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drklynoon
01-12-2013, 11:26 AM
Last week the range was pretty busy at first, after a couple hours things calmed down a bit and I was policing brass. A young man and his girl showed up while I was sitting in the dirt, he said hello and seemed like a nice enough kid. Well, a little while later I noticed him shooting an auto of some kind and he was racking the slide after each shot to expel the spent case. I then noticed that the slide wasn't moving at all when he shot. I thought to myself, "what the heck is wrong with that gun." But I kept to myself. He didn't stay long and before he left the nice kid brought all of his brass over to me and through them in my bucket. I thanked him and continued shooting. When I got home and started sorting my scavenged brass I started finding these 9mm with a serious case mouth swell. It hit me he was shooting 9mm in a .40, Yikes. I didn't even know that was possible. Now I feel like a jerk because I didn't say anything to the guy. Since this happened I have examined this a few times and am confused with how someone would continue to operate a firearm that was obviously malfunctioned. I wonder if some jack-leg told him this was ok because it was so obviously wrong. Oh well, if I see it again I'll know to help.

gray wolf
01-12-2013, 12:09 PM
Sometimes I hate to but in also, but your post shows that perhaps we should.
Sometimes I visit other forums and the pure lack of understanding about firearms from some of the new people is down right scary, I mean it's frightening.
Even worse than that are the people that get a piece of paper ( Concealed carry permit ) go out and buy a gun and think they know everything about defending themselves. They don't even know how to clean the pistol.

Mal Paso
01-12-2013, 01:00 PM
My buddy noticed a target on the other side of the range office was keyholed. I walked over and the revolver looked to be a Single Action chambered in 45 Colt. The Range Master confirmed he had sold them 44 Mag ammo and went over to have a talk with them. I thought that best as some guys get defensive but they came over and we had a very good gun chat.

The following week the RM brought us a Strait Walled 308 Case. Yep, said 308 right on the headstamp. Fired in a gun Stamped 308........................Norma Magnum.

farmallcrew
01-12-2013, 03:04 PM
Wow. Glad everyone was able to walk away.

Drklynoon I hope you frequent the range a lot and those people come back and you can talk with them.

ffg
01-12-2013, 05:29 PM
9mm in a 40 , wow , that is a great story.

The joys of public ranges , I have seen some very scary stuff . I do not hesitated to call down someone when I notice an unsafe act .

captaint
01-12-2013, 05:32 PM
Apparently, some new gun owners need to spend some time getting to know their firearms - and the required ammo. Amazing how just plain careless some folks can be. I mean LOOK at your gun - LOOK at your ammo. Read the instruction manual, if nothing else. WOW !! enjoy Mike

home in oz
01-12-2013, 05:33 PM
Sounds like you need to chat with them the next time, give a little firearms lesson...

Alan in Vermont
01-12-2013, 06:34 PM
I've got a thread going, over in Wheelguns, about 38 Sp. cases that appear to have been fired in a 10 mm.

MtGun44
01-12-2013, 07:23 PM
I have picked up 9mm fired in a .40 chamber several times.

Absolutely amazing how dim some of these folks are.

Bill

drklynoon
01-12-2013, 07:37 PM
I go to the range about once a week and have never seen this young man before. If I do I'll be sure to chat with him about how things work. Hopefully, he'll be interested and learn some new things. I've had a few guys come up to me with questions and I try to help when I can but some people I stay away from. One guy was banging the butt of his .38 special against the bench to get the spent brass out. I asked him if the ejector was broke. He said no and gave some crazy nonsensical explanation. Later, the same guy came up and asked if I would teach him how to shoot. I declined and told him to have a good day. Some times its better to stand back from some people but the kid with the 9mm .40 issue didn't seem that way I think he was just ignorant of pistol operation.

dale2242
01-12-2013, 09:39 PM
I have seen 40S&W fired in a 45ACP and 41Mag fired in a 44Mag.
It can and will happen.....dale

Spawn-Inc
01-12-2013, 09:48 PM
gee, i thought i was the only one that did that.... i have necked a 45acp to 357 loaded them up. they got about 2-3 firings before the neck split like a banana.

i hit paper at 5 meters lol, that's about it. i was board, it was fun, no one hurt

Wells
01-12-2013, 10:45 PM
This last summer working as range officer for a glock shoot at plates, one of the shooters was shooting a 45 and had a 40 in the mag about 3rd round in it feed the round ok when he pulled the trigger the round flue out of the gun.
Wells

Frozone
01-12-2013, 10:57 PM
It's certainly possible. Done it a time or two myself.
I have identical Glock 23s, one is set up for 9mm with a aftermarket barrel.
Every now and then I grab the .40 cal one and accidentally slap in a 9mm magazine.

I hate wasting brass even if it's only one.
I put orange colored bases on the 9mm mags after a few booboos.

bucklind2
01-12-2013, 11:23 PM
I have always lived where I could go out behind the house a shoot until last year. I now have a range 2 miles from my home and go there when I get home. I am a truck driver so I only get there 1 a month at best. I have not had the privilege of seeing some of the thing you guys are posting but I am sure that it happens more than we would like to ever admit.

drklynoon
01-13-2013, 12:19 AM
It is interesting going to a public range that is busy. When I lived in IL i usually went to a range that was next to the police station. I think I was the only member they had LOL. I did most of my dumb stuff there. I remember distinctly bringing the pvc target hanger back to them in pieces lol. This range is very active on the weekends and has no range officer. I usually like the freedom the range offers but sometimes it can be a hassle. For target hangers they have two sets of wires running parallel to a long bench. Each set of wires has a top and a bottom and they giv you bungie straps that attach to cardboard and hang on the wires. The system is a little goofy but it works. The problem is, without a range officer we can't stop people from shooting shotguns on the pistol range and shooting the wires down. The other issue is that if anyone wants to change a target the range has to go cold. Thats not a big deal for us because we are members but people who pay by the hour get a little peeved. All in all I am extremely happy to have a place to shoot.

btroj
01-13-2013, 12:58 AM
I have some 300 Win mag fired in a 300 Wby mag. Aren't all 300 mags the same?

P.K.
01-13-2013, 08:35 AM
Not a hand gun but still one of those "If it looks wrong it is wrong" type of things and the old addage of "Safety First" is the rule. Whenever I see snuffy coming onto the range with an old Mosin I'm reminded of one very "special" individual who thought he had a bad action because he had to use a rubber mallet to open the bolt. Untill I showed him that the steel he was shooting was so pitted with rust every case was coming undone like a zipper from neck to base. Something to be said for those old actions. ;-)

drklynoon
01-13-2013, 10:54 AM
Yeah no doubt on the old actions. I've been pretty durn lucky or my attention to detail pays off, I've yet to fire the wrong round in a gun or stick a boolit I assume that it will happen sooner or later but remaining vigilant for my own stupidity is my best defense. At a public range one must be hyper vigilant of everyones stupidity.

chboats
01-13-2013, 11:05 AM
About a year ago a guy a few benches down from me put a 308 in a 270. It was not a pretty sight. The shooter was OK but the rifle wasn't.

Carl

Dale in Louisiana
01-13-2013, 11:20 AM
Apparently, some new gun owners need to spend some time getting to know their firearms - and the required ammo. Amazing how just plain careless some folks can be. I mean LOOK at your gun - LOOK at your ammo. Read the instruction manual, if nothing else. WOW !! enjoy Mike

Oh, come on, guys! You don't need to worry about all that technical stuff when you're playing Grand Theft Auto or whatever...

dale in Louisiana
(who STILL remembers all the Americans who fought World War I with 'thutty-thutties')