Home | Founder's Message | Monthly Report | Expert Instruction | Courses
Buddy System Pricing | New "World-Class" Facility | How Good is Good Enough?
Training Dates | Application | Newsletter | Safety/Incident Report | Solution to Littleton, CO Shooting | Other Links

This did not happen at Front Sight
but is one of the reasons why Front Sight
requires all students to shoot
factory, new ammunition.

NO RELOADS!

The photos below illustrate a catastrophic failure of a Glock 21. Again, this incident did not happen at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute, but is one of many reasons why Front Sight has always required students to use factory, new ammunition. The shooter of this pistol was using reloaded, full metal jacket ammunition. To the best of our understanding of the incident, the cartridge case was not sized properly, preventing the action from locking up fully, but allowing the action to close enough to fire the weapon. The result was an open breach detonation of the cartridge. The photos speak for themselves. The shooter received severely bruised hands, with minor to moderate lacerations to his hands and face. We have received reports of similar incidents with the Glock 21 and I have personally witnessed a less dramatic incident with a Glock 21—magazine blown out of the weapon and shooter’s hand bruised. In all incidents reported, reloads were used.

Click on any of the three images for a larger view.

Unintentional Gunshot Wound

With millions of rounds fired in Front Sight courses, by thousands of students each year, Front Sight has experienced only one self-inflicted gunshot wound when a student negligently discharged his weapon into his leg while presenting his pistol from the holster. The good news is that the student is recovered completely. He would like all students to learn from this incident.

Here are the facts:

• Incident occurred on February 15, 1999, the fourth day of a Four Day Defensive Handgun course at approximately 12:15 PM
• 15 students on the firing line. 6 Front Sight instructors observing and instructing the 15 students on the firing line. A ratio of one instructor for every 2 to 3 students.
• Student has been shooting for years and was doing very well in the course with no indications of improper procedures or safety violations.
• Student was presenting weapon from concealed holster when incident occurred.
• Weapon used was a stock Sig 229 .40 S&W with no modifications. Student previously shot over 7000 rounds through the weapon without incident.
• Bullet was 180 grain, full metal jacket, flat point.
• Physical evidence of the spent case failing to eject from the weapon and powder burns on the student’s pants at the muzzle end of the holster, indicate that the weapon was fired while the gun was coming out of the holster, but still partially in the holster.
• The bullet entered the lateral aspect of his upper thigh about 5 inches below the point of the hip, traveled deep into the thigh, past and across the back of the knee, and into the lower leg, finally stopping on the medial side of the lower leg about six inches from the ankle. The bullet could be felt lodged ¼ inch under the skin.
• Total penetration was about 22 inches.
• Immediate action taken at range was to assist student off the range; radio ambulance; locate entrance wound; locate any exit wounds (bullet found lodged just below skin in lower leg) establish distal pulses; apply pressure to femoral artery; keep student’s attention off his injury with casual conversation and questions; prevent shock and transport to ambulance.
• Student was transported in patrol car of one of Front Sight’s instructors along with Dr. Piazza, Front Sight’s, Founder and Director and EMT Shannon Long. Patrol car radioed ahead to meet ambulance to shorten response time. Life Flight helicopter dispatched to rendezvous site. Decision made by Life Flight and ambulance crew to transport student by ground to Trauma Center—located 18 minutes away.
• Student’s heart rate remained in the 60 - 70 beats per minute range from the time pulse was first taken, immediately following the injury and throughout transport to the hospital. Blood pressure remained steady. Student remained calm and coherent, answering random questions regarding current events.
• X-rays revealed that the bullet did not strike any bones and did not deform.
• Angiogram revealed no vascular damage.
• Orthopedic neurologic examination revealed full motor control of extremity with discomfort and slight tingling sensation in lateral aspect of lower leg.
• Student remained in hospital overnight for observation and was walking the next day at physical therapist’s direction. Student fully recovered in approximately eight weeks.

Opinions:

This student was VERY LUCKY. When I first observed the location of the entrance wound on the lateral aspect of the upper thigh and the bullet was found lodged in the medial aspect of the lower leg, my immediate thoughts were broken leg, internal bleeding, permanent nerve damage. The fact that no bones, arteries, veins, or nerves were damaged is truly amazing. Equally amazing was the calm and cool attitude of the student. We kept checking his pulse because we expected it to be higher than 60 to 70 beats per minute. His stable blood pressure, strong distal pulses, and lack of swelling or discoloration indicated that his injury was much less severe than it could have been. Diagnostic tests at the hospital confirmed that he had no major damage. Again, it could have been much worse. He is very fortunate.

The student sent his Sig P229 to a competent gunsmith for evaluation of any part failure that could have caused the weapon to discharge. The student did not recall placing his finger on the trigger and firing the weapon.

The gunsmith analysis failed to find any malfunction in the weapon.

The only way a weapon can be fired is to place the finger on the trigger and press the trigger. Attempting to piece together how this could have happened with the physical evidence available, it appears the only explanation is the following:

Speculation is that the student may have failed to fully depress the decock lever or depressed the slide release lever, thinking he had depressed the decock lever. This resulted in holstering the weapon with the hammer cocked back on a loaded chamber. Upon hearing the whistle to present his weapon, he swept the concealment garment away, established the proper firing grip with finger along the outside of the holster. As he began to withdraw the weapon from the holster, he may have violated Safety Rule 3 and allowed his finger inside the trigger guard which contacted the lighter, single action trigger instead of the heavier double action trigger causing the weapon to fire. Another possibility, although much less likely is that upon sweeping the concealment garment away, it caught the hammer and cocked the weapon, resulting in the same hammer back condition. Either way, the main problem is a violation of Safety Rule 3.

Please remember that the proper draw stroke involves keeping your finger out of the trigger guard and off the trigger until the weapon is placed on the target and sight alignment is acquired. Any violation of Safety Rule 3—Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target—will result in a negligent discharge of the weapon.

As our student requested, let this one-in-a-million incident be a learning experience for all.

Sincerely,