What I learned from my first ND

[oughtsix]

I almost chose to not share this experience, and instead to just bury it. However, I think I want to use this as a chance to remind everyone of the ugly reality of the ND. If you feel the need to chew my ass over it, that's fine. I feel like I deserve every bit of it.

I recently got a ruger single six. Nothing special, not super-tactical, reload times measure in years. It's just a fantastic gun. Accurate, reliable...basically nothing to improve. Not being able to leave well enough alone I disassembled it and polished a few points with a hard stone and basically to familiarize myself with it. I reassembled and performed the drop test several times on a hard surface, which it passed every time. Great. I stood and dry fired for a few minutes with it pointed out a window with a view of a patch of trees. This gun stays loaded for use around the house, so I reloaded it. I have no children, nor do any regularly visit, so the most danger this poses is my dumb ass grabbing the thing and doing something stupid. After reloading I set it on the table and commenced to do a little work on my thesis for grad school, which I did for maybe a half hour. Then for whatever reason, I picked up the gun, pointed it at the window and pulled the trigger. There was nothing out there to hit. All I damaged was some dirt. I was lucky, and there is no other way to explain it.

Seriously guys, this freaked me the hell out. For several days. I have been hunting since age 8 and competed with rifles through high school and college, so I consider myself an experienced firearms handler, at least before that incident. Both of my neighbors (~100 yards to either one) have small children, what if the gun had been pointed there? What if my wife had been in another room and I had pointed it that way? The seriousness of all the ways this situation could have played out are scary. All because of my plain-fucking-stupid carelessness. To say I am ashamed of myself is to not even scratch the surface.

Moving forward, and since having a loaded gun in the house is non-negotiable, I am establishing "loaded gun zones" in the house. In other words, very small locations where a loaded gun is kept, with no exceptions. It is a system that seems doable in my house with just my wife and I. I am outlining them in red tape, just to reinforce this in my little pea brain. Additionally, I'll just follow the basic fuckin rules of gun safety that your average fuckin four year old can repeat by heart (at least around here).

In conclusion, I feel awful. The sinking, sick-to-your-stomach feeling I got when the gun went off has only subsided slightly. I was lucky. Nay, God himself must have been present and looking kindly on me. Crawl my ass if you want, I deserve it; but hopefully someone will learn from this. Accidents happen, yes, but when the stakes are so high, perfection is not optional. You can not take a bullet back, so please, I implore each of you to be present when handling firearms. Don't be a statistic like I almost was.

 

[milo 2.0]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

Consider yourself lucky, could've turned out way worse, at least you pointed it in a semi safe direction.
By your own remorse, we're pretty much sure it wont happen again.

 

[300rockbuster]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

It takes a good man to own his actions. I hate to hear stories like this but it's good to hear to keep safety front and center.

 

[SniperCJ]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oughtsix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...so I consider myself an experienced firearms handler...</div></div>

Thats why we're probably the most dangerous ones around guns. We're not afraid of them. Theyre just tools to us, so occasionally we get complacent. Even an experienced carpenter hits his thumb every once in a while.

Glad nothing suffered but your pride. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jerrrrstanley]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

Been your shoes brother. Almost exactly the same situation. Mine went through the floor though. It helped me to remember even though I violated one firearm safety rule I followed another. I forgot to treat it as a loaded gun but did point it in a safe direction. They are multi layered for a reason. Even though me and you went half tard we didn't go full tard and only hurt our pride.
Did your wife threaten to beat your brains in with a drinking glass? Mine did!

 

[steelman303]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

One of the guys I went to highschool with was going hunting right after school so his 30-06 was in his car (redneck style, no case just muzzle in the floorboard).
One of the old crew was with him on a skoal run during lunch & was F-in around & pulled the trigger.
His dad was none too happy with the explination of why there was a 180 grn round embeded in a cracked transmission.
Granted... this was back before people were arrested for having guns in a school zone.
I'm just suprised no toes were lost in the event.

 

[E. Bryant]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

There is a beauty to the way that the Four Rules interact with one another in a redundant manner, making it possible to violate one of them without putting someone at unreasonable risk.

I do not particularly care for the OP's idea of creating small "loaded gun zones" throughout the house, as this could allow the brain to think that guns outside these zones are assumed to be unloaded. All guns are loaded until proven otherwise - regardless of nearby tape. Otherwise, the analysis is sound, and I commend him for speaking of his experience in a manner that may benefit others.

 

[spaniel]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SniperCJ</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oughtsix</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...so I consider myself an experienced firearms handler...</div></div>

Thats why we're probably the most dangerous ones around guns. We're not afraid of them. Theyre just tools to us, so occasionally we get complacent. </div></div>

I beg to differ. I will take someone who knows and respects the power of a firearm over someone who lacks that respect any day.

However, nobody is perfect and sometimes even trained people make mistakes.

I just got into a debate with someone over the South African sprinter who killed his girlfriend. This individual stated that the man's enthusiasm for guns made it less of a surprise that he shot his girlfriend, and that it could not have been an accident because he knew his way around guns.

I sent them a link to the LAPD lighting up 2 innocent vehicles. Even trained people screw up.

My tablesaw is just a tool too. That doesn't mean I'm careless getting my hand near the blade.

 

[ykrvak]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

Scary stuff. I'll bet you don't forget that anytime soon. Thankfully you had it pointed in a safe direction.

Several years ago a guy with a fish camp near me came by wanting help getting a moose out he had shot late the evening before. I got my stuff together, jumped in the boat, and met him down at his camp. He was just getting ready to head out when I entered his cabin. He grabbed his rifle as I turned and headed back out the door. There was a really loud bang and some wood splintered about three feet behind me on the floor. He had inadvertently chambered a round and touched it off when he decided to pull the trigger and drop the firing pin. I was very glad he had it pointed at the floor when it happened. Needless to say, I still think about that often when handling firearms and especially when around others who are handling firearms. I think a 180gr '06 round at a range of about 8 feet a couple hundred air miles from real medical help would have changed things for me a bit.

Glad noone was hurt and that it was a learning experience, not something worse. It takes a man to own up to mistakes so that others might learn from them.

 

[Anvil_X]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

shit man, thats quite the doozy. Just had an ND about two weeks ago bird hunting. me and a buddy were moving through the brush, and I was borrowing an old Stevens 12 guage. thought I had put it on safe, but I wasn't sure (there wasn't any paint or anything marking which was safe, and by that point the gun was already red direct for snapshots on birdage) so I held it right shoulder arms with the barrel to the sky and did my best to guard the trigger. sure as shit, phone rings, left hand went to grab the phone, and a freakin branch stuck in the trigger well. answered the phone and started walking, at which point the branch pulled the trigger. "Hello? BOOM!!" great way to answer the phone. decided from then on that I'd rather roll Amber and take a second to cycle a round than accidentally shoot a hunting buddy or some stupid shit like that. AND most importantly for these old ass guns I borrow, mark the damn button safety.

 

[armorpl8chikn]

Re: What I learned from my first ND

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: SniperCJ</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Even an experienced carpenter hits his thumb every once in a while.

</div></div>

I picked up a framing hammer I had sitting by the door the other day. I got a little careless I guess, and before I knew it, I had knocked 3 or four holes in the drywall. My wife came in the room and said,"What the hell is going on in here?" I did the only thing I could, looked her straight in the eye and fessed up with the truth...."It just went off."

Takes a man to fess up. Sorry about the corny joke