Made huge mistake this morning

[Shawn156]

I sleep with my gun within arms reach in the holster and one in the chamber. I am not sure how this happened but I woke up to a gunshot and ears ringing.
Somehow I managed to take it out of the holster and drop the clip and shoot a round into the wall next to me. It has bothered me all day about how the hell I done this without waking up before I pulled the trigger.
I have no memory of anything except the gun going off and my ears ringing for 1/2 an hour.

I was terrified to walk back in the room for a while and when I did I grabbed the gun holster and magazine and put it in my drawer. I didn't want to handle it anymore then I had to and the safe was on the other side of the room,but the code is messed up and using the key would of slowed me down getting to my firearm if I needed it.

I went today and bought a new safe,even though I really could not afford it and will be using it from now on. I also will not have a round in the chamber or the magazine in the gun for a while.It really shook me up.
My kids know to stay out of my room and not come in under any circumstances,especially at night when the gun was next to me. I am always safe when awake.It's in the safe or attached to me.I never leave it laying around unloaded or loaded.

I learned my lesson and my girlfriend was not to happy with me and I was almost forced to sell the gun.But after a few hours,she calmed down and I was ready to handle to firearm again.She was the one who told me to get a new safe or the gun goes.

My stupidity of leaving my weapon out and me shooting it when asleep is all my fault.I am glad no one was hurt since I fired it into the north side of the house and no one is on that side. This was my wake up call and I admit I got careless about leaving it out at night loaded. I'll eventually put one back in the chamber at night inside the safe,but for now I will wait. I consider myself very very very lucky that my stupidity didn't hurt any of my kids or anyone else.

 

[MikeDVB]

Uhhh, you might want to consider putting it in a safe.

I've gotten up and cooked meals in my sleep but never handled a firearm - that said - it's in the safe when I'm sleeping. I can open it quickly when awake but I doubt I would have the dexterity sleeping to make it happen.

 

[gungirl65]

Wow, that's pretty incredible. Are you typically a sleep walker?

I can't sleep if I forget and leave my nighttime gun in the drawer a couple rooms away. I want my gun within arms reach on the table while I sleep. I keep it loaded and ready to go.

Luckily I don't have small children to be concerned with. My son's old enough that he has a loaded gun next to his bed too.

 

[actaeon277]

People do stuff in their sleep.
Why I like my gun out of easy reach, but still accessible.

 

[sig-guy]

Wow, that's pretty incredible. Are you typically a sleep walker?

I'd like to know this too.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I'd like to know this too.

No, just a sleep shooter!*


*Shawn, since you are new here, I want to point out that I bit on the opportunity for a smartass remark because of the opportunity with no malice intended. I can understand that you must be pretty shaken right now and reconsidering the way you do things. Further, a mistake is one thing. Stupidity is setting yourself up to repeat it, which you have taken deliberate efforts to avoid. One other thing--I don't get too excited about it, but INGO standard is to give people tons of sh*t for using 'clip' (i.e., Mannlicher-type en-bloc, Mauser-type stripper, or half-moon/full-moon revolver clips) interchangeably with 'magazine'.

 

[Kentuckyblue]

I have never been known to do anything in my sleep [but I suppose there is a first time for anything] But I have to actually sit up right to reach my gun. Discharging a round in the house could have had dire consequences, glad no one was hurt. How was your hearing after that?

 

[STEEL CORE]

Bet that woke you up eh?

 

[Ruffnek]

Scary story.Glad everyone ended up ok.Please don't let one bad experience lead you to think that guns are unsafe,which,judging by your reaction of getting a new safe,it hasn't.

I also am an 'active sleeper' and have been known to get up and go to the bathroom,get a drink,and carry on entire conversations while I'm less than awake.Maybe consider a pump shotgun or an AR/AK as your bedside gun due to the fact that they require more effort to pick up and fire.

I keep my G21 in a retention holster with the paddle through the handle of my mattress and a sheet over it.

On a lighter note,you must have trained your @$$ of with that pistol to literally use it in your sleep.I therefore award you with honorary Operator status.

 

[rob63]

Thanks for sharing your story. Glad no one was hurt!

 

[churchmouse]

That is scary. Glad everyone is OK.
I move my SD pistol to where I am going to be.
It has to be manipulated to fire it ie. safety's etc.
Is your gun a Glock or another platform with no manual safety's.

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

now THAT'S a wake up call...

 

[Shawn156]

I have a Sig 2022 9mm so no safety. I must of been having one hell of a dream to be able to do that.
I don't think guns are unsafe and will continue to carry mine,but at night it is going to be next to me in the safe. It has a number combination so I should still be able to get to it fast. I do keep a magazine in the gun but not a round in the chamber,just in case I somehow wake up and open the safe and do it again. I normally am not a sleep walker but have woke up a few times talking in my sleep.

 

[schafe]

I imagine most of us haven't given this aspect of nighttime access much thought. I know I have, only to the extent that I keep my pistol accessable but across the room in order to have a clear head by the time my hand touches the gun. The possibility of a true sleepwalk hadn't occured to me. Thanks for opening our eyes...so to speak.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Some may remember that I had a similar incident nearly 3 years ago... https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...weird-occurence-last-night-advice-needed.html

I have not had a single recurrence of that incident or anything remotely close to it. I think I can safely say that it was a remote occurrence and hopefully will not happen again.

OP, look through my thread linked above for some good advice and recommendations...

 

[cmamath13]

Whenever I hear I story like this, I am reminded of how important gun safety is. Thank you for taking the time and having the courage to share with this community. It may prevent one of us from doing the same thing.

 

[churchmouse]

I have a Sig 2022 9mm so no safety. I must of been having one hell of a dream to be able to do that.
I don't think guns are unsafe and will continue to carry mine,but at night it is going to be next to e in the safe. It has a number combination so I should still be able to get to it fast. I do keep a magazine in the gun but not a round in the chamber,just in case I somehow wake up and open the safe and do it again. I normally am not a sleep walker but have woke up a few times talking in my sleep.

I only ask as a pistol with no manual safety to me is an issue. You have discovered why I have that opinion.
My night stand gun is a 1911 (go figure) and has to be manipulated to fire it. Not saying it could not happen as I have many many hours with this platform just saying it is another barrier between me and an AD.
I do hope your having the gun in a safe does not cause you issue should the need arise to use it in defense of house/family.
You are the one that knows what your needs are.

 

[Shawn156]

Whenever I hear I story like this, I am reminded of how important gun safety is. Thank you for taking the time and having the courage to share with this community. It may prevent one of us from doing the same thing.

It's one of those things a person doesn't give much thought to since they are asleep.I never would of imagined I would find myself doing this since I am so careful when I am awake and always know where my gun is when awake,either on my side or in the safe,never laying around since I do have kids. The kids know not to touch the gun if it were left sitting,I talked to each one about it and my daughter has shot my Sig and knows how to disable it (take round out of chamber) if needed. I never let her shoot a new gun until she goes through the safety check with me.

I'm lucky no one was hurt and only a small hole to patch up in the wall. I was less then a foot from shooting it through the window into the neighbors house. I will practice taking the gun out of the safe so that if I need it,I can do fairly quick.The safe I bought has a 6 number combination instead of a 4 number one,so a few extra seconds.I left the magazine in the gun to make up for that time. I don't see myself having to use it here since I live in a quiet neighborhood.First place I have lived my car hasn't been broken into yet and I have been here a year.
I felt I needed to post this to bring light to the subject that it can happen to anyone. Not in a million years would I think this would happen to me,but it did and it won't again. It worried my girlfriend a lot but we came to an agreement that I can keep the gun as long as I lock it up at night or where I can't carry it at,it stays home locked up. She never really told me I had to get rid of it,I was going to on my own,but decided a new safe would take care of the problem and we can continue to target shoot when we want or when the ammunition can be found.

I will read the thread posted above later today.Got to get back to bed.I work overnight tonight.

I've had this gun less then a month but have shot around 600 rounds through it. And to answer the questions above,it was one hell of a rude awakening and I couldn't hear much except for ringing in my ears for a good 1/2 hour. It is on of the louder 9 mm guns I have shot. Not saying that from the experience yesterday but when me and the g/f went to the range Sunday,I was adjusting my hearing protection when she was shooting and it is louder then others I have shot.

I carried it yesterday with me after the initial shock was over and even looked a a few guns.I found another Sig 9mm I liked and considering on buying. I can't remember the model number but it was just small enough to fit my hand and felt comfortable.I'll have to get the model number and research it and talk it over with the g/f before I buy it. I think she has become attached to my current Sig and wants it for herself to carry.

 

[vitamink]

No, just a sleep shooter!*


*Shawn, since you are new here, I want to point out that I bit on the opportunity for a smartass remark because of the opportunity with no malice intended. I can understand that you must be pretty shaken right now and reconsidering the way you do things. Further, a mistake is one thing. Stupidity is setting yourself up to repeat it, which you have taken deliberate efforts to avoid. One other thing--I don't get too excited about it, but INGO standard is to give people tons of sh*t for using 'clip' (i.e., Mannlicher-type en-bloc, Mauser-type stripper, or half-moon/full-moon revolver clips) interchangeably with 'magazine'.

You should have also mentioned the likelihood of a spoof thread from someone pretending to be his neighbor who now has a Scott Baio from Charles in Charge part down the middle of his head. Laughter ensues. God, we're so predictable.

 

[TheEngineer]

That is scary. Glad everyone is OK.
I move my SD pistol to where I am going to be.
It has to be manipulated to fire it ie. safety's etc.
Is your gun a Glock or another platform with no manual safety's.

You just have it out for Glocks ever since your temptation



OP......glad everyone is ok.

You keep mentioning that you and your GF have discussed things and come to an agreement etc, but dont forget about the little ones. It probably scared them more than it scared anyone else in the house. Make sure they know it was an accident and that they can still trust daddy...last thing you want is them to be scared of you when they see your gun on your hip

Just curious...but I'm guessing HP into an exterior wall on a brick house? Otherwise, I'd double check for an "exit wound"...