I had a negligent discharge today...

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Glock22, glad you are okay and nobody was hurt, dude. As you well know, it could have been a lot worse. Don't be too hard on yourself. A good number of us have had a negligent discharge at one time or another. That's not to say that what you did was okay, but let it be a learning experience to you. :)

I had a negligent discharge on the 22nd of August. I've owned guns for fours years now and this was the first time that it happened. I know that four years isn't a very long time to a lot of people, but I mistakenly acquired the attitude, "I'm safe with guns, a ND will never happen to me."

WRONG!

All that it took was a momentary lack of attention. It was only after this experience that I truly realized that gun safety is not an innate characteristic. Gun safety is something which requires consistent vigilance and awareness, EVERY time you handle a firearm.
 
I applaud you as well. I view your story as a success story. Because you followed the rules of gun safety, there is a wall with a hole in it rather than a dead child at your house. [Or insert your own unthinkable alternative.]

Second, you brought it to the attention of your own circle of influence to help others learn from your situation. Pride didn't seem to hinder you - that's quite an accomplishment. Learning from others' stuff is a lot easier than having to learn from my own. And I KNOW I am not as safe with firearms as I could be but your post should help me revisit the rules because you brought home the feelings pretty well using only words.

Really, thanks for sharing your experience. I have no doubt that it's benefited several people here and their loved-ones.
 
Always remove the ammunition source, operate the mechanism at least two cycles, and then VISUALLY INSPECT for the presence of ammunition.
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+1

The visual inspection is MANDATORY
 
G22: Glad you're okay and that the only harm was to the mirror and the wall. Both can be fixed/replaced and you'll move on. It takes a lot to admit your mistakes - especially on the WWW, but through that, you may help others not to repeat your mistake. I'm not sure how old/young you are, but when I was in my early 20's, I did the exact same thing with my Winchester Model 12 and a load of 00 Buckshot. I didn't hit my mirror though, I hit my John Belushi "1941" poster, (I loved that poster). Same scenario - thought I had racked free all rounds in the tube and had not. Buckshot penetrated old fashioned plaster wall and into my brother's closet in the next room. No one ever found out, as I headed to the hardware store and patched things up....It did however scare the bejeebus out of me and rattled my brain. A 12ga going off in a 15-foot square room will have a tendancy to do that. Don't beat yourself up too much - just use it as a learning experience and move on....Take care.

PS: How's the recoil on that new Benelli anyway?? :D
 
Glad the damage was no worse than it turned out to be. It really is a seriously sick feeling, BTDT (I was helping a friend zero a new rifle at the range, I closed the bolt on a live round and it fired instantly without my touching the trigger, muzzle was in a safe direction and no damage done save seriously jangled nerves.)

With a pump shotgun there's lots of room to visually and physically check both magazine tube and chamber any time you manipulate the gun. It was drilled into us as a good idea, and in practice it has turned out to be a really good habit IMHO. A visual check AND a tactile check of both magazine tube and chamber are a good idea in verifying the status of the gun under admin circumstances.

And the tactile check is a good habit to learn as part of running the gun under stressful circumstances as well IMHO. It's often hard to keep up with the number of rounds remaining in the gun, and you can check with the gun still at the shoulder. A press check will tell you whether there is at least one round left in the magazine and if not, a press check of the chamber will confirm the presence of a round there. It's easy enough to crack open the action and cop a feel with the support hand pinkie (if right handed) or thumb (if left handed).

But under admin circumstances, IMHO one should always combine visual and tactile checks of both magazine and chamber before treating a shotgun as if it is clear. A major downside of tubular magazines is that rounds sometimes hang up in the tube only to get jarred loose later. If you stick a finger into the magazine tube and feel an empty hole (no follower, no shell) then you know there's big trouble. If you feel a primer, you know there's at least one round in there, and if you feel the follower, you know the magazine is empty. Look at AND feel of both magazine tube and chamber before deciding a shotgun is clear- it's a good habit to get into.

Stay Safe,

lpl/nc
 
Knowlede....
knowing how to completely check a weapon to verify it is unloaded is EXTREMELY importand.

Diligence....
taking the extra effort to make sure you know the status of a weapon (loaded / unloaded) EVERY time you handle.

Checking the chamber and not the magazine led to the death of a teenage boy in my small town. The impact on his family, friends and community was enormous.

Remember that sick feeling in your gut and you'll be sure not to make such a mistake again.
 
Telling ones-self that one is too smart, careful, experienced, focused, well-trained, etc., to have a ND is the first step towards having one. IMO.

K
 
Sorry to hear about that. Glad you are okay and glad you had the cojones to post this for the benefit of all.

Without adding drama to the thread, I believe this IS a good opportunity to learn something about penetration. Box-o-truth has only done drywall(gypsum) testing, Glock22 managed to shoot through some lath-and-plaster.
Glock22: I am going to assume that this was an exterior wall and that it didn't penetrate the house skin?
I am interested because my house is similar.
 
join the club

I, too, have heard that there are two kinds of shooters: those who have never had an ND, and those who are REALLY careful.

I once missed a cat by about six inches. No harm done but a .22 caliber hole in the floor, but the cat watched me carefully from then on...

We're in good company. Colonel Jeff Cooper himself once had an ND. If it could happen to HIM...
 
There are only two types of gun owners; those that have had a ND and those that will have a ND. Don't ever say it can't happen to you!!
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No, the two types are those who have had a ND and those who haven't. Just because most people have gone from the second group to the first doesn't mean that it is inevitable. If the second group acknowledges that it CAN happen to them and they are ALWAYS careful, I do believe it is possible to go through a lifetime of shooting without having a ND. However, that requires a person to NEVER screw it up.

I have yet to have my own ND. While I might get careless and have one, I do get tired of people telling me (and others in the same boat) that it is inevitable. It is not. I appreciate stories like this one- it reminds me to always, always, ALWAYS be extremely careful.

My goal is to be on my deathbed without ever having a ND. I can do it. So can any other new shooter. The only question is whether we will be disciplined enough to do it.

And as for Glock 22, now you have seven years of bad luck...
 
gunfighter48 said:
There are only two types of gun owners; those that have had a ND and those that will have a ND.
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It's that very sobering thought that keeps me anal about firearms-safety over 35 years after first starting shooting - never had one and hope I never do.
 
Thanks for the pictures.

Is yours an older home? I ask, because it appears from your photos that the wall is plaster over wood lathe. Penetration and behavior with modern sheetrock construction would likely be quite a bit different from what happened in your case.

Thanks for sharing your incident. While I agree it isn't inevitable over a lifetime of shooting, it certainly can happen to anyone. Learning about incidents like yours serves to make all of us more careful.
 
Glock,

Echoing everyone else's comments. Glad you and those around you are ok. It's a startling wake up call from an event in which no one is immune to having happen to them. As it goes without saying, learn from it and move on with the knowledge you have gained. Thanks for posting. It does take guts to do so and shows character.
 
Nitesite, I find your post mean-spirited.
My intention was to take this subject in the natural direction. We can belabor that this guy screwed up, and wring our hands over how it could have been worse, and never learn a thing from the incident. Marking time in one place doesn't take anyone down the road to learning.
So, by actual test performed by "Pistolero" magazine in the 80's, documented with photos, using actual built walls, with code construction (studs, sockets, window frames, with and without insulation), almost every charge, caliber and type of round over penetrated, except one.
I have seen on this forum, and many others that this particular round is insuficient in power to stop or kill a home invader, but that is an entirely diferent subject. The issue here is penetration into another room of your home, and the possible injury or death of a family member.
Our original poster states rather unclearly wether the pellets actually struck the opposite wall with any force, and there are no photos of the opposite wall.
His assesment of what damage was done on his side of the first wall, and what obstructions may have beeen encountered is good, although, I would want to peel some wallboard away, to more closely assess inside the wall, and shine a laser across to the opposite wall for the purpose of actually drawing home where the pellets struck.
In other words, now that the deed is done, and now that the damages is there, take the opportunity to learn something that could actually do all of us some good.
So lets see some photos now of what the opposite wall looks like, when seen THROUGH the hole in the first wall.
PA shooter's commment is well taken, shooting through lath and plaster is like shooting through cement! After I tore out some walls in my 1932 built home, I thought I was taking down a fortress!
BTW, our original poster didin't seem to take my post negatively.
 
Glad nobody was hurt. As long as you learned to be more careful, the experience wasn't totally negative. (i'm an optimist) It'll cost you a few bucks to fix, but it has undoubtedly taught you an invaluable lesson.
 
Glock, glad you are O.K.

This is why we older guys incessantly harp on The Four Rules. We're aren't just flapping our gums to hear ourselves type. The Four Rules are life.

We never "cycle through" rounds to clear the weapon. We retract the bolt, withdraw the round in the chamber. We then download the weapon's magazine.

Of the 3 skills involved in the triad or fighting--marksmanship, mind set, gun handling--gun handling skills are paramount as they form the base. If you live around dangerous weapons, it is mandatory that you understand how to handle them or they will damage friendlies.

Please, please, please sign up for a shotgun class. A man loves a good gun, but the software to run it will save your life and the lives of those that you love.:)
 
Mistakes can happen, agreed they should not but they do. I hate it for you but I am glad no one was hurt. I was working on my Winchester 1897 in my shop attempting to solve a feeding issue (with live shells I might add). After a little while I had gotten the issue cleared up and shucked what I was sure was the last shell. I cleared the action (I thought it was clear), pointed it at the floor as I closed the action. I know there is no disconnector on an 1897 but I managed to add a nice hole in the wooden floor of my shop. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
I feel your pain. I was really shaken and upset at myself for a week. I kept the hull myself and it sits by my loading bench. That has been a constant reminder to me to be extra careful.
A few extra seconds can make all the difference in the world. Thanks for sharing.
 
When I was out there my neighbor who is a hunter safety instructor came outside and asked if I heard the shot. So I told him yes, it was me and I then told him the story.
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You're a better man than I. If it was me the conversation would have gone like this...

Neighbor: Did you hear that shot?
Me: WHAT????
Neighbor: DID YOU HEAR THAT SHOT!?
Me: NO I DON'T FEAR SNOT!

*long pause*

Me: What did you say?
Neighbor: Did your gun go off?
Me: ..........no. Must have been the neighbors on the other side of the house.
Neighbor: They're amish! They don't believe in owning guns.
Me: That's the perfect cover isn't it. It was them or those kids across the street.
Neighbor: *incredulous* The 1 year old twins? Are you sure you didn't have anything to
do with this?
Me: Definitely. Now if I was you I'd get back inside before Isaiah reloads.
 
Takes a real man/woman to learn from his/her mistakes. Seems like you have, and by being brave enough to post the reality of your mistake here on a public forum perhaps others can learn from your mistake as well. Stay safe everyone.
 
As many have said, brave to post it here and good on ya. Glad no one was hurt. My own happened at a low point in my life, the .40 hydrashok went through the mirror, the sheet rock, the next bit of sheetrock (opposite side of the wall) and then left bits of itself impregnated on the laundry room cabinets. Thankfully there was no one in that direction. As i said - low point in my life... I tend to check at least X number of times that its unloaded before i do nearly anything w/ a gun. But as others suggested... i had my NEGLIGENT discharge. (have to agree there is no such thing as an accidental one...)

Take care and once again, glad that no one was hurt and that you had the balls to bring it here... the internet can be cruel for the hell of it.

J/Tharg!
 
well, your lucky cause after your wife see's that hole- you'll learn the lesson why you only make that mistake once.
 
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