More rule 5
This started as a comment here but turned long and their spam filter hates me.
First, someone is actually arguing about catching a dropped gun. Hey, if that’s your thing, go for it. But I’m not going to the range with you. Sure, your old gallery gun may fire when dropped. But my Glock definitely will not. Some older guns may fire if dropped. But I’d avoid catching them and take cover, personally.
I suppose it’s what gun nuts do but I was surprised that someone asked for data. I don’t know of a study done on negligent discharges but there probably should be one. If I were to break down, from reading, what I thought were the common causes of NDs, they’d go like this:
And at the very bottom of that list would be actual ‘accidental discharges’. And, no, that’s not scientific. But it’s based on actually following the issue and reading news reports. I should probably take a cue from the VPC and google up a study.
It’s one of those bits of advice that seems to get people all flustered for some reason, even though, to me, it seems like common sense. Do not try to catch a dropped gun. Rather like Tam’s advice to stop touching it. Also, let ejected cartridges fall too. I’m amused that people actually argue about that stuff.
Also, this:
So what exactly is a “modern” gun? One which happens to satisfy the requirements of the article? Circular reasoning, at best. Some, including me, would call just about any gun made after about 1896 a modern gun.
Then you don’t know what modern means.
April 1st, 2011 at 9:35 am
Smith & Wesson revolvers have been drop-safe with six beans in the wheel since they started installing sliding hammer blocks in Victory Models back in 1944.
Even a pre-Series 80 Colt 1911 needs to land muzzle-down on a hard surface from a reasonable height for the inertia of the firing pin to overcome the FP spring and bust a cap.
April 1st, 2011 at 9:48 am
Rule 4.5 – Don’t drop your gun.
April 1st, 2011 at 10:10 am
I’d say if your pistol drops the hammer/striker after being dropped from about 6 feet, you don’t have a modern pistol.
April 1st, 2011 at 10:56 am
if somebody has to ask a question like, “what counts as modern enough to be drop-safe” then an answer like “made no earlier than 1950” should be plenty good enough. sixty years’ worth of gunmaking should be enough for anybody but the crufflers, and they never drop their guns anyhow.
April 1st, 2011 at 11:05 am
OK, so no grasping with hands as the pistol falls is allowed. That can lead to a negligent discharge as the trigger is pulled. Makes sense
What about using one’s foot to block the fall of the pistol? Sort of a hacky-sack block to prevent the gun hitting concrete quite so fast. I see no way that would interact with the trigger.
I ask only because it was not addressed in the comments at the link, and I was once told there was no such thing as a stupid question. I could be wrong, of course.
April 1st, 2011 at 11:19 am
Mikee, that’s actually a sensible idea, inho. Each person’s mileage may vary.
Rule 5 is DEAD ON. And I don’t mean that as a pun.
A sailor shooting with my unit in 2008 dropped his Berretta whle transitioning from strong hand to weak hand. He dropped it.
He caught it.
And he shot himself in the chest.
And died on the scene with 2 EMT’s providing IMMEDIATE care.
Do whatever you have to, but DON’T try to catch a dropped gun.
April 1st, 2011 at 2:27 pm
And what cargosquid is talking about would be the first of the two articles linked in this examiner post.
http://www.examiner.com/firearms-in-detroit/the-unknown-gun-safety-rule-never-try-to-catch-a-dropped-gun
http://hamptonroads.com/2008/06/navy-reservist-shot-killed-during-williamsburg-weapons-drill
Anytime someone argues with you on this one, all you need to do is just keep posting that article until it penetrates their thick skulls.
April 1st, 2011 at 3:34 pm
I haven’t seen any statistics on this specific scenario but I do recall seeing a couple of incidents listed in my state’s annual hunting accident reports.
April 1st, 2011 at 10:11 pm
What is so dang hard about this? Don’t drop your gun. If you do drop your gun decline to go into spastic contours to try and catch it in flight by an unknowable firearm protusion. You know, like the trigger. Instead, seek cover and shout at the top of your lungs
“I am a butterfingers and you should never allow me to shoot on your range ever, ever again.”
April 2nd, 2011 at 6:45 am
I’ve actually been soft-landing things with my feet for decades, have quite a bit of practice since I drop things a lot. Even lab glassware, and my lab has a concrete floor. Haven’t dropped any knives, though đŸ™‚
April 2nd, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Well, anyone who considers a 1911 a modern gun doesn’t know what “modern” means, either.