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Years & years ago, while dove hunting I had to ... go. I laid my shotgun across the top of my stool, safety ON with the barrel pointing away from me. When I came back to sit down, my leg brushed the stock of the gun as I stepped around the stool. The gun pivoted and swiveled off the stool. The gun stock hit the ground first with the barrel pointed up at my chest. Obviously it didn't fire and I knew the safety was on but it scared the ... well I'd already taken care of business but it scared me plenty. Never again? Since then, I never step around a firearm that is not in my immediate control. I also never set a long gun across something where it could pivot ever again.

Nobody saw this happen and I've been too embarrassed to tell this story before now. Still shake my head when I think of it.

Due to a friend of mine having a tragic accident while hunting (and the fact I now sometimes hunt with my 14 yr daughter) I always open the action and place the gun in a secure position when it's not in my hands. Hunting can occur in close quarters, dark, cold, and sometimes wet conditions. All kinds of possibilities for something to go wrong. Stay safe.

All of the above PLUS it's not a good idea to pick or grab any gun by the business end...ever.

Yeah, gaining 'wisdom' is kind of scary sometimes...

One of my favorite school teachers in high school took his shotgun out to the chicken pen behind his house one day to patrol for varmints. He apparently leaned over a nest to check for eggs or something, and set the shotgun down on the ground butt first in front of him, which pointed the barrel at his chest as he leaned over. Apparently it discharged when the butt hit the ground. His wife found him after he failed to return in time to go to school. I had forgotten all about this (it was years ago) until you mentioned the shotgun hitting the ground butt first. I suspect this is why the hunter safety courses that I attended (many years ago also, in another state) always recommended unloading the shotgun or rifle before setting it down and climbing over any fences.

Long arms often do not have the firing pin blocks and other internal safety devices that handguns usually have. Pays to be wary.

Thanks for your story. Glad you were OK, and I suspect that most (all?) of us have a similar story, usually with a similar (good) outcome.

Fortunately, I took NRA Hunter's Safety at age 9 -- one of the best things that I have ever done (of course, that was a loooong time ago). One thing I remember most: Not only was considerable time spent telling us how to safely cross a fence (action open, gun laid on the ground, pointed in a safe direction along the fenceline, etc.), but we each had to demonstrate the process (a fence was never very far away in the country where we lived).

Clearly it wasn't just to show us how to cross a fence; we learned the kind of effort it takes to stay safe with a firearm.

Lucky nothing happened. My shotgun (remington 870) is not drop safe. All the safety does is block the trigger. Given a large enough shock the hammer can fall.

....and don't lean your gun up against the side of your truck. Too easy to slide and fall.

A friend I worked with was carrying 2 shotguns into the house ( both loaded)...He put the pump between his forearm and chest to use his hand to unlock the door. The gun slid down hit the floor and went off, he lost his arm from the elbow down due to the tragedy. But it obviously could have been a whole lot worst.

OldSchool wrote:Fortunately, I took NRA Hunter's Safety at age 9 -- one of the best things that I have ever done (of course, that was a loooong time ago). One thing I remember most: Not only was considerable time spent telling us how to safely cross a fence (action open, gun laid on the ground, pointed in a safe direction along the fenceline, etc.), but we each had to demonstrate the process (a fence was never very far away in the country where we lived).

Clearly it wasn't just to show us how to cross a fence; we learned the kind of effort it takes to stay safe with a firearm.

You and I must have taken the same class.

You always read about Hunters getting shot with their own guns they lay down while loaded,it only takes a second to open the action,I have heard of at least two stories where hunters laid their shotguns in the bed of a pickup and had a birddog step on the trigger and discharge the weapon.