Dionysusigma, first and foremost I just want to say that as serious as this was, I'm very glad it wasn't any worse. Before I forget, I wish you a speedy recovery and one that comes as close to full restoration of mobility as possible.

Thank you for having the courage to share this with all of us. It is no small step for a man to admit a mistake of that magnitude. As many have already said, NDs aren't as rare as they definitely should be. I won't bore everyone with the details but I'll admit I've had one. The important part in my case was that no one was injured and the only thing that was damaged was my pride, some sheetrock, some exterior siding and one board on the deck in my backyard. Oh, and my hearing. Suffice to say, no one wants to know what 5.56 sounds like in a 10'x12' room. If you do want to know, don't find out for yourself just ask me.

I have to say that I agree with Mistwolf. There isn't a need to create more rules regarding safe gun handling. Just follow the established ones. They really do work. NDs don't happen because we forget what can happen or because of distraction alone. They happen because we stop actually thinking about what we are doing. Many of us here can literally field strip and reassemble an AR in zero light conditions by sense of touch alone. It can seem like doing it without thinking about it, but it really takes a great deal of concentration and thinking about each step. It's not really difficult. It just requires familiarity and focus.