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spleenandideal · May 10, 2002, 11:23 PM

I am stupid, stupid, stupid stupid, STUPID!

I was getting my gear ready to go shooting tomorrow morning. I was excited because I just got a new barrel for a shotgun. I wanted to compare it to the Remington shotgun I usually keep for self defense locked in my bedroom, so I had them both out earlier. Never did lock either up because I was going to be home anyway. Did my nightly treadmill run. Girlfriend came over at 8:00 to watch American Shooter with me.

I had ALWAYS in my years of shooting followed the commandments of safety. I ALWAYS check three times to ensure a firearm is unloaded prior to dry-firing. I ALWAYS in the past dry-fired at a safe backstop (usually in my basement). I always keep my guns locked UNLOADED in a safe, to the point where I unload my CCW and place it in the safe every night. With the exception of the 870 I keep loaded but locked upstairs. Mind you, this firearm hasn't been fired in a couple years.

My girlfriend was watching TV. Some mindless show about potential playboy bunnies. I had found the old Remington manual because I wanted to see if it could be safely dry-fired without damaging my firing-pin. I stood up and picked up the 870. I was not thinking. No, I was not under the influence of anything. I carelessly shouldered the shotgun, and without thinking pulled the trigger and put buckshot through my TV, through the wall behind it. Glass everywhere. The smoke alarms went off. Nobody thank God, got hurt. My GF is okay, surprisingly calm after all the chaos. After the initial shock and requisite clean-up, we both sat down and looked at each other. I cried like a baby. I cried so much it hurt to breathr. The thoughts of worse outcomes kept flashing through my head....I could've seriously injured or killed my best friend, I could've hurt or killed myself. I coulda damaged my home even more. Luckily the buckshot missed the piping behind the wall, but there was ricocheted glass/plastic/lead everywhere. The TV can be replaced, the plaster can be patched, but I will never again forget to triple-check.

I feel so ill to my stomach. I learned a valuable lesson tonight. I was careless for the FIRST TIME in my life with a firearm and this happened. I'm usually the person at the firing range that yells at people for doing things carelessly. I always pay attenition to the marshals at competition. I always unload my firearms and keep them out of hand when other shooters are downrange. I do not feel like shooting with my friends tomorrow. I need to go to another firearms safety course.

I hope all my fellow TFLers remind themselves rigorously about safety...sure there have been posts in the past about ND/AD and I always thought, 'well jeez, that was dumb...I'd NEVER do that."
Well, I was negligent for a nanosecond, and I did the unthinkable.
I'm sorry, just needed to get it out. Thanks for listening.

May 10, 2002, 11:23 PM	#1
spleenandideal Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 1998 Location: I-77, USA Posts: 522	I commited a Negligent Discharge tonight I am stupid, stupid, stupid stupid, STUPID! I was getting my gear ready to go shooting tomorrow morning. I was excited because I just got a new barrel for a shotgun. I wanted to compare it to the Remington shotgun I usually keep for self defense locked in my bedroom, so I had them both out earlier. Never did lock either up because I was going to be home anyway. Did my nightly treadmill run. Girlfriend came over at 8:00 to watch American Shooter with me. I had ALWAYS in my years of shooting followed the commandments of safety. I ALWAYS check three times to ensure a firearm is unloaded prior to dry-firing. I ALWAYS in the past dry-fired at a safe backstop (usually in my basement). I always keep my guns locked UNLOADED in a safe, to the point where I unload my CCW and place it in the safe every night. With the exception of the 870 I keep loaded but locked upstairs. Mind you, this firearm hasn't been fired in a couple years. My girlfriend was watching TV. Some mindless show about potential playboy bunnies. I had found the old Remington manual because I wanted to see if it could be safely dry-fired without damaging my firing-pin. I stood up and picked up the 870. I was not thinking. No, I was not under the influence of anything. I carelessly shouldered the shotgun, and without thinking pulled the trigger and put buckshot through my TV, through the wall behind it. Glass everywhere. The smoke alarms went off. Nobody thank God, got hurt. My GF is okay, surprisingly calm after all the chaos. After the initial shock and requisite clean-up, we both sat down and looked at each other. I cried like a baby. I cried so much it hurt to breathr. The thoughts of worse outcomes kept flashing through my head....I could've seriously injured or killed my best friend, I could've hurt or killed myself. I coulda damaged my home even more. Luckily the buckshot missed the piping behind the wall, but there was ricocheted glass/plastic/lead everywhere. The TV can be replaced, the plaster can be patched, but I will never again forget to triple-check. I feel so ill to my stomach. I learned a valuable lesson tonight. I was careless for the FIRST TIME in my life with a firearm and this happened. I'm usually the person at the firing range that yells at people for doing things carelessly. I always pay attenition to the marshals at competition. I always unload my firearms and keep them out of hand when other shooters are downrange. I do not feel like shooting with my friends tomorrow. I need to go to another firearms safety course. I hope all my fellow TFLers remind themselves rigorously about safety...sure there have been posts in the past about ND/AD and I always thought, 'well jeez, that was dumb...I'd NEVER do that." Well, I was negligent for a nanosecond, and I did the unthinkable. I'm sorry, just needed to get it out. Thanks for listening.