Gun Show Accidental Discharge

[jmar]

I was at a gun show today and someone got their hand blown off with a hunting rifle. Apparently shrapnel hit a little girl as well. But i didn't see this when i was there. I was standing about 15 feet away, i got a good look of the blood geysering out of the victims hand. My ear still hurts. I'm put off ever going to another show. You just can't trust people, he could have killed multiple people including me or himself.

 

[VoodooMountain]

Why do I keep reading about this happening at gunshows. In my area they don't even let you legally cc.

But I guess more to the point this is why I check the chamber of EVERY firearm I handle.

 

[C5rider]

But I guess more to the point this is why EVERYONE SHOULD check the chamber of EVERY firearm THEY handle.

There, fixed it for ya.

 

[ontarget]

Was he a vendor or a customer? I have looked at guns at a LGS and found them to be loaded before. You can never take it for granted that even the "pro" that put it on his shelf checked it first. Always safety first.

 

[jmar]

Was he a vendor or a customer? I have looked at guns at a LGS and found them to be loaded before. You can never take it for granted that even the "pro" that put it on his shelf checked it first. Always safety first.

I'm unsure, although i was there nobody had an explanation of what happened. Even the news sites all have vastly conflicting stories. But now that i think about it the person shot in the hand didn't shoot the gun, it was someone else several feet from him. All news sites say that the person who fired was a vender, and it was his gun. So he's lucky he's not facing any murder charges.

 

[entropy]

Only discharge at a show I was at, at least the guy followed Rule #2, while breaking Rule #1. Shot up into the seats in the arena it was in...I was about 20 yards from it, and it was LOUD! But you could hear a pin drop for about five seconds after...

I sense a civil suit in the near future...

 

[gsbuickman]

here in Idaho at all of our gun shows all the actions and triggers are secured with zip ties, and every firearm on every table is double and triple checked every morning before the shows open. During the shows there are roving Patrols randomly checking firearms on cables and looking for people trying to cause mischief. We did have an accidental discharge real early last spring when a. 17HMR discharged while a vendor was checking everything about 7 a.m. before the lewis-clark trader show opened.

I don't know what the circumstances are and I don't know if this is one of them but the main prevailing belief is that some of the more militant anti-gunners get their jollies by going to gun shows with a couple live rounds in their pockets and chambering them in firearms when no one's looking, then setting the guns back down on the tables and walking away knowing that sooner or later somebody will come along and squeeze the trigger giving their anti-gun nonsense credibility.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Poor girl... but that's a shame, gun shows are prime real estate for Webley revolvers.

 

[gsbuickman]

It's unfortunate and really sad
that not everyone knows the first rule of firearms safety and if they do know it not all of them practice it.

Always treat any and all firearms as if they are loaded, keep them pointed in a safe Direction and never take anyone's word on the status of the weapon regardless of who it is that tells you so. It's YOUR responsibility to verify the weapon is indeed safe before doing anything with it.

this use to be taught in public schools in firearms safety courses, and now that it's not and hasn't been for a while look at the kind of things that happen

 

[Bullseye]

Glad you're OK jmar. What a shame. Just terrible.

 

[jmr40]

It happens more than it should. And with the crowds it usually means someone is hit. A man killed his 14 year old son trying out a holster a few years ago in an Atlanta area show. Checking the chamber is not always easy since many of them are zip tied closed. It just depends on the gun. I picked up a Ruger 10-22 once and found a loaded magazine at a gun show. Nothing in the chamber.

 

[Jackal]

One of the last local shows I went to, a guy was swinging a sword around at a vendor table and almost chopped a lady with a big roundhouse swing. I gave up on shows.

 

[Shaq]

Why do I keep reading about this happening at gunshows. In my area they don't even let you legally cc.

But I guess more to the point this is why I check the chamber of EVERY firearm I handle.

That prevents you from causing a tragedy, but it doesn't protect you from other idiots.

 

[Tirod]

Well, the answer some offer is to simply cancel all the gun shows and turn our guns over to the scrappers.

Or, we can take a realistic view of it and accept that no matter what, people WILL make mistakes. We are not perfect. And that is why we do have the 4 Rules, to keep us from making mistakes.

Your decision your choice, but the reality is that the average gun show attendee risked more danger in traffic getting there than walking the aisles. If we take the same attitude about gun shows and negligent discharges then we'd be walking everywhere because we gave up cars the first accident we saw. I don't see too many people doing that. Even the Amish keep driving buggies after tipping one over.

How far do we take this?

It was a bad thing to have happen, the negligent handler shouldn't be let off the hook. But, no matter what, nobody is ever guaranteed a perfectly safe life. Expecting that you can go thru it with no injuries whatsoever is contrary to long term experience. We cannot and will not ever have a perfectly safe life. Cutting yourself off from all known risk? That price is actually too high for most of us.

See you at the next gun show. It will be there next year and most people who were there will be, too. Same as New Yorkers in sight of the Twin Towers. Life goes on.

 

[jmace57]

The closest I have to that was my FFL handing me a loaded S&W Model 19 to take a look at.

But what a horrifying story about the gun show.

I know there are arguments about Constitutional rights, etc., but my opinion is that everyone should have to have safety training. When I was a kid (age 12) in Colorado, you had to take a hunter's safety class before you were allowed to buy ammo. You got a green card to put in your wallet, and (at least as a kid) were asked to show it whenever you bought ammo.

 

[JRWhit]

I generally shutter at the idea of law makers writing legislation in regard to the regulation of firearms, but I do believe I would like to see something that would require a citizen who has displayed a negligent use of firearms prove the attendance of safety training before returning to the practice of gun handling.

I don't believe you should ever have to go out of your way to prove yourself before there first being evidence that there is reason it needs proving. Accusers need prove guilt and not enforce that the innocent prove innocents.

 

[AlexanderA]

Whenever I go to gun shows, I realize that there is a small chance that some idiot will cause an accident. (This in spite of the fact that all our local shows require all guns to be unloaded, inspected, and zip-tied.) But I go anyway. It's a risk that comes with the territory.

Accidents at gun shows are still considerably rarer than hunting accidents.

Guns are by nature dangerous things. The minute people forget that, they're on their way to becoming a statistic.

 

[Blacksmoke]

Whatever happened to clearing the action when picking up a gun? Is that not the first thing one does when looking over a gun?

 

[M1key]

Recent show out of town. I picked up an SKS and instinctively pulled open the bolt...fully loaded with one in the chamber--chinese steel core. Unloaded it and handed the rounds discreetly to the owner. His partner was cussin' him out as I walked away...

Always check

M

 

[Acera]

I was at a gun show today and someone got their hand blown off with a hunting rifle...............i got a good look of the blood geysering out of the victims hand.................

Modern medicine is awesome, EMTs were able to fix this. Apparently you don't need to go to a hospital if you get your hand blown off with a hunting rifle these days......................

For those that want more information on this story, like where it happened, less hyperbole, etc....................

http://helenair.com/news/crime-and-...cle_aa98eb75-2aa4-5e83-b614-7bb49eaf3761.html

http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/montana/rifle-discharges-at-billings-gun-show-injuring-2/184972352

http://missoulian.com/news/state-an...cle_9e2a407e-5293-5114-8a4c-af00a49a0af2.html


http://www.ktvq.com/story/33794859/...ngs-gun-show-injures-two-including-young-girl


Lots of gun show accidents listed on here.
https://www.pinterest.com/david6212/gun-show-accidents/

.

 

[david58]

Recent show out of town. I picked up an SKS and instinctively pulled open the bolt...fully loaded with one in the chamber--chinese steel core. Unloaded it and handed the rounds discreetly to the owner. His partner was cussin' him out as I walked away...

Always check

M

I would not be discrete. I would holler, loudly, for security, and show them what was up. The displayed is absolutely responsible for the guns being unloaded and secured. If the table is too big to manage to keep an eye on all of the guns (along the lines of a jerk putting live rounds in and walking away), then don't display so many. Heavens to Betsy - a loaded gun should never have been loaded for the show.
In my workplace, we treat an uncovered extension cord that might trip someone more seriously than you did your discovery. Think about that.
And, I would be expecting Security to escort the vendor and his wares out of the show - anything less and it is apparent that the organizers simply don't care. Wonder what their insurer would think...

 

[M1key]

People were around the table and saw what happened including a buddy of mine who knew the offender. He talked to him as well. Tied guns were not required at this show and a few others I have attended...so further humiliating him was pointless, IMO.

M

 

[GBExpat]

... this use to be taught in public schools in firearms safety courses, and now that it's not and hasn't been for a while look at the kind of things that happen

While I agree that it would be great to have some of the critical firearms fundamentals taught in school I seriously doubt that such episodes are linked to a lack of that type of training being offered in primary/middle schools.

At some time(s) most folks experience periods of being too comfortable with their familiar, potentially-dangerous tools like firearms (or cars or tablesaws or knives, etc). When their level of respect slides, the chance of such events goes way up.

 

[dbmjr1]

Modern medicine is awesome, EMTs were able to fix this. Apparently you don't need to go to a hospital if you get your hand blown off with a hunting rifle these days......................

For those that want more information on this story, like where it happened, less hyperbole, etc....................

http://helenair.com/news/crime-and-...cle_aa98eb75-2aa4-5e83-b614-7bb49eaf3761.html

http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/montana/rifle-discharges-at-billings-gun-show-injuring-2/184972352

http://missoulian.com/news/state-an...cle_9e2a407e-5293-5114-8a4c-af00a49a0af2.html


http://www.ktvq.com/story/33794859/...ngs-gun-show-injures-two-including-young-girl


Lots of gun show accidents listed on here.
https://www.pinterest.com/david6212/gun-show-accidents/

.

 

[bangswitch]

Whatever happened to clearing the action when picking up a gun? Is that not the first thing one does when looking over a gun?

In a sense, the action was cleared, although a bit too late and to several people's detriment. I think OP's terminology should be amended to "NEGLIGENT discharge", rather than accidental, and the operator of that display, (especially if he was the trigger operator) should be charged at least with criminal negligence, or reckless endangerment.

Like other firearms "accidents", there was clearly a chain of negligent action on several people's part; the display operator, for ensuring beforehand that all displayed firearms were unloaded, with breeches locked open or with some sort of indicator in the chamber. To whomever was shopping, for not ensuring personally, that the firearm they were looking at was unloaded. I've been to enough gun shows , as have most here on the forum, to know that a great percentage of the shoppers at one of these swarees don't have a clue, or don't seem to care, about the 4 Rules, and in many cases, don't know enough about whatever gun they're handling to properly clear it. I feel like I'm a target whenever I'm at one of these, and as a result, I only go early (before the crowds build), make a quick circuit of the tables, buy whatever I see and want, then get the hell out of there.