What will the Martial Arts be 50 years from now?

[Wing Woo Gar]

A friend of mine and LEO was jogging early in his career. Had a thumb web safety pistol in the pocket of his sweats. It fell out and went off shooting him in the leg. Very, very lucky.

What brand and model pistol? That’s odd.

 

[Dirty Dog]

What brand and model pistol? That’s odd.

Extremely. Handguns are required to pass a "drop safe" test, and have been since the 1960's. At least in the US, I don't know about other countries, but I really doubt any company that sells in the US removes safety features before selling the same gun elsewhere. Yes, there are the occasional build defects, just like with any other product, but it is a vanishingly small number. And "just go off" is even less common.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Extremely. Handguns are required to pass a "drop safe" test, and have been since the 1960's. At least in the US, I don't know about other countries, but I really doubt any company that sells in the US removes safety features before selling the same gun elsewhere. Yes, there are the occasional build defects, just like with any other product, but it is a vanishingly small number. And "just go off" is even less common.

It’s possible. Remember the Remington 700 safety debacle? I have actually seen one go off from clicking the safety off. No finger anywhere near the trigger well and the gun was on the bench at the range. I have heard that quite a few people were shot accidentally this way. Sad, it’s a fifty cent fix.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Extremely. Handguns are required to pass a "drop safe" test, and have been since the 1960's. At least in the US, I don't know about other countries, but I really doubt any company that sells in the US removes safety features before selling the same gun elsewhere. Yes, there are the occasional build defects, just like with any other product, but it is a vanishingly small number. And "just go off" is even less common.

Some people like to remove safety features. It is possible that the Leo in question may have done this.

 

[dvcochran]

What brand and model pistol? That’s odd.

S&W .380 if memory serves.

 

[dvcochran]

How long ago was this? And it's worth pointing out that an improperly carried weapon is not the same as "just going off".

'86 or '87

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

S&W .380 if memory serves.

Interesting. I will look up the series and ask one of my gunsmith buddies.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

S&W .380 if memory serves.

There was a safety recall on the s&w ez380 but that was a 2020 mfg. date. Nothing comes up that I can find.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

S&W .380 if memory serves.

I’m guessing your buddy had the bodyguard model.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Some people like to remove safety features. It is possible that the Leo in question may have done this.

The most common pistol with a grip safety is the 1911-style weapons. A series which, besides being based on a 110+ year old design, also requires gunsmithing for any modifications. Not all gunsmiths are born equal. I can easily imagine a novice gunsmith tweaking a 1911 and screwing up the various safeties.
The point remains, however. Guns just don't "go off" in anything like the numbers required to make it a serious concern.

 

[dvcochran]

The most common pistol with a grip safety is the 1911-style weapons. A series which, besides being based on a 110+ year old design, also requires gunsmithing for any modifications. Not all gunsmiths are born equal. I can easily imagine a novice gunsmith tweaking a 1911 and screwing up the various safeties.
The point remains, however. Guns just don't "go off" in anything like the numbers required to make it a serious concern.

I cannot speak to exactly how it happened, I just know that it did. We are talking about something that happened about 36 years ago. The details escape me.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I cannot speak to exactly how it happened, I just know that it did. We are talking about something that happened about 36 years ago. The details escape me.

Understandable. Sometimes I can barely remember what I ate for dinner yesterday...

I'll point out that the only reason you remember it is because it was such a bizarre, unlikely thing. Nobody remembers common occurrences 36 years later. It's sort of like non-divers who tell me about shark attacks. The only reason they're in the news is because they're so rare. And you remember enough to put this case clearly into the "person did something stupid" category.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

The most common pistol with a grip safety is the 1911-style weapons. A series which, besides being based on a 110+ year old design, also requires gunsmithing for any modifications. Not all gunsmiths are born equal. I can easily imagine a novice gunsmith tweaking a 1911 and screwing up the various safeties.
The point remains, however. Guns just don't "go off" in anything like the numbers required to make it a serious concern.

Actually there are probably more glocks and Springfield XD “safe action” pistols in use than 1911 now. I have both. You are correct about amateur gunsmiths mucking it up. I bought my colt gold cup trophy from a guy that had the wrong connector and some series 70 parts put in the gun so it would not cycle. $100.00 later it shoots better than I will ever be able to take advantage of.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Understandable. Sometimes I can barely remember what I ate for dinner yesterday...

I'll point out that the only reason you remember it is because it was such a bizarre, unlikely thing. Nobody remembers common occurrences 36 years later. It's sort of like non-divers who tell me about shark attacks. The only reason they're in the news is because they're so rare. And you remember enough to put this case clearly into the "person did something stupid" category.

The most common pistol with a grip safety is the 1911-style weapons. A series which, besides being based on a 110+ year old design, also requires gunsmithing for any modifications. Not all gunsmiths are born equal. I can easily imagine a novice gunsmith tweaking a 1911 and screwing up the various safeties.
The point remains, however. Guns just don't "go off" in anything like the numbers required to make it a serious concern.

Except the remington 700. They really did just go off. Lots of videos of it. Even one from the range At a military base during training. The soldier isn’t even touching the gun.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Right. Because people would rather blame the gun than admit they managed to put their booger stick on the bang bang button. Or that it was stupid to put an unholstered, cocked handgun in their pocket. It didn't "just go off".

Or, as I’ve seen twice, put other stuff in the same pocket.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Actually there are probably more glocks and Springfield XD “safe action” pistols in use than 1911 now.

Glocks do not have grip safeties, so they are pretty much irrelevant to the discussion. The Springfields do (at least some models). A quick check tells me that Colt, all by themselves, have made about 4.3 million 1911 handguns. Are you quite sure there are more Springfields out there?

 

[Dirty Dog]

Except the remington 700. They really did just go off. Lots of videos of it. Even one from the range At a military base during training. The soldier isn’t even touching the gun.

Have you seen a lot of people with rifles stuffed down their pants?

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Glocks do not have grip safeties, so they are pretty much irrelevant to the discussion. The Springfields do (at least some models). A quick check tells me that Colt, all by themselves, have made about 4.3 million 1911 handguns. Are you quite sure there are more Springfields out there?

No not sure at all. I stand corrected on the Glock safety. I only have a gen 3 Glock 20 as far as glocks but have 2 XD. For some crazy reason I imagined that my Glock had the same grip safety as my XD. I apologize. I hate to give wrong info. I was counting glocks in that number vs 1911. So now that my entire statement is underwater because my mouth and typing finger do not have an adequate safety, I will bid you happy new year and retire to look for my gag so I don’t say something even dumber.

 

[Wing Woo Gar]

Have you seen a lot of people with rifles stuffed down their pants?

Actually yes a few. But that is embarrassing to admit. The point is that people got killed because a faulty safety wasn’t fixed on a common use bolt action rifle where the gun really did just go off on its own. This one I am quite sure of because I witnessed it myself.

 

[bill miller]

Have you seen a lot of people with rifles stuffed down their pants?

Is that a Remington in your pocket, or are glad to see me?