Inadvertent Ammo Test

[2cha]

Ammo: 115 gr. Hornady XTP HP loaded by Fiocchi
Test Gun: Sig 239
Shooting Conditions: 11:45 pm, balmy outdoors with a slight breeze, but a nice air conditioned 74 degrees in my family room at the time of test
General Comments: My concern that rounds fired in a self-defense scenario would over-penetrate interior lathe and plaster walls risking injury to family members is not justified. While bullet did penetrate 2 layers of wood lathe and cement (not gypsum) plaster, the nicely mushroomed slug then bounced off of memory foam mattress.
Future Concerns: Check the chamber, check it again, check the chamber, check the chamber. I'm so glad I had the gun pointed in a safe direction (i.e., away from my TV and any living thing). :o

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[chuck_roxas45]

Hehehehe sorry to say this but it's not an accidental discharge, it's a negligent discharge.

[Jordan]

Glad to hear nobody (and no TV) was harmed in the course of this test :p .

[DCDesigns]

if I were you, Id keep ammo in a different location... First, how did you chamber unknowingly, why, or how did you pull the trigger? I hope for the sake of the people around you that you are more aware in the future. Not something to joke about...

[dcmartin2001]

Glad to hear the only casualty was your wall :-o

[2cha]

Hehehehe sorry to say this but it's not an accidental discharge, it's a negligent discharge.

Agreed!!!! I said "inadvertent" meaning unintended, definitely not an accident, pure stupidity.

[Jordan]

if I were you, Id keep ammo in a different location... First, how did you chamber unknowingly, why, or how did you pull the trigger? I hope for the sake of the people around you that you are more aware in the future. Not something to joke about...

"And if I laugh at any mortal thing,
'Tis that I may not weep."

-Byron

[I_like_sharp_things]

I'm glad everyone is safe. It takes a lot to admit to a negligent discharge but this also teaches everyone a lesson on being extra careful when handling firearms.

[CubistHamster]

I did the same thing to my bed a couple of years ago. The pistol was pointed straight down, so I was really lucky to be living in a first floor apartment. :eek:

[EDCTAC]

I had a ND a while back with my rem 870 tactical. Almost lost all the toes on my left foot. My buddies joke around about making me carry a "rubber duckie" at the range, but I learned my lesson. I check my weapons at least a half dozen times now. I also had a buddy who let one go in his ground floor appartment, good thing the walls were cement. Lesson learned.

[chuck_roxas45]

Yeh, after having seen a lot of these ND's at the range, I don't just rack my slide several times, I always look at the chamber and at the extractor before closing the slide and pulling the trigger. Developing good habits is the best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones.

[Donut]

I'm glad you are inadvertently okay.

[angusW]

Yeh, after having seen a lot of these ND's at the range, I don't just rack my slide several times, I always look at the chamber and at the extractor before closing the slide and pulling the trigger. Developing good habits is the best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones.

Rack and look. That was what I was taught at my firearms course.

And keep your darn finger out of the trigger guard when you're not planning on shooting your firearm :)

[Water Bug]

Glad to hear you and everyone else are okay. Walls can be fixed. So can TVs (or at least replaced).

This is a sincere question... what happened? Was it a decocking of the weapon via the decocking lever (which SigSauers do have) that caused the discharge, or was it a pull of the trigger to drop the hammer to decock, and, unfortunately, strike the primer of the round present in the chamber?

Be safe!

[DCDesigns]

Glad to hear you and everyone else are okay. Walls can be fixed. So can TVs (or at least replaced).

This is a sincere question... what happened? Was it a decocking of the weapon via the decocking lever (which SigSauers do have) that caused the discharge, or was it a pull of the trigger to drop the hammer to decock, and, unfortunately, strike the primer of the round present in the chamber?

Be safe!

decocking any DA/SA gun should not EVER cause a discharge. That is unless there is something really wrong with the gun. Usually there are blocks that are in place to keep the hammer from falling all the way.

The only reason you'd have an AD while decocking would be with a single action only gun, such as a 1911, where your finger slipped off the hammer. (there is no reason to do this anyway)

[chuck_roxas45]

And keep your darn finger out of the trigger guard when you're not planning on shooting your firearm :)

Best safety tip of them all. :D

[Jordan]

decocking any DA/SA gun should not EVER cause a discharge. That is unless there is something really wrong with the gun. Usually there are blocks that are in place to keep the hammer from falling all the way.

The only reason you'd have an AD while decocking would be with a single action only gun, such as a 1911, where your finger slipped off the hammer. (there is no reason to do this anyway)

Not to nitpick... but the 1911 design has always included a halfcock notch in the hammer and, after the A1 variant, a drop safety on the firing pin. Point in fact, they are just as ND "resistant" as any other pistol :p . That's really neither here nor there, just defending a favorite design of mine :D .

I figure if there isn't a decocking lever or a safety/decocker on the firearm that I can use to safely release the hammer, it is worth my time to unload the gun before I try to manually drop it. I've made mistakes in the past with guns as well. Mine never resulted in any injuries either, but I learned lessons that I'll never forget... the aforementioned is one of them. :D

Accidental/Negligent Discharges can happen to anyone. I don't care how hyper aware you may be, or how safety conscious you are. That makes you resistant to them... not immune. I know people who have shot without incident for decades and loosed a round indoors out of nowhere. More often than not, the problem is complacency. After a point, experienced shooters get to feeling like they are SO familiar with firearms that they CAN'T make mistakes. All it takes from there is one forgetful moment, one distraction, whatever... and you get a hole in your wall (hopefully your wall, anyway).

[2cha]

More often than not, the problem is complacency. After a point, experienced shooters get to feeling like they are SO familiar with firearms that they CAN'T make mistakes. All it takes from there is one forgetful moment, one distraction, whatever... and you get a hole in your wall (hopefully your wall, anyway).

I've been thinking about the old adage "familiarity breeds contempt." This experience was a great lesson for me with negligible consequences, best way to learn. Same things happens with people who use dangerous machines--my brother worked 50-60 hours a week for a decade with power tools and then had his hand drawn into the table saw--a much more consequential way to be reminded of the dangerous of quickly moving metal.

[Jordan]

I've been thinking about the old adage "familiarity breeds contempt." This experience was a great lesson for me with negligible consequences, best way to learn. Same things happens with people who use dangerous machines--my brother worked 50-60 hours a week for a decade with power tools and then had his hand drawn into the table saw--a much more consequential way to be reminded of the dangerous of quickly moving metal.

Couldn't have said it better myself :) .

[Pneumothorax]

Wow, glad all is ok. I dont shoot often at all, so my 'check the chamber' radar is excellent, but I know these thing happen most when your familiarity is highest. Im paranoid. everytime I pickup my 228, I will pop the clip and check the chamber.

Two questions:
1) how is the repair coming and
2) what kind of lecture did you get from the wife/GF? (or were you lucky and they werent home?)