ND-I Feel Like Crap :(

[dihappy]

Some thing i never thought would ever happen "to me".

Today i had an ND :(

I cant begin to describe how crappy i feel about it. After going over all the steps, time after time, to keep this from happening it happens to me.

I guess im posting to get some positive feedback, some wise instruction, etc. anything to help me get over this stupid mistake i made.

Today my GF and i were on our way out, i have been sick in bed for 2 days and she convinced me to go to the doctor today.

I usually keep my Kimber cocked and locked by the bed during the night, but unload it and carry my .380 when im out on the streets.

So i drop the magazine, clear the chamber and release the hammer by dry firing in a safe direction. I pop the magazine back in and prepare to lock it in its case. My GF asks if i always have a round in the chamber and i reply with a yes. I tell her that it wouldnt do me any good if there werent one in there.

As i tell her that it doesnt take too long to rack the slide, i rack the slide to show her and tell her that in an emergency, i dont want to have to rack a round and that it takes two hands to do so.

Well, at that moment, i forget that i had replaced the magazine :(

I point the gun at my bed (ground) and pull the trigger to release the hammer. BOOM!

Holy Christ! It went through the my mattress, box spring and stopped in the concrete under the carpet.

I asked my GF if she was ok and apologized without end. I told her how stupid i was and how this could have happened.

I was and still am very very upset with myself :(

I called the police and the first thing that came out of my mouth was:
"Hi, my name is Henry and id like to report a ND of my firearm"

They arrived and were very very cool. Maybe too cool, the lead guy told me that i wasnt the first and wont be the last to have a ND.

I dont want to forget this and want to take away some wise thoughts and i DONT want this to happen to me EVER again.

Thanks for all you guys/gals input.

God Bless

~Henry

[txinvestigator]

Poop happens. At least you pointed it in a safe direction.

Why, though, press the trigger to lower the hammer? Remove the mag, rack the slide to eject the bullet and with the slide locked back visually and with your finger check the chamber, then either leave the slide locked back or lower the slide, putting the gun on safe. No need to drop the hammer.

And why do you go through this process when you leave the house? Every time you handle and manipulate the gun you increase your chance for just this sort of thing.

rather than kick yourself in the tail, think about what you learned from the experience and make changes to insure it never happens again.

[dihappy]

Thanks TX

I press the trigger to release the hammer just cuz i want want the hammer to be down just so that i know i have to rack it to put a round in the chamber.

The reason i unload, is becuase id rather secure my weapon and lock it away without a round in the chamber.

Your right though, handling a weapons increases your chance of a problem and i need to figure out how im going to do this from now on.

I can either leave it cocked and locked and then store it away like that, or do as you say, eject the round and leave it cocked or slide locked open.

[yobdab]

Well I did this several years back but it was with a .223 rifle. This occured while I also was showing the rifle to someone. In my case I had a nice hole in my ceiling. Also I had a friend that shot a .38 into his kitchen cabinet, he too was showing it to someone.

It's distractions that cause mistakes, I would be willing to bet 80% of people who handle firearms had an AD at one time in their lifes

[flintknapper]

Dihappy,

Sorry to hear about this incident.

No need to beat yourself about it.

I see nothing wrong with your regiment for unloading your weapon and lowering the hammer. You simply became a victim of your habits.

It is all too easy to "forget a step" of the process (Check the chamber) especially if distracted in any way.

When that happens, you will default to your general level of gun handling habits. I commend you for pointing the firearm in a safe direction (we will normally do what we practice).

The only thing I would suggest you add to your procedure is this: Make it your practice to "Press Check". Even after dropping the magazine, locking back the slide and visually checking, I still press check one last time before dropping the hammer.

To borrow a term from my friend (Jbirds) I am a "press check junkie" and it has served me well.

Thank You... for sharing and reminding us all to be especially careful when loading/unloading.

Flint.

[gregthehand]

I my seem rude or mean for saying this... But this is yet another reason why I carry with a round in the chamber and just see no reason to not do so. If you can't trust your weapon's safety to not just let your pistol go off then you need a different pistol. Yes I carry my 1911 locked and cocked. The fine motor skills you need to rack the slide of your pistol at go time might not be available when the moment comes. I don't want someone saying at my funeral that I had a gun but I couldn't get it loaded because the guy was on top of me.

[RPBrown]

Sorry to here about the incident. As TX said, every time you handle your weapon it creates an opertunity however small. All of my hand guns and my shot gun are loaded, as well as cocked and locked. Even in the safe. This way there is less chance that I will forget even though I a m getting old.

Just learn from this experience.

[stevie_d_64]

Poop happens.

rather than kick yourself in the tail, think about what you learned from the experience and make changes to insure it never happens again.

Totally agree!

[jbirds1210]

Dihappy,

Sorry to hear about this incident.

No need to beat yourself about it.

I see nothing wrong with your regiment for unloading your weapon and lowering the hammer. You simply became a victim of your habits.

It is all too easy to "forget a step" of the process (Check the chamber) especially if distracted in any way.

When that happens, you will default to your general level of gun handling habits. I commend you for pointing the firearm in a safe direction (we will normally do what we practice).

The only thing I would suggest you add to your procedure is this: Make it your practice to "Press Check". Even after dropping the magazine, locking back the slide and visually checking, I still press check one last time before dropping the hammer.

To borrow a term from my friend (Jbirds) I am a "press check junkie" and it has served me well.

Thank You... for sharing and reminding us all to be especially careful when loading/unloading.

Flint.

I am still strongly addicted to the press check....It serves me well and allows me to constantly know the condition of my weapon. I get on my own nerves during dry fire.

DH- Say a prayer in thanks that there were no injuries.

I had a ND about ten years ago and vividly remember the way it made me feel. I could not believe that this happened to me after all of the precautions I used. The ceiling in my rental home took a direct hit with a .38 shotshell Yeah, I managed to do it with a revolver.

The lesson I learned was a hard one....but I did learn it and it has not faded in my mind.

[propellerhead]

I switch between my IWB CCW pistol my larger home defense OWB pistol without unloading either one. When one goes in the safe the other one comes out. As stated earlier, frequent clearing and chambering increases the risk of ND.

Thanks for posting your experience. It serves as a reminder to all.

[Reloader]

i HAVE HAD SEVERAL SINCE I USED TO GUNSMITH a little bit. all my Boone and Crockett trophies are as follows:
1. Window with a Colt 1917 .45 Revolver
2. Cornice of bedromm with Ruger .357
3. One roof shingle (dead center) with 12 gauge buck shot) at night. Used Winchester 1911 automatic that fired when chambering a round set off safety. Great landing light
4. One cabinet door with attached punch bowl.


I think that is all for over 45 years of shooting.

[seamusTX]

I point the gun at my bed (ground) and pull the trigger to release the hammer. BOOM!

... It went through the my mattress, box spring and stopped in the concrete under the carpet.

At least it wasn't a waterbed.

- Jim

[LedJedi]

I had a ND about ten years ago and vividly remember the way it made me feel. I could not believe that this happened to me after all of the precautions I used. The ceiling in my rental home took a direct hit with a .38 shotshell Yeah, I managed to do it with a revolver.

The lesson I learned was a hard one....but I did learn it and it has not faded in my mind.

so THAT's what that hole was from!

I always wondered that.

[KD5NRH]

I had a ND about ten years ago and vividly remember the way it made me feel. I could not believe that this happened to me after all of the precautions I used. The ceiling in my rental home took a direct hit with a .38 shotshell Yeah, I managed to do it with a revolver.

Heck, I've done that intentionally with .22lr shotshells. (in my defense, I tried to kill the wasp with a rolled up newspaper first, but he wouldn't land)

I've also got a few pellets in the linoleum from dealing with mice that learned to evade both traps and cats.

Yep, Jeff Foxworthy's going to have to pay me some royalties someday.

[MoJo]

There are two kinds of gun owners those who have had an AD/ND and those who are going to. I've had my share and they all have been because of mental lapses on my part. Fortunately, each time the muzzle was in a safe direction. Be careful, and learn from your mistake.