Hot Brass!!

OverEasy · Post by **OverEasy** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:04 pm

If you haven't been burned yet, you don't shoot enough!

This story shows why you have to be REAL CAREFUL! when you have a loaded gun in your hand.

http://www.koco.com/news/10622246/detai ... &qs=1;bp=t

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A woman at a metro gun range accidentally shot herself on Wednesday, police said, when a hot bullet casing fell down her shirt.

Police said Anna Herrera-Gomez was practicing with a 9 mm gun at the H&H Gun Range in Oklahoma City when the hot shell casing fell down the front of her shirt.

She jumped as the hot metal touched her skin and reached for her chest. Police said that's when she accidentally shot herself in the leg.

"Of course, we train for this, but unbeknownst to us, we had a gentlemen on the range who was a trained EMT. (He) took care of it immediately, and even though it was a shooting, it was actually very minimal," said H&H Gun Range owner Miles Hall.

Hall said the woman was embarrassed more than anything else.

Actually you have to be careful when you have anything in your hand. I feel safe telling this story(my wife doesn't read the forum).
Any time my wife uses a pen she will have at least one ink mark on her body, usually on her face.

I confess, I have struck myself with something I had in my hand more than once, swatting at flys etc.

Be Careful!.... OE

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:15 pm

I remember we previously had a discussion about "brass catchers" of the distaff persuasion.

Post by **carlson1** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:30 pm

I have never seen a gun through brass like my Mini 14 and HK P7. They go the EXTRA mile.

MrDrummy · Post by **MrDrummy** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:31 pm

I've caught a few...

One between the safety glasses and the temple was probably the most painful!!

HighVelocity · Post by **HighVelocity** » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:44 pm

I caught a 357 mag casing as it flew from a customers Coonan semi and landed inside my shirt collar. Michael Jackson wishes he had my moves.

Seriously though... I have tried very hard to teach my young son to pay attention to what he is doing with his hands when there's a distraction. As well as getting him to memorize the 4 rules.

This woman was very lucky that the wound wasn't fatal and that there was an EMT right there.

Commander · Post by **Commander** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:50 am

I had a round fall between my glasses and my face. Ended up just below my right eye. Burned like fire! (duh!)....The Marshal was trying to figure out why I was doing a dance and throwing my glasses off. For a couple of weeks, I looked like the guy in one of those old Kent cigarette commercials who would rather fight than switch.

That was the last time I shot without a ball cap on.

G.C.Montgomery · Post by **G.C.Montgomery** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:01 am

Been burned a couple times. Worst one was during a rifle class. I caught a round from the AR15 to my left, square on the case mouth, against my neck. I instinctively hunched my shoulder over only to bind up the case against my skin. I ended up with this really weird, star-like burn on my neck that people asked about for months afterward.

As for the "brass catchers," I had one in the first CHL class I taught for Top Gun. I'd warned students about plunging necklines and exposed cleavage but one lady didn't listen. First round she fired went right down her blouse. I was forced to run over to take control of her weapon because she was about to sweep other students and I herself trying to get to the brass. I ended up failing her that day anyway...She'd never developed any kind of trigger control and would jerk so badly her shots were landing a foot low at the three yard line.

Post by **Skiprr** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 6:41 am

KBCraig wrote:I remember we previously had a discussion about "brass catchers" of the distaff persuasion.

Tsk, Circle K; not you?

I always try to dress the best I can to minimize catchin' brass, and I usually shoot at ranges that have screens between the lanes. I caught one down a shirt collar once, and now I always have on a T-shirt, as well.

The only thing I was unprepared for at my CHL class was the guy not next to me, but over one additional lane to the left. I never found out what kind of pistol he was shooting, but it was consistently arcing his brass over the guy to my left and plopping on my cap or shoulders. One of the instructors commented on it because he got hit twice as he walked behind the line. Had to have been a good 10 feet in the air and a 15-foot arc. Good thing the shoot started at the short distances so I could get used to the "brass rain." I got plinked at least 10 times, probably more like 15. It was actually pretty funny, and afterward I joked with the instructor that he put me there on purpose to see if I could keep my concentration.

stevie_d_64 · Post by **stevie_d_64** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:00 am

Hard to train, much less try to factor in a safe reaction to a primal/instinctive bodily function to a burning sensation...

But its the price we pay and risk we take in the sport we enjoy...

Diode · Post by **Diode** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 8:23 am

stevie_d_64 wrote:Hard to train, much less try to factor in a safe reaction to a primal/instinctive bodily function to a burning sensation...

But its the price we pay and risk we take in the sport we enjoy...

Very hard, I worked in my Dad's Machine Shop when I was young and he tried to teach me when a hot steel chip ( 300+ degrees) gets in your cloths or boots DONT MOVE! You'll do more damage trying to get it out than if you'll just let it burn you and then get it out. Of course along with being hot they are very sharp, thus if you panic you get stitches and a burn! Maybe I'll learn to apply the same logic to shooting now.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 9:41 am

stevie_d_64 wrote:Hard to train, much less try to factor in a safe reaction to a primal/instinctive bodily function to a burning sensation...

When we qualify at work, we are on line, spaced about 4' on center, without dividers. Hot brass is just part of qualification.

We've got a saying: "Burn for the Bureau". We also call it "Doing the Safety Dance", which means keeping your pistol pointed safely down range, while using your free hand to snatch at your shirt tail.

Kevin

Trope · Post by **Trope** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:23 am

I've had 9mm brass land on my safety goggles and leave little marks on my face, and also had a couple go down my shirt. In each case, I kept the front sight on the target and the heat dissipated in a couple seconds. I recall thinking that could be part of a true self-defense situation, so I should practice not panicking. I don't want to sound like a "tuff guy", but 9mm brass doesn't carry that much heat. I imagine that some larger rounds might be more of an issue, though.

Liberty · Post by **Liberty** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 12:10 pm

Trope wrote:I've had 9mm brass land on my safety goggles and leave little marks on my face, and also had a couple go down my shirt. In each case, I kept the front sight on the target and the heat dissipated in a couple seconds. I recall thinking that could be part of a true self-defense situation, so I should practice not panicking. I don't want to sound like a "tuff guy", but 9mm brass doesn't carry that much heat. I imagine that some larger rounds might be more of an issue, though.

I agree with you about the 9mm, Ive caught some .40 and .45 from a neighboring shooter that did a little bit of singing. but the M16 can toss a lot of hot metal to the rear, and caused a lot of cursing to left handers. That brass will pockmark the heck out of you.

308nato · Post by **308nato** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:26 pm

I was at Hot Wells off 290 last month on the rifle range ,the guy down
4 spaces was shooting an Ak 47 an his brass was bouncing off my
bench off of me and my rifle.
needless to say i moved a few more spaces away.

Venus Pax · Post by **Venus Pax** » Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:41 pm

I've had brass hit me in the forehead before, and several on top of the head. (fortunately, I have a thick head of hair.)
I usually wear a t-shirt when practicing, but I need to remember to keep my friends protected during hot weather.