Had a negligent discharge tonight. Learn from me.

[AK Troutbum]

Man, I’m glad to hear that no one was injured or worse yet, killed. I also commend you for sharing this story in the hopes that it may keep someone else from making that same mistake. I have a handful of lever rifles, but I’ve never really considered unloading them that way, and after reading your story, I will definitely make sure and never do it that way.
Aside from the fact that only your vehicle was damaged, I think you can also take solace in the fact that, at least it wasn’t an American made vehicle.

Sorry, I know, it was probably too early for that last comment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Yard Candy]

Man, I’m glad to hear that no one was injured or worse yet, killed. I also commend you for sharing this story in the hopes that it may keep someone else from making that same mistake. I have a handful of lever rifles, but I’ve never really considered unloading them that way, and after reading your story, I will definitely make sure and never do it that way.
Aside from the fact that only your vehicle was damaged, I think you can also take solace in the fact that, at least it wasn’t an American made vehicle.

Sorry, I know, it was probably too early for that last comment.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's not too early. So get this...

My old man came out after it happened (I was hunting his property and he heard the shot - he came out hoping a deer was down). I told him what happened. He saw the hole in the bed and goes, "That's not bad. You can caulk that, paint it black and no one will ever know."

Then he opened the passenger door and saw the damage and yells, "Nevermind!"

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[hereinaz]

Glad you are safe. We all make mistakes. That's why rule 1 and 2 exist, for when we do make the mistake. Glad it was only a truck. Thanks for the sobering reminder. Keeps me paranoid, and safer....

 

[TheGDog]

Having a Marlin, that was the first thing I thought "Why the hell is he bothering with putting the hammer back down in-between each round? That's just asking for some sketchy isht to go down."

Major Kudos to you in terms of telling us that you clear-check a weapon somebody hands to you.

I'll share a discharge story real quick.

I think it was a Christmas... StepDad had a pretty nice collection of firearms. One of them being a real German Luger 9mm. If I remember right how it all went down (I was about 11-12yo at the time) he had brought it out, dropped the mag and checked the chamber, and it was getting passed around. In the passing around stage... ironically.. his adult son was the last one to handle it, and just so happened to put the mag back in it before handing it back to his Dad. Then the son returns to sitting upon a bean bag that was against the wall of the dining room that was nearest to the kitchen area.

In the conversation somebody asked about supressors and how it would sound with one of them on (I would later learn this was him yet again showing his ignorance) The StepDad says, Oh you'd just hear the action working and that's it! And he proceed to attempt to demonstrate this.

Having just rec'd it back to his hands... he pulls back on the Toggle and inspects the chamber to verify that it is clear, but apparently didn't notice that his own damn son had put the mag back in it.. and sorta makes sense how he might have not looked into the mag well...since he himself dropped the mag initially. So anyway...him attempting to "check the chamber" cause him to actually chamber the first round! After which he points it in generally-speaking a safe-"ish" direction and pulls the trigger, you know, to show what the sound of the action snapping would sound like... and "POP!!!".... Holy Sh*T!!! Everyone froze stunned!!! Then we were all looking at the fridge which where it looked like he was pointing towards... only we weren't finding any shot hole. Everyone was looking and then I'm like "OH there it is!" You know those ovens mounted into the wall where the oven door sticks out from the wall the thickness of that door? The bullet... approximately 1 foot up and maybe 6" over from his own son's head... the bullet went into that oven doors side edge and the bullet apparently stopped at the edge of the oven door glass presumably without hitting the glass as it wasn't cracked or anything. I figure there was probably buncha insulation in that over door, and it was probably a rapid expansion type of bullet.

So yeah... that incident really drove it home in terms of pointing in a safe direction!

 

[slatty]

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

1. Glad you are ok.
2. Thanks for sharing.
3. You don't need to pull the trigger and lower the hammer..... just keep working the lever.

 

[.204smokechaser]

Glad you're alive! Hope your hearing improves!

Ironically, I know someone that did the same thing with his marlin 30 30 this year and he sold it the day after.

I knew 2 people that died from accidental/negligent discharges and know others that were hurt and put holes in their truck. It happens all the time. A hound hunting buddy knew another hound hunter that was killed by his own hound in his driveway after he left his gun loaded in the truck.

 

[Maverick1]

Wow. A couple of comments.

First, I am glad that you are ok. That could have been really bad.

An exceptionally distant second - that is exactly why I sold my lever-action Marlin 30-30.

While I did not have anything close to a similar "incident" I realized the potential was there. One of the first things that I did when I graduated college was sell that 30-30 and purchase a bolt action rifle.

Even though my Dad did a LOT of great things with my in the outdoors as I was growing up - I still shake my head at how he handed me a lever-action 30-30 with minimal/no training on it at the age of 12 and said "good luck" that first hunting season before heading off to his stand.

And then I used that rifle for about 10 seasons that followed. As some previous posters said, you can cycle the action to eject the shells without pulling the trigger, however, I wasn't even aware that there was a half-cock position on a lever action until I'd been using it for several years.

I always used to just lower the hammer ALL the way down. Rifle didn't have any sort of internal hammer block and was pre-cross bolt safety days. I used to carry it with a round in the chamber and the hammer lowered all the way down, even climbing into the tree - with it slung over my shoulder or later using a pull-up rope. Man was that dumb. On many fronts.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Glad you’re ok and lesson learned. That’s why I won’t hang around someone who doesn’t have good muzzle manners and open the bolt when they hand you a rifle. I don’t really approve of hunting with one in the chamber. I figure if you don’t have time to jack one in you don’t have time for a shot. S**t happens, and many accidental shootings occur using “unloaded” weapons. I had one of the infamous older Remington triggers that went off as soon as I closed the bolt on a live round. Thank god I had the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. BTW that trigger has been replaced with a Timney.

 

[dieselchessy]

I think you should buy yourself a good headlamp, and use it.
It seems the start of your folly was trying to perform tasks by using the light from your truck bed.

Its a good lesson for us all. Thanks for posting.

 

[LookinforDirt]

Like others have said, first and foremost, glad you are okay. I had a person standing behind me once that had a negligent discharge and I about jumped out of my own skin. I’ve had a moment of my own where I thank god I listened to that nagging voice in my head saying “dont do it!” One of the reasons I chose an X-Bolt over another brand where I felt all else was equal is the ability to unchamber a round with the safety on.

I don’t know how light your trigger is but I’ve always questioned having a light trigger on a hunting rifle. Everyone can have their definition of what is Iight. Me, anything under 3.5lbs for hunting is getting to light. Cold/cold hands, gloves, fatigue, increased adrenaline when getting ready to shoot an animal can all cause loss of agility manipulating the trigger. In your case I realize you were intentionally pulling the trigger. But, you mentioned the trigger being light, combined with cold hands, made you change the way you unload it. Which led to the negligent discharge.

I have a CVA Optima muzzle loader with a factory trigger that is non-adjustable and, for me, very light. Ive never measured it but it has to be under 3lbs. I know it feels like nothing to set it off. That trigger weight is always on my mind when shooting it or hunting with it.

Again, glad you are okay and bummer about the truck.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Glad you weren’t injured, I had an NG with invlolved shooting a pistol into the floor of my house, thank god rule #1 was I full effect and it wasn’t pointed at anybody or my animals.

 

[Jethro]

Thanks for posting. Buy a headlamp is what I was thinking while reading you story. Glad nobody was hurt. Now you have a reason to get a new truck

 

[rodney482]

With my pre safety marlins I work the lever by grabbing the back portion of the lever.. keeping fingers far away from the trigger.. cycle them all through. Never touching or having to let up the hammer.
** glad you are ok, great reminder for all and thank you for sharing

 

[Wapiti1]

Yipes. Thanks for sharing and reminding us these things happen and we need to be on the ball all the time.

Jeremy

 

[tt_johnsclist]

I have a similar story that involves cold hands, gloves, and a Winchester 94. Didn’t shoot my truck though!

 

[Desk Jockey]

Glad you are OK.

I have not had one but I have been around when they have happened. One buddy took a shotgun blast to his thigh. Almost lost the leg. Another in the military. That one didn’t survive.

muzzle discipline is the key. Constant vigilance.

I unload my lever guns with the butt in the crock of my hip and the muzzle pointed skyward. I jack the rounds out and either catch them or pop them onto the truck bed. I love older guns but their is something to be said for the safety of newer designs.

 

[kda082]

Good reminder for all of us. Glad you’re okay.

 

[Rsnyder]

Thanks for the humility of sharing this. A good reminder for all the readers. Glad it was only material damage

 

[Mt Al]

Thank you for sharing! Glad you're OK. Very sobering reminders of how critical muzzle direction is. I've had the "check chamber" thing happen like stated earlier - very similar situation. THANK MERCIFUL GOD that the muzzle was pointed in the right direction.

I really appreciate you having the stones to share this. Hats off.