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Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears well

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:49 pm
by rp_photo
I carry my chambered M&P 40 in a small Igloo lunch container in my Tundra Truck since I don't have a center console.

This morning I was removing some items from the front seat and something tipped the container over and dragged the gun off the side of the seat where it fell onto a concrete driveway.

No ND as would be expected with any modern weapon, and perhaps one tiny nick on the slide.

I cleared the gun, dry fired several times, and re-loaded.

Although all seems well, could this be expected to cause any damage?

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 8:54 pm
by DocV
I would expect nothing more than a ding or a scratch from such a short distance drop.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 9:02 pm
by android
rp_photo wrote:I carry my chambered M&P 40 in a small Igloo lunch container in my Tundra Truck since I don't have a center console.

This morning I was removing some items from the front seat and something tipped the container over and dragged the gun off the side of the seat where it fell onto a concrete driveway.

No ND as would be expected with any modern weapon, and perhaps one tiny nick on the slide.

I cleared the gun, dry fired several times, and re-loaded.

Although all seems well, could this be expected to cause any damage?
Any modern handgun can take far more of a beating than that. I have a friend who served in a foreign military/police force where they tossed a Glock out of a helicopter and ran over it with a troop carrier. It still worked.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 9:44 pm
by Watchful
I had a very similar incident with my M&P 40. I had been target shooting on the back of my property. When finished, I put in a freshly loaded magazine, chambered a round, and laid the gun beside me on the seat of my Kawasaki Mule. I drove back to the barn and as I was getting out of the Mule seat, the gun slid off the seat, bounced off of the metal floorboard, and landed on the concrete floor. It seemed like slow motion watching it fall. I cringed all the way as it fell to the floor waiting for the inevitable discharge. Then, nothing... The weapon was fine, not even a scratch. Lesson learned. No more transporting the gun unless it's holstered.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 11:44 pm
by Jumping Frog
Do you also have other items in that cooler?

If so, is your handgun holstered in the cooler?

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 10:33 am
by SewTexas
if a phone can be dropped from waist height and still function, I would hope a modern gun can.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Thu May 02, 2013 11:19 am
by MeMelYup
You need to take it to a range as soon as possible. You need to condole it and fire it. It's telling you your not firing it enough. It might wonder off looking for a new home.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 11:24 am
by JSThane
Given the abuse I and my coworkers put our issued duty pistols through, I wouldn't worry about it one bit. My duty gun has eaten dirt, eaten pavement, eaten barbed wire, and any number of other things, and that's all while it was holstered! I dislike the model they chose for us, but I do have to admit it's been 100% reliable, even with the scratches, dings, and a couple of outright slams on it (with my body weight behind them, no less).

If there's any doubt, unload your gun, do a function test, wipe it off, reload it, and put it back in the holster.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 12:14 pm
by v-rog
The only way a striker-fired gun will fire is if you pull the trigger; so you're very safe. You can attribute the scratches to combat or something :lol:

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:26 am
by docbrazos
You have now joined the club. "been there, done that" It's not a matter of if your going to drop a carry gun, because it's going to happen!

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 11:54 am
by drjoker
was running up the stairs with a box fulla stuff and a G19 in a owb holster fell, contents of box rolled out, i rolled down the stairs, something in the box snagged my gun on the way down and the g19 hit the bottom of the stairs with the MUZZLE pointed at my head. Time moved in slow motion as the G19 fell with the muzzle facing me. I thought, "crap, this is it." Then, plunk. Didn't die, no bang. Thank God for modern firearms. If this were a Colt 25 auto, a Colt Peacemaker, or my single action Heritage with the safety off or a round in the chamber, then it would've been curtain call for me.

I made a mental note that day not to run with firearms and definitely never carry a round in the chamber when carrying a single action revolver.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 12:31 pm
by TexasCajun
With a modern semi auto pistol, the only thing you have to worry about when you drop it is to remember to not try to catch it. As has been testified to here, a simple drop may result in a very minor blemish & nothing more. But if you happen to get a finger on the trigger when the gun is in midair, you could have a really bad problem.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 12:43 pm
by TheCytochromeC
docbrazos wrote:You have now joined the club. "been there, done that" It's not a matter of if your going to drop a carry gun, because it's going to happen!
This is true... I was doing so well until a little over a week ago. Now my poor baby has a boo boo. It's not the muzzle so it's just aesthetics - live and learn.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 12:46 pm
by Abraham
My loaded, with one in the chamber Glock 19, has bitten the concrete pavement hard with no problem.

Re: Dropped a loaded gun for the first time; all appears wel

Posted: Sat May 25, 2013 8:25 pm
by nyj
Just don't try and catch it as it's falling. lol