I feel like an *ss! I was clearing my father-in-laws PPK/S which I borrowed to see if I wanted to get one for concealed carry. After dropping the magazine I racked the slide to empty the chamber. I THOUGHT the round fell down the mag well and onto the floor. I was wrong. I let the slide go and it slid foward without a hitch. Then, luckily with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction (outside concrete wall) I squeezed the trigger to let the hammer fall rather than using the decock/safety as I should have.
POW!! 
The unexpected recoil threw the pistol out of my hand and halfway across the room. My ears immeadiatly began ringing and the resulting impact of the .380 bullet into the block wall sprinkled my arm with little chips of concrete. The sting was a sharp reminder off how much WORSE this could have turned out. I was totally shocked! Amazingly, I calmly picked up the gun, placed it back in its case and sat down for about twenty minutes thanking God I had been alone and had pointed it in a safe direction. Then I proceeded to cuss myself for the duration of the afternoon. I tried to blame it on the gun. No slide catch made it difficult to clear properly. I tried to blame it on my years in the military where lazy handling of weapons is almost taught outright! I tried to blame it on my father-in-law for not warning me that his gun liked to shoot itself from time to time. In the end, I can blame nothing and no one but MYSELF. I was lazy. I was careless. I was stupid. I WAS LUCKY. Be careful guys and gals. We enjoy a wonderful and fulfilling sport/hobby/lifestyle. But it's an inherently dangerous one as well. I reminded myself of the awesome responsiblity we have as gun owners/enthusiasts when we handle our weapons. I just pray it's the only reminder I'll ever need. Be safe!