A friend's ND into the basement wall

[travellingJeff]

Just got a call from a friend of mine, typing this up as he tells me.

I frequently dry-fire practice with my SIG P229 (.357SIG). I do this practice in the below-ground basement towards a wall that aims into the back yard. Today, somehow, I goofed up and didn't clear the live round out of the chamber when I went to dry fire. To analyze this more specifically, I removed the mag, thought I pulled the chambered round, set the sidearm down and went to get some coffee. I came back, picked up the "unloaded" pistol (didn't check because I "knew" it was unloaded, the magazine was right there, so I thought). I aimed at the target, pulled the trigger and got the "bang" instead of a "click". I was QUITE surprised, needless to say. I placed the gun down, slide locked back, and inspected the hole. Deep, through the wall and the concrete. Bad. Called the neighbors and told them I had an "accident" (although it was obviously negligence, not accidental) and that I was OK, none of them even heard the shot. The police received no report, fortunately.

My ears are still ringing. No one was hurt, probably gotta do some work to the basement wall.

If someone asked what the culprit was, I'd say complacency. I usually make it a practice to leave the slide locked back on the sidearm I'm dry firing, thus ensuring I can inspect the chamber when I pick it up. Then, I'd drop the slide and rack it one or two more times "just to be safe", I'd also feel for the loaded chamber indicator. This time, I did none of those things.

So, I feel for the guy and I appreciate his honesty. Of course, I'd have seen the hole anyway so he'd eventually have to 'fess up ;-)

I do all of those things he says, leaving the sidearm with the slide locked back, inspecting numerous times and feeling the loaded chamber indicator just before shooting. He's a very safe gun owner who's never once violated any of the "Big 4" at the range. He's a NRA certified RSO as well. I don't want to say enough to give up who he might be, just in case. Regardless, even the best make mistakes at some time. Of course, since he was obeying the "Big 4" (I suppose he wasn't WILLING to destroy his wall, but at least it wasn't a person), he only has a hole in his wall and now years of ribbing from his friends. If he can do this, anyone can. I'm going to be extra, extra, extra careful from now on. I enjoy dry-fire, especially in these pricey ammo days, and I always make sure to do it towards an underground wall for this exact purpose. I suppose I might make the four hour drive to see him this weekend, maybe patch the wall up before his girlfriend comes over and see's it.

We're still on the phone, he's a bit shaken but is able to appreciate the fact that much worse things have happened. A wall is replaceable, a family member isn't. He doesn't even allow his dog into his "dry-fire room" and I'm glad of that.

Other than some ringing ears, a bruised ego and a wall, nothing is damaged. It's really driven the point home, though, and I'm sure that he learned his lesson. I also have to give him credit for being able to man up and tell others of his experience so that we can learn from it.

So, that's that. I don't think he'll be taking pictures, but I might convince him to do so.

Hope this helps us all remember those four rules and CHECK THE CHAMBER when you're doing your dry-fire.

 

[Javelin]

Glad no one was hurt

 

[Caimlas]

Sounds to me like his biggest mistake was doing anything at all before drinking his coffee!

I've "almost" done this myself. It's somewhat nerve racking. Always check the magazine and chamber when you pick up a gun; never assume it isn't loaded. Hubris not your friend when firearms are involved.

 

[Oyeboten]

Yes...doing 'Dry Fire' practice with one-in-the-spout, usually leads to embarassment.

 

[HK G3]

This is another reason I love the round indicator on the slide of my HK45.

After clearing and inspecting, I always slide my finger across that round indicator prior to moving it to the trigger. If there's anything in the chamber, I feel that piece jutting out.

The more steps that verify you're unloaded, the better IMHO.

Glad he and everyone else is okay

 

[travellingJeff]

I agree HK G3. The SIG has such an indicator, when it's unloaded the extractor rests "inside" the slide and you can feel the mismatching pieces. When loaded, it's smooth. I'd prefer it to be a BIT more tactile, but since my buddy didn't even bother to check it, it wouldn't have mattered if a flashing neon strobe was sticking out five inches

 

[FROGO207]

Had an friends shooting buddy's ND cause some serious problems. While he was "cleaning" his Judge he had a ND through his apt. floor and into the downstairs neighbors kitchen. Buckshot missed a mother and daughter in a highchair by less than a foot. Had to surrender all his firearms to investigating LEO for now and was evicted on the spot from his apartment for that stunt.:banghead:

 

[AK103K]

Another reason I like snap caps in my guns when I dry fire. You have to physically unload and load the snap caps.

My buddy has about a half dozen "holes" in his basement wall, but they were intentionally fired. They just didnt hit the backstop. 1919's tend to bounce on a concrete floor if you dont put sand bags on the tripod legs. The concussion of multiple 30-06's also breaks florescent light tubes just overhead.

 

[bigfatdave]

Another reason I like snap caps in my guns when I dry fire. You have to physically unload and load the snap caps.

Same here. The bright red thing going into the chamber is a good sign that a real round is NOT in the chamber.

 

[PT1911]

Had an friends shooting buddy's ND cause some serious problems. While he was "cleaning" his Judge he had a ND through his apt. floor and into the downstairs neighbors kitchen. Buckshot missed a mother and daughter in a highchair by less than a foot. Had to surrender all his firearms to investigating LEO for now and was evicted on the spot from his apartment for that stunt.

I dont believe that for a second.... there is no way a judge (410 shot, 410 slug, or 45 colt) could possible penetrate all the way through the floor......... or at least that is what the box of truth said....



SARCASM my friends.... sarcasm

 

[eflatminor]

I've had people ask me why I'm constantly racking the slide on any pistol that is before me.

There you go.

 

[OurSafeHome.net]

A friend of mine AD'ed his water bed, with a Hydroshock.

The bed basically evacuated its contents in a few seconds!

This happened 12 years ago and I still get the giggles when I think about it.

(He was in the process of clearing his weapon, but racked the slide first, then dropped the mag, then dropped the hammer. It was pointed into what turned out to be a very expensive clearing barrel. Ooops!)

It goes to show that even following just one of Colonel Coopers Four Rules was what keeps this a funny story instead of a tragedy.

(Still funny!)

 

[travellingJeff]

Negligent discharges like this are why we should ALWAYS follow the Four Rules. If a discharge somehow does occur, either a technical failure or by operator error, you've got the gun pointed in a 'safe' direction. If that muzzle never, ever covers another person, even a foolish lapse in judgment won't end in tragedy.

 

[colorado_handgunner]

AD'ed his water bed, with a Hydrashock.

Don't you mean a Hydroshock?

 

[paralaska]

A few years ago (maybe 9 or 10), my eldest son and his wife lived in an apartment. He was cleaning his 40cal glock in the kitchen and had an accidental discharge. It went thru his fridge - thru the wall - accross the hall - thru the neighbors wall - thru the back of his neighbors fridge and lodged in the fridge door. Of course . . . he ended up buying two new refridgerators and paying for some wall repairs. I think he learned his lesson . . .

 

[earlthegoat2]

It is always the combination of things that lead to the "accidents" In this case he had built up a series of safety measures. Forgetting one or two in this case did not cause any real damage. Dropping the magazine (good) racking the slide(good practice, in this case though it failed to eject the round), leaving to get coffee (neutral) coming back and not racking the slide again (bad), not visually inspecting the chamber (bad), dry firing at a safe backstop (good).

Needless to say it was still a negligent discharge. In this case though no real damage was done to anyone because of the series of safety measure he had in place. Good for him in what could have been much worse.

 

[Oyeboten]

I dont believe that for a second.... there is no way a judge (410 shot, 410 slug, or 45 colt) could possible penetrate all the way through the floor......... or at least that is what the box of truth said....

Indeed...one layer of thin Congolium sheet...one layer of ohhhh, 5/8ths inch flake-board...air-gap between 2x8 Joists...and one layer of 1/2inch Sheetrock...It'd never make it through...


Lol...

 

[Sunray]

"...what the culprit was..." Operator failure. No excuse for not checking or for having live ammo anywhere near when doing dry fire practice. Especially for an RSO. Checking is just something that should be done automatically.
Got the CF's RSO ticket without doing the Army's course.
You're gentle. I'd be teasing him senseless. Operator failure is not an excuse for negligence.

 

[WTBguns10kOK]

This stuff happens eventually. Sure I've never done it, but probably will someday. The fact he sequesters himself and fires at a strong wall is good. Really only violated the "every gun is loaded" rule. Who hasn't messed up one of the rules, eh?

 

[paintballdude902]

atleast it was pointed in a pretty safe direction

 

[travellingJeff]

Well, now that everyone in our circle knows about this, and our buddy has calmed down some, we're endlessly ragging on him for it. A friend drew up a invitation to "<ND GUY>'s Indoor Shooting Range", we've all chipped in to buy him some snap caps and, I'm sure, we'll soon have a new nickname for him. I still gotta give him credit for manning up and being honest about it. It this were me I'd just run to Home Depot and tell my friends I decided to repaint a wall

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

This is why I do and recommend others do, both a visual AND a tactile check of the chamber before a dry firing "session" - if you go to get coffee and come back, that's a new "session" where you repeat the visual & tactile. Tactile being, stick your pinky finger INTO the chamber in case your eyes are deceiving you. Good thing no one got hurt.

 

[Lakeshore]

This is an important thread that every shooter, even old hands, should read and heed.

No matter how many redundant safety checks (Rule #1) I conduct before dry firing at home, my inviolable Rule #2 is that even when I'm 100% certain the gun's loaded with snap caps I never ever point and click toward anything (like a wall, a window, the cat, etc.) that I wouldn't if I knew it was loaded with live rounds.

 

[fprefect]

Live Dry Fire

Well I suppose I should give the guy credit for even admitting to someone that such a bonehead incident had even occurred, but I believe all would agree on how the incident could and should have been avoided.

25 years ago, my Mother was struck in the head with a fragment from a .357 round that went through 2 walls where a newly graduated sheriff deputy was cleaning! his newly purchased sidearm he was to use on his new job, fired a round from his condominium into the one my parents had rented for the winter in Arizona. But he may have save her life as part of his duties included being a licensed paramedic. After some thought he did change his story from cleaning a revolver with the cylinder in place, to dry firing. My Mother still suffers from hearing and sight difficulties in her right ear and eye and always will.

F. Prefect

 

[travellingJeff]

Of course it could have been prevented, it could also have been worse. My dry-fire is always done into a berm or a wall facing a berm. Rather than say, out my window, or towards my neighbors cats.


When I aim at the cat's, it's not dry fire. ;-)