No "it just went off" excuses...
Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:55 pm
http://www.thegunzone.com/nd.html
"Negligent Discharge...
No "it just went off" excuses... an experienced shooter's cautionary tale
Well... I've always heard it's not a matter of "if," but "when." My number came up and I paid a hefty price.
On Friday evening, 30 September I was preparing to go shooting the next morning with a buddy of mine. I had just put a new A-Grip on my Glock Model 30, and was going to clean it after my wife and I finished our movie.
I put the weapon back together and inserted the magazine. I did not pipe a round because I knew I was going to strip it later. I went upstairs and put the weapon in the tool box in the garage.
About an hour later, just after midnight, I returned to the garage to finish cleaning and getting gear together for the morning. I picked up the Glock, dropped the magazine and prepared to remove the slide. I have done this literally thousands of times in the last fifteen years, but this time things were a little different.
I grabbed the slide getting ready to push the takedown pins and pulled the trigger... BANG!!!
Apparently I did pipe a round an hour prior. My shooting bud attributes it to force of habit, but why the hell didn't I check the chamber before pulling the trigger? Shouldn't that be force of habit too?
Not only did I set off a .45 ACP in my garage, but the round passed right through my left hand... Yep... I _______ shot myself! I'm still having a hard time getting my head around what I did. I was so angry at myself. I have always been über safe with any firearm, but one lack of procedure changed everything. I'm really taking this hard, and all the "it could have been worse" "accidents happen," and "thank God you didn't lose your hand" statements really don't help.
I guess I'm getting over it, but it still seems very surreal to me.
Here are details... I know everyone is morbidly curious, and I don't mind telling... it's kinda like therapy for me.
The "geometry" of the wound is as follows: the bullet entered at less than a 45 degree angle, not directly in as some folks think. The only reason my off hand was in the way is because it dropped the levers and pulled the trigger at the same time. I've done it like this for years... only after ensuring the chamber was empty... that was my mistake, and I paid for it.
I did not hear the shot (nor did my ears ring afterwards), and it felt sorta like catching a fastball right in the palm of your glove. I have a very clear image, and suspect I always will, of the hole in my hand...perfect 0.45" diameter not bleeding... yet.
I took a few seconds, and then the arterial arch in my palm cut loose. Blood like you wouldn't believe. I think the fact that I was a Paramedic in a former life helped me out here. I walked into the laundry room and grabbed a towel to wrap it up, call up the stairs for my wife to come down. I remember thinking "if I go get her, I'll mess up the carpet on the stairs." No lie. She came down half asleep and kind of grumpy, and I told her "I just put a bullet in my hand." Said she was calling 911 and according to her I responded "That would be a good idea." My wife is a neo-natal RN, and can remain cool as a cucumber. This helped me out too I think.
I went back into the garage, put my blasted hand on the floor kneeling on the towel and proceeded to open my ever present jump-bag with the other. I opened a US-issue trauma dressing with my teeth, and proceeded to wrap my hand. Those dressing are the schiznit by the way. My wife later told me it was very "Die-Hardesque."
I do remember cussing at myself the entire time... I have never been that angry before....
Four cops, the shift supervisor, a pumper truck and am ambulance later I was off to the ER. I didn't feel any pain until I got in the ambulance. The endorphins shut down and it hurt like nothing you can imagine. No tickets from the cops, but they did have to ask which weapon I did it with. My garage looks like an arsenal pre-range trip.
The bullet (a Black Talon no less...) shattered the proximal phalanx of my ring finger, and "removed" two others. It destroyed the flexor tendon of my ring finger, almost separated my pinky tendon, and exited the right side of my wrist just above my watch band, damaging a branch of the biforcated ulnar nerve. There was a definite exit hole, but the blast force blew the side of my palm wide open about three inches in length. I didn't even see the exit wound until I removed my watch for the Fire Department.
Anyway, nine hours of surgery, three screws, a tendon graft from my forearm and about two-hundred sutures later I was put back together. My surgeon said if anyone has to get shot in the hand, this was how to do it. No nerve damage... whew! Physical therapy twice a week for God knows how long, and the surgeon expects at least 80% function back.
I've included a photo of the round. Snap-On tool boxes are quite literally bullet proof. The jacket separated from the lead core when it hit the box, which is why the slug is flat on one side.
The images of my hand are pretty burly, but will drive the point home. My wife thinks I'm crazy to publish this, but it really does help me feel better. But it's a hell of a way to get a three month paid vacation!
Remember... check the chamber twice, then check it again.
Irregular Updates
12 October: Just got back from surgeon's office. He said it looks good. He also told me he had a hell of time closing the entrance wound. Sutures come out next week... O joy!
Physical Therapy sucks. My hand does nothing I tell it too. I need to learn patience.
14 October: I just got back from PT/OT. A lot of wound cleaning done today. It's still pretty swollen, but when that goes down some more we'll work on strength/function. I really doesn't look much better to me, but then again I see it everyday. The therapist says I am right where I should be 14 days out.
17 October: Ya know when your hand falls asleep, and when it "wakes up" there that 20-30 second pins and needles thing that sucks butt. I always feel like that... ring and left pinky anyway. Swelling is still going down, thank God!
It only really hurts infrequently now, but it's never really comfortable. I used to think I'd rather get shot than stabbed/slashed. I don't want to start a discussion about that here... but I think I've changed my mind.
26 October: Hand is healing. Still kind of soft around entrance wound, so Doc left the last few sutures in. Not a lot of movement, partly because of remaining swelling, but much better.
First bill, from hospital, minus surgeons' bill: $22,000....
22 November: BTW: I have no idea how I became a U.S. Marshal, much less a Supervisory U.S. Marshal, in the retelling of this, though! Behold the power of the 'Net. Maybe I need to go on the lecture circut, my leave pay is running out...."
"Negligent Discharge...
No "it just went off" excuses... an experienced shooter's cautionary tale
Well... I've always heard it's not a matter of "if," but "when." My number came up and I paid a hefty price.
On Friday evening, 30 September I was preparing to go shooting the next morning with a buddy of mine. I had just put a new A-Grip on my Glock Model 30, and was going to clean it after my wife and I finished our movie.
I put the weapon back together and inserted the magazine. I did not pipe a round because I knew I was going to strip it later. I went upstairs and put the weapon in the tool box in the garage.
About an hour later, just after midnight, I returned to the garage to finish cleaning and getting gear together for the morning. I picked up the Glock, dropped the magazine and prepared to remove the slide. I have done this literally thousands of times in the last fifteen years, but this time things were a little different.
I grabbed the slide getting ready to push the takedown pins and pulled the trigger... BANG!!!
Apparently I did pipe a round an hour prior. My shooting bud attributes it to force of habit, but why the hell didn't I check the chamber before pulling the trigger? Shouldn't that be force of habit too?
Not only did I set off a .45 ACP in my garage, but the round passed right through my left hand... Yep... I _______ shot myself! I'm still having a hard time getting my head around what I did. I was so angry at myself. I have always been über safe with any firearm, but one lack of procedure changed everything. I'm really taking this hard, and all the "it could have been worse" "accidents happen," and "thank God you didn't lose your hand" statements really don't help.
I guess I'm getting over it, but it still seems very surreal to me.
Here are details... I know everyone is morbidly curious, and I don't mind telling... it's kinda like therapy for me.
The "geometry" of the wound is as follows: the bullet entered at less than a 45 degree angle, not directly in as some folks think. The only reason my off hand was in the way is because it dropped the levers and pulled the trigger at the same time. I've done it like this for years... only after ensuring the chamber was empty... that was my mistake, and I paid for it.
I did not hear the shot (nor did my ears ring afterwards), and it felt sorta like catching a fastball right in the palm of your glove. I have a very clear image, and suspect I always will, of the hole in my hand...perfect 0.45" diameter not bleeding... yet.
I took a few seconds, and then the arterial arch in my palm cut loose. Blood like you wouldn't believe. I think the fact that I was a Paramedic in a former life helped me out here. I walked into the laundry room and grabbed a towel to wrap it up, call up the stairs for my wife to come down. I remember thinking "if I go get her, I'll mess up the carpet on the stairs." No lie. She came down half asleep and kind of grumpy, and I told her "I just put a bullet in my hand." Said she was calling 911 and according to her I responded "That would be a good idea." My wife is a neo-natal RN, and can remain cool as a cucumber. This helped me out too I think.
I went back into the garage, put my blasted hand on the floor kneeling on the towel and proceeded to open my ever present jump-bag with the other. I opened a US-issue trauma dressing with my teeth, and proceeded to wrap my hand. Those dressing are the schiznit by the way. My wife later told me it was very "Die-Hardesque."
I do remember cussing at myself the entire time... I have never been that angry before....
Four cops, the shift supervisor, a pumper truck and am ambulance later I was off to the ER. I didn't feel any pain until I got in the ambulance. The endorphins shut down and it hurt like nothing you can imagine. No tickets from the cops, but they did have to ask which weapon I did it with. My garage looks like an arsenal pre-range trip.
The bullet (a Black Talon no less...) shattered the proximal phalanx of my ring finger, and "removed" two others. It destroyed the flexor tendon of my ring finger, almost separated my pinky tendon, and exited the right side of my wrist just above my watch band, damaging a branch of the biforcated ulnar nerve. There was a definite exit hole, but the blast force blew the side of my palm wide open about three inches in length. I didn't even see the exit wound until I removed my watch for the Fire Department.
Anyway, nine hours of surgery, three screws, a tendon graft from my forearm and about two-hundred sutures later I was put back together. My surgeon said if anyone has to get shot in the hand, this was how to do it. No nerve damage... whew! Physical therapy twice a week for God knows how long, and the surgeon expects at least 80% function back.
I've included a photo of the round. Snap-On tool boxes are quite literally bullet proof. The jacket separated from the lead core when it hit the box, which is why the slug is flat on one side.
The images of my hand are pretty burly, but will drive the point home. My wife thinks I'm crazy to publish this, but it really does help me feel better. But it's a hell of a way to get a three month paid vacation!
Remember... check the chamber twice, then check it again.
Irregular Updates
12 October: Just got back from surgeon's office. He said it looks good. He also told me he had a hell of time closing the entrance wound. Sutures come out next week... O joy!
Physical Therapy sucks. My hand does nothing I tell it too. I need to learn patience.
14 October: I just got back from PT/OT. A lot of wound cleaning done today. It's still pretty swollen, but when that goes down some more we'll work on strength/function. I really doesn't look much better to me, but then again I see it everyday. The therapist says I am right where I should be 14 days out.
17 October: Ya know when your hand falls asleep, and when it "wakes up" there that 20-30 second pins and needles thing that sucks butt. I always feel like that... ring and left pinky anyway. Swelling is still going down, thank God!
It only really hurts infrequently now, but it's never really comfortable. I used to think I'd rather get shot than stabbed/slashed. I don't want to start a discussion about that here... but I think I've changed my mind.
26 October: Hand is healing. Still kind of soft around entrance wound, so Doc left the last few sutures in. Not a lot of movement, partly because of remaining swelling, but much better.
First bill, from hospital, minus surgeons' bill: $22,000....
22 November: BTW: I have no idea how I became a U.S. Marshal, much less a Supervisory U.S. Marshal, in the retelling of this, though! Behold the power of the 'Net. Maybe I need to go on the lecture circut, my leave pay is running out...."
