A Brief Error in Judgment...

[TunnelRat]

"They had six guns and were taking turns shooting and re-casing them," Kerss said. "He cocked the hammer back and was ready to fire, when one of his ear plugs fell out. When he changed hands with the weapon, leaned it back and reached down to get the ear plug, the gun went off."

http://www.dailysentinel.com/news/conte ... oting.html

[Redhorse]

Maaan... things would have to go seriously bad in order to accidently shoot yourself in the head with a rifle while bench shooting.

Freaky

[NavyChief]

I realize Mr. Murphy reigns supreme, but I'm havin' a real tough time wrapping my poor little brain around this whole scenario...

[charles1198]

Very sad situation. I can't really say I understand what happened, but it was obviously a freak accident. All the more reason to practice safe gun handling.

[Cruiser]

"They had six guns and were taking turns shooting and re-casing them," Kerss said. "He cocked the hammer back and was ready to fire, when one of his ear plugs fell out. When he changed hands with the weapon, leaned it back and reached down to get the ear plug, the gun went off."

http://www.dailysentinel.com/news/conte ... oting.html

the gun went off.

Don't you just love this stantard comment used by is uninformed!

[Aaron]

speechless

[haspelbein]

A sad reminder that most negligent discharges do not happen to novices, but to people who got too "comfortable" around guns over the years.

[TunnelRat]

Jeff Cooper's Rules of Firearm Safety:

Rule One: All guns are always loaded.
Rule Two: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Rule Three: Keep your finger off the trigger 'til your sights are on the target.
Rule Four: Be sure of your target -- know what it is and what is behind it.

I think you can break any two of these rules and still be safe...

With regard to negligent discharges there are only two kinds of persons:
1) Those who have had a negligent discharge;
2) Those who are going to have a negligent discharge.

[NavyChief]

With regard to negligent discharges there are only two kinds of persons:
1) Those who have had a negligent discharge;
2) Those who are going to have a negligent discharge.

I'm happy to say I'm still in the latter group. And prayerfully, if/when I move into the former, my muzzle will be pointed safely downrange.

[Redhorse]

Unfortunately, I have to admit I fall into the first catagory. Happy to say however, my muzzle was pointed in a safe direction (straight into the ground). Happened over 20 yrs. ago, but still a very sobering and humbling experience that is NEVER forgotten

[Willy P]

AMEN Redhorse! My oldest daughter's ND was with a 410 break action shotgun and I try and relate it to every class of Hunter Ed I do. She missed the fact that when you let the hammer down you need to let off the trigger as soon as the hammer clears the "catch". As with you she had the barrel pointed at a piece of ground that was not occupied by any body parts!

[Petrovich]

Don't think for one minute it can't happen to you.

I was shooting a ruger redhawk in .44 mag one day. I was firing in single action and on one shot I failed to pull the hammer all the way back and skipped a shot (one more reason I prefer Smiths over rugers is that horrible long distance hammer travel). I finished up the cylinder then went back to line up the missed shot so I could fire it.

For some stooooopid reason I had my finger on the trigger as I pulled back the hammer to advance the cylinder to where I thought the unfired round was. My thumb slipped off the hammer and kaboom....right into the ground where I had it pointed.

[TunnelRat]

Mine came while I was in an action shooting competition at the Lima Sabres club. I usually carry John Moses Browning's work -- either M1911s or Hi-Powers, but this time I was trying out my new SIG P226. I am used to the single action of the Browning models, and somehow the double action SIG went bang one time when I had not intended for it to do so.

I broke Rule Three: "Keep your finger off the trigger 'til the sights are on the target", but I had kept the rest of the rules so nobody and nothing was hurt (except my own pride and sense of infallibility... ).

I was on the line, actually shooting when it happened. I stopped and told the R.O. about it. He opined that the shot was toward the targets and far enough down range that I could go ahead and shoot. I appreciated his mercy, but I tend to be fairly strict about my own mistakes, so I DQ'd myself and spent the rest of the day pasting targets and picking up brass for the active shooters.

It is a scary, stupid, and soul-searching moment when your gun "goes off by itself"...

[Petrovich]

Mine came while I was in an action shooting competition at the Lima Sabres club. I usually carry John Moses Browning's work -- either M1911s or Hi-Powers, but this time I was trying out my new SIG P226. I am used to the single action of the Browning models, and somehow the double action SIG went bang one time when I had not intended for it to do so.

I broke Rule Three: "Keep your finger off the trigger 'til the sights are on the target", but I had kept the rest of the rules so nobody and nothing was hurt (except my own pride and sense of infallibility... ).

I was on the line, actually shooting when it happened. I stopped and told the R.O. about it. He opined that the shot was toward the targets and far enough down range that I could go ahead and shoot. I appreciated his mercy, but I tend to be fairly strict about my own mistakes, so I DQ'd myself and spent the rest of the day pasting targets and picking up brass for the active shooters.

It is a scary, stupid, and soul-searching moment when your gun "goes off by itself"...

All I have to do is think what would have happened if my kid was standing there....chills me to the bone.

[Colt45]

Jeff Cooper's Rules of Firearm Safety:

Rule One: All guns are always loaded.
Rule Two: Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
Rule Three: Keep your finger off the trigger 'til your sights are on the target.
Rule Four: Be sure of your target -- know what it is and what is behind it.

I like to include...

Rule Five: If you point a gun at me I may shoot you, or at the very least beat your butt, because I will assume Rules One & Two are applicable.