The Worst A Gun Has Hurt You

[bloodandgutsmurphy]

I just had the idea to start this thread out of the blues. Firearms sometimes hurt people besides being struck by a bullet. Walther PPK'S have given people slide bite, revolvers have burned people because of the cylinder gap, M1 Garands have given people Garand thumb, and hot brass has probably landed on most of us. Besides being struck by hot brass the only other thing that has happened was unintentionally letting the Web of my hand stay in a pistol slide while hitting the slide release. I was more surprised than anything, did bleed a good amount. What has happened to some other ingoers?

 

[1775usmarine]

My disposable income became nonexistent and my wife yells more.

 

[snorko]

I have a scar on my right hand from the bolt face of a Rem 7400. Result from a jam session at the range.

 

[Mgderf]

"Knuckle-knock" from a Ruger Super Redhawk.

 

[SmileDocHill]

After hearing all the back stories about the few guns my dad owns that used to be his brothers or fathers I placed a significant amount of sentimental importance upon them. Then one day my father brought them out and revealed a container of poorly cared for rusting firearms! I was hurt. I told myself it was the last time I let a gun hurt me like that.
My personal guns consider me a little closed off and distant but they just don't understand what I've been through.




True story but I added the soap opera drama for comedic sake. :-)

 

[Vigilant]

Besides the beatings I endure after every purchase, Garand Thumb, Hi-Power Hand. Oh I forgot about the temporary paralysis from a 250 round shotgun class half slugs, half buckshot!

 

[Ballstater98]

Reloading magazines below freezing and sliced my thumb open of the feed lips. My thumb was so cold that I had no clue how many rounds (or magazines for that matter) I had loaded into the BX-25 mag. before I actually saw the blood. Bit off some of excess-hanging skin, grabbed a paper towel and wrapped my thumb, and went back to shooting. Boy, when I was driving home from the range and thawed out, the thumb started thumping.

 

[CZB1962]

35 years ago or so I got a case of scope kiss. It was the first time I ever shot a 12 gauge, or for that matter any gun, with a scope. I wish someone would have warned me about that just like I wish someone would have warned me that 35 years later I would have to worry about sitting on my own testicles when I slide into a booth at a restaurant. I know...TMI

 

[Mgderf]

Guess I forgot.
1981 I believe, could have been '82, my first season deer hunting in Indiana, or anywhere for that matter.
I took a shot at a 9 point buck that was somewhat ill-advised, and I wouldn't do it again.

Sitting 15' up in a tree stand, I was surprised by a herd of deer. They came out of the brush about 10 yards to my left and completely silent.
I was not ready. My Mossberg 500 (could only use shotgun then, and only take a buck. No does) was laying across my lap.
At least a dozen doe came into view first, being pushed by the buck.

I was in plain sight, though 15' up. Worried that my movement would be detected, I began raising my shotgun at a snails pace.
By the time I had a sight picture the buck was directly beneath my stand, not 5' in front of it.
My slug hit him in the spine and lodged in his left shoulder.
He dropped like a rock, straight down to his knees, then layed over on his side.
He didn't take a single step after the slug hit.

Since does were out, I sat there for a few seconds as they scattered in different directions. I ws amazed that they didn't seem to know what had happened.

I just about had a heart attack dragging that buck to my truck before field dressing it. I told you it was my first deer. I was overwhelmed with excitement and not thinking straight...

When I finally got home and started cleaning myself up, I took of my undershirt to find a VERY black and blue bruise in the middle of my bicep.
I did not get the butt of the shotgun up into my shoulder before the shot.

Big lesson re-learned.
Didn't really hurt until the next day, after the adrennelin wore off.

 

[dirtybird]

Didn't happen to me personally, but I was a witness. At the time I was 21 and a older friend just bought a glock 27. We went to his farm to shoot, and after a couple hours of hanging out slinging lead he thought he'd try to "look cool" and show off with his new gun. He held it sideways like the "gangsters" do, pulled the trigger, and instantly blood started gushing from his hands. His thumb was resting on the slide and gave him a good sized gash. That was the last time I shot with him, but i still see him and remind him of his stupidity.

 

[mammynun]

M249 SAW cooked off a round just as I was pulling the charging handle back to perform immediate action. Little tiny pieces of brass would intermittently work their way out of my face for years afterwards.

 

[wagyu52]

I'm left handed, I'm showered with hot brass every time I shoot.

 

[KellyinAvon]

The one time I shot expert qualifying on M16 (2000-ish) the two-striper next to me got three pieces of brass down my shirt. I got 37 of 40 on the targets that day (3 misses were the 300 meter silhouettes). The kid next to me who got three down my shirt shot a 12.

 

[jbombelli]

A pair of 3" magnum 00 buck loads from a coach gun with polymer stocks, both barrels at once.

That hurts.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

PPK slide bite, check.
Revolver knuckle, check.
Firing a .357 magnum without ear protection, check. (I always physically touch my eye and ear pro before beginning at the range now because of that)

The *stupidest* and most painful thing I ever did was scope bite, though. The first non-rimfire scoped gun I ever had was a 12g slug gun. I didn't think of the recoil when I set it up. Yeah. That was roughly 16 years ago, and it's a lesson that's really stuck with me.

 

[Markus]

Sighting in my Weatherby Mark V, I ended up shooting 30 rounds. Got home and my shoulder was black and blue. Did I mention it was a 300 WBY Mag? Kicked like a mule but was so fun to shoot! Paid the price for about a week afterwards.

 

[Bapak2ja]

Thanks for sharing the lessons. Very helpful and educational.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Back when I had long hair my Pa and I were doing two man drives at Pidgeon River for deer. A big doe jumped up and I threw up my rifle and dropped her. Caught my hair and pulled out a plug the size of a quarter with the recoil. Wowsers that hurt.

And the Mob Rules brought back some memories of about the same time period. Got it on cassette. Gonna go dig it out.

 

[johntheplinker]

Take your pick.
Sitting in the driver's seat of a M60 during 50 cal firing, hatch open (stupid on my part), got a piece of hot, hot, HOT brass down my collar. Second degree burn on side of neck and still have a scar.
Fellow troop removed backplate from M85 with the bolt locked to rear. SPROOIINNNGGGG Hit me in the hand and cracked a finger bone.
I used to shoot a lot of Mosins with heavy ball ammo. More black and blue (and green and yellow) shoulders than I care to think about.
Friend had a lightweight 416 Rem mag built for an Alaskan hunt. One shot was enough for me. Took a week before I could lift my elbow above my shoulder.

 

[Wolfhound]

Worst I have done is take a chunk out of my palm reassembling my son's Savage 22 auto decades ago. I managed to get through the military with no significant firearms related injuries. I was a SAW gunner and M203 grenadier for a few years in a light Infantry unit.