Always wear a hat!!!

[NcongruNt]

I'd posted this in a couple of other threads in the past, but will repost here...

I actually had to subject someone to my casings during my CHL class. We were advised to bring hats for the range test for the purpose of deflecting brass, and the fellow next to me didn't heed that advice. I was shooting my PA-63, which has VERY positive ejection - cases usually end up at 4:00, 15 feet away or so. The instructor wouldn't let us change lanes once we started, so the guy next to me ended up with half a dozen 9.2mm crescent-shaped cuts in his forehead where the lips of the cases hit him squarely.

[rl168]

That happened to me when I was breaking in my 1911. The case got stuck between my glasses and my right eyebrow and I was wearing my hat. The worst thing is I bursted the blister accidentally and the burn stayed for a few weeks...ouch!

[Mr.Scott]

I was at the Bullet Trap today shooting my XD9 and trying out my new Bersa .380 CC. I had made a conscious decision to not wear a hat, even knowing that I should. I won't make that mistake again.

Everything was going fine, until one of the .380's casings ejected, ricocheted off the lane partition, then fell between my safety glasses and my face. It settled below and to the right of my right eye, at the top of my cheek. The sensation of "oh, that's warm" quickly turned into "AGHHH, THAT'S HOT!!!".

I got it out within 2 seconds, but it left a burn. A hat will now be part of my standard safety equipment when visiting the range, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Any creative cover story ideas for what I can tell people at work on Monday if anybody asks what happened?

Haha, welcome to the club. I had a 9mm casing bounce off the partition, and land in my glasses ON my eyelid. Not fun at all.

[Mr.Scott]

wow, somehow i complete forgot i posted in this thread. lol
I blame being sick.

[LedJedi]

heck, the original story ain't bad.

I've had a 45 casing land in the gap between the back of my heel and my shoe. You should have seen the jig i danced!

My wife learned the hard way not to wear low cut tops to the range. She had one bounce directly down the bra. for a minute there I thought she was gonna take it off in the middle of the range to get the thing out. lol

[dcpak86]

I never knew a hat was considered safety gear, good to know!

thanks!

[RiverRat]

I took my CHL class with my two sons and Mrs. RiverRat. We were told to brings hats, eye, and ear protection for the shooting qualification, which we did.

At the end of the shooting qual., I had shot a perfect score. Everything, I shot was in the middle, no problem, right? The instructor came by rating scores, gave me a 245/250.....but,.....but, I HAD JUST SHOT a perfect score!!

Sure enough, there was a flyer at the bottom left of the target, out of the scoring area, almost off the paper..... -5 points.

I know what I aim at, and what I hit!! There is no confusion where a .45 slug lands when fired from only 20' away. A .45 always makes a big hole. I couldn't believe it......and to add insult to injury, and envy, and a certain amount of pride, my son, shooting at the same time gets a 250 / 250. A perfect score.

We got home after the course that evening, and I was reflecting on the day, particularly the shooting qual., and how I could have missed the center of target, with a full sized .45??....I can drive nails with that gun!........at those distances??....I saw every shot hit in the middle of the target. I'm not getting THAT OLD!

My son, who is also sitting on the couch, starts smiling. You know that smile, that knowing "evil" smile....

When we did the shooting qual., my oldest son was on my right, and receiving the benefits of the spent brass out of my .45. One of my hot brasses had gone down his shirt, causing him to pull a shot. And if he wasn't going to get a perfect score, neither was I. He ended up missing the target with the pulled shot and getting a 250 / 250. The instructor was only counting the misses on the target and deducts points.

He never admitted it, but I know. I could tell by that look on his face.......and come to think of it, the hole the flyer made in the paper was a little smaller than my .45 holes...and it was at a wierd angle, like it came in from my right....he was shooting a .40 and on my right side, now let's see, hummmm, hummmmm, this doesn't take Perry Mason.....and his brother couldn't stand it anymore and ratted him out.

Besides wearing a hat, you might want to button your top shirt buttons, too! Or at least remind your shooting neighbor to your right to button theirs.

[HighVelocity]

Devious children are the product of devious parents.

I have done the hot brass dance a few times myself. It's not fun.

[RiverRat]

That is better left to another posting.