Jeramie Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 I know we all try to safely handle firearms but occasionally our brain leaks out our ear and we find ourselves doing something stupid. Its human nature, not and excuse but it happens. Fess up! You know you have. I just wanted to hear some of the honest to goodness mistakes you’ve made. I actually have a couple of stories of just plain stupidity that I have to share. Maybe someone can learn from these mistakes. No criticism, I know it was stupid but live and learn. I have to say that we were brought up with the utmost respect for firearms and our dad NEVER hid them from us. I think that’s a big mistake. It peeks your curiosity and you’re never taught to properly handle a firearm. Again, these were just the rarest of occasions and nothing I’m to proud of but here they are…… 1. My brother and I were out killing squirrels with .22’s. He was shooting dad’s old synthetic stock, lever action. We decided to take a drive to the backside of the ranch to where the tree rats hadn’t been stirred. I immediately took out the clip and emptied the chamber. We got in his truck and I asked, “Did you empty that thing?” He said, “Yep.” He then, for whatever reason, proceeded to reach over and pull the trigger (barrel aimed into the floorboard). Pop! Yep, still loaded. I sat there dumbfounded for a minute and finally just said… “At least it wasn’t my truck!” Moral of the story: Never, ever take for granted that a gun is unloaded. He had pulled the tube rod and jacked out the loaded shell. For some reason one shell hung behind and actually loaded when he worked the lever. 2. Now that I’ve told off on him ill tell off on me. We had deer camp some years back. We actually have it every year but this was several years back. We stayed up all night drinking coffee and talking. Finally about 4:00a.m. I went to my truck and went to bed. I set the alarm on my phone and was back up and dressed by 5:30, with the coffee on. I tried to raise the rest of the gang but to no avail. I was flying solo. I did happen to get Tim (my brother) out of bed for coffee. In Oklahoma it’s illegal to hunt with a radio. We actually carry them but mainly because we run off trespassers and it also helps us to keep track of one another. I stumbled some 250 yards across an open field to another tree line. It was breaking daylight so I started a slow trek through the timber. Roughly 80-100yds ahead I see a group of does. They were too tight for me to take shot safely so I wait until one singles out. She steps roughly 15 yards ahead and I put a shot through her shoulder. She folded like a card table. The radio chimes in, “Did you get one!” “Yep, a doe. Bring the truck.“ I made way toward my kill with my rifle slung over my right shoulder. After about 50yards I decided to double check that my safety was on. I reached (see the problem here) back to feel for the safety or open the bolt in my Rem700. BOOM! Yep, I’m an idiot. In all my excitement I chambered in another shell. Stupid, stupid, stupid…. Seconds later the radio again, “How many deer are you going to kill!” I just said, “I missed completely.” For the Moral see story one…… or insert “Always properly handle all firearms.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muggs Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... yikes those are pretty scary there Jeramie. Luckily I've never had anything like that happen to me, yeah I'm knockin' on wood as we speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missed160 Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... When the mistakes happen it scares the crap out of ya!!!! We we goose hunting a few years ago, in haybale blinds. My & a friend had blinds about 100 yards apart. We had a flock of geese coming in some we got down in our respective blinds. The flock was still about 200 yards out when, Boom, from my friends blind. The geese left & I walked over & said "what are you doing?" . He looked up at me, & looked like he had seen a ghost! He was crouched over kneeling, gun under him. He slipped the safety off, way to early & his glove somehow caught the trigger & fired the gun. The way he was crouched, the open end of the barrel was a couple inches from his face, pointed right at the haybales.. Inches from total disaster!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarvDog Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... Wow! Amazing and fortunate no-one was injured. Good stories to help re-enforce firearms safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronS Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... Thank God nothing bad has happened to me or mine, but I'll relate a local story that reinforces gun safety and the fact that even small guns are dangerous. About 5 years ago a friend of mine was plinking with his brother, target shooting with .22's. After they finished shooting a round, his brother went to get the targets and my friend set his .22 down on the table. The gun discharged, hitting his brother in the back. He left behind a wife and two children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbeck Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I had to take my safety course again because I had lost my card and was going to another state to hunt. I listened for 2 days why firearms should be unloaded and it started to sink in. We always left my wife's 16 ga. double loaded in the gun cabinet upstairs, for home defense. ( didn't have kids yet, and the cabinet was locked with a key hidden close.) I proceeded upstairs to do the right thing and unload the gun. Pulled the gun out, dropped the thing and it discharged right through the ceiling. Needless to say I had unloaded the gun and replaced the ridge cap all in the same night. By the way no more loaded guns at the house, bought a gun safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
popgun Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... The year was 1962 and my Great Uncle Viste Hines was riding with his son-in-law to another deer hunting spot in southern Arizona, near Tempe. The morning’s hunting spot had not worked out well. Two of his grandsons were riding in the back of the pickup as they bounced down the road. Somehow another vehicle pulled out of a side road and they collided. One of the rifles (thought to be unloaded), and carried by one of the grandsons went off. The bullet went through the front of the bed of the 60 Chevy pickup; traveled through the back of the cab, through the gas tank, through the back of the seat and struck my Great Uncle Viste in the spine. He died instantly. He was 89. A city-slicker acquaintance of one of my best hunting buddies was target shooting at his farm one early fall day in 1999. He had recently purchased a 303 Mauser at a gun show and had a lot of practice shells that he had purchased at the same show in a big plastic zip-lock baggie. I was not witness to his stupidity but helped to investigate after the fact. One of the shells that he was attempting to feed into the old bolt-action did not want to fit. He crammed the bolt forward as hard as he could and the round went off, blowing the bolt back. The force took his thumb completely off except for the skin above his thumb holding it on. The bolt hit him in the chest cracking his sternum. (His thumb was re-attached) Later investigation showed that the round he was forcing and three more in the bag were of a different caliber. He did not get to hunt that season and has not hunted since. He continues to this day to blame the design of the rifle and accepts no responsibility for his own stupidity. He is not allowed to hunt on the property any more or have a gun in his possession while he is around us. He is no longer a hunter. (he never was much of a hunter anyways) We haven't seen him in ages. ....popgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronS Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I suppose I could share another story that hits even closer to home, although I wasn't around when it happened. Firearms safety always teaches to unload guns when you cross a fence, for obvious reasons. My great-grandfather never practiced that, but in the 1920's there was no such thing as a Hunter Safety class. He was crossing a fence on his farm when his 12 gauge discharged. My Grandpa was 6 years old when he lost his dad. He's also the one who found him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gator Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I was loading a .22 pistol for my mom. Already had it loaded but had left one cylinder empty. Was in the process of rotating the cylinder to put the hammer on the empty hole, and to this day I don't know what exactly happened, but the gun went off in my hand. Went through the side of the trailer we lived in at the time, worse part was mom had just been standing in the general path of the bullet. She still has the gun, but I refuse to even touch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad dryden Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... Ive had a incedent were me and my brother were heading back to the house and we were just walking and BOOM I jumped back and the shell hit right at my foot and some dirt rained down on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... A good friend of mine was showing an old Browning shotgun to my cousin after checking it out he sat it but end on the ground and put his hand over then end of the barrell. Went to lean on it and boom. Bird shot went thru his and and hit him in the heart. Dead before he hit the ground opening morning of dove season. They were fixing to go hunting. Tragic, He was 27. I think about it everytime I go dove hunting opening morning because I pass right by the cemetery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTbowman Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I have had 1 real close call. Sighting in a 30.06 and was trying to use up the remainer of last years shells before using the new brass. The old brass was very tarnished. I was home alone and my range is next to my house. I brought everything in once finished on the bench and proceeded to clean the gun. I racked the bolt back 4 times to clear the spring loaded shell holder. (In gun style-no clip, or hatch.) Which I normally do out at the bench but for some reason I did not. (???) I looked in a saw no brass so I put the stock on my thigh, gun pointing up as taught, and proceeded to remove the bolt. I was also watching some hunting shows and not really paying attention. Now this is where it got scary. On my old .22 you literally have to pull the trigger and then pull real hard to release the bolt. For some dumb reason I did this on the 30.06 and was unable to remove the bolt in the open position, so I closed it thinking it had to be shut to pull the trigger. BOOM! Appearently an old tarnished brass shell was still in the "clip" and when I did not see the bright brass I just dismissed it as empty. (I did rack out 4 brand new shells before trying to remove the bolt....) Dang Shot a hole clean throw the ceiling and roof. LOUD does not descibe it. Nor does the smell of burnt gun powder. Fortunately no one was home or the gun pointed in an unsafe direction, however I shot fairly close to a ceiling fan and worried about hitting electrical wires. I quickly patched the hole, checked the wires, and also repaired the shingle on the roof and no one ever knew that it happened until years later... I felt stupid and lucky all at the same time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronS Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... Just thought of another one....boy I'm full of them today. A buddy of mine owns an archery shop. A few years ago a customer brought in a 12 ga. shotgun to have a scope mounted for deer season. After installing the scope my buddy laser sighted it then stood it on the counter to do some work on it. He leaned over to check on something and must have hit the trigger with something....BOOM. Deer slug went through the bill of his ball cap and through the ceiling/roof of his new shop. He keeps the hat around for a reminder of how lucky he was, and he didn't have very nice things to say about that customer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... The only scary incident I've ever been involved in with a firearm was I loaned my 30-30 rifle to a friend during deer season. He returned the gun to me loaded---with one in the chamber. Brought that loaded gun into my house with my kids. I asked him if it was unloaded and he said--yep. I immediately took it out of the case and flipped the lever---sure enough loaded with 4 more in the barrel magazine. He was white as a ghost and I gave him a little piece of my mind! todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slugshooter Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... Last year I was disassembling my 9mm Springfield XD, I pulled the slide back and locked it, flipped the lever up, and proceeded to release the slide and simultaneously pull the trigger, the stupid thing is I forgot or assumed I took the clip out, I had the slide almost all the way forward and couldn't figure out why it wasn't going all the way forward while I was pulling the trigger, I pushed it further forward and BANG. I now have a hole in the floor that my fiance knows nothing about. Noone was home luckily, I'm just glad it was pointed at the floor and not at the foot that I already had a cast on for a broken ankle. How would I have explained that one to the doc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedicast Posted August 26, 2005 Report Share Posted August 26, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I've got one. Never told this story before. About 15 years ago, deer hunting, carrying my 870 slug gun, with 3" Federal slugs. walking through some thick Mountain Laurel. Gun in front of me, barrel up. One hand on the pump, one hand around the pistol grip. Somehow, something got in the trigger gaurd as i was walking throught the laurel, and the gun discharged. I almost had a heart attack. To this day I swear the safety was on, but apperantly it wasn't. Took me about a half hour to stop shaking. So glad I was walking alone that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slugshooter Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I got another one, but it doesn't involve me. It involves my Stepfathers father, so I guess technically my step-grandfather, if there is such a thing. Anyhoo, in about I guess the 1920's when he was a kid, he got a .22 for Christmas or his birthday, not sure which, anyways, he was out plinking and I don't know the circumstances, I don't think it was out of aggression, just being stupid, this is when he was a kid mind you, he shot another kid in the leg with his new .22, long story short, he tossed the kid a dime and told him not to tell anyone. I don't think the kid did either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimT Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... I used to run around the house with loaded guns when I was a kid. Probably my worst as an adult was I was sighting in the evening before opening day and pulled the trigger thinking my gun was empty. it wasn't. That scared the **** out of me...and happened 9-10 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washi Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... Recently a friend of my nieces was shot through the head with a .44 blackpowder revolver. I think it was at his house and he was showing it to his friends when one of them shot him. He is actually doing surprisingly well and they say he will be back in school for the second semester. My friends dads' .30-30 jammed on him and he was sitting in the drivers seat of the truck trying to unjam it when it went off. The bullet hit the passenger door and hit the window support causing the window to drop and break inside the door. I can't remember who it was but my dad told me someone he knew put his loaded rifle into the truck with the barrel on the floor. Someone it went off and put a hole in his transmission and he was stranded. In both of the truck stories ears were ringing for a while after. I don't think I've done any myself. One more. A female hunter I know and her brother were sighting in their SKS' they hunt with. They set their rifles down and went to check their targets and one of the rifles fired with nobody even near it. Nobody got hit but now they make sure they are pointed in a safe direction AND unloaded when they check targets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willfish03 Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... it was an unloaded shotgun in case that shot me at point blank in the hip as a friend placed it on the bunk next to me. dont think its emty know it is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... this is has actually turned into an excellent post. I hope all young and older hunters use these examples to always put safety number 1! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coles Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... last summer my brother and i were out shooting gophers and i had this great idea to shoot my .22 upside down. bad idea. i had the forearm in my left and and when it slipped out of my hand i pulled the trigger with my right hand and shot a hole in the mirror of my pickup. it could have been bad. but i wish i had a dollar for everytime someone asked me what happened to my mirror. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutchies Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... My ex girlfriends father shot a hole thru the door of his Z-71. He dropped it at the shop that night and had it fixed before his wife got home. I don't think he ever told her. My neighbor was out duck hunting and the guy beside him swung around to shoot a duck and boom. I went off beside his face. Powder burns and minimal shot went into the side of his face. He won't pickup a gun now. Last year Dad was hunting in his ground blind and had his 300 sitting on his lap with the safety off. Gun started slipping and he reached to grab it. Boom straight thru the plywood. You should have seen his face when I hunted his blind three days later and asked him what that gunshot hole was in the side of his blind. Buddy of mine, Kurt, cleaning a .22 pistol and somehow it went off and entered above his wrist came out 2 inches from his elbow. Lucky very lucky. I thought alot about this thread last night and there are so many more stories I could tell but these relate to hunting the most. Last one, Josh was carrying a pistol with him at work. I don't know the whole story but from what I heard he had the wrong people after him. Anyway we will never really know but they found him in the bathroom dead. The cops said it looked like the gun dropped and he reached to grab it and it went of in his face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IowaDeerHunter Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... A guy in town here was out goose hunting and tried shooting some through the window of his pickup. well he went to pull his gun upand shot it, put a hole literally through the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lobsterman Posted August 27, 2005 Report Share Posted August 27, 2005 Re: \"Stupid!\" ....Firearm stories.... my buddy and i were walking back to the truck, we were about 100 yards away, when we started unloading, then all of a sudden i heard a bang.... his finger supposely slipped and hit the trigger when the safety was off, shot about a foot above my head.... needless to say, we dont hunt together anymore... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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