Injured by a ND, Wanted to Share Thoughts

**uffdaphil** · 01-28-18, 18:42

I don’t place the gun within arms reach any more. Far enough away that I have to move out of position plus reach in a different direction. No timer/alarm clock/iPhone close to it. My sleep patterns have gotten bad with age and it’s not rare to turn off an alarm without waking. Separation by distance and direction should solve the problem I would think.

**Caduceus** · 01-28-18, 18:51

Originally Posted by uffdaphil

Another safety lesson learned: Why I no longer put my gun on the coffee table or nightstand. I was extremely tired and set a timer for an hour nap. When it beeped I picked it up to shut off. Except I was dreaming that. Instead I picked up my pistol, brought it to my head while trying to hit the timer button with the other hand. Woke up to it going off a couple inches from my face. Powder burns on my off hand index finger. Bullet went through the wall and back of the refrigerator, through a glass shelf, bounced off the door and landed in the egg tray.

The worst part was knowing my loved ones would think I had committed suicide out of despair. It made me a lot less casual about picking up any gun. No vitals hit on the fridge. A little white duct tape and she still chills.

That's interesting, and something I haven't really thought about. I don't have a history of sleep walking or parasomnias, and I wake up pretty quickly (about 20 years in the EMS and medical fields).

I don't keep a round chambered. Don't know if that might work for you. I have 2 young kids, and it's a little insurance in case they somehow come in without me waking.

I figure between the baby gate on the stairs and the dog sleeping in ny room, I'll have enough time to rack it if needed.

**uffdaphil** · 01-28-18, 19:03

If I had loved ones around I might not keep a round chambered. But I live alone and have not actually sleep walked fo 60 years.

**RHINOWSO** · 01-28-18, 19:11

Solution?

Don't (1) forget to unload your pistol (2) Don't violate firearm safety rules and (3) check the chamber multiple times.

Personally I have a look - touch - look routine to check the firearm is unloaded. Lock the slide / bolt back, look (unloaded), physically put my finger on / in the chamber to confirm empty (unloaded), then look (again).

The biggest learning points are (1) complacency kills (2) firearms are firearms, not toys to finger $%^! after watching John Wick and daydream about what a bada$$ out would be as his sidekick.

If you want a 'gun' to 'play around' with, get an airsoft gun.

Stupid should hurt sometimes and this is one of those cases.

**Dionysusigma** · 01-28-18, 21:05

Originally Posted by RobertTheTexan

So what's going to change? Are you going to put any other safety protocols in place to reduce the potential for this happening? I guess you you could say, "Don't break all four of the rules for firearm safety." But interested in hearing what your many "replays" have helped come up with.

1) No more round in the chamber until I fully expect to pull the trigger within 30 seconds. I don't carry, so no concern there.

2) Nothing more than music during admin work with guns. No movies, not even conversations.

Those two so far, and will add more as I think of them.

Edited to add:

3) I may even start leaving the magazine out of my bedside pistol. Though I've never sleepwalked, I have practiced reload drills, and am confident I could bring a gun to ready within a reasonably quick time from a condition of mag out, barrel empty, slide forward.

**Dionysusigma** · 01-28-18, 21:17

Originally Posted by RHINOWSO

Solution?

Don't (1) forget to unload your pistol (2) Don't violate firearm safety rules and (3) check the chamber multiple times.

Personally I have a look - touch - look routine to check the firearm is unloaded. Lock the slide / bolt back, look (unloaded), physically put my finger on / in the chamber to confirm empty (unloaded), then look (again).

The biggest learning points are (1) complacency kills (2) firearms are firearms, not toys to finger $%^! after watching John Wick and daydream about what a bada$$ out would be as his sidekick.

If you want a 'gun' to 'play around' with, get an airsoft gun.

You are absolutely correct. I was complacent. And I fully admit it wasn't the first time I've handled firearms while watching a movie, but it was the last. Hell, there shouldn't have been a first.

I don't think I'll get anything airsoft, though.

Stupid should hurt sometimes and this is one of those cases.

If only it was just pain... Even though it will probably affect me the rest of my days, I'm damn glad it wasn't lethal. And I'm especially damn glad it didn't hit anyone else. Humility I can cope with, but grief and guilt... I don't know about those.

**NWPilgrim** · 01-28-18, 21:29

Glad you will live and heal from this (mostly). Takes humility and courage to fess up in public, but the reminder is much appreciated. I've had some near NDs (did not actually pull the trigger but was damn close to doing so), but the barrel was always in a safe direction at least. And it usually involved rushing and getting steps out of sequence as you did. I wasn't even distracted except just thinking ahead to other things and not exactly in the moment.

**Dionysusigma** · 01-28-18, 21:48

Taken from my reply to a PM:

My shame in my complacency and the price of pain I'm paying (not to mention [the impending] medical bills, lol) have given me a unique opportunity to help anyone who'd listen, and hopefully reset their comfort levels back to "consciously guarded respect for safety" before this happens to them.