Man shoots himself at local IDPA competition

[SundownRider]

At the local IDPA match I attended today, a man managed to shoot himself in the small finger of his left hand, nearly severing the top joint of his pinky. Fortunately, one of the shooters is an EMT, and was able to give the man medical treatment before taking him to the local hospital.

Apparently, during a reload, the man's left hand rode the slide forward, chambering a round and placing his finger in front of the muzzle. Ordinarily, this shouldn't produce a self inflicted wound, however, he had his finger on the trigger when he did this and the gun went off.

Hard lesson learned, and an example that we cannot ever get too comfortable with our firearm's handling knowledge.

 

[SouthCali]

the day you get comfortable is the day you get careless.

You cant rewind and take back a mistake.

Firearms have to be handled with respect or lives can be forever changed!

 

[johns7022]

I wonder why he was riding the slide forward...

 

[Ridge_Runner_5]

Because you never drop the slide on a 1911

 

[jhenry]

Every time you shoot a 1911 or other semi auto, the slide gets dropped. That's how they work. The slide gets slammed hard to the rear, stops at it's rearmost position, and then procedes to slam forward under the power of the recoil spring, strips a new round etc. Riding the slide forward during live fire is a mistake for several reasons, ONE of which is getting a body part potentially in front of the muzzle.

That being said, there are those who insist on slingshoting the slide during a reload, which is fine. I personally use the slide release. Some refer to it as the slide stop. When you use the slingshot method you grab the slide over the top and kind of rip it to the rear with the hand doing it, then continuing to the rear and off of the slide.

The only time I ride a slide forward is when I am, for one reason or another, going to load and reload the same round off of the top of a mag. To avoid potential setback, I ride the slide forward and into complete battery. I try to avoid the situation, and when I do it I am very cautious.

 

[spacecoast]

When you use the slingshot method you grab the slide over the top and kind of rip it to the rear

That's not how I think of a slingshot... imagining a REAL slingshot, you grasp the rear of the slide between the thumb and index finger, and let go when you feel the resistance of the end of the slide travel. It requires quite a bit of strength with some pistols, therefore the "laying your hand over the top of the slide and pulling sideways/backwards method" seems to be more popular, but runs the risk of pinching your hand in the ejector port or shooting your pinky off if you lay it in a position where it's extended in front of the slide. In any case, the latter method seems like a bad idea.

 

[Deaf Smith]

I use the FBI method of dropping the slide in reload. That way it does not matter what type of simi-auto pistol I have to work with, I do it the same way for all of 'em.

That being said, one of the DQ, disqualfing rules if IDPA is sweeping any part of your body with the gun. That was the first rule he broke. Then he had his finger on the trigger while manipulating the gun. That was another rule as you will find when you drop the slde of a simi-auto it jars the gun and if your finger is on the trigger that jar can get you to pull the trigger (as it did.)

At the old DPS academy in Austin, the range had many holes in the roof where recruits racked their simi-autos, with their fingers on the trigger, and the guns went off through the roof.

There are proper ways of doing a reload. Keep it pointed in a safe direction (downrange), KYFFOTFT, and never get any part of your self near the muzzle.

Well this guy is now a poster child we should use in IDPA to show how to *not* do it!

 

[Standing Wolf]

the day you get comfortable is the day you get careless.

That's well said, SouthCali!

 

[RickB]

Guys who habitually come over the top of the slide to use forward cocking serrations often have their hand beyond of the muzzle when loading, unloading, and reloading. I suppose if you've paid for them, you want to develop techniques that require their use?

 

[treg]

He broke the golden rule of safe gun handling:

"Keep your booger hook off the bang lever until you're ready to shoot!"

Read that here on TFL quite a while ago, before I became a member. Kudos to that poster, wish I could give credit where credit is due.

 

[Rich Miranda]

In a normal, modern semi-auto is it possible for the gun to fire upon releasing the slide if there is no finger on the trigger?

 

[wayneinFL]

It requires quite a bit of strength with some pistols, therefore the "laying your hand over the top of the slide and pulling sideways/backwards method" seems to be more popular, but runs the risk of pinching your hand in the ejector port or shooting your pinky off if you lay it in a position where it's extended in front of the slide.

I've racked the top of the slide for years without sweeping any part of my body. All you have to do is grab the back of the slide, pull back, and let go. You don't grab the front, you don't follow the slide forward, you don't leave your finger on the trigger, you don't put fingers or hands in front of the gun. It's the easiest thing to do under stress, because it uses stronger muscles and doesn't use fine motor skills.

 

[Lonewulff]

what is wrong with just hitting the slide release, seems like it would take less time to move your thumb to hit it instead of moving the hand you inserted the mag with all the way to the top of the gun to manipulate the slide manually.

 

[OcelotZ3]

I've actually experienced some semi-autos which wouldn't feed properly if you used the slide release to chamber a round vs. pulling the slide back. I've seen some instructional videos saying the same thing. You get a stronger stripping action by pulling the slide back to its full extension before releasing. It's not much, but it does sometimes matter.

Having said that, there is at least one manufacturer (Kahr) which states that for their handguns, you shouldn't pull the slide back to chamber a round, but should only use the slide release...

 

[Dwight55]

what is wrong with just hitting the slide release, seems like it would take less time to move your thumb to hit it instead of moving the hand you inserted the mag with all the way to the top of the gun to manipulate the slide manually.

Actually, nothing that I know of, . . . BUT, . . . I ran across an instructor one time who preached and hammered that anyone using a semi auto, . . . needs to develop the habit (for right handed shooters) of left thumb alongside and to the extreme rear of the slide/all four fingers curled over the top of the slide, move the slide to the rear and release. This was taught by him as a "foolproof" way of handling a semi auto, . . . negating any differences in the manal of arms for one verses another semi auto.

My semi auto is a 1911, . . . so I agree with your comment, . . . but just giving the other side, . . . as I remember it.

Following either of these methods will preclude shooting off a pinky unless it is a very short barreled version, . . . or the dude has SOME KINDA hands.

May God bless,
Dwight

 

[wayneinFL]

what is wrong with just hitting the slide release, seems like it would take less time to move your thumb to hit it instead of moving the hand you inserted the mag with all the way to the top of the gun to manipulate the slide manually.

There's nothing inherently wrong with it, but in my experience, racking the slide is faster, easier, and a more reliable method. It uses bigger muscles, and the slide is easier to find than the slide release.

 

[Sport45]

In a normal, modern semi-auto is it possible for the gun to fire upon releasing the slide if there is no finger on the trigger?

You don't grab the front, you don't follow the slide forward, you don't leave your finger on the trigger, you don't put fingers or hands in front of the gun.

"Keep your booger hook off the bang lever until you're ready to shoot!"

Ordinarily, this shouldn't produce a self inflicted wound, however, he had his finger on the trigger when he did this and the gun went off.

He must have pulled the trigger AFTER dropping the slide. Having the trigger back when dropping the slide shouldn't cause any problems at all. I doubt any of us are quick enough to release the trigger before the gun goes back into battery when firing.

That said, I don't advocate having your finger anywhere near the trigger when charging a firearm. The only exception to that would be when charging a high-end 1911 if directed to do so by the maker to prevent sear damage.

 

[zombieslayer]

A guy shot himself while playing "cowboy" with his revolver out at the public range on sr40 a while back. I don't think he fared so well- heard that he bled out pretty quickly. Gutshot. I know a guy who still has a .22 in his knee from "practicing quick draws".

 

[greyson97]

ugh

thats why i either use the slide release or with my left hand, i simultaneously pinch the back of the slide and pull with my left hand using index finger and thumb, and push forward with my right, disengaging the slide stop, and letting the slide close home on its own. on a loaded mag though.

in the past when I rode the slide, it causes rounds to feed funny

 

[Don P]

Because you never drop the slide on a 1911

Laughed so hard at this I ****** my pants. I have to ask where you heard/read/ were instructed "to never drop the slide on a 1911"? As I read the OP he did not state the firearm being used in this mishap.