How To: Flip, Eject and Catch a round from a Pistol in IPSC/USPSA

[JFlowers]

Saw a shooter try and do the flip at a local match.  Round detonated on the ejector, piece of brass went through his lip and cracked his tooth.  Personally, I can drop the chambered round to the ground and then pick it up.

[Cuz]

Somehow, I can't help but think this might be a good topic for a bunch of bloopers videos...

 

Personally, I eject the round gently to the ground, watch it the whole way and then place my foot directly behind it, pointing it with my toe so I know which round is mine.  Then, after getting the "Range is clear" command, I simply bend down and pick it up.  This "tactic" hasn't failed me yet, but, then again, I'm a wimp, and no matter how much I practiced the flip & catch at home, I'm sure that on a stage, with everyone watching, I'd probably miss the damn catch, and wind up on one of those blooper videos I mentioned above...

 

[NoSteel]

Seen this done where the round ended up on the brim of the guys cap causing him to knock his cap and muffs off and the round ending up on the ground.  Muzzle stayed pointed down range though so there’s that,   He ejected to the ground rest of the match..  Maybe he should watch this video….

[GOF]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:19 PM, JFlowers said:

Saw a shooter try and do the flip at a local match.  Round detonated on the ejector, piece of brass went through his lip and cracked his tooth.  Personally, I can drop the chambered round to the ground and then pick it up.

Think about what the ROs are going through as they stand there watching the procedure. It's as hazardous to them as it is to the shooter. If the gun is canted to the ground and the round goes Boom! at least the gun provides some shield for both participants. 

[Dutchman195]

On 5/30/2022 at 11:39 AM, TaterHead said:

The last time this discussion came up it went on for about 48 pages. We’ll see.

Im just surprised someone took the time to make a whole video about it. 

[motosapiens]

On 6/6/2022 at 12:11 PM, GOF said:

Think about what the ROs are going through as they stand there watching the procedure. It's as hazardous to them as it is to the shooter. If the gun is canted to the ground and the round goes Boom! at least the gun provides some shield for both participants. 

I've worked 7-8 nationals and as many area matches. I've probably seen 10,000 flip and catches. I have yet to see a hazardous one.

 

It seems to me this is just one of those things that gets fudds riled up, and nothing more.  'you'll shoot yer eye out!'

[Bagellord]

On 6/4/2022 at 7:19 PM, JFlowers said:

Saw a shooter try and do the flip at a local match.  Round detonated on the ejector, piece of brass went through his lip and cracked his tooth.  Personally, I can drop the chambered round to the ground and then pick it up.

 

The flip and catch is irrelevant to the detonation though, could still have gone off with them just racking it. I witnessed that happen to a shooter at a major - clearing a jam, the shooter had a detonation. Part of the cartridge struck them on the mouth, bloody lip. RO called stop for safety reasons, and they ended up reshooting (RM's call).

 

Reason for the reshoot was we (the staff) essentially could not prove that the gun or ammo was dangerous and should be retired. It was a freak accident.

[Johnny_Chimpo]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:19 PM, JFlowers said:

Saw a shooter try and do the flip at a local match.  Round detonated on the ejector,

 

Any pistol that will detonate a cartridge when ejecting it by pulling back on the slide is defective and needs to be fixed or s#!tcanned.

 

Nothing to do with "flip and catch"

[Johnny_Chimpo]

On 6/6/2022 at 2:11 PM, GOF said:

Think about what the ROs are going through as they stand there watching the procedure. It's as hazardous to them as it is to the shooter. If the gun is canted to the ground and the round goes Boom! at least the gun provides some shield for both participants. 

 

Any pistol that will detonate a cartridge as it's ejected when the slide is pulled back is defective and needs to be fixed or s#!tcanned.  It has nothing to do with "flip and catch".

 

I'm an RO and I don't care if my shooter does it or not.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Johnny_Chimpo

[blueeyedme]

I am pretty disappointed that this is only 2 pages deep.  LoL...

[Boomstick303]

 

2 hours ago, blueeyedme said:

I am pretty disappointed that this is only 2 pages deep.  LoL...

 

Here, I will help.

 

On 6/6/2022 at 12:11 PM, GOF said:

It's as hazardous to them as it is to the shooter. If the gun is canted to the ground and the round goes Boom!

 

I have never seen anyone discharge their last round out of the gun in this manner so how exactly is the RO protected?  

 

I have also never heard of an RO being injured during a "if you are finished, unload and show clear" procedure.  Not saying it has not happened, but I do not recall it ever happening.

[GigG]

On 6/4/2022 at 7:19 PM, JFlowers said:

Saw a shooter try and do the flip at a local match.  Round detonated on the ejector, piece of brass went through his lip and cracked his tooth.  Personally, I can drop the chambered round to the ground and then pick it up.

 

And how exactly does adding catching the round, increase the chance of an ejector ignition?

[Boomstick303]

5 minutes ago, GigG said:

And how exactly does adding catching the round, increase the chance of an ejector ignition?

 

It doesn't.

[Racinready300ex]

On 6/6/2022 at 2:11 PM, GOF said:

If the gun is canted to the ground and the round goes Boom! at least the gun provides some shield for both participants. 

 

So you roll your gun over so the ejection port is pointed down? Are you a lefty? I don't think I'm flexible enough to do this. 

[GOF]

19 hours ago, Racinready300ex said:

 

So you roll your gun over so the ejection port is pointed down? Are you a lefty? I don't think I'm flexible enough to do this. 

I'm a Super Senior and I have no problem doing this. You just roll your right wrist to the right. It's pretty easy.

[Racinready300ex]

21 minutes ago, GOF said:

I'm a Super Senior and I have no problem doing this. You just roll your right wrist to the right. It's pretty easy.

 

Do you clear malfunctions the same way?

[GOF]

3 minutes ago, Racinready300ex said:

 

Do you clear malfunctions the same way?

No. I'm capable of more than one deliberate and practiced action. I just use the technique that is most appropriate to the current situation.

[Racinready300ex]

2 minutes ago, GOF said:

No. I'm capable of more than one deliberate and practiced action. I just use the technique that is most appropriate to the current situation.

 

Right, and you only worry about the round going off sometimes. 

[GOF]

2 hours ago, Racinready300ex said:

 

Right, and you only worry about the round going off sometimes. 

I tend to use techniques that don't present the potential for a round going off. That seems like a good idea to me. YMMV

[Racinready300ex]

3 minutes ago, GOF said:

I tend to use techniques that don't present the potential for a round going off. That seems like a good idea to me. YMMV

 

Luckily the flip catch can't cause a round to go off. 

[GOF]

22 hours ago, GigG said:

 

And how exactly does adding catching the round, increase the chance of an ejector ignition?

To get the round high enough to enable the 'catch' the slide must be very forcefully racked to the rear.  As well, the gun must be held with the ejection port facing up in order to put the round into 'catchable' territory. That's a departure from the normal position upon firing. This can create the potential hazard of the primer striking the ejector at high speed - which can certainly set it off. And, with the ejection port facing up so that all concerned get the chance to experience powder, brass, and lead in their face.

[GOF]

1 minute ago, Racinready300ex said:

 

Luckily the flip catch can't cause a round to go off. 

I beg to differ. I have seen it happen. 

[GigG]

54 minutes ago, GOF said:

To get the round high enough to enable the 'catch' the slide must be very forcefully racked to the rear.  As well, the gun must be held with the ejection port facing up in order to put the round into 'catchable' territory. That's a departure from the normal position upon firing. This can create the potential hazard of the primer striking the ejector at high speed - which can certainly set it off. And, with the ejection port facing up so that all concerned get the chance to experience powder, brass, and lead in their face.

 

I forcefully rack my slide back every time I clear and have for 40+ years.

 

The ejection port on my Glock is open at the top as are many other firearms. Yet you don't hear about ejector ignitions happening every day.

 

 

53 minutes ago, GOF said:

I beg to differ. I have seen it happen. 

 

I believe you have seen an ejector ignition.  So have I. But I think you are confusing correlation and causation.

 

[Racinready300ex]

59 minutes ago, GOF said:

I beg to differ. I have seen it happen. 

 

So you saw the flip catch cause the problem? Can you explain how it happened? To initiate a flip catch you pull the slide to the rear. There is no other way to remove a round from the chamber other than pulling the slide to the rear. So is vary unlikely the attempt to filp catch actually caused anything to happen. 

 

[Johnny_Chimpo]

2 hours ago, GOF said:

To get the round high enough to enable the 'catch' the slide must be very forcefully racked to the rear.  As well, the gun must be held with the ejection port facing up in order to put the round into 'catchable' territory. That's a departure from the normal position upon firing. This can create the potential hazard of the primer striking the ejector at high speed

 

Unless you can provide something more concrete than an opinion, I'll have to keep doing the flip and catch.