Accidental Discharge

Commander · Post by **Commander** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:40 pm

WBAP -820 Radio (Dallas) is reporting tonight that a CHL holder was at the Temple Emannuel in Dallas with a pistol tucked in his waistband. Somehow the firearm came loose and dropped to the floor discharging as it struck. The round struck the man's adult daughter. It was reported that the wounds she suffered were not life threatening.

9mmGuy · Post by **9mmGuy** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:42 pm

Thats what thay make holsters for. glad every body was ok.

yobdab · Post by **yobdab** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 11:57 pm

That's why you should let the hammer rest on a empty chamber.

"that's so I don't shoot my foot off." - John Wayne

AEA · Post by **AEA** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 12:52 am

You would think that a CHL holder would have listened a bit to his training and secured the weapon in a suitable holster before going out in public.

Just goes to show you that not all CHL holders are the "Professionals" that we would like to think we are.

KBCraig · Post by **KBCraig** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:06 am

yobdab wrote:That's why you should let the hammer rest on a empty chamber.

That's why you should carry in a holster that doesn't let your pistol fall down the inside of your pants leg. Not to mention, carrying a pistol that doesn't discharge when dropped.

"that's so I don't shoot my foot off." - John Wayne

We've advanced a bit since 1876. It's time to let the Peacemaker rest in peace, and acknowledge that modern guns of reasonable quality don't fire when dropped from waist height.

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 5:49 am

Pro-2ndAmd. LEO buddy called me from the (quite noisy) scene about 7:15 last night, double checking on anything that might have changed recently regarding church carry. The CHLer was in low 80s. Little .380 wound(s) to feet. Small fragments got a couple other people. Service was in progress at the time ...

Gunbuster" sign in place, but no 30.06. I watched the 10:00 news last night looking for what I hoped might not make it ...

phddan · Post by **phddan** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 6:02 am

Soooooooooooo avoidable.

Dan

Big Calhoun · Post by **Big Calhoun** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:31 am

You know what scares me about these recent accidental and negligent discharges? Lately when I've gone out to the gunstore/range, there are more and more people inquiring about getting a CHL and taking the class. Yet, the range lanes don't seem to be getting any more crowded. You just know there are more accidents out there, waiting to happen.

Thane · Post by **Thane** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:38 am

yobdab wrote:That's why you should let the hammer rest on a empty chamber.

"that's so I don't shoot my foot off." - John Wayne

All well and good if you're carrying a Colt Single Action Army, or one of its clones. A modern, quality pistol or revolver will NOT discharge, even if dropped directly on its hammer.

I'd bet the cause was one of two things: Either the gun was an el-cheapo (Lorcin, Ravin, Bryco, etc), or the owner "grabbed" for it as it fell, and got his finger or thumb in the trigger guard and discharged it on the way down. Given that he was evidently too cheap to get even an Uncle Mike's holster for the gun, it could be either.

shootthesheet · Post by **shootthesheet** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:20 pm

I think you guys are being WAY to easy on this guy. I won't either but I will say it takes many, many positives to overcome one dumb negative where guns and CHL is concerned. It is negligence. Doesn't matter if the gun was old tech, poor quality, or if he pulled the trigger. I feel bad for him and all involved. But, he hurt our cause and endangered many people. I hope he and others learn from his negligence.

Greybeard · Post by **Greybeard** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:30 pm

While at lunch, I popped the 50 cents for copy of Dallas Morning News. There's a short blurb about it under "Late Briefs". It does not say much more than what was in my prior post.

Post by **Skiprr** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:54 pm

Yep; the man is identified as Marvin Marks, 81. The bullet struck his 42-year-old daughter in the foot, and fragments scraped two other people.

Ditto what Kevin, Thane, and others have said. Personally, I get a little peeved because the media seems to describe the majority of NDs as "the gun discharged when it fell to the ground." I simply can't believe there are that many non-drop-safe handguns being carried out there; you actually have to sorta kinda go out of your way to find an instrument serviceable in 2007 that isn't drop-safe. The constant reports of "dropped" guns going off makes it seem as if all firearms are inherently dangerous just by their very existence.

I'm with Charles on a post he made some time ago. I think we do everybody a disservice with the terminology "Accidental Discharge." It used to be commonly referred to as a "Negligent Discharge," and I think that's far more appropriate. I've never seen a gun locked in a safe shoot itself. In order for it to discharge, is has to be acted upon by some external factor...and external factor almost always includes a human.

seamusTX · Post by **seamusTX** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:11 pm

Skiprr wrote:I simply can't believe there are that many non-drop-safe handguns being carried out there; you actually have to sorta kinda go out of your way to find an instrument serviceable in 2007 that isn't drop-safe.

I can believe an 81-year-old is carrying an old piece of junk.

Like you, I suspect a lot of the "dropped" stories are cover-ups.

- Jim

Mithras61 · Post by **Mithras61** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:14 pm

Skiprr wrote:Yep; the man is identified as Marvin Marks, 81. The bullet struck his 42-year-old daughter in the foot, and fragments scraped two other people.

I'm trying to figure out what he dropped it on that it would have discharged in a way such as to shoot his daughter in the foot and create fragments that could scrape other people. It sounds to me as if he was fooling around with the pistol & accidentally pulled the trigger (so the bullet was going downward), not that it was dropped (how could it land on the hammer & have the bullet go anywhere but up?).

Divello · Post by **Divello** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 3:03 pm

I can not find any information stating that it is legal or illegal to cary with a CHL in a place of worship. From the posts here I take it that it is legal to do so as long as there is no 30.06 sign posted?

Also I was told I can not carry in hospitals and doctors offices? Is that right?

I was wondering how this discharge happened at all. I thought most guns were drop safe?