jasmap Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) I was at the Yuma Matchmasters Match doing the one-day shoot today and I was "fortunate" enough to finally witness a round being ejected, during "Unload & Show Clear", and have the ejector strike the primer and blow up. Unfortunately it was my hand and unfortunately I now have stitches in my hand and thumb. I kept the blown case and also the shrapnel they removed from my hand at Urgent Care. And no....I was NOT doing the "quick rack to catch the round in the air thing". Now I am a one-handed typer, temporarily. Edited March 14, 2009 by jasmap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
get2now Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Any chance you cupped the ejection port with your hand when you did that? Glad to hear its not too bad. One of my friends got shrapnel in his arm as he was RO'ing a shooter who's gun had done the same thing. He was hit in an artery and bled like a fountain. That was also a trip to the ER. G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevin c Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Ouch! Glad you still have all the digits, and your eyes, etc. Time to practice SHO (or is it WHO?). Get better soon. KC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JThompson Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Sorry to hear that... it goes to show it doesn't matter how you do it you can have an issue. Did you manage to hold on to the gun after the kaboom? Hope you heal quickly... JT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boz1911 Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 I hope you heal quickly. I've heard of but never seen one of these detonations and I hope I never do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3quartertime Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Glad your ok!!! Just to clarify. Which hand? Your grip or slide hand? If it was your slide hand I'd guess you weren't using a slide racker. If not were you holding on to the front or rear serrations? It always worried me when people used the front to unload just for this reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 It happened to me years ago.....welcome to the club.... Glad you are ok......I only got rippped up on my left trigger finger(cupped the slide trying to eject a long round that got stuck in the rifling). I think it scared the RO more than me....we still laugh about it..tersely.... It took a month until the numbness went away from the finger and got my sensitivity back.....It really interfered with my reloading for awhile..... Make sure you keep it clean and let it heal correctly, and be very vigilant with people that put their hand over the slide to rack out the round.....You now have proof of what can happen..... Hang in there, DougC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemo Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Sorry to hear Jason. Speedy recovery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zhunter Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Jason I am just glad you are ok Speedy recovery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Bell Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Sorry to hear of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ninefan Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Ouch! Sorry to hear about that one. I hope your hand heals quickly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. It was my left hand that got the shrapnel as my right hand held the gun and I was shooting in Single Stack Division so no slideracker. Also, I didn't cup my hand over the magwell. It was the most "normal" "unload & show clear" that is possible. I don't play around like that. On another note, I have a nice long scratch down my face from more shrapnel. It sucks. My reason for saying this is I had my Rudy Project Rydon's on and although my eyes didn't get hit.....they could have. I'm not just saying buy Rudy's, I'm saying buy quality glasses. And no, I am not a Rudy Project Team member but I am glad I had them. Protect yourself in case anything like this ever happens to you. I have never seen this type of detonation but I finally saw it yesterday and it was me and my hand and my face. I hate the scratch on my face and I hate the stitches in my hand. I guess I can go read Lanny Basham's book now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMITH Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Jason, check the extractor tension on that gun. I am not saying that low extractor tension is the only way this can happen but it makes it a lot easier for this to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KGentry Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 He is Jasmap - he will heal and can take the pain!!! Get well soon!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoShooter Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Glad you are OK , and I know that if your Rudy's are even scratched =Rudy will replace them for just the shipping and handling fee. So to be clear when you showed clear your thumb was on the right side of the slide and your left finger around the slide to the left? Or did you grip the slide from the front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) Glad you are OK , and I know that if your Rudy's are even scratched =Rudy will replace them for just the shipping and handling fee.So to be clear when you showed clear your thumb was on the right side of the slide and your left finger around the slide to the left? Or did you grip the slide from the front? It was the 1st way. I didn't grip from the front. Howard, I thought the same thing about the extractor. I thought the round may have slipped a little and tilted. Edited March 14, 2009 by jasmap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Run a lighter recoil spring Then you can rack the slide from below ala Todd Jarrett. Ask him why he does that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Glad to hear you're going to be OK, Jason. If you don't mind me asking, This was a .40? What's the overall length of your loads? Was the gun tilted to the left a little when the round went off? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jman Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Holy $hit Jason!!! So glad it wasn't worse. Serious response mode <OFF> I'm going to make up a story that you single handedly took on a bunch of drug runners while patrolling the desert. They didn't stand a chance. But, you got a little nicked up in the battle. The Rio legend continues. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 (edited) Glad to hear you're going to be OK, Jason. If you don't mind me asking, This was a .40? What's the overall length of your loads? Was the gun tilted to the left a little when the round went off? It was a .40s&w and I load long out to 1.185. I can't remember if I tilted it or not to be honest. If I did tilt it then it was only a little. Also, the ejector seems to be slightly bent. I am not sure if it occurred during detonation or prior. Jim, I told the nurses the same thing. By the time I was done with this story I would be a National Hero and a mall ninja legend. Edited March 14, 2009 by jasmap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3quartertime Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Thanks for trudging thru the questions Jason, Now that I think of it when I show clear I almost always roll to the left and 'look' at the round coming out, look at the empty chamber first then show the RO. Rolling right so the ejection port would be pointed more towards the ground seems better, but isn't comfortable. Maybe rolling forward to eject? Not sure there's a way to protect your hands more than you did and you took the right precautions with your eyes. Come to think of it I think I've 'leaned in' towards the gun as an RO many times to watch the round eject and focus on the empty chamber better!!! Sucks you got cut up, but it's just these things that make us all rethink our gun handling... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasmap Posted March 14, 2009 Author Share Posted March 14, 2009 Run a lighter recoil spring Then you can rack the slide from below ala Todd Jarrett. Ask him why he does that... My spring is light enough to do it but I never got in the habit of racking from below the gun. You can bet your Brazos Open gun Dave that I will rack from below from now on. Thanks 3quarter. I have learned a lesson or two through this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-shot Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 Wow, get better quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XRe Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 My spring is light enough to do it but I never got in the habit of racking from below the gun. You can bet your Brazos Open gun Dave that I will rack from below from now on. I don't bet things I can't afford to lose I rack my iron sight guns from below, too, for that same reason... Well, maybe not the same - I haven't had one detonate, yet, but... prevention of that reason, maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HI5-O Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 ...I hate the scratch on my face and I hate the stitches in my hand. I guess I can go read Lanny Basham's book now. Glad to hear it wasn't much worse. I hear chicks dig scars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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