[MHGinTN]

I've been working on guns for a long time. I made the amateur's mistake of allowing the sound of the slide slapping forward without the mag in the gun to persuade me the gun was unloaded. It did not even enter my mind that the extractor might not be functioning. In his defense, the guy has very poor eyesight ... which I learned that day and not before. Because the extractor did not grab the live round and pull it out of the firing chamber, when the slide was pulled partly back the gun 'appeared' empty. That's why you run a finger down the barrel to verify there's no round still in the chamber. Good habits are gold, especially when you mistakenly do not follow them completely. Gold spent is gold gone.

BTW, we both remained perfectly still, deafened from the sound of that 9mm going off in my shop! I now keep electronic earmuffs beside my bed.

[21twelve]

“deafened from the sound”

That was my first thought in reading your story. I recall the time my dad thought it would be okay to join us in the basement shooting our BB guns. Except he used my older brother’s .22. No ear protection. Afterwards, with his distinctive sheepish grin, said “Well. I guess THAT was a bad idea.”

[Eagles6]

I have the habit of always locking the slide back when handing a pistol to someone.