OT: Accidental shooting at my local range

[66GTO]

I went to the range yesterday and heard a report regarding an accident about a week ago. Last week I heard a news report on the local AM radio station about an accidental shooting at a local range, but had assumed that it was at a public range a couple of miles from our members only range. I stopped shooting there because of too many unsafe shooters, especially on the pistol range. My assumption was incorrect, the accident occurred at our club range.

The accident occurred when an experienced IDPA shooter dropped his 9mm Glock during a competition. He was using a quick draw type holster and lost his grip. The pistol hit the ground and discharged. The bullet entered his groin area and exited his lower back. Luckily there was an EMT at the range shooting that morning who helped him until he could be transported to the hospital. I understand he is recovering and will be OK.

I do not, nor have I ever owned a Glock, but I have shot them a few times. Would some of you Glock guys out there please tell me how a Glock could discharge when dropped with all the safety features supposedly built into the pistol? It seems to me that the shooter must have modified his pistol in some way that made it unsafe.

[jeepnik]

Stock Glock "should" not have happened. But, things do happen the way they aren't supposed to. You mention he is an IDPA competitor. I have to wonder what modifications have been made to the handgun. I'd like to hear more.

[mklwhite]

+1
As a Glock owner I'd like to know more about the Glock in question. Like jeepnik said with a stock Glock it should have not happened.

[AJMD429]

I hope the guy is ok, and whatever caused the accident I hope something is learned from it so it doesn't happen again, but - I hope he doesn't do the sue Glock, sue the Range, sue Everybody routine...

[Buffboy]

I don't like Glocks all that much, but I've shot them quite a bit and I'll give them their due. There is no way to get a stock Glock to fire without some body/thing pulling the trigger. It was modified in some way if it fired on an impact.

[Old Ironsights]

He had to have messed with "Perfection"...

A stock glock won't UD on a drop unless the striker sear has been messed with. Period.

[airedaleman]

Carried a Model 22 for more than 10 years, and a Model 19 off duty (and in retirement) for nearly 20 years now. Un-monkeyed Glocks simply do not go off unless you pull the trigger. Let us know if you learn anything more about this unfortunate incident. Glad to hear that the individual is recovering.

Mike

[Ysabel Kid]

My understanding as well. If the gun has not been modified (which would immediately kill its warranty), then the only way for it to fire is if the safe-action trigger is actuated. Isn't this also what happened to the football player recently - less the shot in the groin? (BIG OUCH! ).

The owner's manual for the Glock tells one to test the safe-action trigger at regular intervals. I'm betting the guy modified his gun or had someone else do it.

[Old Ironsights]

IDPAers often "tweak" their Trigger Groups - and sometimes their sears - to be able to "toggle-rock" the trigger to get nearly FA speeds out of their guns.

I mostly see guys doing that to G17s, but others will do it too...

[Rusty]

One of the first Glocks I ever handled was owned by a guy I know that does security work. He told me that he had an AD with his one time right after he got it. He said another gun crank had asked to see it so he dropped the mag and emptied the round in the chamber into his hand. After he got the gun back he pulled the slide back ever so slightly, just enough to allow the round he was holding in his hand to slip back into the chamber via the ejection port. After the round was chambered he eased the slide back forward. When the slide went forward the piece discharged.

That's the way he described the situation to me... make of it what you will. My son had a Glock which I shot a few times. It would stack round after round in the x ring all day long but I never could get used to the feel of the thing. He sold it and now has a 1911.

[Travis Morgan]

He had to have messed with "Perfection"...

No, re-read the OP; he was shooting a Glock!

[Pete44ru]

"Stuff" happens !

AFAIK, Plaxico Burris shot himself in the leg with a Glock .40, supposedly in a pocket or IWB holster.

IIRC, wasn't there some mod for police safety, called "The New York Trigger", for Glocks ?

.

[airedaleman]

"Stuff" happens !

AFAIK, Plaxico Burris shot himself in the leg with a Glock .40, supposedly in a pocket or IWB holster.

IIRC, wasn't there some mod for police safety, called "The New York Trigger", for Glocks ?

.

The New York trigger uses an 8-pound trigger spring, signicantly heavier than the original design (I forget what that was),
in an effort to avoid "accidental" discharges. New York cops, when first issued the Glock, had a disturbing tendency to shoot themselves when reholstering the gun. Again, keep your finger away from the trigger, be aware of retaining devices on the holster, and just in general be careful (as you should be with ANY firearm), and you should be able to avoid shooting yourself.

My Model 22 has the New York trigger, the Model 19 does not.

[Hillbillygunsmith]

When I was still in law enforcement, I was the dept. armour and firearms instructor. I am going by memory now, but I recall receiving a flyer concerning law enforcement Glocks having accidental discharges when the weapon was holstered and the holster was hit by a hard object. I do not recall any modifications involved in the AD's.
Lets face it, a glock or any other gun is a machine that can fail or break down under the right circumstances or excessive use that wears parts down.

[Jayhawker]

I seem to recall those reports of accidental discharges were determined to happen when officers holstered their Glocks with their finger still in the trigger guard. Their trigger finger hit the portion of the holster which is supposed to cover and protect the trigger initiating an "accidental discharge". They had a lot of trouble training them to get their fingers off the trigger unless they were actually shooting. New York's solution was to bring back a heavy trigger, not that that would really solve the problem, just make it harder to do.

[66GTO]

IDPAers often "tweak" their Trigger Groups - and sometimes their sears - to be able to "toggle-rock" the trigger to get nearly FA speeds out of their guns.

I mostly see guys doing that to G17s, but others will do it too...

That would be my guess as to what happened. The shooter was described as an experienced IDPA competitor, so he would fit the profile. If I hear more, i will post it.

[cas]

AFAIK, Plaxico Burris shot himself in the leg with a Glock .40, supposedly in a pocket or IWB holster.

IIRC, wasn't there some mod for police safety, called "The New York Trigger", for Glocks ?

.

Last I heard Plaxico was carrying in the waistband of a pair of sweatpants, no holster.

The NY Trigger (and NY Plus) is an extra heavy trigger return spring to ensure that the police won't be able to hit a darn thing with them! Give already poor shooters a handgun that's difficult to shoot accurately and then wonder why the round counts are so high when they have a shootout. Stupid.

Engagement issues can make a Glock unsafe in a number of ways.

[Travis Morgan]

When I was still in law enforcement, I was the dept. armour and firearms instructor. I am going by memory now, but I recall receiving a flyer concerning law enforcement Glocks having accidental discharges when the weapon was holstered and the holster was hit by a hard object. I do not recall any modifications involved in the AD's.
Lets face it, a glock or any other gun is a machine that can fail or break down under the right circumstances or excessive use that wears parts down.

...BUT the Glock tends to be involved with disturbing regularity!

[CaptainFinn]

A few years back a reader wrote into G & A, IIRC, with his 'solution' to carry a Glock in condition two--which by definition was 'hammer down with a loaded chamber'. He disassembled a Glock, inserted a live round into the chamber, then reassembled the pistol, being careful to only bring the slide back far enough to engage the takedown latch, thus leaving the gun uncocked with a round in the chamber.

Jan Libourel was stunned, because what the reader did, in essence, was have a striker-fired (hammerless) gun with the striker/firing pin down, forward, under tension, resting against the unfired rounds' primer. A hard blow would then fire the pistol, despite the firing pin safety and the trigger safety.

That's not likely to have happened in the OP's case. But a lot of competitors who use glocks have replaced the triggers with curved aftermarket parts. IIRC there is even a 'smooth' trigger that has done away with the trigger safety.