Negligent discharge

[Gunsnwater]

There's guys with training that have done it.
We all know there have been cops who've done it.

The problem is we become too comfortable and bad things happen when the guard is down.

Familiarity breeds contempt.

[Berncly]

Let he who has never had a brain fart cast the first stone.

I think I'm more careful about following the rules because I assume that I'm as capable as anyone of having that brain fart.

Yeah, I think that's more or less my point.
I'm pretty much a walking brain fart, but with firearms it's zero fail, it's ritual as was well stated above, it's rigid systematic procedural handling every time, no exceptions.
I was trained that way, they hammered it into me, and that's the way I train others.
As a not so ancillary benefit, I find that systematic clearly defined training puts a lot of nervous new shooters at ease with their initial fear of firearms.
The rigidity and focus of the basic rules and procedures gives the new shooters confidence as they become familiar with weapons handling.
They are able to replace their fear with respect, focus, and discipline.
I don't want my novice shooters to fear the gun, I want them to have a healthy respect for the seriousness of the subject matter, and a well earned confidence that they have been trained to handle the weapon safely.

[Walleye Hunter]

Let he who has never had a brain fart cast the first stone.

I think I'm more careful about following the rules because I assume that I'm as capable as anyone of having that brain fart.

I've done some stupid shit, just not with a gun yet.

[markshere2]

But but but, Glocks haz a Safety!! Its onna trigger!

Unpossible!

[ViperGTS19801]

Complacency. Anyone who tries to pin the blame on the tool for doing what it was designed for needs to have their head checked.

[PAcarrier]

Something I use to prevent Glock Leg (or arm).

https://www.brownells.com/shooting-a...prod17097.aspx

Hope your buddy gets back on his feet, er...quickly.

[KCJones]

But but but, Glocks haz a Safety!! Its onna trigger!

Unpossible!

We gonna start that debate again?

Would a manual safety have prevented this scenario?

Maybe.

Operating "by habit" and/or "complacency" and/or "zoning out" is at the crux of what many are saying here: You're handling a firearm on 'auto-pilot' rather than with conscious focus.

For many manual-safety gun owners, flipping the safety "off" is a 'near-automatic' thing. In fact many folks with manual-safety guns (including me) have said so in discussing the pros/cons. We've said things like "Flipping off the safety as a I draw is second-nature to me, nearly automatic, and done before the gun even comes level." So who's to say the guy on 'auto pilot' already wouldn't have just flicked the safety?

Yes, perhaps it would have stayed on, stopped him pulling the trigger and caused a blip of "you're about to do something dumb here."

Point is, no guarantee.

==============================

Separately, while an interesting discussion, the problem is we still don't really know what happened. Was he merely taking the backstrap off an otherwise-intact gun that went boom? Did he need to field strip it, and thus pulled the trigger? Did he drop the mag but leave one in the chamber or was the mag still in it? Was he operating on a cluttered workbench or desk & some stray bit of cleaning equipment or whatever snagged the trigger? Hell, we don't (technically) know if he pulled the trigger at all or something 'just happened' in handling the gun (though obviously I'm gonna give a few if that is claimed).

Personally I'd bet on what ar15Jules said: trying to field strip it and pulled the trigger, versus "it just went off" or magic fairies pulled the trigger, but we don't know.

ND is ND. There is no 'accidental'... But precisely how it happened would certainly better-inform the conversation.

[27hand]

A lot of good points / discussion on this subject.
Jules, I agree with what you posted.
I have all gen 3 Glocks so wasn't sure what was required to change out the backstraps.

The statement I made about everyone will have a ND was, as I posted , a quote from a couple good trainers. Perhaps an over generalization that many of us either had or will experience this.

I didn't buy my first semi auto pistol till 2000, was scared to carry it for lack of an external safety, took a dozen 3 day training classes from a few good instructors and will now not carry a pistol with an external safety.
Those classes engrained safety and the fundamentals into me.
I have not had a ND to date and hopefully never will.

I hope I eventually find out exactly how this happened.
Time will tell.
KC. Good points as well.

[MARINE DIVISION TWO]

Glock's fault! They should have designed it so you could not change backstraps while it was loaded , or at least in battery.

Or just exhibit safe handling proceedures ensuring gun is not loaded would have been of help !

[Sgt.K]

For many manual-safety gun owners, flipping the safety "off" is a 'near-automatic' thing. In fact many folks with manual-safety guns (including me) have said so in discussing the pros/cons. We've said things like "Flipping off the safety as a I draw is second-nature to me, nearly automatic, and done before the gun even comes level." So who's to say the guy on 'auto pilot' already wouldn't have just flicked the safety?

I am one of the aforementioned "manual safety" 2nd nature folks. All those claims apply to drawing the pistol to put it into action.

Anything else is "removing the pistol from its holster for administrative reasons" and the steps followed are completely different.

And slow.

And

de

lib

er

ate.


ND is ND.