A lesson to learn
Violate more than one firearm safety rule and someone gets hurt.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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February 11th, 2010 at 1:26 pm
One of the reasons I like the 1911 design is the multiple safeties. You must grip the pistol properly, push down the safety, and pull the trigger to fire the pistol.
I don’t hear about nearly as many accidental / negligent discharges with 1911s as I do with Glocks, M&Ps, and other hammerless striker fired pistols where the trigger is effectively the only safety.
Having said that. It sounds like in this case of idiocy, the only design feature that may have helped was the much maligned loaded chamber indicator…
The moral to the story is of course, always practice safe firearms handling!
If you want to mess around, lock the firearms away, use airsoft guns and wear proper eye protection.
February 11th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
“I don’t hear about nearly as many accidental / negligent discharges with 1911s as I do with Glocks, M&Ps, and other hammerless striker fired pistols where the trigger is effectively the only safety.”
A matter of volume. You probably don’t hear about as many auto accidents involving Mercedes as you do with Camry’s or Accords.
February 11th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
RTWT – the ND Shooter deliberately pulled the trigger in horseplay.
February 11th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Ian:
I read the whole thing.
That’s why I said: “It sounds like in this case of idiocy, the only design feature that may have helped was the much maligned loaded chamber indicator…
The moral to the story is of course, always practice safe firearms handling!”
February 11th, 2010 at 11:01 pm
And sometimes I should read the whole comment. Don’t I feel sheepish.
It’s stories like that that give me the heebie-jeebies when I get muzzled by someone…
(You know – I have no idea what the LCI on my G17 looks like when the chamber is loaded. I keep meaning to correct that when I go to the range; but I’m too busy emptying it, and the line drawing in the manual was less than helpful.)
February 12th, 2010 at 12:23 am
As Uncle says, multiple rules were violated, but here’s what I teach regarding checking a magazine fed firearm;
Open action; check the chamber, the mag well, then the chamber, then the mag well. Twice each; One, two, one, two. Chamber, mag well, chamber, mag well. Make it a habit. I then demonstrate how you can insert the mag, open the slide, look into the chamber only (exaggerating my movements) see that it’s empty, then release the slide. Then ask the students, “Is the gun loaded? (inert ammunition is used for this)
Some will say “yes”. I’ll then say, “But I just looked in the chamber and it was empty…..and in the process I just loaded it, didn’t I?”
Repeat demonstration, and state that this double checking of chamber and mag well should become automatic. Finger checking the chamber is good of course, but that mag well has to be checked too.
Some accidents have happened because someone removed a magazine and assumed the gun was then unloaded (misunderstanding how the gun works in addition to violating multiple rules). I point out this one in class too. Load inert round into magazine, insert mag, chamber a round and ask, “Is it loaded?”
Usually comes a unanimous “yes”. Then remove the mag. “Now is it loaded?” Sometimes I get mixed answers, and they’re standing/sitting there watching the whole thing…
‘Course they’re often beginners, but for anyone it is paramount that one understand the design and function of the guns. Never tell yourself you’re an expert.
Of course, statistically speaking, we should be about 30 times more concerned about traffic safety. I personally know only one person who has been shot, but a LOT of people I know (and a lot of poeple you know) have been in some sort of auto accident that did or could have caused serious injury. Several of those people are dead from it, and one (my niece) only barely survived.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:40 am
“I don’t hear about nearly as many accidental / negligent discharges with 1911s”
Well before Glocks started riding in Police holsters, 1911s and Revolvers were the most common ND firearms.
There is no safety feature that will save you from bad firearms handling.