Firearm accident

[bobm]

I will keep the club name and location out of this report. This article was in our town's weekly newspaper. This is the first I have heard of this incident.



Quoted from newspaper article.

"Sheriff's deputies responded to calls of a person injured at >>>XXXX<<< club the morning of Sept. 9th. The victim, who was bleeding profusely, was originally taken from the scene by some acquaintances but was transferred to an ambulance which went to a hospital. The male victim received serious non-life threatening injuries.

According to the sheriffs office the victim was practicing shooting a black powder rifle when the wrong type of powder was used, causing the gun to explode. The guns barrel ruptured at the trigger area cutting the shooters arms and chin. The barrel was peeled back into several pieces.

"There is no reason to suspect any type of criminal activity" stated the sheriff's office. This was just an unfortunate accident". The victim's identity was not released as no crime was committed.



These types of accidents continue to happen. Be careful out there.

 

[markT]

Wrong powder?
Pictures?

 

[DangerRanger]

Everyone should have a trauma kit in their range bag, and know the gps coordinates of their range in case emergency needs to bring a heli in.

take every safety precaution possible. Glad his injuries are not life threatening and hope he heals well. Small mistakes have big consequences in our hobby.

 

[bobm]

Well, let's assume smokeless. no pictures

.....on second thought we will make no assumptions. The article is all the info I know of. If I hear more I will add it here.

 

[rr2030]

Nothing was learned when Bugs Bunny put his finger in Elmer Fudd's barrel.

Gunshot / trauma kit is essential along with corresponding training. I hope the victim recovers quickly and fully.

 

[K22]

I spend two to three days a week at the rifle and pistol ranges. I've seen many of careless gun handling incidents. Some notables:

1. A guy sliced his thumb to the bone shooting a compact 45 ACP pistol by placing his thumb too high on the stock causing the slide to cut his thumb upon recoil. I had a first aid kit and was able to stop the bleeding until medical help arrived.

2. Shooting next to a guy in a match in the 80's and his 45 ACP blew up splintering the shocks and bulging the barrel. Amazingly no one was injured.

3. Didn't witness this one - last year a guy shot himself in the leg playing "quick draw McGraw." He survived but now walks with a cane.

4. Countless incidents of pistol shooters pointing a loaded jammed semi auto down the line to clear the pistol.

5. Countless incidents of shooters handling firearms when someone is down range changing targets.

6. A guy attempted to shoot a 9mm round in a 10 mm pistol - amazingly it fired - wrecked the barrel but no one injured.

It's disheartening to see so many violations - the only good thing about the Covid-19 is that there are a lot less shooters at the ranges these days - perhaps due more to ammo shortages than the virus.

I'm also fortunate that I'm retired so I can avoid the ranges on the weekends which tend to be the most dangerous time. With deer season approaching the once a year shooters will be showing up to sight in "Old Betsy" - beware.

 

[JayHHI6818]

Son found this aluminum ramrod in front of the 100 yds target holders.
Do you think the muzzleloader kicked like a mule?

 

[redrockranger]

I spend two to three days a week at the rifle and pistol ranges. I've seen many of careless gun handling incidents. Some notables:

1. A guy sliced his thumb to the bone shooting a compact 45 ACP pistol by placing his thumb too high on the stock causing the slide to cut his thumb upon recoil. I had a first aid kit and was able to stop the bleeding until medical help arrived.

2. Shooting next to a guy in a match in the 80's and his 45 ACP blew up splintering the shocks and bulging the barrel. Amazingly no one was injured.

3. Didn't witness this one - last year a guy shot himself in the leg playing "quick draw McGraw." He survived but now walks with a cane.

4. Countless incidents of pistol shooters pointing a loaded jammed semi auto down the line to clear the pistol.

5. Countless incidents of shooters handling firearms when someone is down range changing targets.

6. A guy attempted to shoot a 9mm round in a 10 mm pistol - amazingly it fired - wrecked the barrel but no one injured.

It's disheartening to see so many violations - the only good thing about the Covid-19 is that there are a lot less shooters at the ranges these days - perhaps due more to ammo shortages than the virus.

I'm also fortunate that I'm retired so I can avoid the ranges on the weekends which tend to be the most dangerous time. With deer season approaching the once a year shooters will be showing up to sight in "Old Betsy" - beware.

Is #3 now on Social Security disability and at the range many times a week ?

 

[Scalloper]

I am very nervous around most anyone holding a gun except my 4 sons. I see retired Army guys handle guns so carelessly is freaks me out. My wife even took a handgun away from a buddy here in our home one evening. He wanted to check out my new 45 auto and had the barrel going in all directions. After about the 2ed or 3 ed time she said " I have had enough of you swinging the barrel towards my husband" his typical response "Why its not loaded" (21 year retired Army)
I have been to a couple of ranges but never when anyone was shooting. I dont know how you guys do it. I dont believe I could ever settle down enough to shoot straight.

 

[AckleymanII]

At the South Coast gun club in Santa Ana, Ca the rifle line had 88 Benches with about 60 of them covered. You could walk the line and see the bullet holes in the roof where rifle shooters had cleared their weapon and shot a hole in the roof. The number of times the roof had been shot was unbelievable. Unfortunately, the range is now closed.

 

[edwardware]

6. A guy attempted to shoot a 9mm round in a 10 mm pistol - amazingly it fired - wrecked the barrel but no one injured.

Not amazing it fired, but I don't understand how it damaged the barrel. Knuckleheads fire 9mm in .40Short'n'Weak chambers all the time, and the worst consequence I've ever observed was a failure to extract.

What was the damage?

 

[Herzo]

I spend two to three days a week at the rifle and pistol ranges. I've seen many of careless gun handling incidents. Some notables:

1. A guy sliced his thumb to the bone shooting a compact 45 ACP pistol by placing his thumb too high on the stock causing the slide to cut his thumb upon recoil. I had a first aid kit and was able to stop the bleeding until medical help arrived.

2. Shooting next to a guy in a match in the 80's and his 45 ACP blew up splintering the shocks and bulging the barrel. Amazingly no one was injured.

3. Didn't witness this one - last year a guy shot himself in the leg playing "quick draw McGraw." He survived but now walks with a cane.

4. Countless incidents of pistol shooters pointing a loaded jammed semi auto down the line to clear the pistol.

5. Countless incidents of shooters handling firearms when someone is down range changing targets.

6. A guy attempted to shoot a 9mm round in a 10 mm pistol - amazingly it fired - wrecked the barrel but no one injured.

It's disheartening to see so many violations - the only good thing about the Covid-19 is that there are a lot less shooters at the ranges these days - perhaps due more to ammo shortages than the virus.

I'm also fortunate that I'm retired so I can avoid the ranges on the weekends which tend to be the most dangerous time. With deer season approaching the once a year shooters will be showing up to sight in "Old Betsy" - beware.

Have you considered changing which ranges you frequent?

 

[CaptainMal]

Heh. Things happen.

Few years ago at Manatee I was shooting one of my Thompson Center muzzleloaders. Using Blackhorn 209 powder and having fun. Fellow next to me kept asking me questions - I mean one after another. At one point he literally begged me to help him at this bench. I had been loading a new charge but did stop and oblige.

After more distraction I returned to the muzzleloader and shot. Ended up recoiled off the seat and to the ground. Broken nose but nothing else. Left the ramrod in the barrel and shot.

Gun held together and I still use it. Felt like a double rifle I shot years ago in 404 that "doubled" when I shot it. Hellacious recoil it was.

Lots of reflection on how I could be that stupid has come and gone. The person distracting me has apologized and apologized mega times over the years. In the end I was stupid and fallible to get into a situation like that.

Yeah for Thompson Center Omega. Boo for me.

*** No-one ever found the ramrod. Someone thinks they saw it bore into the ground about 80 yards out. Some looked. I was too bloody to try. Got a new one.

 

[dickn52]

Nice article. NOW stop making and shooting BP guns. There is a reason they are not made now.

 

[rr2030]

As I was taught in the Aviation world: If just one link in the chain of events was broken when the opportunity presented itself, the tragic event would not have occurred.

I think that philosophy applies just about everywhere.

 

[Herzo]

Heh. Things happen.

Few years ago at Manatee I was shooting one of my Thompson Center muzzleloaders. Using Blackhorn 209 powder and having fun. Fellow next to me kept asking me questions - I mean one after another. At one point he literally begged me to help him at this bench. I had been loading a new charge but did stop and oblige.

After more distraction I returned to the muzzleloader and shot. Ended up recoiled off the seat and to the ground. Broken nose but nothing else. Left the ramrod in the barrel and shot.

Gun held together and I still use it. Felt like a double rifle I shot years ago in 404 that "doubled" when I shot it. Hellacious recoil it was.

Lots of reflection on how I could be that stupid has come and gone. The person distracting me has apologized and apologized mega times over the years. In the end I was stupid and fallible to get into a situation like that.

Yeah for Thompson Center Omega. Boo for me.

*** No-one ever found the ramrod. Someone thinks they saw it bore into the ground about 80 yards out. Some looked. I was too bloody to try. Got a new one.

I remember 40 or so years ago when Guns & Ammo (IIRC) did a test as to what it took to blow up a modern muzzleloader. They finally accomplished it with a triple load of ffg and one bullet on the powder and 2 more half way down the barrel. They did not attempt using smokeless.

 

[Red Khon]

Nice article. NOW stop making and shooting BP guns. There is a reason they are not made now.

Are you saying that no one make firearms that use black powder?

 

[bobm]

I was at the range this morning doing some maintenance work. I had no trouble locating the bench where the accident happened. I found lots of bits and pieces of the gun. Can anyone identify which brand rifle it was?

 

[okie]

wow--lucky guy

 

[jimmymac]

Smokeless powder instead of black powder or black powder substitute?