Revolver in Close Quarters

[alfsauve]

Along the line of the thread of compensaters in close quarters:

Revolvers in close quarters can produce some serious injuries.  Nothing like having a super blowtorch cut a hole in your clothing and give you severe and extremely deep burns.

I hadn't given a lot of thought to the barrel-cylinder gap flames of a revolver until I considered hunkering down in the Creedmoor position to shot IHMSA.  I made my own leg protector with a layer of 2" foam compacted and sandwiched between two layers of 1/8" leather.   It was okay but my leg would be sore after 60 rounds from the "impact".     Once my protector shifted somewhat and in the heat of competition I didn't notice.   Cut a large hole in my jeans and left quite a burn.  And this was only a "glancing" exposure not the direct brunt of the flames.  My newer protector wraps further around my leg!

I have destroyed a couple of bean bags, before I finally got a plumber's mat designed to provide protection from a blow torch while soldering in tight places.   I place the mat over my bags before I fire.

Firing on a semi-lit range is rather eye-opening.  (Assuming you're not flinching)

[1911 Junkie]

I hadn't given a lot of thought to the barrel-cylinder gap flames of a revolver until I considered hunkering down in the Creedmoor position to shot IHMSA. 

You too?  That's a mistake you only make once.

[Texas_Bryan]

Firing on a semi-lit range is rather eye-opening.  (Assuming you're not flinching)

Story here, thought guns only flash a little and only directly out front, but when I took my first rifle to get its scope mounted on, by an actual SWAT sniper no less, it was 9 oclock at night on a police range and seeing a five foot flame in front of the gun is very educational.  I'd think twice about no only whats the muzzle pointed at but what its near.  Nother story, DPS pulls over a vehicle in a search for a man who's just murder his wife and shot his mother in law.  The driver is the murder's dad and the son leans over to shoot this Trooper with a sawed down break action shot gun, the muzzle is just in front of the drivers face when the weapon goes off.  Not only does the murderer die in a hail off bullets, 12 of 13 hit, but the drivers BLINDED.  That's a mistake you only make once.

[Ping]

Can you say "ouch"?

[PegLeg45]

On another forum, a few years ago, I saw photos of a guy's thumb where he held a .44 mag wrong (held it like an auto) and the escaping gasses from the cylinder gap took the end of his left thumb nearly completely off.

[Sponsor]

[Big Frank]

In another forum I saw a picture of a guy after he held a .460 S&W the wrong way and blew half of his left thumb off. It looked more like it exploded than got cut off. It's been so long since I shot a revolver that I forgot about that blast on the sides. I know that even a .22 can catch a demin jacket on fire if you rest the gun over your arm like my brother did.

[PegLeg45]

In another forum I saw a picture of a guy after he held a .460 S&W the wrong way and blew half of his left thumb off. It looked more like it exploded than got cut off. It's been so long since I shot a revolver that I forgot about that blast on the sides. I know that even a .22 can catch a demin jacket on fire if you rest the gun over your arm like my brother did.

Yeah, I saw that one too....a friend sent me the link. I can't find the one with the .44.
They took all the photos off but two.

http://www.varminter.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12584

[Big Frank]

That thumb looks chewed on to me.

[MAUSERMAN]

That sh$t had to hurt my god.

[MikeBjerum]

KNOW  YOUR  WEAPON!!!

A carry or personal defense gun must be an extension of you.  You must know how it works, and everything it does.  There is no such thing as a personal defense gun or carry gun that is in 95% or better condition.  They need to be used, practiced, tested to the point that they show wear.

All this is to say that even tho you may find yourself getting a burn from a revolver or cut by the slide of a semi-auto, any injuries will be due to the extreme dictates of the situation you are in.  However, you will have practiced enough to know how to handle the gun in most situations in a way that you will not injure yourself with it (see this past weeks episode of TBD and handling a handgun in a car so as to not shoot yourself in the leg or disable the gun on steering wheels).