Posted on 08/11/2009 7:57:47 AM PDT by Notoriously Conservative
I came across this the other day, it isn't my account, but the account of an unfortunate gun owner. You can point to snopes, and say this isn't true, but in an episode of MythBusters, they proved it was plausible:
460XVR blew my thumb off today!
No joke, about 1/2 of my left thumb is gone ... what's left is a friggin mess.
It's pretty hard to type, and I'm only posting because you never know, it might save somebody else a thumb. I was using a 2-handed grip, fired off a Cor-Bon DPX .460 and the blast came violently out the side of the gun.
At first my thumb was so covered in blood that I couldn't see how bad it was ... and I was full of adrenaline and felt no pain. And honestly it looked really bad, my whole hand was covered in blood and it was kinda gushing.
The blown-off thumb was on my support hand. I'll re-create the grip tomorrow to see where my thumb was, but it's not like I didn't already know not to get any body part near the cylinder gap. And even if I totally screwed up and did, taking my thumb clean off seems a bit excessive?
Just be careful with those 460's. That case operates at such high pressure, it's just asking for trouble.
BTW, I bought my 460 new and had exactly 12 rounds through it. Info about the gun, it's a full-size 460 with the 8 3/4' barrel and factory installed compensator. It's one of the Whitetails Unlimited models. Ammo was 200gr Cor-Bon DPX.
The gun only had 12 or 13 rounds of the Cor-Bon through it, and 10 ..45 Long Colt rounds through it. So it was essentially still brand new.
Saw a hand specialist while there today. Lots of ways to try and save what's left, but first I just have to hope it doesn't get infected in the next few days ... then surgery early next week.
The hand specialist I spent a few hours with last night said that in gunshot wounds there is always a lot more damage than is first visible ... same with things like fireworks going off in your hand. A lot more flesh around the wound is dead, and will rot and fall off over the next couple days. That's why it's so important to keep clean, and that's also why they can't do surgery now. If they wrapped new skin over dead skin it would just puss out, possibly turn gang-green, and they'd have to start all over again.
This is an example of how he was holding his revolver. Wrong, wrong, wrong!
This is what's left of his thumb. 
More photos on Notoriously Conservative
I suspect I’ve been in far more combat than you.
My knowledge of weapons is how to best use them to kill people.
This pistol is a poor choice.
You’re just a hoplophobe who moved a few stages. I’ve seen it too many times and you aren’t even aware of it. You moved from no one should have guns because they kill to I need a gun so I can kill.
Hopefully, you’ll move to a stage where what someone does or owns is none of your business without resorting to short penis insults.
“hoplophobe”
I have no irrational fear of weapons.
“You moved from no one should have guns”
Well, to me, a gun is what is attached to a large boat, or perhaps a tank, so I might agree with some reasonable restriction in those instances.
But small arm restriction has never been my contention, nor my belief, and I challenge you to find anything to the contrary.
Indeed, I was raised with a mother who carried an M-16 slung to market, and we had repeated incidents with arabs who didn’t like us and would shoot at our homes. I am well aware of the usefulness of personal protection.
“you’ll move to a stage where what someone does or owns is none of your business”
I’ve never said it was. In contrast, I’ve made it clear that I fully support the right of people to purchase whatever they want in the realm of firearms, perhaps even a “gun.”
My position is that this particular firearm is a silly, near useless, firearm. And it is.
I also noted that being “silly” is not necessarily “bad.” Just “silly.” Like beenie babies or old cars. Both “silly,” but neither “bad.”
“without resorting to short penis insults.”
Again, the only person interposing biological issues into thie discussin is you. The type of “compensation” I discussed is more compensation for a a psychological impotence, not a physcial one. The statement very clear to anyone who does not have hang ups in that regard.
“A pistol is an unstable, relatively short barreled, weapon. By nature, a pistol is meant to be a close-range weapon, and is a fine close-range weapon. Indeed, perhaps the best.
When you want to reach out and touch someone, the practical use a rifle.”
You’ve led an Elmer Keith-free life, I take it.
When you sell out one class of weapons, the gun grabbers take it from you, then ask for another class.
Try to imagine hunting with that big revolver in a shoulder holster, both hands free to climb rocks and get up hills through the timber. Or crawl through the thickets and swamps. When the time comes to shoot, it will hit what you want it to if you know how to handle a handgun. And it will do it at ranges you wouldn’t dare brag about on an open forum.
Jewbacca, meet Elmer Keith. Mr. Keith, meet Jewbacca.
bfl
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