Originally Posted by NickGilpin

I was preparing my weapons for a day out at the range. I pulled my mossberg 500 home defense shotgun out of my gun safe, pushed the action release button started pulling the pump back and it fired. I was inside my bedroo
and the round went through an outside wall. I checked on my neighbors to make sure no one was injured. I'm concerned with the safety of my weapon as well as my handeling of the weapon. I'm very up set and disappointed with my self. Can anyone offer me advice on how to further Handle this situation. And how to ensure this doesn't happen again

Well, at least no one got hurt...

I'm assuming the gun didn't just go off by pressing the slide release or working the action, so I have to assume the trigger was pulled and the safety was off.

For starters, review the owners manual for your firearm, if you do not have one you can download it from Mossberg's website. READ the manual.

Go out to the store or order online some dummy rounds for your shotgun and PRACTICE loading and unloading the gun safely.

Remember to keep your finger off the trigger, and better yet no-where NEAR the trigger, the lever on the Mossbergs is situated as such that you have no need to go near the trigger to press that lever.

This looks like a decent article on administrative manipulation of a Mossberg: Loading & Unloading A Pump Shotgun read it.

If you feel that there is a hardware problem (be honest with yourself, if you PULLED the trigger, it's not the gun's fault) with the firearm, take it to a smith or contact Mossberg for repairs.

I think everybody has had one of those moments and the first thing to do is thank your Creator that yours didn't have anyone get hurt (that was the case with mine too). Then you take it as a therapeutic humbling experience, reminding you that owning these firearms carries with it a heavy-duty responsibility with zero tolerance for screwing up on the basics. VAMarine gave you the technical response (thanks for that VA, BTW) and I'd go through everything to the letter.Being upset and disappointed in yourself is a good sign - we get over that but the caution and respect for our imperfections will last and serve us well. Hang in there.

Gee, I see my first response was cut off.............SteveC.......I have never had "one of those moments", and don't ever plan on it...because of irresponsibilty, he could have killed someone...candy coat it all you want....he should be concerned, VERY concerned...like you said.....0 tolerence.

Originally Posted by berettabone

Gee, I see my first response was cut off.............SteveC.......I have never had "one of those moments", and don't ever plan on it...because of irresponsibilty, he could have killed someone...candy coat it all you want....he should be concerned, VERY concerned...like you said.....0 tolerence.

If you have questions as to why, we can take that up via PM...


Negligent discharges happen, they suck and I think everyone that's had one is scared damn near to death over what could have happened.

There are people that go 30 years without having on and then BANG!

We had a Marine Corps Machine Gunner have a ND, LEOs have NDs, instructors have NDs, seasoned competitors have NDs. All it takes is one little slip.

"They" say there are two types of people, those that have had a ND, and those that haven't had one yet. I don't quite agree with that as there are plenty of people that do not have an ND so I would say that there are three types of people, the third type being those that never have an ND, but I would say that the line separating those that have not had an ND yet, and those that will not have a ND is thinner than I'd like.

I've had two NDs in my lifetime (well, so far, anyway).

One was very similar to yours, back when I was a very young 'teen. It was due to both negligence and stupidity, all of it mine.
The other happened when I was in my mid-40s, and was due to tiredness and to unthinkingly following a "safe" procedure.

My first ND put a 30-caliber hole in an employer's wall, narrowly missing a friend.
My second one put a hole in the dirt, and threatened nothing and nobody.

We live and learn.

Don't feel bad Steve, I'm reading Jim Cirillo's book: Guns, Bullets, And Gunfights... and he admits to having THREE accidental discharges during his life.

Boy, if this happens to everyone sooner or later, I'm getting a little afraid to even have a gun. I thought as long as you keep your wits about yourself, this would and should never happen.

Like the others, I'm glad no one got hurt. This scares the crap out of me, to be honest.

Originally Posted by Haas

Boy, if this happens to everyone sooner or later, I'm getting a little afraid to even have a gun. I thought as long as you keep your wits about yourself, this would and should never happen.

Like the others, I'm glad no one got hurt. This scares the crap out of me, to be honest.

That's just the thing, sometimes we leave our wits in our other pants. I know of a guy that was doing some dry fire practice "per the rules" IE no ammo in room, designated safe area etc. Got done, loaded his gun, holstered. Phone rang, took a 3 minute call, when back to his safe area, drew, and fired into his back stop. During that three minute call he "forgot" that he had all ready finished his dry fire routine and reloaded his pistol. Thankfully his dry fire routine contained a good back stop...if I recall correctly it was in his basement and no one was hurt.

Gosh, Dang!! Not very comforting.

Cops I have known tell me that many officers have to replace the TV at least once.

Scared is good. A mishandled gun is a very dangerous thing, just like a mishandled car.
Unreasoned fear is bad. Guns and cars are not intrinsically out to get you. They are inert mechanisms which behave or misbehave at the whim of their users.

The most important, and most effective, safety mechanism is your own brain.