Author Topic: P-3AT accident (Read 4062 times)

littlecanoe · « **on:** October 18, 2010, 02:55:46 PM »

Started working with a fella today who had an accident with a P3AT.
Has carried the gun a lot.
Had it in his back pocket.
Was sliding through a tight area that allowed the hip pocket to rub against a firm object.
Next thing he knew his pistol had discharged with the HP entering and exiting the thigh.
Severed one artery and nicked another.
Arteries were grafted and he is healing with an intact leg and no nerve damage.
The HP did not expand after traveling through 6-10 inches of tissue.

I'm not familiar with the pistol mechanism so my question is how could the pistol have fired?

doubleaes2 · « **Reply #1 on:** October 18, 2010, 03:53:50 PM »

Quote

I'm not familiar with the pistol mechanism so my question is how could the pistol have fired?

It has a long double action pull, not a trigger pull that I think would be susceptible to an accidental firing. It's not very heavy, but heavy enough that the trigger must be deliberately pulled. Heck, you could probably (don't ever do this) twirl the loaded pistol on your finger for hours, and it wouldn't fire.

littlecanoe · « **Reply #2 on:** October 19, 2010, 03:07:39 AM »

Is the trigger guard wide enough to protect the edges of the trigger from catching and pulling back as pressure is applied to the edge?

If I've been told the full story, I have no reason to believe otherwise, this was a freak accident.
I'm trying to imagine how the material in the back pocket of a pair of jeans could have bunched up and caused an accidental firing.
Weird things happen but this seems a bit out there.

Does the firing pin stay in line or fall out for a 2nd safety?

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #3 on:** October 19, 2010, 04:34:06 AM »

nothing is impossible with tools...better minds than mine ,make things safe as they can..but

coyotejoe · « **Reply #4 on:** October 19, 2010, 06:15:12 AM »

I can't imagine how that could happen, I find mine is difficult to fire deliberately.

Brett · « **Reply #5 on:** October 19, 2010, 06:25:05 AM »

Some folks have to learn the hard way. NEVER carry in a pocket without a pocket holster designed to cover and protect the trigger.

That said I still have to ask what else did he have in that pocket with the P3AT? Like others have said the trigger pull on a PA3AT is long and relatively heavy much like a DA revolver pull unless their was something else in the pocket with the gun I don't really see how the trigger could have been pulled.

spruce · « **Reply #6 on:** October 19, 2010, 01:22:52 PM »

Something doesn't sound right to me.

If the pistol was oriented so it was pointing downward towards his thigh and he was squeezing through a tight spot I don't see how anything could have moved the trigger far enough to fire the gun - unless he was prone and crawling backwards through the opening.

If he was upright then the trigger would have to be pushed UPWARDS while he was moving horizontally. If the gun were oriented any way besides muzzle down then the shot couldn't have hit him in the thigh.

A finger in the trigger guard while he was pushing the pistol into his pocket would make far more sense as the likely cause for the discharge.

littlecanoe · « **Reply #7 on:** October 19, 2010, 02:46:13 PM »

I'm working to get the leg working again and him back to walking.
Will see him tomorrow and ask some more questions.

I was mainly wanting to ask you guys if you saw a built in flaw with the pistol.
Seems like there may be more to the story.
Thanks
lc

doubleaes2 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 19, 2010, 05:53:56 PM »

No flaws that I've ever seen, and yes, the trigger guard is wider than the trigger is, also the gun is hammer fired, but the hammer is almost entirely enclosed inside the slide. The trigger also has a very long pull, probably in the neighborhood of 3/4 of an inch.

Savage · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2010, 05:46:15 AM »

Although anything is possible, I suspect there's more to the story than we're hearing. My P3ATs require a long deliberate trigger pull to fire. Hopefully, this individual has learned something from this event!
Savage

26-t · « **Reply #10 on:** October 21, 2010, 03:05:24 PM »

If you are pack'n remember that you are pack'n

and don't climb trees, crawl on the ground under your car,have a hand full of keys or coins in the pack'n pocket. 26-t

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 22, 2010, 03:51:53 AM »

don t carry in pocket with a big set of keys..its just an accident waiting to happen...
in pants holster,is what i went to.. also i put a magnet in the bottom of the holster because it came out when i bent over with grandkids at the house one day..still no gurantees ..theres always that one in a million fluke,happening.. you just never let yourself forget its there..a hard thing to do,i know.
good luck now..

26-t · « **Reply #12 on:** October 22, 2010, 05:09:36 PM »

I use Crossbreed in side the pants holsters and love them!!! If you haven't checked them out you should. Well worth the coin and peace of mind.26-t

littlecanoe · « **Reply #13 on:** November 03, 2010, 03:13:45 AM »

Talked with the fella again. He looked at the car door that he climbed through and saw a pull for the door lock that he figures hung the trigger as he slid through. I'm encouraging a pocket holster.

This is a good lesson for anyone who carries. This fella's right leg will likely always have swelling in it due to vascular damage. We almost have him walking again and his strength is returning but he still has a few months of healing to go. He should walk normally and do almost everything that he wants but will always have some discomfort ad swelling to deal with.

Carry safely!
lc

canon6 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 05, 2010, 11:54:27 AM »

Thanks for a very interesting report. I am glad he is as well as he can be, but I wonder if mayhaps he was putting the pistol in his pocket, with his trigger finger where it should not be?

? .I just wonder Doug

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 06, 2010, 05:05:42 AM »

anything can happen ..i have done stupid absent minded things ,that i won t tell about ,except i lived through them.guns demand total awareness ,that thats a deadly weapon you are carrying.

32 Magnum · « **Reply #16 on:** November 06, 2010, 11:06:07 AM »

The safety feature on the P-3AT is the hammer is held at about 40% cocked and cannot go forward until the trigger is pulled full stroke.

shot1 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 13, 2010, 12:53:44 AM »

Never carry anything in the same pocket with your pistol. I have heard of people carrying the Keltec and the Ruger with a pocket knife in the same pocket and having a shooting incident. I tried it with an empty pistol and it will fire. The knife can get into the trigger guard and easily pull the trigger by being pushed sideways. I always carry in a pocket holster that I made That covers the trigger that looks like you just have a wallet in your pocket if it prints.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #18 on:** November 13, 2010, 02:21:57 AM »

true..another problem..you carry change with a pocket pistol..then comes that dreaded day you have to use it for,what you carry it for..then you get killed because a dime found a way to jam the gun somehow..
plus the gun stays dirty,, just from lent an whatever in your pocket..

Odin · « **Reply #19 on:** November 13, 2010, 02:56:20 AM »

At times I’ve been lazy or in a hurry and slipped my P3AT in my pocket w/o a holster but I will not do that again. It’s a pocket holster from now on. That way I increase my odds of avoiding a visit to the emergency room, or worse.

littlecanoe · « **Reply #20 on:** November 13, 2010, 03:42:09 PM »

I questioned the fella further. He had trailered a G6 Pontiac on a 16' utility trailer.
Could not open the door because of the side rails on the trailer.
He slid into the car through the open drivers window.
He remembers feeling "caught" at the hip by his pants and pushed on through the window.
Somehow the trigger was released enough to allow the hammer to progress or enough to fully engage the firing mechanism. I looked at the car and the latch for the door lock sticks up above the top of the door frame even when locked.
Looks to be a freak accident that would not have occured if the pistol had been holstered.
Good lesson for Extra safety precautions in all situations.
lc

DanChamberlain · « **Reply #21 on:** December 01, 2010, 01:12:56 AM »

Personally, I believe it happened as he was inserting it into his back pocket. It makes no sense otherwise.

Dan

watkibe · « **Reply #22 on:** December 11, 2010, 08:03:01 PM »

1. This is what pocket holsters are for.
2. Engineers know how hard it is to make anything foolproof. Fools are so danged ingenious.

Spirithawk · « **Reply #23 on:** December 13, 2010, 11:31:29 AM »

No matter how state of the art a firearm is, no matter how simple or elaberate the safety, it's still only as safe as the person holding it. It's wise to consider the things that could go wrong before they do. As already said, a simple inexpensive wallet holster would have saved the guy a whole lot of money, pain and grief. Sadly, way too many people underestimate just how important a proper holster is. Hopefully anyone reading all this will learn from it.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #24 on:** December 13, 2010, 11:45:40 PM »

i ll bump this threat ,as no matter what gun you carry ,do your homework..
if just one person learns something from this that keeps them from shooting themselves,, its worth it..

MGMorden · « **Reply #25 on:** January 06, 2011, 05:53:17 PM »

Gotta throw in my support with the pocket holster crowd. I pocket carry a Ruger LCP (pretty much the same size/design), and I use a Desantis Nemesis holster. No way anything is catching the trigger with that holster - it's completely covered. Also does a lot to breakup the outline of the gun if you to print - looks more like a wallet. I've test drawn the gun (empty of course) numerous times and when you're drawing with speed, the little extension pretty much always snags on your pants causing the gun to come out and the holster to stay behind in your pants. Not sure if that's by design, but it certainly does work well.

Graybeard · « **Reply #26 on:** November 26, 2019, 05:22:48 AM »