The gun "just went off"

Greenbug · Apr 1, 2023

bcp said:
when it just happened to be pointed at someone. Seems to be a common defense in a shooting.

Over 900,000 times, though some would be repeats of the same incident.

View attachment 1376908

Anyone here familiar with an injury shooting where that excuse was given?

Bruce

Also see Sig Sauer P320 lawsuit....

sobo · Apr 1, 2023

Greenbug said:
Also see Sig Sauer P320 lawsuit....

Give it a rest, please...

Greenbug · Apr 2, 2023

sobo said:
Give it a rest, please...

I think I forgot to use the "sarcasm" font.

I think it is both a ridiculous defense to claim the gun "just went off" as well as a ridiculous offense to blame your equipment for your own personal injury etc...

Guns just don't go off by themselves, human interaction is the wild card, lack of personal responsibility is the problem.

bivy53 · Apr 2, 2023

Koda said:
The only time a gun goes off by itself is when the user is in denial of an action.

Incorrect, sir. In my lifetime I have personally had two shotguns fire with no trigger manipulation whatsoever. Once, when I was in middle school and my Dad was teaching me to shoot trap, my gun malfunctioned when I slid the tang safety off. The first time everyone thought that I did it. The next time, the RSO took the gun and it happened to him. Scared the hell out of me, being a kid and my first time at the range. Gun went to the shop for repair And the RSO lent me his gun for the rest of the shoot.
The second was about ten years ago. Another shotgun. An older used one that I had recently purchased. Slam fired on me. When I tore it down I found old grease in the fire control that had hardened over time. Once I cleaned it out and relubed, it was good from then on.
The difference is, even as a youngster, my Pops had trained me properly, and neither time was my gun pointed anywhere other than down range.

Illuminaughty · Apr 2, 2023

Andy54Hawken said:
Well...not exactly...
He was surprised that I could shoot and handle his AR as well as I did...
Seeing as how I was shooting , in his words....a "Hillbilly Mountain Man gun ".

Not sure what angered me more...
His lack of firearm safety...or his disparaging words about my Hawken Rifle...
Aw...who am I trying kind...it was his unkind words about my Hawken...
Andy

Soooo.. he wouldn't like my flintlock? Jerk.

echo1 · Apr 2, 2023

Koda said:
The only time a gun goes off by itself is when the user is in denial of an action.

I have a saying I use to teach others, "all accident shootings happen with an unloaded gun". Some people get that right away others challenge it. I keep an eye on the latter...

I went to the range with my nephew, 2 SKSs (one was a new to me Paratrooper), and a Mosin M44, to teach him how to handle the commie gear. I showed him the ropes on SKS safety, and we started out with single rounds, moving up to 5. I had the Para since it was my first time out with it. After a spell we traded guns. He loaded 5 boolits and nursed the Para SKS bolt carrier to chamber a round (instead of letting the bolt fly), then fired...nothing. I told him to keep it pointed down range, engage the safety, and dump the mag, keep the rifle pointed up, then hand the rifle to me and I would clear the chamber. When he gave it to me, I could see it wasn't in battery. When I went to eject the live round and touched the carrier, it lit off, with the bolt handle ripping my palm open (mucho blood) and blowing a hole in the shooting booth roof. The line was hot at the time and nobody but us saw what happened. When I got back to the barn, I again did a drop check and the Para hammer let go 2 out 5 tries. I looked at the sear and it had bad negative engagement. I tore it down and worked it over until I could send it to Murray for a trigger job. I think that was only my 3rd SKS at the time and I was still pretty green with the platform. That was 20 years and 40 SKSs ago. Haven't had anything like that happen again, but I know what to look for. PAX