Spontaneous firearm discharge from a MRI

[smoothy8500]

An interesting case study where an off duty officer's weapon was involved. Link takes you to a medical journal so it's not some internet hokey.

http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/full/178/5/1092

[1911su16b870]

We have found the magnet for our BB tool!

[Plisk]

The gun likely discharged as a result of the effect of the magnetic field on the firing pin block. The firing pin block was probably drawn into its uppermost position by force of the magnetic field. The firing pin block has to overcome only light pressure from a relatively small spring to release the firing pin. The pistol was likely drawn into the magnetic field so that the muzzle struck the magnet's bore first. With the firing pin allowed to move freely in its channel, the force of the impact on the muzzle end was sufficient to cause the firing pin to overcome its spring pressure and move forward to strike the primer of the chambered round.

For the muzzle to hit hard enough for the springloaded pin to travel forward enough to tip off the round... that would have had to hit harder then it did to cuase that little blemish. Very very odd.

[tommyid1]

Doesn't intense magnetic fields like that also heat metal pretty fast. Could it have cooked off

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[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

I have personally observed a pre-Series 80 1911 discharge from an approximately 4 foot (from draw to firing stance height) muzzle down drop onto a concrete floor. Most likely that was the cause, as there was an attempt to remove the weapon - if the weapon had been heated enough to cook off the cartridge, it couldn't have been touched to move it.

[truthseeker]

Reminds me of when I had an MRI for my knee, I could feel the BB in my calf (that is still in there from when I was younger) moving around!