Negligent discharge.

Do this enough and the odds can catch up with all of us. In the firearm safety industry most are referred to as ND's and not accidental discharges or AD's.

I have seen both. While ND's are far more common AD's can and will happen. I had one occur with a 9mm 1911. I was reloading it and when the slide dropped the gun popped. I had it pointed in a safe direction, I wasn't near the trigger, but the gun malfunctioned and went BANG. The gun had a mechanical issue that finally reared it's ugly head. I was a Range Safety Officer at a match when I witnessed another AD. Similar situation, I cleared the shooter to go hot and when he dropped the slide on a striker fired pistol it went bang. Then when he fired the next shot it fired off every round in the mag. Again, mechanical malfunction, this time with a system designed to require the pull of a trigger.

But those are by far more rare than ND's where someone is "cleaning" a loaded gun and it goes bang. Or someone playing Wild Bill trying to outdraw some desperados who ends up with an extra hole in their leg and floor.

But for us, because of our frequency of being around loaded firearms, this is a very realistic possibility.

Keep them pointed in a safe direction. Then if the worst happens, all you might have to buy is a pillow, some sheets and maybe some new drawers...these are some very valuable lessons we are all sharing. I thank you all...

I didn't know either. Had only ever heard of them as AD.

- DAA

I always heard of it as AD until it was drilled in the military there is no such thing as a AD only negligent.

i had one in my living room when i got a new semi auto shotgun. i went turkey hunting and fired a few shots. i did not read the manual and if you dont press a button or fire a round it will only eject the shell in the chamber and not reload the one in the tube. our armorers in the army would always rack the bolt and dry fire our m4s when turning them in. after hunting i racked the bolt a couple times and dry fired it in the field, i got home and out of habit i racked the bolt again after dry firing it in the field and it engaged the shell from what i thought was an empty tube and blew a hole in my ceiling. pure negligence on my part.

Years ago, during the old "Coyote Gods" days, during a rendezvous, we would usually take out the "New Guy" in my truck. Made some very good friends doing that. One day as I was setting out the caller the FNG had an AD. Generally not knowing them well "My rules" were empty chamber to and from the stand. Sadly the FNG went out with another guy that rented a truck for the event and had an AD or NG in the guys rented truck putting a hole in the roof. Luckily no one got shot.

Hunt was over for that FNG.

So... That reminds me of something that happened long, long ago.

Four of us, all teenagers, camped out the night before deer rifle season opened. Woke up about 2AM with our cheap-[beeep] tent that barely fit all four of us nose to tail collapsed on us from heavy snow falling in the night.

We all fell out and climbed in the old Blazer one of the other guys drove us all there in. And sat out the rest of the night waiting for daylight to go deer hunting. It's getting real close to time to get out and go. Me and my buddy Tim are in the back seat, Tim stuffs some rounds in his Model 70. So, I did too, then so did the other two in the front seats.

Shortly after, the guy in the driver seat, owner of the Blazer, the oldest among us by a couple of years but by far the least experienced hunter, shoots a hole through his floor board right next to his foot.

And I'm here to tell you, the sound of an '06 going off inside a Blazer really gets your attention.

Me and Tim took away ALL his ammo. Told him he wasn't going to be hunting this trip. Took his keys too, and had to rough him up slightly to get them, so he wouldn't just drive off and leave us there.

Knew that guy and saw him often for the rest of his life, liked him actually, but I never hunted with him ever again.

- DAA

LOL...that happened to some guys at one of the conventions years ago...the only thing they killed was their transmission...must have been tough to skin...

Grew up with a Fox double barrel 12ga. Uncle was trap shooting with it and snapped it closed on 2 rounds, both discharged into the ground as he had it pointed in a safe direction. Gun broke inside resulting in failure and discharge, not sure what is negligent about that. Proper gun safety was observed so only the dirt suffered.

I get the sentiment that most "accidents" are negligent, and that holds with motor vehicle incidents too, but that doesn't mean accidents don't happen.

glad to hear everyone was ok and the only harm was minor to some stuff thats relatively replaceable.

Negligent Discharge


My bad. Guess I should’ve read the whole post

I've also never heard of ND before but I like it much more than AD. There are no accidents with firearms only negligence. Let me clarify by saying that there are and will be mechanical errors where a gun fires without operator error but the negligence would be having it pointed carelessly when that happened.

It is so easy to become lax when handling firearms and I think the more you handle them the easier it can become. I started all my kids shooting at an early age but that is always a fear in the back of my head that something could happen. Always be within arms length of a new or young shooter so that you can physically stop any potential mistakes you might see because they will happen.

It's the unloaded guns that get you just ask Alec Baldwin.

While I agree that most are ND’s I have seen AD’s…most were due to equipment malfunctions.

During a rifle match a competitor closed the bolt on his Remington 700 and it went bang…luckily it was pointed down range but I saw it and he never touched the trigger and the safety was on.

Another happened to one of our guys when he dropped the slide on his pistol…finger was clear of the trigger guard along the frame and it went bang on an XD.

I ALL the incidents I’ve personally witnessed the first rule of firearm safety, point it in a safe direction, kept them from becoming tragic.

Guns are machines and they can fail.

Our familiarity with them and the frequency we handle them, especially competing ups the odds, and that’s where good fundamental safety comes in.

Follow every step of your procedure and bad things are less likely.