No. 1 (and 2?) with a bullet: Man's pistol blasts toilet to pieces (CCW holder)

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 1/14/09 | Steve Gehrke

[skyman]

The public toilet at Centerville's Carl's Jr. restaurant never knew what hit it. But police say it was a .40-caliber slug fired from a patron's handgun, which went off as he was hitching up his pants.

Centerville police confiscated the 26-year-old Salt Lake City man's firearm, for which he has a concealed weapons permit, after the incident Tuesday.

Police Lt. Paul Child said the bullet shattered the toilet and sent sharp shards into the man's arm. The minor injuries were treated at the scene.

The toilet? A total loss.

Police said the man told them his pistol fell out of the holster and fired into the toilet as he was pulling up his pants.

"The gun fell out of the holster, striking the tile

floor," Child said. "When the gun hit the floor, it went off. ... The man was hit by some of the porcelain in the arm, causing some small lacerations."

No one else was injured in the accident, but a woman in an adjacent restroom reported chest pain after being frightened by the shot. She did not go to a hospital.

Police said the accident would have been prevented if the man had used a more secure holster.

"A good-quality firearm also should not fire if it is dropped," Child said.

No charges are being filed against the man, but Centerville police did take his firearm "for safe-keeping" while they review the incident.

"He was a little shook up, so we just wanted to take it right then and allow him time to gather himself before releasing it to him," Child said.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron Roden said police commonly pull weapons permits after crimes of violence, felonies or convictions of weapons violations. But he said agencies also sometimes confiscate weapons for a short time as part of their investigation.

[Hot Tabasco]

IF IT WAS AN AUTOPMATICE

Is that made in Peru? I never heard of it.....

[Gaffer]

You must be thinking about a 1911A1, go look up 1911s

[TC Rider]

I’d like to know what kind of .40 cal he had that goes off that easy.

The 'Glock 40' will when it slips out of the holster and the owner makes a grab for it before it hits the water.

(Note: Glock 40 are only recommend for those professional enough...nevermind)

Any double action only automatic without a dedicated safety will do the same.

[doodad]

yep

[andy58-in-nh]

With a 1911, you ought to have not only a thumb safety but a grip safety as well. That's why the standard carry condition is cocked and locked ("Condition 1"). If I had a .45 that did that, I'd take it to a gunsmith, pronto. In this poor guy's case, I'd still bet he caught the trigger somehow. Regardless, I learned a long time ago that cheap holsters are not worth the risk. Get yourself some good leather, work it in properly, and if you have to go to the mens' room while carrying, make sure you know where all your weapons are at all times. ;-)

[668 - Neighbor of the Beast]

Shee...sh, how prissy can you get? Next time use your foot, dude.

[klute]

I have a Hi-Point .45. It is way too big to carry around. I slapped a laser on it and put it in the closet. If he was carrying around a $175 gun that weighs 35 ounces empty then he is truly an idiot. The Taurus .40 cal I have is a DA/SA that has a manual safety. Once it is cocked, the trigger pull is very light. I would worry about that a lot more than I would something hitting the hammer. Most guns have transfer bars or other such safety features that make accidental discharges without a trigger pull unlikely. Since it is a .40 cal, it has to be relatively new. With that said, no manufacturer is going to recommend you go around slamming your gun down on the hammer.

[Spktyr]

"What's a hammer?"

{grin}

[Spktyr]

It shouldn’t drop the hammer on a flat drop unless there’s something wrong. The grip safety should prevent it.

[doodad]

Any double action only automatic without a dedicated safety will do the same

Even with a decock like a Sig?

[Gaffer]

A 1911 does not have a firing pin safety. This was added on the 1911A1 because of this problem. It only has the slide/trigger safety coupled with the grip safety. Whether it is hammer up or hammer down doesn't make much difference. A hard drop can impart momentum to the firing pin which would ignite the primer. 1911A1 variants were later improved with the G80, etc. but an original 1911 still has this problem.

I have 5- 1911A1s, one US issue, four milspec aftermarkets, and I have an original Colt 1911 which has this undesirable feature. With this one, extra care has to be taken.

[klute]

But he claimed it went off from striking the floor. Glock will tell you that there is no way for their weapon to discharge without a trigger pull.

[Spktyr]

Er, sorry, your *thumb* safety should keep it from happening.

You should be able to play frisbee with an (unloaded) 1911 (original, A1, Series 80, whatever) and unless it lands on the hammer, it shouldn't drop the hammer.

[shoutingandpointing]

So you know this guy, too? lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icxXNDH07bk

“This is a Glock .40 . . . I am the only one in this room professional enough . . . to carry a . . . BOOM!”

[Gaffer]

You are STILL forgetting about firing pin momentum.

[Spktyr]

Any time you have an external hammer without a firing pin lock/block, yeah, if it lands on the hammer it can go off.

[Spktyr]

Which is different from dropping the hammer.

[Gaffer]

The article from my memory didn’t mention anything about a hammer external or otherwise. I’ll just tell you what the instructions from the 1911 Colt Anniversary resissue says. This gun can fire if dropped, period.

[andy58-in-nh]

I had thought that most modern versions of the original 1911 design had incorporated a firing pin lockout (the spring loaded plunger that prevents the firing pin from moving far enough forward to fire the cartridge unless the trigger is pulled far enough to depress the plunger).

[Spktyr]

Most do, but some people complain that it ruins the trigger pull and avoid it.

This guy goes back further still, to the 1911A0, with the flat mainspring housing. :P