Marauder A D

[georgerkahn]

Well... after over sixty years in the "shooting sports" I had my first (and hopefully last) accidental discharge. I had a red-dot scope on my Benjamin Marauder PCP pistol, and a combination of it's dot no longer being bright enough in field and my aging eyes suggested my swapping it for a plain-Jane scope.
Here became challenge #1, as the pistol has 11mm dovetail, and all my attachments are either 1" with that size, or (what I needed) 30mm with Weaver bottom. I got clever, and took a few sets apart, gerry-rigging a set which fits remarkably well, albeit I was concerned as ocular end clearance is but about 1/32nd of an inch, and question re magazine insertion/removal came up. I put a mag in, held the now-scoped PCP out, and -- a 14 grain pellet discharged -- just an inch or two in front of, and between, my socked feet. Whew! I have yet to find the pellet, while ever so thankful no apparent damage was done to me (or anything else in my loading room).
NOT the air pistol's fault -- just mine, forgetting for a micro-second the most important rule of handling any similar device: Assume it IS loaded!
I'm sharing my stupidity and embarrassment here as, perhaps hopefully, a headsup to other owners of similar (as well as firearms) pneumatic pistols. The extra-light (~1 lb) trigger pull is -- so I found out -- not to be taken for granted. I should have inserted an EMPTY mag; and, had the mechanical safety on... Perhaps Forrest Gump's line, in the film of same name, "Stupid is, stupid does", here rings ever so true...
(embarrassed) Geo

[HollowPoint]

I wonder if you had shot yourself in the foot and had to go to the emergency room, would the doctors have contacted the police. I hear they are mandated to call the cops whenever someone comes in with a gunshot wound but, I'm not sure if that applies with pellet guns.

Good to hear you weren't injured.

HollowPoint

[georgerkahn]

Thank you, HollowPoint, for your kind sentiments! This PCP pistol performs best for me when filled to 2,500psi, down to roughly 1,500. I had not fired it since Spring, and the pressure had dropped to its lowest still most-of-time threshold -- around 500psi. As the pressure indicating needle was NOT in the workable zone, I ignored it, also forgetting that at very low pressures, the air valve is opened by a "whisper" on the trigger. Indeed, I can not reinforce how LUCKY I was to have the H&N animal pellet hit a braided rug on concrete floor, rather than any part of me! At normal fill pressure ranges, pellets may go clean through a squirrel at ~45 - 50 feet. Albeit the pressure was ever so low -- I still shudder what results may have been, had either foot been hit. Re "hospital", great question; happy, too, I did not become a test case re reporting of an air gun pellet hit.
geo

[clodhopper]

Glad to hear your and no one else were hurt.

Was the discharge because the scope mount prevented the sear to fully set when you pulled the bolt back?

I have two marauder rifles, hence my interest.

[georgerkahn]

clodhopper -- I cannot give a "correct" answer to your good question -- sorry. I wish I could. As a Hunter Safety/Firearms instructor for many, many years, I do in fact practice what I preach -- including never having a finger in trigger guard UNTIL immediately before the choice is made to squeeze the trigger therein. I DO know my finger was not in said guard. The front scope mount ring is about 1/8" in front of magazine opening; with other almost at most rearward section of milled dovetail. On account of front ring's closeness, I elected to try insertion of a magazine, which (stupidly) had eight pellets in it. For whatever (???) reason, I held PCP out, FORTUNATELY maintaining muzzle awareness -- so when it discharged, the pellet struck a rug on floor, almost precisely between my socked (I hate shoes!) feet -- I was leaning back in chair, with legs extended. My "plan" is to do some scouting/plinking at camp Thursday afternoon -- and, have full intentions to try and replicate the AD -- to not have it occur again, God willing -- for me to try and ascertain what "went wrong". Should I get an answer, I'll post here, and/or PM you.
geo

[georgerkahn]

clodhopper -- I went to range, and could NOT get it to AD (good!)! However, I did notice that when I hooked air compressor Foster fitting up, there was no sound from airgun. However, after pressure rose just a bit, there was a quite pronounced "click". The "wheels are turning" in my noggin that perhaps below a certain pressure, stability is lost. I've never done it, but I understand (from instruction sheet) that if one over-fills, the valve seals seal and a procedure using their degassing tool is specified. Maybe the springs pressure at the other end -- low pressure -- causes a scenario conducive to an occurrence as I had experienced?
Today I started at roughly 2,500 psi, and went down to about 1,000... Had my fingers not gotten cold (47* out), I would have reduced pressure to check it out. But, did not. Anyhoos -- perhaps my AD was indeed a fluke; and I'm still happy I sustained no injury. I did find the H&N 18.5g Hunter pellet which got pretty flattened from impact on concrete -- double happy it was not a foot.
geo

[clodhopper]

Good to hear. Nice day here. The first in a while.

Fired the .17 marauder 50 times off the deck this morning.

Got 239/250 on an Appleseed AQT, Then fired 10 standing at a ripe dandelion. Half of the dandelion is still out there at about 20 yards.