Local man shoots himself in the leg with holstered Glock

[trucker76]

I didn't see a general shooting forum so I'm posting this here. Feel free to move it if needed. I just wanted to share this nugget. Anyway...

So I heard on the radio some guy shot himself in the leg while in his car. Later my friend tells me he knows the guy and visited him in the hospital. He was carrying a glock (my friend didn't know the model) 9mm in an IWB holster with a round in the chamber. He was digging for his phone in his pocket when it went off. Bullet travelled the length of his leg and I guess it split open the whole way down.

Thoughts?

Did some more digging and found this. Apparently the story I was told about it being holstered was not entirely truthful. Another case of some moron doing something he shouldn't have.

wrta.com - Altoona Police say a man who showed up at Sheetz on 58th Street with a gun*shot wound… acci*den*tally shot him*self while he was dri*ving. The uniden*ti*fied 29-year old man from Altoona was taken to UPMC Altoona just after mid*night. Police say the man was legally autho*rized to have the firearm, and was doing some*thing with it while he drove along Route 764, and acci*den*tally shot him*self in the leg. No charges will be filed.

Source http://www.altoona.com/news/altoona-...n-leg,1458894/

[TXGunNut]

Doesn't add up, hope he learned from this misadventure.

[Springfield]

So much for that safe action trigger.

[Love Life]

A retard shot himself and now this will be added to the tome of gospel about the failings of Glock.

[Grump]

Well, that trigger's action is always safe so long as it isn't getting PULLED.

I always treat those things and every other DAO/similar trigger semiautos just like a revolver. That dingie-thingy inside the trigger blade ain't worth a hoot AFAIC, because almost anything (including wadded up shirt fabric) that can move the trigger almost always also depresses that so-called safety lever or whatever. Fingers aren't the only things that can pull a Glock's trigger.

[GaryN]

A retard shot himself and now this will be added to the tome of gospel about the failings of Glock.

Hahahahahah, tell us how you really feel.

[Catshooter]

That safety in the trigger isn't really a trigger safety. It's a drop safety. Without it if dropped hard enough the pistol will fire.

So he was driving and was doing something with his pistol. One way or the other, he pulled the trigger and the gun function normally.

Surprise, surprise. Let's all blame the gun/trigger for his mistake.


Cat

[Cmm_3940]

There's photos on the bulletin board at a local range of a LEO who shot himself in the leg. He was using a IWB holster that was worn out enough that the leather had lost its stiffness. The top edge of the holster caught on the trigger when he went to holster his weapon. There were photos of both the leg wound and the worn out holster. Keep your leather fresh...

[freebullet]

Well at least its not illegal to shoot yerself...yet, lol.

[Col4570]

I wonder how many people shot themselves in the old days when holstered pistols where every day wear.A young bloke here killed himself climbing over a gate with his .22 Rifle when the toggle strings on his Jacket went through the trigger guard.he managed to phone the emergency services before he expired.He was a friend of my grandson,his parents are still in deep shock.How many times do we tell others not to carry loaded guns when climbing over obstructions.He was most likely being carefull but who can account for a Jacket lace finding it way to the trigger.

[leftiye]

I wonder how many people shot themselves in the old days when holstered pistols where every day wear.A young bloke here killed himself climbing over a gate with his .22 Rifle when the toggle strings on his Jacket went through the trigger guard.he managed to phone the emergency services before he expired.He was a friend of my grandson,his parents are still in deep shock.How many times do we tell others not to carry loaded guns when climbing over obstructions.He was most likely being carefull but who can account for a Jacket lace finding it way to the trigger.

Back then it was common to carry pistols in a pocket. Probly half the gun deaths back then were accidental, very commonly when cleaning a gun (remember black powder). I have no actual evidence, just what I've read.

[Wildcat66]

The gun didn't malfunction the operator did.

Engage the trigger and guess what?

[Mik]

I wonder how many people shot themselves in the old days when holstered pistols where every day wear.A young bloke here killed himself climbing over a gate with his .22 Rifle when the toggle strings on his Jacket went through the trigger guard.he managed to phone the emergency services before he expired.He was a friend of my grandson,his parents are still in deep shock.How many times do we tell others not to carry loaded guns when climbing over obstructions.He was most likely being carefull but who can account for a Jacket lace finding it way to the trigger.

This actually happens more than you think. Usually with people practicing drawing from concealment. A lace or a zipper or a string gets into the holster and the gun gets holstered on top of it. You are usually OK to just unholster the gun, remove the jacket and reholster. Some people pull on the jacket, not good.

[FISH4BUGS]

I once (45 years ago) shot myself with an old Ruger RST4 before they had a magazine cutoff safety. I put one in the chamber and then inserted a full magazine . I shot what I thought was a full magazine and #9 was a dud. I pulled the bolt back and put #10 up into the chamber. Of course I wasn't looking when I did it.
I dropped the magazine and looked at it. Empty magazine equals empty gun, right? While reloading the magazine with my left hand (while holding the gun AND the magazine in my right hand) I somehow touched the trigger and BOOM!.
Bullet traveled the length of my leg (in high on the inside of the thigh, out after bouncing off the femur, then back in at the top of my calf stopping just above my ankle) and I still have the bullet in my leg.
Hey....it happens. I was lucky that I missed the femoral artery. Small price to pay for my carelessness.
The only thing that came out of it was an intense hatred for running and a new respect for guns. I did some damage to the nerves and muscles in the leg and the doc said I could run five miles a day or walk with a limp. My choice. I hated every step of it but did it.
The old saying about always pointing the gun down range no matter what is a rule I have followed religiously since then.

[bikerbeans]

I wonder how many people shot themselves in the old days when holstered pistols where every day wear.A young bloke here killed himself climbing over a gate with his .22 Rifle when the toggle strings on his Jacket went through the trigger guard.he managed to phone the emergency services before he expired.He was a friend of my grandson,his parents are still in deep shock.How many times do we tell others not to carry loaded guns when climbing over obstructions.He was most likely being carefull but who can account for a Jacket lace finding it way to the trigger.

A couple of weeks ago a man in NW Ohio was ground hog hunting and decided to cross a fence with a load 22-250. It was a mistake he can't make again.

BB

[dilly]

Glocks are great guns, but I prefer the grip safety. XD, 1911, etc. It is a personal preference for this very reason.

[Hickory]

The Number 1 safety feature failed.

[Love Life]

The Number 1 safety feature failed.

The brain?

[Rick Hodges]

When my department transitioned to glocks in the early 90's we had two accidental discharges. On both occasions the pistols were being carried in the waistband without a holster. One incident involved the pistol slipping down inside the pants and while heading down the pant leg the officer reached for it, grabbing the trigger in the process. The worst injury in either case was powder burns and charred leg hair. (not including badly bruised ego's ) Shortly after this we got a directive from Glock and the department to stop carrying the pistols without a holster.
It should be noted that officers carried all manner of handguns in waistbelts without incident for many years prior to this. Probably the most common way to carry the most common off duty weapon, a Model 36 S&W was to wrap a few rubber bands around the grip and shove it in your waistband. Never ever heard of one of those going off in the waistband. I am not condemning the Glock and other similar striker fired pistols only pointing out that they are different and have some liabilities. Touting the Glocks as being safe with a double action trigger like revolvers...(as Glock did, at least when they sold them to us) was wrong.

[Pb2au]

The brain?

Yup. The Brain, the first line of safety. Too bad using the brain seems to be going out of style these days.
Pop drilled and drilled and drilled this into my poor brain when I was old enough to start handling firearms. Use your brain.....