Something you never really expect to hear at the match - "Cease Fire"

[allen-1]

Every match I've been to has had a shooters briefing that includes what to do if there's an accident. Never really thought I'd "hear a cease fire roll through the range" - but Saturday I did.

Details are minimal - shooter at "make ready command" put gun back in holster after loading it, and as he did so, fired four rounds including one through his foot. We had plenty of trained medical personnel on site, (as competitors), and first aid was immediately rendered. Ambulance and firetruck showed up, injured person was transported out.

Lots and lots of speculation of what happened, but all that I know for sure is in the above paragraph.

Personally speaking, I was the shooter on deck, had just loaded and was about to start when cease fire was called. I had an RO supervise while I went cold. Called my wife and told her that I'd be later than usual because we'd had an accident, that I wasn't involved, and then I walked the stage a dozen times while waiting. Saw no need to go over and gawk and/or get in the way.

It's a reminder - USPSA/IDPA/SC - all of them - it's a game, its competitive, it's fun - but pay attention - we're handling firearms and people can get hurt or killed if we're careless.

 

[Hailstorm]

Four rounds? Shaved a little too much off the sear? Shirt got stuck in trigger guard?


Hope your shooter was put back together and heals up.

 

[Dennis in MA]

ATF showed up 3 seconds later for violating the MG ban. You aren't allowed to bump a firearm - even into your own foot.

 

[tuna]

Wow - there's always a way.

 

[allen-1]

ATF showed up 3 seconds later for violating the MG ban. You aren't allowed to bump a firearm - even into your own foot.

Actually we already had atf, fbi and gsp on site - as competitors.

A uspsa ranked master and a uspsa ranked grandmaster shooting that match were on my squad - one’s a federal firearms instructor and the other’s an fbi agent - don’t know his role.

They’re both local, I shoot with them once a month or so. Humbling because they’re both so good. I ran one through a stage that took me 12+ seconds - he ran it in 8.8.

I’m running hit factors between 5 and 7.5 and these guys are hitting 8, 9 or better.

Learning experience shooting with them, always. It’s like shooting with Marco or Luigi.

 

[Drix]

My greatest fear with these things is to be on the range shooting and not hearing the cease fire either because of my earpro or just being hyper focused on my target.

It's never happened, and I've been involved in at least one cease fire, but I'm still paranoid about making a f***up like that.

 

[nstassel]

Yikes four is something.

 

[eboos]

Bet he was glad it wasn't appendix carry. Lets not pretend that a shooting match isn't a game.

 

[rogersmithiii]

One thing that helps me is that whenever I touch a gun, I make sure I'm concentrating on what I am doing. Not thinking about what I'm going to cook for breakfast, or checking my email, or watching the dog.

Safe gun handling demands strict focus and attention.

 

[BREWINZ]

I'm still trying to figure out how four (4) rounds were discharged. There's got to be something mechanical going on there...

 

[Road_Clam]

I'm still trying to figure out how four (4) rounds were discharged. There's got to be something mechanical going on there...

Blocking bar did not perform its function....

 

[Mountain]

Hope the guy will heal well. Good reminder about range safety.

Only time I've witnessed an 'injury' related cease fire was when a guy in the pits dropped due to heat exhaustion at Camp Perry Nationals. Not even close to the pucker factor involved with a firearm accident.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Actually we already had atf, fbi and gsp on site - as competitors.

A uspsa ranked master and a uspsa ranked grandmaster shooting that match were on my squad - one’s a federal firearms instructor and the other’s an fbi agent - don’t know his role.

They’re both local, I shoot with them once a month or so. Humbling because they’re both so good. I ran one through a stage that took me 12+ seconds - he ran it in 8.8.

I’m running hit factors between 5 and 7.5 and these guys are hitting 8, 9 or better.

Learning experience shooting with them, always. It’s like shooting with Marco or Luigi.

I hear a good tasing and beating staunches the flow of blood.

 

[allen-1]

I hear a good tasing and beating staunches the flow of blood.

We have two military bases near us, we have a fair number of active duty military shooting with us as well as retired or previous service. The number of afaks on belts would probably surprise you.

 

[not new guy]

Hope the one that went through his foot missed everything important.

When I was a kid a friend and I were up in Maine shooting at red squirrels up in the trees with BB guns. My friend was apparently resting the muzzle of the daisy rifle on his foot with his finger on the trigger. I ended up using a steak knife to cut the BB out of the bottom of his foot that day. The shot missed everything but didn't quite get through the bottom of his foot.

 

[Amputee Marksman]

I made the effort last summer to put together a med pack including tourniquet and the blood stopping bandages. I take it with me to the range all the time. Better safe than sorry. If I never use it I will still consider it money well invested.

 

[Road_Clam]

Seems to be a common denominator of recent discharges injuries is holstering and drawing. You cant create a safety rule for controlling elevated competitive adrenaline.

 

[MC56]

shot USPSA for 5 seasons at every club in New England, never saw anyone shoot themselves at a match. Now we've had 2 in like 2 months plus the ND at sig a week or so ago. I think there is definitely something to be said for the influx of morons buying guns these days. Gun ownership is a responsibility that I think many who are panic buying or had no desire to own guns before covid do not fully understand. Be safe, develop good habits...it ain't the movies.

 

[richc]

I heard a police call go out for a nearby gun range recently. Accident at the range. Young female injured.

The cavalry responds. Police, fire and ambulance.

While they're on the way a second call comes over the radio. There's more details. The young female is 17 or 18. She was injured from recoil. No more details.

When the cavalry arrives they report she had her eye too close to the rifle scope. And had a bump over her eye.

My first reaction was one of relief that this was not more serious.

My second reaction was that the young lady's father will be sleeping on the couch for a while. And maybe at a Motel 6...

Poor bastard must have caught hell!

 

[Amputee Marksman]

shot USPSA for 5 seasons at every club in New England, never saw anyone shoot themselves at a match. Now we've had 2 in like 2 months plus the ND at sig a week or so ago. I think there is definitely something to be said for the influx of morons buying guns these days. Gun ownership is a responsibility that I think many who are panic buying or had no desire to own guns before covid do not fully understand. Be safe, develop good habits...it ain't the movies.

I'm not sure it is 100% an influx of morons but rather newer shooters over estimating their abilities. By the time I started shooting IDPA/USPSA and related I had years of trigger time under my belt. Lot of trap, bullseye pistol and bullseye rifle. Making the transition into action shooting is not that difficult when you have a solid basis of firearm handling, trigger control and general knowledge and experience with firearms. Take a newbie and have them jump right into action shooting with minimal trigger time and it takes a lot longer to get up to speed. I see it all the time at WSA practices. You get the new person with a fresh minted LTC, gun still in the original box and some holster, mag holders that are not the best for the job and they show up and expect to shoot IDPA the first day. We move them aside and work one on one with them. Still if they have a practice or two and show up at another club for an event the extent of their experience is not known.

Not disagreeing on the morons but rather pointing out it is not always the case,

 

[M1911]

Someone called 911 for scope eye? Really?

 

[MC56]

I'm not sure it is 100% an influx of morons but rather newer shooters over estimating their abilities. By the time I started shooting IDPA/USPSA and related I had years of trigger time under my belt. Lot of trap, bullseye pistol and bullseye rifle. Making the transition into action shooting is not that difficult when you have a solid basis of firearm handling, trigger control and general knowledge and experience with firearms. Take a newbie and have them jump right into action shooting with minimal trigger time and it takes a lot longer to get up to speed. I see it all the time at WSA practices. You get the new person with a fresh minted LTC, gun still in the original box and some holster, mag holders that are not the best for the job and they show up and expect to shoot IDPA the first day. We move them aside and work one on one with them. Still if they have a practice or two and show up at another club for an event the extent of their experience is not known.

Not disagreeing on the morons but rather pointing out it is not always the case,

I actually agree 100% and feel like you are helping my point. I had very basic gun handling skills when I started shooting USPSA but I understood safety came first. My first stage took me almost a full minute while other guys were shooting it in <25 seconds. We are talking millions of new gun owners and many are not seeking appropriate instruction and, as you accurately put it, overestimate their skills.

 

[glockforlife]

Safety first and always is what I was taught from my first Firearms Instructor and since. Everyone knows the four basic rules (Always treat the firearm as if it is loaded, etc.). Hard to figure out how he fired FOUR rounds. One because he still had his finger on the trigger as he holstered, but where did the other three come from?

 

[usp45ct]

One shot might be a shirt or something in the holster. 4 would have to be a combination of a few things like a shirt or something in the holster and then say a light spring or something I would think.

 

[TZCHRIS]

ATF showed up 3 seconds later for violating the MG ban. You aren't allowed to bump a firearm - even into your own foot.

The first 3 missed so he kept going..........

 

[M1911]

So, does the shooter get no-shoot penalty on that stage?

 

[allen-1]

So, does the shooter get no-shoot penalty on that stage?

Trip to the hospital and a Dairy Queen award.

 

[allen-1]

I made the effort last summer to put together a med pack including tourniquet and the blood stopping bandages. I take it with me to the range all the time. Better safe than sorry. If I never use it I will still consider it money well invested.

Yeah. This made me think. I have an afak in my truck. Probably should have it on the stage with me.

 

[hminsky]

I heard a police call go out for a nearby gun range recently. Accident at the range. Young female injured.

The cavalry responds. Police, fire and ambulance.

While they're on the way a second call comes over the radio. There's more details. The young female is 17 or 18. She was injured from recoil. No more details.

When the cavalry arrives they report she had her eye too close to the rifle scope. And had a bump over her eye.

My first reaction was one of relief that this was not more serious.

My second reaction was that the young lady's father will be sleeping on the couch for a while. And maybe at a Motel 6...

Poor bastard must have caught hell!

There can be a whole lot of blood from a cut above the eye...

 

[paul73]

shooter at "make ready command" put gun back in holster after loading it, and as he did so, fired four rounds including one through his foot.

if trigger gets caught by pushing it into a holster and then fires you may get a classic bump stock thing in action. would explain 4 shots.
would be kinda interesting to know what holster/gun it was.