Two oops and one STUPID

pfgrone · Post by **pfgrone** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:15 pm

Ok, I'll confess. The two oops happened when my wife was trying out a Kahr P9 at a range before buying. Now I was a confirmed wheel gun person but had acquired a bad habit gripping my S&W 642 - a 38 snubby with concealed hammer. One thumb rode up where the hammer would have gone if there had been an exposed one. While the Princess was trying out the Kahr, she offered to let me shoot a magazine. I took the pistol in my normal left handed grip and promptly took a very big chunk out of my thumb when the slide raked it. It bled like a stuck pig so I had to wrap paper towels on it until it stopped. The Princess offered another chance later on the last magazine full. Since I'm ambidextrious, I gripped it right handed the second time and promptly took a bloody chunk out of the other thumb. That was two oops.

I hate to admit to the STUPID. I had been to the range and was cleaning my weapons at home while watching the TV at the same time. (Oh no!) I had been dry firing my new KelTec P3AT to loosen it up a bit. I cleaned the gun, reloaded it, sat there with it in my hand and watched TV. Then I "dry fired" it one more time and discharged the gun in the den. Took a chunk out of a small table leg before it went into the concrete floor. I still get a funny feeling in my stomach when I think how I just quit thinking while handling a gun. That's scary. Now I go back to cleaning my handguns at the kitchen table without distractions. That was the STUPID which I'm embarassed to admit.

longtooth · Post by **longtooth** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:21 pm

Thank you Lord that no one was hurt.
TV is a distraction. Lesson learned so be careful & do it no more.

ScubaSigGuy · Post by **ScubaSigGuy** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:30 pm

OUCH!

And on the stupid... you are very lucky.

Post by **Charles L. Cotton** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 5:40 pm

Thanks pfgrone for posting this and thanks to everyone who posts something about an AD/ND. This is a great way to help others not make the same mistakes.

Chas.

AR Traveler · Post by **AR Traveler** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:53 pm

One comment, I believe there is a recommendation against dry firing the 3AT. Something about the firing pin retention system being weak and breaking either the pin or the screw that holds it in place.

ScubaSigGuy · Post by **ScubaSigGuy** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:17 am

FWIW I stopped working on guns with the TV on after I put the recoil spring in backwards on my XD. I have heard people say that they make sure that there are no live rounds in the same room when they are dry firing and I always thought that was extreme, since I use snap caps typically.

After thinking about Your story and how tragic the results could have been it might not be a bad practice to adopt.

longtooth · Post by **longtooth** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 6:29 am

All cleaning here is in the gun room. Everything takes place there.
Work, clean, reloading, fix it, new grips, springs,... It is the place I have.
I know everyone does not have the privilege of a "room". Where ever it is done, when cleaning or working on one there should be no outside interferance such as TV, music, horseplay...
I like the no ammo in the room. Never thought of that until it was said here. I am so old I will not change what I have done for all the yrs. Only loaded guns are in their resting place. If you are handeling it clear it. It is not loaded until it is ready to be holstered up again.
Grandkids come in they know it is all business when you enter this room. Free to leave when you want but this is serious. We will play later.

pfgrone · Post by **pfgrone** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:08 am

Believe it or not. but I am fairly fanatical about handling guns. In a gun shop I will always go through my own gun check when a sales person hands me a gun, even though I watched the sales person go through a check. I am fanatical about where a gun is pointed. etc. etc.

My STUPID was a total lapse of thinking because I was doing something else in addition to handling a gun.

I think set procedures that are always followed are good. I even have a written set of steps so I can put my Ruger 22/45 back together again.

Maybe I should develop my own SOPs for all gun handling situations.
Thanks for the helpful comments.
Paul

flintknapper · Post by **flintknapper** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:20 am

pfgrone wrote: I even have a written set of steps so I can put my Ruger 22/45 back together again.

I know what you mean. You have to be sure the hammer is forward and that the hammer strut falls down onto the hammer spring plunger. Kind of a juggling act really.

Great pistol once you get them back together.

ScubaSigGuy · Post by **ScubaSigGuy** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:57 pm

ScubaSigGuy wrote:FWIW I stopped working on guns with the TV on after I put the recoil spring in backwards on my XD. I have heard people say that they make sure that there are no live rounds in the same room when they are dry firing and I always thought that was extreme, since I use snap caps typically.

After thinking about Your story and how tragic the results could have been it might not be a bad practice to adopt.

Just to be clear the spring on the XD gets progressively bigger on one end and that is what I put on backwards while not paying attention.

Operators Edge · Post by **Operators Edge** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 10:03 pm

Two thumbs up for this post!

We all have a story. And those that don't.......will.

Bubba · Post by **Bubba** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:02 am

Glad to know that I'm not the only one who cleans the guns on the kitchen table :)

TV will rot yer brain out !

Skipper5 · Post by **Skipper5** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 12:35 pm

thanks for sharing...it's a good lesson to us all...just to stay focused and never assume anything- you saw how easy that slip was! Again, thks!!

dukalmighty · Post by **dukalmighty** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 6:02 am

sumpin similar but i had cleaned and loaded a snub nosed s&w .357 I fergot i loaded it and dry fired it at the tv some show was on and a actor irritated me so i practiced sight alignment breath control trigger squeeze,and had 2 accidents one was I killed a 19 in color tv, the other was I had to change my underwear I guess that's one way to prevent tv being a distraction cause it was a month before i could afford another one

KD5NRH · Post by **KD5NRH** » Sat Nov 03, 2007 9:59 am

dukalmighty wrote:sumpin similar but i had cleaned and loaded a snub nosed s&w .357 I fergot i loaded it and dry fired it at the tv some show was on and a actor irritated me so i practiced sight alignment breath control trigger squeeze,and had 2 accidents one was I killed a 19 in color tv, the other was I had to change my underwear I guess that's one way to prevent tv being a distraction cause it was a month before i could afford another one

Should we just call you "King?"