CA: Secret Service agent gets "Glock leg"

[seamusTX]

In Ventura, California, Friday, a Secret Service agent assigned to First Lady Nancy Reagan's detail reportedly shot himself while reholstering at a shooting range. The agent was in a hospital with an injury described as "non-life-threatening."

The make, model, or caliber of weapon were not actually specified.

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- Jim

[ELB]

Some googling around seems to indicate they use Sig P229s in 357 Sig.

[eureka40]

Booger hook, Bang switch.

[philip964]

Guess this is why ranges don't let you draw or more dangerous reholster. This seems to happen a lot.

[baldeagle]

Guess this is why ranges don't let you draw or more dangerous reholster. This seems to happen a lot.

Then why don't IDPA members have a higher incidence of this happening? During a match we will reholster a loaded weapon with one in the chamber multiple times.

I don't think it has anything to do with reholstering. It has to do with proper gun handling. I own a P226. Like many Sigs it has a decocking lever. If you decock before reholstering (which you should always do!) it takes about 10.5 lbs of pressure to pull the trigger (because it's a DA/SA weapon). If you have your finger on the trigger while reholstering, you're not properly handling your weapon. If you have the weapon cocked and your trigger on the finger while reholstering you are definitely not properly handling your weapon. If you have your finger on the trigger and the hammer cocked while reholstering a loaded gun with one in the chamber, maybe you shouldn't be handling weapons at all.

[Excaliber]

Guess this is why ranges don't let you draw or more dangerous reholster. This seems to happen a lot.

Then why don't IDPA members have a higher incidence of this happening? During a match we will reholster a loaded weapon with one in the chamber multiple times.

I don't think it has anything to do with reholstering. It has to do with proper gun handling. I own a P226. Like many Sigs it has a decocking lever. If you decock before reholstering (which you should always do!) it takes about 10.5 lbs of pressure to pull the trigger (because it's a DA/SA weapon). If you have your finger on the trigger while reholstering, you're not properly handling your weapon. If you have the weapon cocked and your trigger on the finger while reholstering you are definitely not properly handling your weapon. If you have your finger on the trigger and the hammer cocked while reholstering a loaded gun with one in the chamber, maybe you shouldn't be handling weapons at all.

You're absolutely right that poor gunhandling is the root cause here, not the process of drawing or reholstering.

Many range operators recognize that drawing and reholstering present many more opportunities for people with poor gunhandling skills to show them off in ways that wouldn't improve the insurance rates for their range. They don't allow folks to engage in these exercises on their premises in the hope that, if they're going to shoot themselves, they'll do it somewhere else.

[The Annoyed Man]

Guess this is why ranges don't let you draw or more dangerous reholster. This seems to happen a lot.

Then why don't IDPA members have a higher incidence of this happening? During a match we will reholster a loaded weapon with one in the chamber multiple times.

It's a dirty little secret that at one private shooting club in the area which hosts competitions in which shooters draw from the holster, there have been 6 instances in the past three years of self-inflicted gunshot wounds during drawing/reholstering.

This was related to me by one of the club's officers.

I'm just saying'....

[cougartex]

DEA agent shoots self in classroom, Secret Service agent shoots self in leg...

[Big Tuna]

Some googling around seems to indicate they use Sig P229s in 357 Sig.

SIG LEG!

[DoubleJ]

and these are the people that are "professional enough" to be the only ones "allowed" to have firearms...

[ELB]

and these are the people that are "professional enough" to be the only ones "allowed" to have firearms...

"Professional Leg!"

[Seabear]

At least he'll have a "leg up on the competition".