Close call, check those chambers!

[The War Wagon]

I was at the bottom of their stairs and I watched as the wife removed the magazine and retracted the slide while looking at the handgun (Older Bersa 9mm) and let the slide return forward.

Those things were sketchy when NEW!

You gotta up the game, and get the missus something NICER than THAT!

[ar15barrels]

You gotta up the game, and get the missus something NICER than THAT!

It was NOT the OP's wife.
It was the OP's FRIEND's wife.

[4473G19]

Those things were sketchy when NEW!

You gotta up the game, and get the missus something NICER than THAT!

LOL....This was not my gun or wife. I appreciate the suggestion though.

[AGGRO]

The old never point it at anyone is still the best rule.

[IVC]

I've personally have seen the results of an off-duty Officer blowing out the web of his hand after believing the gun was cleared to clean the firearm. The Officer was coming off Graveyard, tired and then failed by pointing the gun at his own hand while pulling the trigger. Was not a pretty sight.

That's why in competition you have a very strict protocol, where you have to point the gun in a SAFE direction, close the slide and pull the trigger. If it's not clear, it's an automatic DQ.

Looking in TWO places is extremely critical. Too many gun owners don't look down the magazine well to ensure there isn't a round ready to get chambered when the slide goes forward, and clearly, in this case, there are others who don't look into the chamber. The first time the gun goes off when it wasn't expected, it will make the protocol and the reason for the protocol painfully obvious.

[plumbum]

this is why i rack with the end of barrel pointed upwards, get some help from gravity just in case.

I do this too - and I literally stick my finger in the chamber - always!
Years ago, I found an M44 in my closet with the mag empty and bolt open, but sure enough there was a live round stuck in the chamber - have no idea how it got there other that it had to have come home from a range trip with one stuffed on there. Now I physically check for empty chambers.

[Verdha603]

Ironically enough this is one of the few "pluses" of being a lefty. Most of the time when I clear a firearm the ejection port is on the right side so I can immediately get a clear view into the chamber and be able to immediately tell if the firearm still has a round in the chamber or not.

Another thing I tend to recommend to folks just getting into firearms is to cycle the slide a couple times on a semi-auto handgun after you drop the magazine and before they lock the slide back, though in your case with an extractor failure that would still leave a round in the chamber.

Glad to know that this case ended without an incident occurring, and hopefully it was a useful learning experience for everyone going forward.

[BillSmith]

Honestly; anyone who's too careless or incompetent to be able to properly clear a firearm; I'd rather they just carefully hand the firearm to me while keeping the muzzle 180 degrees away from me, and let ME clear the gun.

[kmas]

People need to pass gun safety tests - theory and practice BEFORE they're allowed to shoot.

[GW]

Did they stop doing the safety "class" whenever you buy a handgun in CA?

[hambam105]

Ten bucks says the lady really did not know how to properly clear a semi auto handgun. More than likely she
was going thru the motions that she often sees other shooters do without knowing the why.

And I'll bet another 10 bucks she still doesn't know.

[Uncivil Engineer]

Did they stop doing the safety "class" whenever you buy a handgun in CA?

I believe you still need to demonstrate safe handling in any purchase. It's never come up as I'm usually field stripping while the guy at the counter is doing paper work and I think he just checks the box and moves on.

[lmcc0072]

When I hand a semiauto pistol to someone I remove the magazine and lock the slide open. Then it is easy for them to verify the chamber is empty.

[DrjonesUSA]

That's why in competition you have a very strict protocol, where you have to point the gun in a SAFE direction, close the slide and pull the trigger. If it's not clear, it's an automatic DQ.

Looking in TWO places is extremely critical. Too many gun owners don't look down the magazine well to ensure there isn't a round ready to get chambered when the slide goes forward, and clearly, in this case, there are others who don't look into the chamber. The first time the gun goes off when it wasn't expected, it will make the protocol and the reason for the protocol painfully obvious.

This is why I, and I've seen many others do it too, repeatedly rack the slide / bolt / action multiple times to ensure there's nothing at all - ammo or otherwise - stuck in the action.

I've just always done it because I'm OCD, but of all the places to check, check, check, re-check and.....yeah hold on lemme check again....... guns are a pretty darn good thing to be OCD with.

[norcalAF]

You can always go a step further and ask someone to show you that the chamber is empty before they hand you the gun. I trained my son this way when he started hunting in with me about five years ago, and now I like hunting with him more than anybody else because he is by far the one who acts the safest out in the field.

That's how we turn service weapons into the cage