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First post + accidental discharge

bhthib3381

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
21
Location
lafayette, la
So, I've been lurking a while and I decided to open carry for several reasons because of this forum. But I had a recent incident that I thought I'd share with you. I brought my nephew to the country to a place we regularly shoot. I taught him the 4 rules and I drill it into him. Every time we are next to a firearm he must recite the four rules. This day was no different. He recited them, no problem. He abided by them every time we picked up any of the firearms that we had with us. We shot all of the magazines that we had preloaded and then we started reloading the magazines. I reloaded mine faster than my nephew and informed him that I was going to shoot the PPX. We put our hearing and eye protection on and I began shooting. Luckily, my nephew's back was to me (I want to teach him proper firearm safety, not traumatize the kid). I began to fire my magazine and on the third shot I pulled the trigger. I am not entirely sure what happened, but there was a failure to fire. I turned the weapon on it's side checking to see if the firearm had not racked properly. Everything appeared to be in order, but like an idiot, my finger was on the trigger. I pulled the trigger with the weapon on it's side and only one hand on it. It scared the crap out of me. Lucky for me the weapon was still pointed downrange and my nephew was not looking(don't want to scare him off of firearms at this age).
But my nephew and I discussed the incident. I told him what I did and asked him what rules I violated. And here are the results:
1. The gun is always loaded:
I knew for a fact it was when I stepped up to the line, but I treated it as if it wasn't as soon as there was a failure to fire, a situation that I trained my nephew's to be aware of.
2. Never point the weapon at something you are not willing to destroy:
My nephew and I disagree on this. But see rule #
3: Always be aware of your target:
This was a blatant violation. While the firearm was still pointed downrange at the time of discharge, I really didn't know what my weapon was pointed at. Luckily it was the ground.
4. Keep your booger hooker of the bang switch until your are read to shoot.
Obviously, I should have never had my finger on the trigger, much less pulled it. I'm an idiot
Now, I'm ex military and have had gun safety crammed down my throat since I was young. I was the person expected to teach the nieces and nephews said safety. I never thought this would happen to me.
Luckily for me it was a teachable moment without injury. I admit my mistake and no one was hurt. Let's face it, how many people violate three of the four rules and live to tell about it. I consider myself lucky, and hope no one else has the same incident.
May you never have to pull your weapon, but if you do, may your aim be straight.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Some of us call that a negligent discharge, very few times they are accidents. You had what I call a brain fart, but the gun was downrange and not pointed at a person, or yourself. This discussion comes up often and why I try to hammer in that any person can have a brain fart, it doesn't have to be with a firearm. It can be with a car, with a knife, whatever. We all have them, just some of us have not had them with a firearm discharge. A brain fart with a gun can be having a spring fly into the abyss while disassemble for cleaning. Don't beat yourself up, just be aware that you are human and your carry practices should be based on being human.

I commend you on being honest, and taking responsibility, so many people blame the guns or the holsters.
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
Hey, look what happened? I just shot myself in the foot ! It happens ! That's what makes life life I guess.

I think OP has made a mental note of this incident to avoid future similar issues.
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
Welcome to OCDO.

Redundancy is a wonderful thing. It gives us the opportunity to make a foolish error and be protected by a redundant system or a redundant practice.

Your nephew learned some valuable lessons that day.

1. We all make mistakes.

2. Adults take responsibility for their mistakes. Even if nothing bad happens, you do a post mortem, you recognize your mistakes, and you figure out how not to make them again.

3. You follow ALL rules, that way, if you negligently break one, the others will usually forestall tragedy.

Great story.
 

Firearms Iinstuctor

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
3,428
Location
northern wis
There several reasons that could have caused it not to fire in the first place. But I am thinking it was not in full battery.

Pulling the trigger the first time cause it to fully close 2nd time touched her off.

It was pointed down range no one was hurt a good lesson learned.

Or you had a high primer the first time seated it in further 2nd time touched it off.
 

KBCraig

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
4,886
Location
Granite State of Mind
Welcome to OCDO.

You'll find that you'll have more responses if you hit that enter key twice to start new paragraphs. A wall of text is very difficult to read without spacing.
 

PFC HALE

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2012
Messages
481
Location
earth
welcome, good teaching moment without incident.
rule #4 is what gets %99 of people in trouble.

thus i make it rule #1

#1 never put finger on trigger because a gun is always loaded until verified empty each time it is handled (if you dont intend to fire it)
 
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MSG Laigaie

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
3,239
Location
Philipsburg, Montana
Some of us call that a negligent discharge, very few times they are (never) accidents........... Don't beat yourself up, just be aware that you are human and your carry practices should be based on being human.


I commend you on being honest, and taking responsibility, so many people blame the guns or the holsters.

On part one, there is no such thing as an "accidental" discharge. It was negligent, you know it, I know it, and so does everyone else. No person was shot, that is a good thing. Every person had a life lesson, that is a good thing.

On part two, You were man enough to share an indiscretion with us and that is a good thing because we all learn from it.

And welcome to OCDO.
 

paramedic70002

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2006
Messages
1,440
Location
Franklin, VA, Virginia, USA
To your credit, it was not a horribly disastrous ND, but a scary yet thankfully harmless ND. Even violating 3 of 4 rules, you were still pointing down range, so the brain fart wasn't complete. This is why they don't put the picnic tables next to the target stands.
 

notalawyer

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Messages
1,061
Location
Florida
I'm not at all sure this is a wise practice:
Luckily, my nephew's back was to me (I want to teach him proper firearm safety, not traumatize the kid).

I don't tun my back on people when they are shooting. Even with people that I have been shooting with for years. And I do not understand why anyone would.
Can't see what's going on behind you. Good or bad!
Wife calls me a bobble-head (among other things) because no matter where we are, I'm constantly scanning the surroundings. Have to sit with my back to a wall, or at least facing 'out'.
 

Mattimusmaximus

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
257
Location
Hillsboro
I GOT ONE FOR YOU. I had purchased a semi-auto 30-06 from a pawn shop took it home took it out shooting came home put it next to my bed went into the living room to obtain my cleaning kit to clean all the guns. I head a gun shot from my living room! I hit the floor drew my 1911 and went to check... Only to find my damn cats foot stuck in the damn trigger guard of the gun and me being a dummy I skipped the last step in unloading before we entered the house. I called the Washington county told them I had that and no charges were filed.( this was before I took any course for firearms but still no excuse)


-Matt of Hillsboro OR-
 

eye95

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
13,524
Location
Fairborn, Ohio, USA
I GOT ONE FOR YOU. I had purchased a semi-auto 30-06 from a pawn shop took it home took it out shooting came home put it next to my bed went into the living room to obtain my cleaning kit to clean all the guns. I head a gun shot from my living room! I hit the floor drew my 1911 and went to check... Only to find my damn cats foot stuck in the damn trigger guard of the gun and me being a dummy I skipped the last step in unloading before we entered the house. I called the Washington county told them I had that and no charges were filed.( this was before I took any course for firearms but still no excuse)


-Matt of Hillsboro OR-

Your cat fired the shot??? Suuuuuure he did. I bet your dog ate your homework too! ;)
 
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