Yup, that gun safety thing is no joke...

[anaphylaxis]

Just for grins, I decided to take the long guns out of the safe to take inventory (and see if I could rearrange them so I can buy more. lol)

Normally when I put 'em away, mag comes out, chamber is verified clear. I keep a shotgun loaded but safety on and chamber clear. Handguns usually clear except one or two have a mag in and round chambered.

Well, I take one AR out first, no magazine in there. Should be fine. Well, out of habit I yank the charging handle back to eyeball the chamber. I watched in disbelief as a piece of brass flew out of there. Sure enough, live round was in the chamber. In years of collecting / shooting these bullet launchers, that's the first time this has happened. I sure don't remember putting it away like that, but must have been in a hurry the last time I put it back.

Then I think of a time I was shooting an Uzi Model B out at the old Lefthand Canyon range. I had just inserted a full magazine, finger was well clear of the trigger. Pulled the changing handle back, let it snap forward to chamber a round... BOOM! Fortunately, it was pointed downrange so no big deal. First and only time I've had that happen.

Anyway, just a public service announcement... Following the rules isn't just a real good idea, it can keep something bad from happening.

[Steps]

I agree. I have been around guns since I was born. 36 years in and I have had a couple of things happen to say the least.

Safety first, always! I was just working with my 3 and 5 year old sons today on this very subject, and they both shot one of their .22's. My 5 year old did pretty good.

[merl]

Done much the same thing pulling a FAL out of the safe. No mag, lets check anyway. OOOPS

There is a reason you have to check em every time.

[ZERO THEORY]

*Always check my weapons crew
*Refuse to be on YouTube crew
*Scold friends and family who disobey the rules crew
*Almost got into a scuffle with my long time friend's brother for flagging me with a live weapon crew
*Become a robot to procedure when handling my rifle crew

[KestrelBike]

Yup I've always liked the habit of checking chamber when grabbing a weapon from a safe, and you've just illustrated why it's a good idea!!

[Danimal]

I have had that exact same thing happen once before. One close call like that and it changes the whole way you perceive the truth behind the fallibility of human nature and "its always loaded" makes sense.

[splogan]

Saw an AD of an "unloaded " firearm once. kinda hits home, also why I always keep a loaded pistol on my hip at the range.

[n8tive97]

True story, just last week I was at a small gun store I drive by often that will remain nameless. We were talking about a trigger job on a certain make of pistol. A guy from behind the counter goes "here try mine, I had the same job done on my gun". So he dropped that mag and handed me the gun to try out the trigger. I asked him "Is it happy" he responded "it's happy". Out of habit, I pulled the slide back and out came a round. I shook my head handed him the gun and walked out.

To the original post, always, always check.

[BlasterBob]

A few years ago, while I was attending the Wanenmacher TULSA gun show, one of the vendors, an authorized GLOCK dealer if I recall correctly, had a customer bring him a new holster in an effort to see if a certain model GLOCK would fit in the holster. Customer didn't have a GLOCK but intended to buy one that particular day. So, the dealer reached in his brief case and pulled out his personal GLOCK. Removed the magazine and handed the pistol over to the customer to try in his holster. The dealer failed to clear the weapon and upon handing it over to the customer, the customer pulled the trigger while attempting to insert the firearm.
B A N G!!
The entire building with it's 4,000+ tables became totally silent. If someone had burped or farted 100 yards away from that table, you could have heard it......Show officials immediately came right over to the table and helped the GLOCK dealer quickly remove everything from his table and then escorted him out of the building - pronto. I am sure the guy who pulled the trigger also got a rather stern lecture. Good lesson to make damn sure the weapons are really cleared PRIOR to handing then over to someone else or messing around with them ourselves.

[brutal]

Unless zip-tied chamber at a show, I refuse to handle a weapon that hasn't been cleared in my presence. And then I will clear it again when I take it.

I also rotate rounds chambered. In pistols for setback prevention, in AR's for slamfire prevention.