Don't Let This Happen To You Either!

Safety is always important, no matter how experienced we are. Reader Kevin Cuyler sent this email and photos of his own painful safety experience, with permission to publish it to help other airgunners.

I'll say it again: it takes a real man to admit he made a mistake, and even more so to admit it in public. Kevin, thanks for sharing!

Here's Kevin's email:

"Stephen,
 
After reading your blog posts under Safety, and the one on "Don't let this happen to you", I just had to share something similar that happen to me recently.  I call it "Doing Dumb Once".
 
The attached photos will expand on what I now post on the rear wall of my 10M indoor basement air gun range.  I've been shooting both firearms and air guns since 1958. The first thing my father taught me..."THE GUN IS ALWAYS LOADED!"  I did dumb just once and paid the price.

I was degassing my modified Crosman 1077. I always store the airguns with the clips out and unloaded, so I thought!  The modified 1077 only gets about 24 shots then the pressure falls off quickly. I wanted to know how much was left to be able to unscrew the piercing assembly and release the rest of the gas. I put my left index finger just slightly over the end of the barrel. I forgot to remove the clip. One round was left. There was still enough energy to put it into my finger, only stopped by the bone, otherwise it probably would have went through."

Below, Kevin's bandaged finger and X-ray of the pellet inside the finger. Click to enlarge photo. Ouch!



Will I ever do DO DUMB AGAIN ???  They say, the older you get, the smarter you get ???  Go ahead and post this if you please."

Below. Kevin now has this notice on the wall of his range. Click to enlarge photo.


 
"Would you believe that the doctor who did the surgery, and on the day he took the stitches out, said he had to do another surgery that day on a guy that shot a pellet into his hand ???
 
Sincerely,
 
The Gun is Always Loaded!!!,
 
Kevin"