Your WORST Gun Mishap, Safely!

[Lawdwaz]

What's the worst gun handling mishap you've had?

 

The other day I was handling a Browning BPS in EXCELLENT shape while in my basement.  I wanted to wipe it down with some Hoppe's real quick and somehow dropped it on a mostly carpeted area of the floor.  G&%D#^@^$*^&+%!@* I couldn't believe it!

 

It was not really damaged but it sure as heck could have been a disaster if it was anyone of my other guns, scoped or not!

 

I know I've had other guns fall over in the woods, get a hard rap or two etc. but for the most part never really did any major damage that I recall.  I always worry about dropping one out of the treestand but it hasn't happened yet, thankfully.

 

How about you guys & gals, anything you want to admit to?

 

 

[DirtTime]

I have never actually dropped a gun or bow. Arrows and ammo, yep.

 

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Goes to tower shoot, forgets key to trigger lock...

[ants]

A while  back me and a few friends went rabbit hunting . I used the mossberg 500 that my dad bought me when I was 15. I hadn't used it in years so I took it out just to give it some play time. The dogs were on fire and we knocked the rabbits dead for the first hour. Then it started to pour out. We cut it short. When I got home I placed the gun, muzzle down, in a corner thinking the water would drain out until I showered and warmed up. The gun fell over, butt first, and cracked the stock at the grip…I since replaced the stock, but it sucked getting rid of the old school original.

 

Dumb ass ….I know...

[Red]

Years ago me and a buddy were small game hunting we stopped by a creek and were shooting the shi$ when he was holding then gun by the barrel the but of the gun tapped the ground while he was still holding it and the gun fired it was a 22 that thing was so close to me it sounded like a much bigger gun going off. My buddy kept apolgizing it was just a freak accident.

[Red]

2 years ago during a high wind day my bow flew off the bow hanger and fell about 18' feet down bounced off the cam landed on the sight and cracked the sight in half im glad I kept a new sight in my bow bin and had it dialed back in before dark

[wooly]

Sure, I'll play... it may help someone avoid an avoidable catastrophy.

 

In my early high school days, me and a few buddies were hanging out at his house while his parents were out for the night.

We found his old mans weed and beers in the garage before we headed up to our hangout in my buddies room to properly dispose of them the way young high school boys do.

 

After all our buzzes kicked in, my buddy disappeared and came back with his old mans pistol he kept hidden in a shoebox under his bed.

 We all drunkenly and stoned handled and admired it for a bit before passing it on to our next friend in the circle.

When the gun finally came around to me, I remember aiming it at my pal and trying to pull the trigger but it wouldn't "click" for some reason....

 

I don't know why or how we didn't try to figure it out at the time, but in the end we finally figured out the damn thing was LOADED with the safety on the whole time.

I almost killed my best friend at the time because his dad was irresponsible in regard to safe storage of his weapons with kids in the house and our own stupidity.

I think about that a lot now whenever I pick up any gun I'm unfamiliar with or see someone I know storing their firearms in a lazy manner.

The consequences can be life altering for everyone, so I'm not afraid to share that story whenever I see a gun owner that has as much common sense as a inebriated high school youth.

 

That experience has stuck with me for almost 30yrs now even though it could have ended much worse. I'm thankful it didn't, but I'm still not sure who I'm angrier at till this day...... myself for being young and dumb and intoxicated.... or his old man for being oblivious to what could have happened leaving a recipe for disaster so accessible to us all.

[monkeyman2269]

Um not really shouldent be going threw his****. You gonna load your pistol when some dude kicks your door down

Edited August 12, 2015 by WNYBuckHunter
Edited for language. Please see forum TOS

[Paula]

Um not really shouldent be going threw his *****. You gonna load your pistol when some dude kicks your door down

 

what?

[Lawdwaz]

Sure, I'll play... it may help someone avoid an avoidable catastrophy.

In my early high school days, me and a few buddies were hanging out at his house while his parents were out for the night.

We found his old mans weed and beers in the garage before we headed up to our hangout in my buddies room to properly dispose of them the way young high school boys do.

After all our buzzes kicked in, my buddy disappeared and came back with his old mans pistol he kept hidden in a shoebox under his bed.

We all drunkenly and stoned handled and admired it for a bit before passing it on to our next friend in the circle.

When the gun finally came around to me, I remember aiming it at my pal and trying to pull the trigger but it wouldn't "click" for some reason....

I don't know why or how we didn't try to figure it out at the time, but in the end we finally figured out the damn thing was LOADED with the safety on the whole time.

I almost killed my best friend at the time because his dad was irresponsible in regard to safe storage of his weapons with kids in the house and our own stupidity.

I think about that a lot now whenever I pick up any gun I'm unfamiliar with or see someone I know storing their firearms in a lazy manner.

The consequences can be life altering for everyone, so I'm not afraid to share that story whenever I see a gun owner that has as much common sense as a inebriated high school youth.

That experience has stuck with me for almost 30yrs now even though it could have ended much worse. I'm thankful it didn't, but I'm still not sure who I'm angrier at till this day...... myself for being young and dumb and intoxicated.... or his old man for being oblivious to what could have happened leaving a recipe for disaster so accessible to us all.

Thanks for adding that one Wooly, I'm sure it wasn't easy to do. Tough deal but like you said, hopefully good has come out of your admission.

[Lawdwaz]

I appreciate the serious stories but would rather have some "lighter" screw ups like mine.

I had a beautiful Ithaca Model 37 20ga in a gun case stashed in the back of my pickup on a dove hunt one time. It was a backup gun and didn't get used.

What it did get was wet! A 5gal water jug leaked a gallon or two and I didn't know it. One side of the gun case got soaked and one side of the gun did too. I didn't realize it until we got home a few days later and the rust was heavy. Pretty much destroyed the guns value, looks and panache. Bummer........

[sssurfertim]

I'm a avid duckhunter down here on Long Island, I have dropped a couple of guns over board over the years. Saltwater requires a complete take down and washing.

[growalot]

What haven't I done to my poor little browning...Mr B picked me up on our first 4 wheeler ...going across the field he hit a bump and managed to pop a wheeling ..off the back I went. Tire grabbed my boot as I did pulled it off (shedding it) and my gun went barrel first straight into the ground...packing it with mud and dirt...then I have tripped several times filling barrel. I had it slung over my back and hit a patch of ice. feet straight out and landed on my back, gun between me and ground...fought a buck off with it and a couple of times had guys knock it over at camp...So ask me why I don't use a scope...

[monkeyman2269]

I'm just saying it's not totally the dads fault

[grampy]

Many years ago, my buddy saved all summer to buy a brand new Ithaca Deerslayer. Opening day came and about mid morning I heard him shoot down the ridge from where I was. After an hour or so and not seeing anything myself, I went down to where he was. Sure enough he had a buck down and was so happy with his new gun. He made a perfect 75 yard shot in a small opening in a swamp. So we get ready for the long drag up hill and I grab his pack and gun as well as my gear to bring up the hill, and he says don't drop my gun! I made two steps before slipping on the muddy slope and sticking the barrel about four inches in the mud and bent the crown of the barrel. He has never let me forget it!!! 

[dbHunterNY]

guns....

 

all standing in a circle talking while my cousin loaded a borrowed Winchester Model 1897 12ga shotgun.  Rule #1 he had it pointed in a safe direction.  As we were talking though is went off into the ground in the center of the circle.  we all locked up like a deer in the headlights.  laughed gave him crap and then thanked him for pointing it in the right direction to begin with.

 

multiple times walking down a slope coddling my scoped rifle I've slipped.  Bumped it pretty good, drag the butt stock through the mud/snow, and stuck the muzzle into the snow/mud.  never messed with the crown enough to effect accuracy from what I could tell.  I keep oil and a boresnake close reasonably close by like on me or back at the truck for that reason.  i'll unload it before traversing that kind of ground, muzzle up, and with the scope and receiver against my chest now.  I've slid dozens of times probably.  had ground to gun contact maybe half a dozen but only a few that were anything to be concerned about like above.

 

dropped my Benelli Super Nova pump 12ga in pond/swamp water.  also had a weird incident when it was used for clays where the trigger components and pump/forend stock binded up from maybe somehow working both at the same time or something.  after a while of getting harassed by friends about my "Benelli" and trying to be gentle, had it in a safe direction and basically slammed the butt stock down on tree stump.  everything broke free, looked it over good, tested function, and then went back to kicking their butt shooting clays.  worked flawlessly ever since and only issue I've ever had with it.

 

packed up the car to go bowhunting one morning very early in the morning/night.  spot needed to be accessed sooner than usual and was a ways away.  I set my $2,000 PSE Evo compound bow setup on the roof, finished packing things up, and then drove off.  55+ mph down the county highway.  got to my spot, saw I didn't have my bow, and then started to about pass out.  drove back and forth home and back a handful of times before the sun came up looking for it or pieces.  didn't find anything.  put up signs along the road about it missing.  mail man found it on the side of the highway and called me the next morning.  met him, chatted it up about loss, and then gave him a good finders fee.  it had a little road rash on limb pocket bolts and most on sight.  arrows were half popped out of the quiver.  no other damage other than cosmetic.  didn't adjust a thing and shot all 3 X's on a vegas face at 20 yards.  still killing deer with setup with everything that went for a ride still on it.
 

[wooly]

I appreciate the serious stories but would rather have some "lighter" screw ups like mine.

 

Oh, I got plenty of those too,lol

 

Most recently, turkey hunting with my sister this spring. We'd set up several times one morning and we weren't having much luck.

We decided to call it quits early and started heading back home when I stopped dead in my tracks, looked at her and asked...."didn't I bring my gun along today..?"

She said "You had it earlier this morning"

 

Ahhhh crap, we made our way around to 5 or 6 of our last set ups where I finally found my shotgun laying in the leaves,lol

I'm so used to paying such close attention to not leave my camera behind throughout the year, that Ii forget half of my other crap when I bring anything "extra".... like a gun for instance,lol

[Jaeger]

Might not be worst "gun handling" mishap but my worst gun related mishap happened in my mentors reloading room.

 

My reloading mentor was showing me how to reload and after a range session we decided the load was not the best and proceeded to pull some bullets.

 

He gave me a hammer type bullet puller and we put the cartridge in it.  I started to hammer it on the ground, BANG!!!!!

 

My heart stopped at the bang, and time was suspended while I waited for the main charge to go off and explode.  It never came.

 

After we caught out breath, and got our hearts going again, we determined that he had some loose primers on the floor and against all odds, I hit one with the hammer bullet puller!

 

Taught me to keep a clean orderly gun/reloading room, I can tell you.

 

_____________

 

Worst gun handling mishap might be when I blew my knee out during an icy deer season hunt and had to use my Rem 7600 as a cane to crawl home.  The stock got all tore up.  I keep it out of loyalty, it got me home, I'm keeping it scratches and all.

 

note-three shots in the air only told the neighbors I was doing a lot of shooting, lot of good that did me.

[moog5050]

I once shot Phade in the foot with a .22 after he told me that he wanted to set more stands and cameras.  That said, I am not sure intentional conduct constitutes a mishap.

 

Nothing really with a gun, but I did have a bow hanger twist and drop my new compound 15 feet.  Landed in the thick stuff and no damage was done.  Bow hanger was removed from that tree.  I was hunting in sweatpants that day, so at least the mishap was consistent with my hunting attire.

[Curmudgeon]

My personal worst was killing a deer, field dressing it, dragging it uphill a half mile to home and arriving without my shotgun. It was leaning against the tree when I got back down the hill - a mile round trip for an exhausted hunter.

 

The most dangerous mishap I know of in my family was when one hunter - in a tree stand - shot a buck in front of heavy cover. Unknown to him, another member of the family was tracking a deer through that same cover not far away. The bullet passed through the deer and hit the ground 6' from the second hunter - who was wearing plenty of orange but still invisible.

[Jeremy K]

I guess mine would have to be sticking the end of the barrel into the ground and plugging it up with dirt,simple fix though,remove the barrel and swing it like a baseball bat and watch the dirt plug fly.

[G-Man]

Well not to me but I was with the guys at camp, one fellow came up and saw some turkeys we had got hanging and since he had his permit but no shotgun (was bow season) i lent him a 10ga single shot and took him out to where the turkeys were, he sees on pulls the gun up and nothing I yell bull back the hammer, he proceed to hit the ejection lever breaking the gun in half and ejecting the shell over his shoulder, the turkey just ran away....

Another time my friend who is a gun safety nut, brought down his gun and opening morning of gun takes it out of the case to find that he doesn't have the key for the lock,I told him I cold get it off but the lock would be shot, he said ok a quick run to the shed for a cordless drill and the lock was off in less than 3 seconds,drilled the keyway right out. (Useless things that they are) he quick got out before opening light on a perfect morning and got a nice buck.

One serious one, had a friend carry his father's 870 pump over his arm (no sling)across a long deep snowy field, when he got to his stand he radioed he was all set, the drive pushed deer right to him, we heard 2 shots from his spot, snow had filled the end of his barrel unnoticed and he blew the barrel with the 1st shot but didn't notice it as the gun was scoped and the flower at the end of his barrel was not in scopes line of sight, he took second shot and then saw out the corner of his eye a leaf of metal, he was very lucky and it was the closest person I know of to be that lucky not to get hurt.

[Two Track]

Couple years ago took out my grandfather's scoped deer rifle to do a hunt in the snow.  Saw nothing but snow and few tracks.  Slung the rifle over my shoulder and headed back. Slipped on large embedded rock that was snow covered and fell backwards.

 

Yes the scoped gun ended up between me and the rock.

As luck would have it, just a couple scrapes on the barrel and stock and snow stuffed all around the scope.

 

 

20 years ago was tree-stand hunting deer.  Nice size buck pops up, took two shots, It disappears down a slope, looked like I mis-judged the distance and missed.  20 minutes later a smaller buck pops up from under the brush 15 yards away.  Take a shot, saw it was hit watched it as it tracked similar path the other deer took but turned a bit more east and saw it drop. 

 

That is when I tried to unload and it was jammed with another slug in the chamber.  Luckily we had FRS radios with us, so I called that the deer was down but I have a loaded jammed gun while still in the stand and need help. My uncle was in the next stand over, so handed the gun down and he used his leatherman to get it open to empty it. Almost had to walk it across a dual-highway, as the reloader mechanism broke and was difficult to get it open. It was in the shop for two years - hard to get parts for a 16 gauge semi-auto.

 

[Lawdwaz]

Man you guys are a bunch of screw ups.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for all the funny but safe (for the most part) replies.  A few more are coming to mind for me but it'll take a while to compose them properly so that I don't look like too much of a boob.

[greensider]

i came home from hunting with my grandfathers model 88 winchester got out of the truck thru the sling over my shoulder and a screw came out and it fell on the concrete broke the scope and cracked the stock i wanted to cry