Hey all,

I just saw an article on Foxnews about young boy who was killed when the dads Glock discharged after falling to the ground.

"Police said that while the two were playing, the Glock semi-automatic handgun fell and one shot was fired -- striking them both in the head."

I thought that the Glock trigger safety would prevent something tragic like this from happening. I've read and seen the youtube videos on the sig P320 discharging when dropped, but haven't really heard about this with a Glock.

Anyone else heard of or experience this happening with a Glock?

If this is the same story I read a few days ago about the dad horsing/wrestling around with his kid while CC'ing his weapon, the question should be, why would anyone be carrying and horsing around at the same time?

Here's the story: Link

No details provided, so I'm skeptical because the safe trigger system, with the trigger safety, firing pin safety and drop safety, would make this incident highly unlikely. Unless the weapon is determined to have been defective, I will assume that something else happened besides just dropping the gun.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
... the question should be, why would anyone be carrying and horsing around at the same time?

Stupidity?

Happens more often when someone tries to "catch" a falling gun before it hits the ground.

Agree, no horseplay while carrying, but at least buy a quality holster so the thing does't fall out.

I’m not buying that it went off when it hit the floor. Like Warhorse said, he probably tried catching it and pulled the trigger.

Also from the article, “A 4-year-old Indiana died earlier this month.” I didn’t know Indiana was only 4 years old. Try some proofreading next time, Mr. David Aaro.

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
Happens more often when someone tries to "catch" a falling gun before it hits the ground.

That has happened before and is the most likely explanation with no further information at this point, IMO.

quote:

Originally posted by Warhorse:
Happens more often when someone tries to "catch" a falling gun before it hits the ground.

That was my thought.

Sad story no matter what.

Impossible? No, but rather improbable.

The father and son were apparently alone in the room where this happened so what really went on is known only by survivor.

I suspect a poorly written article but what jumps out to me is the shot hit BOTH in the head after hitting the floor.
I'd like a reconstruction of those two unlikely events.

I am extremely skeptical that the Glock went off falling to the ground with all the built in safeties. Saying the a pistol went off by simply dropping it deflects blame to the pistol manufacturer and opens the possibility of a large settlement rather then negligence/liability on the person who dropped the pistol. I am in the camp that the gun was grabbed while falling or that it was improperly modified from factory configuration to make the trigger lighter.

Don’t believe it unless as said he tried to catch it or the trigger is modified to hell.

Nope. Didn't happen the way described.

Are you familiar with Glock's safety system? It is not possible for the pistol to fire when dropped, even if the striker tang slips off the cruciform plate. It's just not possible. The trigger must be pulled in order for a Glock to discharge.

Multiple internal systems would have to be broken/compromised/modified, for this to happen, and even then, it's not believable.

I'm still wondering how one shot could hit both persons in the head.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Nope. Didn't happen the way described.

Are you familiar with Glock's safety system? It is not possible for the pistol to fire when dropped, even if the striker tang slips off the cruciform plate. It's just not possible. The trigger must be pulled in order for a Glock to discharge.

Multiple internal systems would have to be broken/compromised/modified, for this to happen, and even then, it's not believable.

^^^This. I have two Glock pistols with blems on them from me accidentally dropping them, one on a tile floor and another on a concrete pad. I'm not buying any of this 'pistol discharged' narrative.

Yeah, it didn't fire when it was dropped - one of them (Dad or son) triggered it by grabbing it when it fell.

Likely the father because that is your first reaction.

Sad.

Now if they said it was an older P320, it could have really happened.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: RHINOWSO,

I highly doubt it went off from being dropped.

Unless the safety system was damaged or tampered with, even then it would be a small.chance.

Dont buy it...

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
Yeah, it didn't fire when it was dropped - one of them (Dad or son) triggered it by grabbing it when it fell.

Likely the father because that is your first reaction.

Sad.

Now if they said older P320, it could have really happened.

Or, maybe somebody was fondling the weapon and pulled the trigger, and blamed it all on an 'accident.' Whenever I read 'news' accounts of "the gun just went off," I immediately suspect an attempt to cover up reckless or unsafe handling behavior.

The VAST MAJORITY of times, guns DON'T "just go off," unless they have a defect (P320), have been modified by wanna-be 'gunsmiths,' or something snags in the trigger guard. I've read more than one article about idiots firing their Glocks after trying to hang them on a coat hook in a Walmart bathroom or when a pen or car keys mix in a pocket with an un-holstered gun and set the trigger off.

Would the father really say "I was manhandling my gun and inadvertently fired at and killed my son?" OR, would it be MUCH EASIER to say "we were horsing around, the gun fell out, and it JUST WENT OFF?" The former is a case of (at worst) involuntary manslaughter; the latter (at best) negligent homicide.

Likewise, I bet a lot of cases where "it went off while he was cleaning it" were actually suicides or murders, that were blamed on an 'accident' (blaming it on an 'accident' can release insurance money whereas many policies are void in cases of 'suicide').