Negligent Discharge (pics and video)

[Thernlund]

This afternoon during a range trip we had a little incident.  One of our group had his AK-47 laying on the tailgate of my truck with several other weapons.  While we were packing up he apparently either accidentally pulled the trigger or pulled the trigger on purpose to drop the hammer.  The rifle was aimed at the cab of my truck, and in my direction.  I was leaning inside the rear left door of my truck when the rifle was discharged.  The bullet passed through the cab and within about 2 feet of my head. 

For the first 15 seconds or so (I'm guessing), it didn't actually register what had happened.  My ears were ringing and I heard someone shout "IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LOADED!".  Then I turned my head and saw my windshield and noticed that there was cushion stuffing all over the place.  Then I guess I kind of clammed up.  I think someone was talking to me, maybe apologizing.  At some point I walked back to the tailgate where the offending rifle was and cleared it, then took a short walk into the desert.  Heh.

Everyone was pretty silent after that and I just resumed packing up, then we went to lunch.  That was a damn good burger I can tell you.   

I've spoken to Harm and he granted me permission to put all the speculation to bed by saying that the guilty party was his youngest brother, Jared.  I am told that Jared just this week took his CCW class.  Harm has expressed to me that he plans to take some corrective action with his brother.  For my part, while I was shaken for a short while after, I'm fine now and I shook Jared's hand upon our parting.

Images and video follow.

Entry point


Exiting the rear seat


The windshield


The inside of the windshield.  That secondary star pattern in the upper right was not there previously.


The dash below the hole in the windshield.  This ding was likely caused by a copper jacket I found nearby stuck between the window and the dash.  I gave it back to Jared.



By the time I got home I was pretty well back to normal.  I did a little CSI of my own and used a couple pieces of all-thread I had in the garage to trace the bullet path.  Pictures and a video follow.

The 2x4 is where the rifle was laying at the time of the discharge.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/C2Z1xplpEAs&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0&amp;fs=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/C2Z1xplpEAs&amp;ap=%2526fmt%3D18&amp;rel=0&amp;fs=1</a>

***

My auto insurance will cover it and Jared will be reimbursing me the deductible.  After having some time to reflect on the incident, I suppose writing a check to the insurance company is better than my wife receiving one from them.

This will set back my Broadsword purchase as I don't think Jared has a lot of money.  But it's only a small wrinkle.

So there's that.  Carry on.


-T.

[Deer Hunter]

Glad no one was hurt.  That is the most important thing.

And a big  to whoever had a gun loaded behind the firing line.

[JesseL]

There was no firing line. We were just at a spot in the desert, not a formal range.

There were lots of loaded guns around, which was fine until three of the four rules were forgotten.

[Deer Hunter]

But there was a place that was generally agreed upon to discharge the weapons, right?  If a gun isn't at that point it shouldn't be loaded.

I'm not being overcritical.  I've been in these situations before.  Situations that are easily preventable.

[Feud]

And to think, I'd been invited to go on that trip.  I might of been sitting there...

 

I'm very sorry guys, I know I can be a bit of a pot stirrer on the forums, but that's no reason to arrange to "accidentally" shoot me.  I'll be good...

[Canthros]

 

Glad everybody's okay, T!

[JD]

 Man oh man. Thank God you and everyone else was untouched.
I'm wondering about something, I hope it's ok if I ask. Is it known exactly what type of round was discharged?

[Thernlund]

7.62x39


-T.

[JD]

 I figured it was. But was it FMJ, HP, SP?

[Thernlund]

FMJ I'm pretty sure.


-T.

[Outbreak]

Damn. Glad everyone's ok.

But, T, if there was something wrong with the truck, there are people who can fix that. You didn't have to take it out in the desert and put it out of its misery.

And dare I ask...What caliber for Chevy's?

[JD]

 Ok, thanks. Have to tell you, I had some chills when I was reading about the incident. I'm already aware as it is (as we all are here), but this just brought it up a thousand fold. Damn, it can happen to any one of us. Just can't afford a lapse.

[MarshallDodge]

Wow!  That was close.  It is good too hear that everybody is OK.

I had a friend do something like this with his 10/22.  The gun was loaded with Velocitors and jammed while he was shooting it due to a magazine issue.   He had a hard time getting the magazine out so he turned around and laid it in the back of his truck.  While wrestling with the mag, he lost track of where his fingers were and accidentally hit the bang switch just as the bolt closed on a live round.

It went through the four layers of his steel toolbox (approx. 20 gauge steel), through the back window, and the rear view mirror sacrificed itself to save the windshield.

[FMJ]

Damn, but I hope he learns from this.  Jared will be a better person because of it.

[Thernlund]

Right now I think I'd rather be me than Jared.  He was white as a ghost from that moment all through lunch and to departure.  I don't think he'll be right for a few days at least.

Honestly I was surprised he went to lunch (although Harm was driving so I guess he had little choice).


-T.

[M1911a1lvr]

Boy that just brings back chills from what happened to me just before christmas. Glad to see that everyone is ok. T isn't this the second time that a gun has been negligently discharged in your vicinity. Sounds to me like maybe you should stay away from the slug throwers for awhile. Let your odds build back up again. For Jared, I hope that he has learned a very valuable lesson today. I know that it can be a hard thing to forget, so many possible scenarios end up running through your mind in reflection.

[Beamish]

"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LOADED!".  

And yet it was...

Glad no one got hurt.

Will you be trying to clean that underwear or are you just gonna throw them out?   

[JKimball]

Glad you're still with us, T.

[GeorgeHill]

What did I say about the use of Vehicles as Cover?
Thanks for the object lesson!
 


I'm very glad you, and your truck are not seriously hurt... this could have been a very bad incident... but it's not so bad.  We are all fortunate, and T, the most fortunate!

[only1asterisk]

And to think, I'd been invited to go on that trip.  I might of been sitting there...

 

I'm very sorry guys, I know I can be a bit of a pot stirrer on the forums, but that's no reason to arrange to "accidentally" shoot me.  I'll be good...

Just you remember that...

When I asked which forum member they would be shooting this weekend I didn't exactly have Thernlund in mind.

[HideWithPride]

Damn buddy - T - brother - Thank God, man . . . thank God.

Hide

[Harm]

Next to T for writing this, I think this might be the hardest writing done on We The Armed today. 
It's difficult to describe the emotion of seeing and then worse, realizing that your kid brother whom you love and adore nearly blew one of your best friends heads off. 

Part of me didn't know whether to hug T or beat Jared.  It was a very quiet ride back to town.  I've since heard through the family grape vine that Jared's spent most of tonight sick.  I think in his shoes most of us would feel the same way.   

T's truck will be taken care of.  But now the aftermath has to be dealt with.  You see I've got a long standing rule that I don't shoot with people who violate the rules of safety, and those reckless enough to have an ND/AD, but those are acquaintances, people whom I could care less if I don't see again (ok and a brother in law but...)

My younger brother (not Jared) and I talked this afternoon and feel the best course of action to happen before EITHER of us will go shooting with Jared again, is he must complete a firearms safety course or a hunter safety course AND must take a shooting class WITH HIS AK, my first suggestion was with Crusader so I can speak with his instructor post class and determine safety/skill.  Any other recommendations would be considered, although for the sake of record I'd prefer to recieve them via PM. 

But he must complete all of this before he can rejoin what for us, is a normal family activity. 

My prayer is that it was a ND, he accidentally pulled the trigger and fired a shot, rather than intentionally doing so.  I hope that, with encouragement he will seek out classes and instruction to help ingrain into him, with his weapon of choice, the proper ways and means of handling his weapon to ensure safety at all times.

I hope that everyone on We The Armed will learn from this, not just that my brother had an ND that almost ended a close friends life.  But that the danger on the range may not be the guy at the other bench, it may not be the car full of questionable characters who pulled up, or the old guy who smokes in your face and talks too much, but that the danger may be your friend, your family.  A brother. 

With all my heart I am grateful that two lives whom I care a great deal about were not destroyed today.  Both their guardian angels earned their wings today.

[stephendutton]

Can you get breech flags for an AK?

[StevenTing]

Speechless.   

[chiwar7178]

T - Glad to know that everyone's okay.  As you've undoubtedly seen, I sent you a PM.