Cupping the Ejection Port = OOB in your hand

[SA Friday]

I have seen 1st hand cupping the ejection port when unloading a semi-auto handgun can cause a dangerous situation and cause the ejected round to discharge out of battery. A couple of years ago, I put on a fun shoot for a bunch of my agents. One of the agents was a reservist and a very experienced sheriff from New Mexico. At the end of his course of fire, he cupped the ejection port of his Sig P228 and racked the slide. The unfired cartridge didn't exit the ejection port because of his palm, and lodged with the bullet nose on the front outside edge of the port and the primer on the ejector rod. Finishing racking the slide rammed the primer into the ejector rod hard enough to ignite the round... in his palm.

The round was obviously not contained, and the discharge caused massive failure on the 9mm case walls. The energy wasn't focused, per se, and turned the round into a mini brass frag grenede with less power than an M-80. The result was he had brass embedded in his had in multiple places and powder burns. We cleaned the wounds with hydrogen peroxide and picked out all the brass we could see. Then we sent him to the Air Force Academy for an x-ray to see if there was any more in his hand. There was, and they had to dig pretty deep to get it out.

Being this happened during an official Air Force function, I completed the proper safety paperwork and documented it very thoroughly including pictures. Considering I did investigations for a living, it wasn't that hard.

After discussing this with a lot of people, I discovered this unsafe practice is widely unknown in military and LE communities. I even found a few agencies recommending this practice instead of letting the round hit the floor. Don't do it. Let the round hit the ground or roll the round out into your hand (front cocking serations being used here) with the gun upside down. Just don't cup the port and definately don't rack the round out with force. Pull the slide back and slowly eject the round. Obviously, this doesn't apply in a shooting situation. Tap, rack, back on target.

Lastly, you gotta be wearing eye protection. All it takes is something like this or a borderline hot round that blows an extractor, and you have schrapnel. You only have to be wrong once and your eye is gone.

[theGinsue]

When I played cop @ Peterson AFB several years back we weren't allowed to drop the round and were instructed to release the round from the M9 into our hand at the clearing barrel (cupping the ejection port). With one hand on the pistol grip and the cupping hand racking the slide, this wasn't a very comfortable setup and at least daily I saw folks groping for the round while still trying to get the slide lock applied. I had a lot of difficulty myself since I'm a lefty and racking the slide and trying to catch the round with my right hand was a clumsy process. Of course, we had a few hotdogs who'd rack the slide hard and fast enough to cause the round to shoot up into the air where they'd catch it.

[GunTroll]

Good to know. I never tried this method of cupping the ejection port do to my laziness. I prefer pulling the trigger! Or dropping the mag and slowly pulling the slide rearward which allows the cartridge to "most" of the time fall through the grip into my hand.

[Irving]

Of course, we had a few hotdogs who'd rack the slide hard and fast enough to cause the round to shoot up into the air where they'd catch it.

I usually do this, and if I didn't do it right, just let it hit the floor. Another great informative thread for me to pass on. Thanks.

[theGinsue]

Yeah, SAFriday really is a great asset for this site.

Keep 'em coming!

[Tora]

Of course, we had a few hotdogs who'd rack the slide hard and fast enough to cause the round to shoot up into the air where they'd catch it.

OK, you got me, I do that from time to time.

[Irving]

OK, you got me, I do that from time to time.

Do you catch it in your mouth like me?

[two shoes]

Do you catch it in your mouth like me?

Post that on YouTube if you would! Would love to see it.

[two shoes]

Thanks again for the write up SA Friday. There is a huge amount of experience on this board and I am very grateful for those that have taken the time to share.

[Tora]

Do you catch it in your mouth like me?

Your a better man then I am, I'll have to give it a try