it's empty. Looking into the chamber is always a good idea though to make sure there isn't one hung up.
If I have to clear the gun by opening the chamber by hand, that will automatically tell me there is one still in the chamber.

[FinsnFur]

Face it Bop..you will never hunt with him now.

[Bopeye]

Face it Bop..you will never hunt with him now.

Gonna make me cry now Jimbo. 

[FinsnFur]

No...face it

[alscalls]

We had just unloaded at a running coyote....... We were both using Ar-15's .........
TO CLEAR YOUR GUN YOU OPEN THE CHAMBER BY HAND>>>>>>> AND LOOK UP INTO THE CHAMBER TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY SHELLS
And if you dont know how ........then you never hunt with me again.

That cleared that up.

One question though. My bolt locks to the rear on my AR as does every AR and M-16 I ever shot. I have never had to open the bolt to clear the chamber on an empty AR by hand. The bolt will already be open to the rear if it's empty. Looking into the chamber is always a good idea though to make sure there isn't one hung up.
If I have to clear the gun by opening the chamber by hand, that will automatically tell me there is one still in the chamber.

Thats why I insisted he clear his gun............. I seen the bolt was shut......... But he is the Concealed carry instructor......