.460 Smith Cylinder Gap=Thumb Blown Clean Off!

[rantingredneck]

I went to the range yesterday and shot quite a few guns including one of my revolvers. Last night I had a mess of guns to clean. Our 15 year old nephew was spending the night with us. I recruited his help. As we were cleaning various parts I showed him my SP101 and gave him a quick run down on how revolvers function. He's shot shotguns and rifles before but never handguns.

As I said to him, "The bullet jumps this gap between the cylinder and forcing cone and then goes into the rifling of the barrel...." He sort of got thoughtful for a minute. Then he asked, "Won't hot gasses come out of that gap? Would they burn you if you got your hand in the way?"

Then I remembered this thread.

Even a 15 yo with no handgun experience got it. Without being told.

This guy got a manual. Now he's suing.

 

[macmuffy]

Quote:
charles isaac wrote: They also want compensation for Kathy Brown’s “loss of consortium.”
Quote:
imp wrote: I could make all kinds of crude comments about that statement...but I won't.


I'll make a comment! He had the wrong grip.
He should have held it like a cup of hot coffee in the car. IE between the legs, then loss of consortium would be in play.

Maybe stupid will die out in his generation.






.

 

[bds32]

I think this guy got buck fever and temporarily forgot how to hold the gun correctly. He paid for the brain fart right then and there. The problem is his suing another for his stupid mistake. Unlike the guy from Missouri, who posted his mistake in order to educate others, this guy wants to blame the manufacturer. Many, many people have done stupid things with firearms. I know firearms experts who have accidently shot themselves. In fact, we all have made a mistake or two and gotten away with it. Some have not faired so well. What separates this guy from the rest of us is he is unwilling to take personal responsibility for his brain dead moment.

 

[R1145]

Homer said it best:

The result will probably be S&W engraving huge ugly billboards into the sides of their barrel like Ruger does.

"Look, Marge, because of me there's a sticker now..."

 

[Topkicker]

Yup. Just looked at the owners manual on my S&W 500. Page 19 bottom of page says"Keep fingers away from the area between the cylinder and barrel." I bought mine when the X frame was first introduced. Looks like S&W has covered their ass from the begining. The guy needs to man up and say he made a mistake. We live in a world where nobody wants to admit their wrongdoing. We all make mistakes and sometimes there is no fix for them. My grandpa would say "There's no sence in pulling your pants down if you've done s--t in them." I think this is one of those classic cases.

 

[22-rimfire]

+1 Topkicker. The man clearly had no experience with revolvers. I venture to call him an idiot! I doubt he hardly shoot it prior to heading to the woods and that is a whole additional matter of discussion on ethics and sense. You don't even shoot 22rf revolvers with a grip like that or it hurts.

A shooting stick would do wonders!

 

[Gonzo_308]

The race to the bottom just picked up more speed.

 

[Mark F]

And, people wonder WHY everything costs so much. You take an IDIOT (like this guy) and add a scumbag lawyer to the equation and WE (the consumer) PAY regardless of the outcome.

I've been shooting BIG wheelguns all my life, and I have YET to get even so much as a powder burn from the gap.

 

[MacGille]

When I was a young lad, I bought a .455 Webley for $20.00. The first time I fired it i had my left thumb in front of the gap. Damn, that hurt!. I learned a good lesson that day. The same time my brother in law had the 1919 Swiss Luger re-blued because he wanted it to be prettier. He lost a ton of money on that trick. A 7.65 Luger in original condition is worth its weight in gold today.

Ah well, the things these young people do.

 

[maas]

i'm surprised that he's not suing the ammo company too

funny though the 460 is on the list of california safe handguns.

 

[the_reaper]

I may be 10 months late, but I just stumbled across this thread.

The photo azredhawk44 referenced on the first page was actually taken by
me, and first posted in the thread here:
http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=664580

Your thread is in reference to a .460
If you notice, my photo is of a 500.

My wife held the revolver per my instructions so I could show people how
the accident victim had to have been holding his firearm for the accident to
have occurred.

It was NOT intended to show a proper two-hand grip as azredhawk44 says.

I don't mind people using my images, but get the story straight.

 

[azredhawk44]

I may be 10 months late, but I just stumbled across this thread.

The photo azredhawk44 referenced on the first page was actually taken by
me, and first posted in the thread here:
http://www.ar15.com/archive/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=664580

Your thread is in reference to a .460
If you notice, my photo is of a 500.

My wife held the revolver per my instructions so I could show people how
the accident victim had to have been holding his firearm for the accident to
have occurred.

It was NOT intended to show a proper two-hand grip as azredhawk44 says.

I don't mind people using my images, but get the story straight.

Here's the pic in question:

"I'll recreate the grip tomorrow..."

Evidently this picture is to be construed as a recreation of the grip posture of the genius in question who blew his thumb off.

It was NOT intended to show a proper two-hand grip as azredhawk44 says.

Nope, and I did not mean for my post to imply that it is acceptable to stick your hand in front of the revolver cylinder. Quite the opposite.

Didn't know it was your wife's hands. The lady takes lovely care of her hands. Aside from sticking them in dangerous places of an X-frame revolver.

I'm sorry for any confusion I may have helped to create.

 

[BlueTrain]

I was under the impression that the problem was avoided by the requirement to hold your cigar with your other hand while shooting, if not otherwise required for holding onto a speeding pursuit car while standing on the running board. And by the way, no one that thinks S&W revolvers are overpriced has one, right?

 

[davlandrum]

Caught "Mythbusters" last night where they "tested" this. They built a hand out of chicken bones and sewed chicken meat around the bones to make a simulated hand.

It did exactly what is was supposed to do, severed one digit and severly mangled another.

I own the 8" .460, and it takes a lot of practice to get the balance with a tea cup grip - but I don't plan on losing a finger, so practice a lot.

Dave

 

[PT111]

This guy will not win in court. S&W did their homework, and "Read Manual Before Use" is probably printed right on the side of the barrel. Their lawyers will have him for lunch, and he will lose his own lawyer fee too. (in addition to his ER co-pay)

I would not bet on that. Never underestimate the sympathy of a jury against a corporation.

 

[Glenn E. Meyer]

On CourtTV there was a case of a guy who dropped a Ruger Single Action revolver and shot himself. Even though Ruger had sent out notices about the free modification available and the manual set chamber under the hammer empty on the older guns - he sued.

But he lost! The jury went for Ruger - BUT - DA DAH! Ruger still paid him a bit after the lost so they wouldn't appeal.

So you may never know the real outcome. Suits disappear and money changes hands and no one talks.

 

[breed]

we all do stupid things every now and then. no one's fault but his own. it would seem know one take's personal responsibility any more. we had a case on the news a few weeks back were a cop pulled over some kids one night. and one of them threw some pot out the window of the car. when asked what it was he told the truth. so this officer called for back up. well the officer responding runs threw the middle of town at speeds of 100+ and manege's to run off a straight and empty road and kill's his self. now they are blaming the kids for this idiot's death.

 

[PT111]

On CourtTV there was a case of a guy who dropped a Ruger Single Action revolver and shot himself. Even though Ruger had sent out notices about the free modification available and the manual set chamber under the hammer empty on the older guns - he sued.

But he lost! The jury went for Ruger - BUT - DA DAH! Ruger still paid him a bit after the lost so they wouldn't appeal.

So you may never know the real outcome. Suits disappear and money changes hands and no one talks.

I have a friend that went through a divorce his wife got almost nothing to her and her lawyer's shock and surprise. She appealed the case to the State Supreme Court (she did have some legitimate grounds). My friend's lawyer, who was his uncle, said that they could fight it and he had evidence that had never even been brought out that was greatly in his favor (pictures etc.). However the finrst thing that he would need (his uncle) was a retainer for $100,000. He said that was about the minimum price for carrying a case to the State Supreme Court. He settled with her for much less.

The only winners in most lawsuits are the lawyers. Even when you hear about these big settlements when the appeals and settlements get through the person get a small fraction of the deal.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

I've been curious about the outcome of this case ever since I first heard about it. Does anyone know if it's been settled yet?

A few times when I've been shooting my 44 from a bench, I have tried a few "unorthodox" grips and it is rather easy to let a finger or thumb kind of creep close to the gap if you're not aware of what you're doing. That's the point to getting proper instruction though is so you maintain that awareness.

Years ago though I mentioned to a buddy of mine that I had found that in the field if you lay on your back and use your ankle as a rest, you can get a very steady rest and sight picture with a long barreled 44 mag. He agreed but warned me that he was doing the same thing one time in an extended session and actually set the bottom of his Wranglers on fire! The flash from the barrel/cylinder was hot enough to ignite clothing. I never forgot that story and it impressed me enough not to ever get my fingers close to that area. But still... I know a 44 mag is not a 460, but wouldn't you think that flash would be enough to completely cut through my pants and leather boot top as well? I'm qute certain now that I think about it that I have had that barrel/cylinder gap resting mighty close if not touching fabric during bench sessions. I've seen some nasty black marks on an old jacket, but no gaping holes from that. Is a 460 flash that much more intense than a 44 mag?

 

[davlandrum]

I put a leather work glove on a rest to pad it. First it blew out all the seams, then started burning holes in it. The glove was underneath the frame - not right at the side where the blast is the worst.

1 shot, brand new leather bag rest - sliced clean through.

It is wicked, but oh, so fun to shoot.