Security guard drops gun, worker shot in leg

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 2/03/2011 | Staff

[toma29]

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

Chesterfield worker shot in leg after security guard drops gun

A security guard dropped his gun this morning and it fired a shot, hitting an employee of an insurance company in the leg, police say.

Capt. Steven Lewis of the Chesterfield Police Department described the worker's injuries as not life-threatening. The injured man was being treated at a local hospital.

The shooting happened about 9:30 a.m. Thursday at an office building at 390 South Woods Mill Road.

The building houses several businesses, but Lewis said it happened in an insurance company. Lewis didn't have the name of the firm. A worker at that address said there is no security guard employed at the firm.

Lewis said intital calls to 911 indicated a disgruntled worker was on site and there was an "active shooter" roaming the site.

[toma29]

Barney!!

[meyer]

A security guard dropped his gun this morning and it fired a shot,...

I suppose that it could happen, but I am somewhat doubtful. What kind of gun was it?

[toma29]

It had to have been an older gun. Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to get a firearm to fire without pulling the trigger.

[Hulka]

I'd like to know what kind of weapon, as the weapon would normally only fire if the trigger is held in the aft position when the hammer falls.

I think most weapons, especially modern handguns, unless the trigger is held, the firing pin is retained or blocked. Free-floating firing pins are old and not in use today.

Remember, the cowboy of old with his western six-shooter didn't have a round in the chamber because it might go off if the hammer was hit.

If the free-floating firing pin was still a factor, then people today would not have a round in the chamber under the hammer.

Something doesn't sound right. . .but maybe the firearm experts here in FR may be able to offer more info.

[Yo-Yo]

It had to have been an older gun. Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to get a firearm to fire without pulling the trigger.

A very old gun. It smells fishy to me. Guns just don't go off when dropped, even with safetys off and fully cocked. If the trigger isn't pulled, there's always some sort of firing pin safety that prevents accidental discharge when dropped.

[Manly Warrior]

I think there’s more, much more not being told.

[WayneS]

A worker at that address said there is no security guard employed at the firm.

Well, not any more, at least...

[Cementjungle]

What kind of gun was it?

A fully-automatic assault musket.

[alexander_busek]

Did the shot employee’s policy cover it, at least?

Regards,

[going hot]

Guy was bored, so he tied a string to the trigger and used the pistol as a yoyo. He was trying to walk the dog when it went off.

[Hulka]

Having met a few rent-a-cops, that is believable.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

With obamacare, the doc will see him June 22.

[Hacklehead]

IBBG

In before blaming Glock

[9422WMR]

I have a friend who bought a new Kimber SIS
fancy pants pistol.
He was showing it to a friend in his kitchen when he accidentally dropped it.
The pistol landed on the muzzle on the Spanish tile floor, and discharged.
Luckily no one was hurt.
Besides being embarrassed, he was very angry as this model was supposed to have a firing pin block to prevent such an accidental discharge.
He returned it to Kimber and they found nothing wrong with it.
So even modern weapons can fire when dropped.
The SIS has been discontinued by Kimber.
(What a silly name for a pistol)

[camerongood210]

Bush’s fault

[Durus]

I think your friend is BSing you. A 1911 has two or three safeties. Grip safety, thumb safety, and possibly a firing pin "Swartz" safety. The FP safety is found in all series II pistols from Kimber and found in other 1911's variously. If it was a series 2 what your friend claims is impossible, if it was a series 1 than its only practically impossible. A firing pin has to hit a primer with some force, and a drop from a minimal height wouldn't be enough to overcome the firing pin spring forget about hitting the primer hard enough to ignite the round.

Personally I wouldn't buy a 1911 with a FPS and I carry in condition one or "cocked and locked". There would be a whole lot more ND's if .45s went off when they were dropped.

[9422WMR]

Well, His wife and another friend were there, I saw the hole in the floor. I read the documents from Kimber responding to his complaint and denying any fault.
I’m a .45 fan myself, would not have believed it from most people, but this guy was telling the truth. Bank on it.

[Cobra64]

Your's is the only cogent post here.

Methinks he tried to catch it.

Anyone who has competed in USPSA/IPSC and IDPA knows that if a pistol is dropped and the shooter tries to catch it, he will be disqualified. Furthermore, students in a formal professional training environment are taught to never try to catch a pistol.

In the case of 1911s, Hi Powers, and other pistols with a frame or slide mounted manual safety and other internal safeties, it's safe to say that if the gun were in a "safe" position (Condition 1 for instance), the weapon would not fire.

DA/SA weapons such as the classic Sig line and V3 H&Ks have long, 10# DA trigger pulls which would require significant effort to fire the weapon. That is the purpose of the DA trigger stroke on those weapons.

Striker fired weapons such as XDs, M&Ps, Glocks, etc. with their "safe trigger" and no external manual safety might be more prone to firing if the owner were to try to catch the weapon and happen to swipe the trigger. I've owned both a Glock a 22 and 19 and believe in this possibility.

Just my two cents.

[Lees Swrd]

It can happen if the pistol was out of battery pushed the case hard enough against the slide it could happen.
I never let me say it again I never rely solely on a safety on any type of gun to many people get shot with guns that are on safe or empty. I carry a 1911a 45 have for many years but I rely on safe handling not the safetys.

[MasterGunner01]

How about a Type 94 8x22mm Nambu pistol he got from his grandfather as a battlefield war trophy. The Nambu had a long external sear bar that could cause the pistol to fire if the bar was pushed when the safety was OFF and a round cambered — before the trigger was pulled! It was known as the “suicide” pistol for a reason.