The phrase “I was just cleaning it and it went off” has become almost as cliche as “hey, ya’ll, watch this”. Still, it seems there are a strangely large number of “accidents” that occur while cleaning a gun. The explanation is always “it just went off”. Like the gun was just sitting on the table and BLAM!….there’s now a hole in the television. Call me skeptical but does this actually happen? Well, we’re going to take a look in today’s episode of Noobvember Gun Mythbust….sorry…hold on a sec…I’m getting a text from my lawyer….

Ok, so I can’t use the term “Mythb[REDACTED]er” because of copyright laws and such. So…uh..We’re going to take a look in today’s episode of Noobvember Gun Myth….uhm..smashers!

Every single instruction manual for guns starts its field stripping section with some variation of the phrase “ensure gun is unloaded”. I can think of about a dozen pistol right off the top of my head that require you pull the trigger in order to take the gun apart. How many “it just went off’s” do you think came from just that action alone?

If you look at every “cleaning and gun went off story”, they can be debunked with a single question: Why were they cleaning a loaded gun? I would be willing to bet that, if you were to get them in a private, off the record conversation, the majority of them would admit that they weren’t actually cleaning the gun at the time. More than likely they were playing with it and didn’t follow the basic safety rules for whatever reason. Barring that, there are only two ways a gun could go off during the cleaning process:

1. the aforementioned “didn’t check for empty” before they started
2. mechanical failure of the gun when all was said and done and they were reloading it.

You have to keep in mind that for #2, the probability of that happening is incredibly minuscule. In my previous discussion on ammunition failures I’ve shown that a small percentage of a large number can still be large number. Taking into account the number of guns out there (270+ million) and the list of things that would have to fail in order for the average gun to fire when chambering a round, the probability is almost incalculably small. I spoke with a local gunsmith and asked him this exact question: “how many guns have you come across that were being repaired because they fired while chambering a round?” His answer? One. In 35 years it was one gun. That gun was an open bolt, antique, class III weapon (a STEN, specifically). Keep in mind, open bolt designs are particularly funky. Guns sold to the average Joe, however, fire from a closed bolt. The differences are important but the details of why will have to wait for another article. Suffice to say, most open bolt guns are machine guns and sub-machine guns and they’re notorious for going off when chambering a round. For your normal, everyday weapon it is just unfathomably rare. Not impossible, mind you, but rare enough where it simply cannot account for even a significant number of the accidents that happen while cleaning. The more likely scenario was the person had their finger on the trigger while chambering the round.

What about dropped guns? This is yet another case where Hollywood hasn’t done much to help here. In looking at your average movie, you’d think a gun would go off if you set it on the table hard enough. At some point in history, this may have been a bit more common. Modern guns, however, are built and designed in ways that prevent them from firing when dropped. Even the simple revolver has disconnects that will prevent a strike to the hammer from causing it to fire. Glocks are a great example of drop safety designs as well. They have a safety on the trigger to make sure it doesn’t move unless a finger is on it and they have a big chunk of steel that keeps the firing pin from coming anywhere near the primer of a round. I’ve seen demonstrations ever where someone as chambered a round into a Glock then used the gun as a hammer to drive a bunch of nails through wood. That is FAR more force than you will ever put on the gun when dropping it.

The final scenario is when someone is carrying concealed and the gun “goes off” when getting out of a car or what have you. There was a story recently where someone was carrying at a wedding and his gun fired when someone hugged him. Once again, these aren’t “just went off” situations. I’ve spent a great deal of time looking into it and in every article and report I’ve read, it came down to either cheap/improper holsters or they were fiddling with their guns or both.

A poor holster can snag the trigger or not even cover the trigger at all. Lack of retention can also come into play causing other issues as well. New carriers also have this inexplicable tendency to play with their guns a lot. I’m not talking taking it out and spinning it around on their finger like some old western movie. More like constantly adjusting it or checking that it’s still there, those kinds of things. Combine that tendency with a bad holster and you’ve got a negligent discharge waiting to happen.

The fact of the matter is, guns don’t just go off. Pretty much every negligent discharge is purely down to user error. I say this not to throw people under the bus, mind you. Understanding our own role in making sure a gun only goes bang when we want is important. By continuing this “it just went off” line, it shifts the line of thinking away from “how can I make sure this doesn’t fire in the first place”. Understanding that if a gun fires, whether intentional or unintentional, it is because of your doing will make you safer in the long run.

In the meantime, the myth that guns just go off? That myth is bus[REDACTED].

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There is a near unfathomable amount of ammo manufactured on a daily basis. I don’t even want to estimate the number but I’m sure it’s pretty big. Ok, I’ll estimate it. Right now, the manufacturers are in full production and they average about 12 billion rounds per year which comes out to just short of 33 million rounds a day.

Now, quality assurance at the manufacturers is impressive. The problem is, it’s not foolproof. I’ve been researching for a while but I haven’t found any solid estimates on how many bad rounds get out. Admittedly, if I was a manufacturer, I sure as heck would keep that number close to my chest. Knowing what I know of other manufacturer’s, I’m going to give an estimate of .001% of those rounds make it past quality assurance (keep in mind, that is purely an estimate pulled off the top of my head). That means that, on any given day, 329 bad rounds could make it out into the market.

Sometimes, those rounds are easy to spot. I’ve seen some where the bullet was seated way too far into the casing and I’ve seen bullets seated the wrong way. Other times it’s a faulty primer or, in really bad cases, inadequate amounts of powder.

The less than ideal amount of powder is where problems happen. If there isn’t enough powder, the bullet won’t make it out of the barrel. Interestingly enough, if there is absolutely zero powder in the cartridge, the primer has enough power to get the bullet about 25%-50% of the way into the barrel where it will get stuck. There is a term for this kind of situation: “squib”. Technically it’s called an obstruction but pretty much everyone calls it a squib. I should note that a squib is far more likely to happen with hand reloads than in the mass produced stock. They are possible, however, in either so constant diligence is necessary.
A squib, in and of itself, isn’t a big deal as they are easy to repair so it’s not the end of the world. All you have to do is take the barrel out then hammer the bullet out the rest of the way using a wood dowel. Make sure you hammer it out in the direction it would normally go (breech to bore) because pushing it out the way it came could damage the barrel.

The danger of a squib comes in when a shooter doesn’t realize they’ve got a squib. In most cases, they’re shooting and shooting. Then they get a super weak round. “That’s odd”, they think as they manually cycle the spent brass. They aim, pull the trigger again and BOOM!!!!1!1!! Notice it said “BOOM!!!!1!1!!” and not “Bang!”. The gun flies into many pieces. The shooter’s hands and face are cut up. The gun is no longer usable unless you want to throw shards of metal at something.

What happened is the first bullet got lodged in the barrel as discussed earlier. Then the second round started to push its way in. Not just the bullet, mind you, but all the gasses as well. Now, if you’ve ever over-inflated a balloon, you know what happens. All those gasses are going into the barrel. They’ve got to go somewhere. They can’t push the bullet out…which is where the gasses normally escape. With nowhere else to go, the barrel pops like a balloon. I’ve tried and tried to find high speed footage of a catastrophic failure but I would bet that it would look very similar to a balloon popping at first. It would inflate past its engineered tolerances and as it blows it takes the other gun parts with it.

So how does one prevent this? Simple: pay attention. If you’ve shot for more than 3 or 4 rounds, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what a particular caliber feels like in the gun you’re shooting. It’s going to have a pretty recognizable profile every time you pull the trigger. If you get a shot that’s noticeably weaker, stop shooting immediately. Render the gun safe then field strip it. Look into the barrel. Do you see light? Good news! The bullet cleared the barrel. Just make sure there isn’t any residue and go back to what you were doing. If there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, well, unless you have the tools with you at the range you’re probably done shooting that gun for the day. Keep in mind, a lot of ranges have the tools necessary to clear that out so ask a Range Safety Officer for help.

Other things that can cause squibs: shooting un-jacketed bullets through barrels that aren’t meant to have them. Glocks are the biggest culprit in that case. Your gun’s manual will tell you if it’s ok to use that kind of ammo. Dirt and debris as well as pocket lint can also obstruct the barrel so regular cleaning is a must.

Just make sure you’re paying attention to more than just your target while you’re shooting and you’ll be ok. If something doesn’t feel right, stop and figure out why. Shrugging things off is how people get injured.

Image screenshotted from YouTube Video: http://youtu.be/fLk5ykGPDsU

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Up until this point, we’ve been discussing the big three. These are the same rules you’ll see plastered over every gun range, gun store and gun show from coast to coast. Here at GunNoob, we like to take a “just because it works doesn’t mean it can’t work better” approach to things so we have added our own set of rules to the big three just to cover all the bases.

One of the rules of the site is “never assume the reader knows what we’re talking about”. That’s not as insulting as it sounds. It’s simply a way of making sure we don’t fall into an “everyone knows that” trap because, frankly, not everyone does. Even if it’s one person that doesn’t know it, that’s enough to justify things. I mention this because these last three rules might seem a bit obvious. Let’s be honest though, ALL the rules seem obvious and yet there’s still accidents. If obvious things didn’t need to be said, there wouldn’t be warning labels on toasters saying not to use it in the bath. So we’re going to finish off our rules discussion with a big talk on the last three rules.

Number 4: Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to fire

If your booger hook isn’t on the bang switch, there’s less chance of it going bang unexpectedly. This doesn’t mean remove your finger after shot either. Just keep it extended and out of the trigger guard until you’re ready to go. when you’re done or reloading or what have you, take it out of there until you’re ready to go again. Those who pocket carry, the desire to fiddle with the gun may be strong. Rule number 4 is especially important here because the gun is potentially pointing at some especially vital areas. Triply-so for those who appendix carry.

Number 5: Drinking and drugs do not mix with guns

That whole “Hey, ya’ll, watch this…” thing is almost cliche at this point. Still, even one can of light beer can have an affect on judgement. The more alcohol you get, the more funny that “Russian Roulette” joke might seem. Also the more threatening that dude accidentally bumping into you might seem. Drinking and shooting is a perfect storm of stuff that fuels our opposition’s fire and it is one of the worst things they can trot out. Do us all a favor and avoid this at all costs.

Number 6: Your gun’s safety doesn’t work. Ever.

Not all guns have safeties but, if it does, you should never rely on it. Its presence does not allow you to skimp on the other rules in any way, shape, or form. It is an added layer of safety in some ways and a false sense of security in others. I’ve seen situations where I was examining guns at a store and, in doing some dry fire testing, the gun still would fired with the safety still on. Why? The safety wasn’t actually on. It looked like it was on but didn’t actually engage. Now, with that in mind, let me recite a conversation I overheard at a gun range:

Stranger 1: Careful where you’re pointing that. Remember what I said about keeping the barrel downrange?!

Stranger 2: Relax! The safety’s on.

Thank goodness I was packing up for the day already when I heard that. Stranger 2 went on to explain that it didn’t matter as I was heading out so good on him. Regardless, never skimp on the rules no matter what. Having a safety doesn’t make a gun any safer. It all comes down to you.

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Be sure of not only your target, but what’s behind it as well

So the Third Doctor came along in the series…yeah I’m not even going to try on this one. Speaking of television and movies, however, their grasp of physics is phenomenally bad. Granted, if reality worked the way it does in movies the world would be interesting, to say the least. You could just zoom and enhance any crappy security camera feed and have a perfect image of a criminal. If that fails, you could always create GUI interface using Visual Basic to track the killer’s IP address (translation: there is none. The phrase is pure gobbledygook). Beyond that, shooting guns would be even more fun than they are now!

You see, in movies, a bullet hits its target then stops (or propels the bad guy back 20 feet). That would be so much fun seeing the steel target go flying off into the distance! Reality, however, is really boring. The bullet isn’t going to hit the target with any more force than you felt when you fired it in the first place. On top of that, the bullet isn’t going to just stop when it hits…depending on various factors that is.

You know how cops always take cover behind car doors in movies? Nope. Even hollow point bullets are going to punch right through. They’ve even tested it with doors that were made back in the day when cars were actually made of metal and no dice. It still provided little protection.

What I’m getting at is that a bullet is probably going to go much farther than you expect it to. There are “factors” involved, mind you, but there are too many to reliably predict the outcomes. Things like the kind of bullet used (FMJ vs. Hollow Points), caliber, distance, bonding, material and more will affect just how far the bullet goes when passing through things. Hollow points are made to expand and actually reduce penetration but they don’t always expand the way they’re supposed to at which point they’re really no different from a FMJ round.

This is ultimately one of the reasons why Rule Number 3 is important. While it would be difficult…if not impossible to calculate the trajectory of a bullet when Thuggo is kicking in your front door, this rule still applies in a large number of situations. As stated before, every rule after Rule Number 1 exists solely to reduce the damage caused from breaking Rule Number 1. If you’ve skipped Rule 1 but are still following Rule 2, that’s a good start but just because you’re not pointing it at your cat doesn’t mean you don’t have someone in your laser’s path. A 9mm FMJ round can pass through a surprising amount of drywall and wood before it stops and I don’t think your neighbor would appreciate the new peephole you just installed in his/her living room wall.

This rule is also important for hunters. If you miss that deer you’re aiming at, your .308 round can go a loooooooong way before it stops. At shooting ranges, even indoor ranges with their backstops, you should still be aware of where you’re pointing. Pointing too high up can lead to all kinds of trouble as the bullet could go over the berm (if outdoor) or through the ceiling (which often aren’t as solidly reinforced as the backstop).

Rule number three isn’t just about what’s behind your target, however. It says to be sure of the target itself. How many stories do we hear about someone shooting into a darkened door at night only to find out they shot their spouse or roommate? If you can’t positively identify your target, you don’t shoot at your target. Period. End of story. This is why many are a bit wary of the illuminated sights on some pistols. The thought is if it’s too dark to clearly see the sights on your gun then you probably can’t identify your target either. I’ll be honest, I can’t really find a way of arguing with that logic. Granted, there are other reasons for glow sights but that’s another article.

The ideal method when you can’t positively ID your target is to take cover and make them identify themselves. That whole “shoot first and ask questions later” thing only works in movies. The reality is, there are legal repercussions about that one. Again, at the range, make sure you’re aiming at the right target. I’ve actually had someone start punching holes in my paper before. Talk about embarrassing. That’s the shooting range equivalent of throwing a bowling ball down the wrong lane.

Rule Three, in the end, is all about paying attention. Tunnel vision is always a bad thing and being aware of your surroundings along with your target will not only make you a safer shooter, but it could also clue you in to other threats in the immediate area. Keep your head on a swivel, friends.

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Rule Number 2: Loaded or unloaded, never point the gun at anything you don’t want killed or destroyed

When the Doctor Who series started in 1963, the very first Doctor was an old and grumpy dude and wasn’t very likable. Then the Second Doctor came along, played by Patrick Troughton, and suddenly the character became fun and much more pleasant. The second safety rule…has nothing to do with that, really. In fact, this is a terrible analogy. Forget I said anything here. Let’s start over.

Every rule after Regla Número Uno (which is Spanish for Regel Nummer Eins, which is German for Rule Number One) is made under the assumption that you have ignored or skimped on the previous rules. They’re a fallback, in some regards. This is why I say that, with every rule ignored, your chances of an accident increase. After rule number one ALL the rules become about minimizing damage rather than preventing an accident altogether.

You’ll often hear a term that is in many ways associated with Rule #2: “Lasering”. One way you might hear it used  is “that person just lasered the whole room!” or “I was at a gun show and that dude kept lasering me. I finally went to a different booth.” This stems from an old trick that instructors use to help people follow Rule #2. Imagine a laser shooting out of the barrel of your gun. This is one of those sci-fi lasers where you can actually see the beam, mind you. You never want that beam to cross a person. This may result in some strange anglings of the gun sometimes and if you watch people who follow the rules religiously, you’ll see them quickly and instinctively turning and twisting their hands to make sure that laser never passes over so much as a person’s foot. This is what you need to get good at: picturing that laser and keeping it away from living things.

The reason for this is simple: if you have ignored Rule Number 1 or if you are at the range or even a self defense situation where you and the attacker aren’t the only people around, you are carrying a live and ready to fire gun. If a gun is fired, you ideally only want it pointed at things that need to have a bullet in them. While not ideal, firing a bullet accidentally at the ground is FAR better than in your buddy’s foot. A hole in your TV is better than a hole in a loved one. The easiest to follow Rule #2 is to keep your gun pointed at the ground as much as possible. True, concrete floors may cause a ricochet and wood floors probably won’t stop it at all but it’s a start. Once you’re conscious of where the barrel is pointing at all times, it becomes easier to keep people out of harm’s way.

Keep in mind, if you are in a situation where Rule Number 2 and its protections have come into play (aka “the gun just went off”…which is a huge lie), you’re in for a world of hurt. You have “done goofed” as is the popular internet vernacular at the moment. There will be some legal issues moving forward. In most cases, the cops will be involved. Often, it’s written off as an accident if no one was hurt or at risk (the third rule helps with this but that’s the next article). Some districts will levy a small fine. Others, you’re looking at jail time or a confiscation of your guns. This is another reason why the rules are important: they protect you from a legal standpoint as much as they protect you and other from a safety standpoint.

Start picturing that laser and keep it away from the living. Your pets, friends, kids and spouses will thank you for it.

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Rule #1: Treat every gun as though it were loaded.

If you’ve spent enough times around firearms, you should be able to recite this in your sleep. There is a reason why this is always rule number 1: It is the most important rule. This rule can prevent more accidents than any other rule on the list. The other rules on the list? Those are there to cover you in case you don’t follow this rule.

What does it really mean, though? What is involved in following rule number one?

First off, it means never taking someone else’s word when they say “don’t worry, it’s not loaded.” It doesn’t matter if it’s a gun store clerk or a cop, you check the gun yourself. If it’s a semi-auto, lock the slide back and look inside the gun. Make sure there isn’t a round lodged in the barrel. Same with revolvers, rifles and shotguns. Inspect the chamber itself. If you can angle the gun right to see inside, stick your finger inside and feel the chamber. Try to get your finger up the ramps and into the barrel itself. If you feel a hole, you’re good to go.

I say this because I once handled a gun where the cartridge was expanded. The brass had lodged itself into the chamber and the extractor could not pull it out. Had I not actually inspected the chamber itself, I would never have known that the gun with no magazine and had the slide cycled two or three times by people before I picked it up had a live round in it. Thank goodness everyone was also following rule #2…but that’s my next post. You should have seen the looks on everyone’s faces when I pointed it out. No one argued with me when I said “and that’s why we visually inspect the chamber as well”.

I’ve also gone over another scenario a number of times: emptying/checking the gun then walking away from it. If the gun is ever out of your sight, check it again when you next pick it up. As stated in last week’s post, never trust your memory and never trust your “habits”. Ever heard the phrase “To err is human”? We are human. We err. We err a lot. Just do a Google search for “negligent discharge new story” to see how many times we err on a regular basis.

Also, just because you’re in a gun store doesn’t mean you can relax on the rules. At my local store, the clerks always check the gun before they hand it to a customer. Every time, they hand one to me, I inspect it myself. Not once have I ever gotten flak for it. If I’m ever in a store where someone does give me a hard time, I will set the gun on the counter, say “thanks but no thanks” and walk out because that’s not a store you want to do business with. If they encourage a customer to be unsafe, what other safety methods are they skipping. It’s those kinds of places you hear about a gun “going off” in a shop.

Ultimately, Rule 1 is about accepting responsibility for your own safety. The way you do that is to inspect, inspect, inspect. It doesn’t take long. I type between 80 and 100 words a minute. It takes less time to check a gun than it took me to write this sentence. You have no excuse not to. Keep in mind, once you’ve verified it’s unloaded, that doesn’t mean you can relax. Oh no, reader, we’re just getting started with the rules…

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