Stoopid mistakes you made as a newbie gun person?

[ThemGunsThough]

When I first loaded the mags for my first gun, a glock 21sf, I loaded them in backwards and my buddy asked me if it was a sick joke. I had no idea what was wrong until he told me to load the magazine and rack the slide. Yeah, I disnt get too far from there.

 

[Diamondback]

Part of why I always ask them to "Show Clear" while I watch before handing it over, then watch while I check myself, and repeat the process on hand-back.

Unless the action is tied open like at WAC shows with a ziptie all the way through the receiver and ejection port so there's no *way* even a mag can be racked in never mind a round chambered...

 

[ZA_Survivalist]

farmer tight screws then stripping the head when later extracted.

 

[EVILZ]

My first pistol was a 44 mag... I spent years anticipating recoil on every pistol I shot... Then years trying to break that habit.

 

[albin25]

Bought my first auto pistol from 3 Bears guns. Was a Barreta Tomcat. Took it out to shoot, put the mag in...nothing. Couldn't get it to fire. I took it back to 3 Bears and told them my problem. He says, did you rack the slide? Well that was embarrassing

Have you still got that Beretta Tomcat?
Have you tried tipping the barrel yet, instead of racking it?

 

[Osarion]

The first time I ever handled a semi-auto pistol, I gripped the slide to rack it back in such a way that I jammed my thumb right into the ejection port. It was not a good feeling lol. Tried my best to man up and not show how badly I had just injured my now bleeding thumb in front of the gun shop salesman and my girlfriend.

 

[Brutus57]

The first time I ever handled a semi-auto pistol, I gripped the slide to rack it back in such a way that I jammed my thumb right into the ejection port. It was not a good feeling lol. Tried my best to man up and not show how badly I had just injured my now bleeding thumb in front of the gun shop salesman and my girlfriend.

Ouch, at least you didn't fire it like on the video of that goofy cop in the pawn shop.

Brutus Out

 

[edslhead]

Have you still got that Beretta Tomcat?
Have you tried tipping the barrel yet, instead of racking it?
View attachment 302940

That got traded in on a 686+. They did show me at the shop how to pop the barrel up and + one it.

 

[The Courier]

Went out to shoot clays with an 870 express 12 with some friends, but what I learned that day is never shoot a pistol grip shotgun while aiming down the sights. The hit broke a tooth and split my lip something fierce but I was able to keep a hold of the gun, $700 mistake for the dental work. Now anytime I see a pistol grip 12 I'm reminded how NOT to fire one...

 

[Pops1911]

Well, my story took place way back when I was a young teen around the time all my buddies and I had just received a driver's license. Four of us piled in to a friends car to go night hunting. Jack rabbits were big on the intended game list. Each had a different rifle that night. After a successful hunt we were driving home on a country road. I was carrying a lever 30-30 and decided to unload it while we were driving down the road. I was seated behind the driver. The first couple of 30-30s came out just fine which, unfortunately, increased my confidence as I levered out the live rounds. Yep, all of a sudden BOOM! and scared the bejeezus out of all of us. We stopped immediately and assessed the damage. Everyone was unharmed but the car was badly wounded and I had a noticeable scrape on the top of my left boot. There was a hole in the back of the front seat and a large exit hole in the driver's side door. Somehow in my youthful over confidence I had almost shot my own foot hence the large scrape on my boot. Just missed my friend's butt as he sat driving and the round exited out his door. The ride home after that was very quiet as no one felt much like talking anymore. For the record I did work and paid off the damages to my buddy's car. However the damages to my youthful self-esteem took awhile to heal.

 

[wired]

Shooting while drinking. Just say no.

 

[Mikej]

Not been in the game as many years a most here, but I'd have to say the biggest mistake made as a noob gun owner was buying Wifey a Kel-tec PF9 for her very first gun. A persons very first gun should NEVER be a mouse gun!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

"However the damages to my youthful self-esteem took awhile to heal."
Sometimes those are the best lessons.

Never try to use Pyrodex in a flintlock.
Waaaay to slow ignition from the main charge in the barrel.
At least in any that I've tried.
Learned that lesson when I first started out in blackpowder shooting.
Andy

 

[ThemGunsThough]

The first time I ever handled a semi-auto pistol, I gripped the slide to rack it back in such a way that I jammed my thumb right into the ejection port. It was not a good feeling lol. Tried my best to man up and not show how badly I had just injured my now bleeding thumb in front of the gun shop salesman and my girlfriend.

Man... happened to me but at home and with only one witness. Yeah, im fine, just a small cut.

 

[Mikej]

I forgot one....When I was 18 or so Dad allowed me to take his 2nd model Colt Woodsman with me rabbit hunting with buddies. Having no training, other that a decent dose of common sense, I used a "Grip" that put the webbing between thumb and index finger in direct conflict with the slide when firing. A lot of blood can come from that webbing I tell ya.

 

[wired]

One mistake Ive never made is purchasing a gun for my wife. Ive had three friends over the years who have been fully ventilated or partially ventilated by guns they purchased for their spouses. More power to you guys who buy your wives guns but I'm not going to be that guy.

 

[Brutus57]

I'll throw in another funny story from when I was in college. My oldest bro is about 10 years older than me. We get long great, always have, taught me chess, war gaming, a little bit of shooting, etc. Swore me in at my first commissioning.

He was stationed in NoDak when I was in college so I decided to go spend my spring break in NoDak. Well, the 3rd week of March there is no "spring" in NoDak. Ice fishing not an option so we took out his ACW replica .58 cal. Zouave black powder rifle. He's teaching me how to load and shoot and we after a few rounds decide to see how fast I can load, fire, reload, etc........Well in the heat of the moment the little knurled knob to measure the black powder got loose and slipped on the measuring post.

So I loaded a double charge without realizing it! KaBoom! Massive fireball and un-ignited black powder came out through the primer nipple and got in my eye, black cheek, etc....fortunately no damage to the eye but definitely got our attention in the subfreezing weather. Good times!.

Brutus Out

 

[jbett98]

Picture an overly curious 14 yr old boy all alone in a neighbors house trying to figure out how a safety works on a loaded semi auto hand gun.
When the little red dot is showing and the green dot is covered by the switch, that's got to be how it works.
How I missed both my legs is still a mystery to me. Good thing that pistol only had 7 rds, as my arm windmilled in a full circle and came around for a second chance before it ran out of ammo.

 

[Brutus57]

One mistake Ive never made is purchasing a gun for my wife. Ive had three friends over the years who have been fully ventilated or partially ventilated by guns they purchased for their spouses. More power to you guys who buy your wives guns but I'm not going to be that guy.

I taught a girlfriend to shoot, but yeah, I hear you on the wives, but I have seriously considered teaching my current winner! and life mate, not so much especially my first wifey.

Brutus Out

 

[PaulB47]

I once mounted a scope rotated 90 degrees, so the windage controlled elevation and vice versa. Didn't notice until I was on the range, trying to figure out why moving the windage knob caused the bullet holes to go up and down.

A friend bought a Ruger Blackhawk (or maybe Vaquero) in .44 Mag, at the same time the gun shop sold him some ammo for it. We could see the bullets in flight, bouncing off the old fence post we were shooting at. Shooting bear loads was like shooting a .22. Some head scratching before we finally figured out what was going on. Turned out the gun was actually .45 Colt. That was a gun shop goof...