Until very recently I had never experienced an Accidental Discharge in over 40 years of an active shooting career. I had experienced one hangfire (of less than 4 seconds) 30-odd years ago in the Marines. I have hunted extensively, and shot competively with rifles and pistols. At a loose estimate I have fired 50,000 rounds over the years, not counting 22s.

I have spent most of my shooting/hunting carreer in the arid regions of the West - mostly Texas, New Mexico and Colorado. Out there I learned to use a dry bolt, since oil or grease simply gathers dust and makes a grinding paste, or thickens in the cold and slows the firing pin. So years of experience taught me to clean the bolt inside and out and apply a film of moly as a dry lubricant. I cleaned and dry-lubed my bolt inside and out in early August after I purchased and fitted a spare firing pin for my M70. To fit the pin you must completely dismantle the bolt, removing the pin, cocking piece and spring from the shroud. There was no sign of rust or corrosion on the cocking piece or the shroud, although the bluing was worn away on large areas where the cocking piece and shroud had been wearing against each other over the 8 years and approximately 3500 rounds I have fired through that action.

This practice of only using dry lube resulted in an AD on my recent hunt in LA1 of the Selous.

The Selous is a region of fairly high humidity throughout the hunting season, so the rust may have started as soon as I arrived. The rifle fired normally during the sight-in after we arrived. I then spent three days attempting to video tape Chris's buffalo hunt, while my rifle stayed in its bag. One evening we got caught in a rain storm. I held my poncho over the rifle rack and thought I had kept them dry. That night in the tent I wiped down the outside of the rifle and bolt with an oily patch and saw no sign of water or rust. My rifle spent two more nights and days in that bag - and it turned out to be damp. Apparently the rain had come through the zipper right onto the bolt shroud and dripped into the interior of the bolt.

On the third day of my buffalo hunting (sixth day of the hunt) I finally got a shot opportunity. The rifle did not fire, and I told the PH (Pete) " I didn't hear the firing pin drop."

Pete ignored me, moved the sticks and said "shoot again, take the safety off". I said " I had the safety off, it didn't fire." Pete said "keep shooting, it will go off". I knew that I had a definite problem, but he moved the sticks again, and yet again - and I went with him. That time the rifle fired as I tried to re-engage the safety - a very frightening AD. Pete said, "keep that bloody thing pointed away from me!", and kept me busy pointing the rifle and futilely pulling the trigger for the next few minutes until the herd ran off.

An hour later I got a shot opportunity on one of two lone bulls - and this time the rifle fired after a perceptible delay. (That bull is a different story.)

That night at camp I demonstrated the "hanging pin" to Alan and Roy Vincent and Pete. The pin would stay to the rear until the safety or bolt handle was moved, then it would sometimes drop and somtimes continue to hang. Pete admitted that up until that time he'd just assumed I didn't know my rifle, or had buck fever. He said he'd recently had a spate of clients who failed to properly operate their rifles.

I did not fail to properly operate my rifle - I failed to properly maintain it for the conditions in which I was hunting. The AD was definitely my fault. I claim that the AD was more dangerous - and made more likely to occur because the PH would not listen to me. My instinct was to stop, wait a few seconds, then unload the rifle while keeping it pointed in a safe direction. If I had been hunting alone I would have stopped hunting until the cause of the malfunction was located and fixed. I let the PH bully me into continuing to "hunt", even though I knew better. The result was an AD. Because the rifle was pointed in a safe direction the only casualties of the AD were my ears and my pride.

Here's a photo of the cocking piece upon removing it from the shroud.



I scrubbed it in an oily paste to grind it smooth, then cleaned and oiled it. It operated properly for the remaining ten days of hunting.

That's a scary story Don. I'm glad no one was hurt.

Interesting and informative post Don. Sorry it happened, glad nobody was hurt, but know you are not alone. I had a similar experience as mentioned in my Masailand hunt report, M70 AD'ed as I placed it on the sticks while taking the safety off. Eland spooked and the PH was pissed thinking that I had my finger on the trigger - which at the time I knew I didn't. I thought given the "fire-drill" of setting up the sticks and finding the animal, that he should have been thankful that I didn't forget proper gun handling safety. But like you said, they see blatant mistakes in the field and I don't blame him for being accusatory.

But, and this is big, instead of treating it like an "unprovoked" AD, I took the blame as "user error" and we continued hunting with it. I was unable to replicate the problem after a ~hundred attempts, so I gave in and figured it must have been me. Only to have it go off again when safely cycling a round by my father-in law. Had it been looked at objectively instead of emotionally, we would have dissembled the rifle that first night at camp and found the problem. I'll again take the responsibility, it was my gun. We retired it the rest of the trip, and I took it to my gunsmith to look at, who said that the trigger screws had loosened. I wished I had taken it apart, but I wanted to deliver it as-is so as to find out exactly what the problem was. Gun had been on many trips, and I suppose they loosened in transit and/or perhaps during a lot of bench shooting in load development which was on a rest and I think is harder on the guns then if shot from the shoulder.

Sorry to hear about that. What is your opinion on using a synthetic based gun oil, like the one Royal Purple makes? Royal Purple gun oil

Would it make sense to use that type of oil? Or no difference?

Don,

Thanks for the insight. I'm glad no one was hurt.

As a firearms safety instructor, this is and always been my major point keep the rifle always pointed in a safe direction...This I tell all my students and especially to parents and grandparents...We, as adults have the idea it cannot happpen to us...But it does... Keep the muzzle in a safe direction..

Don, it sure wakes one up..

Welcome and I hope you had a great time...

Mike

A scary situation indeed!

Good for you being able to disassemble and correct the problem in the field.

I regularly perform a controled uncocking of my bolt rifles after unloading them everytime.

This can be accomplished on an EMPTY chamber by following method. Be certain you are pointing the rifle in a safe direction when you do this.

1. Hold the bolt handle all the way in the up position with your left hand.

2. While still holding the bolt handle with the left hand pull the trigger with your right hand.

3. Continue to pull the trigger and slowly lower the bolt handle with your left.

It takes a little practice to do cleanly. But once you master this you can determine if there are firing pin obstructions both by watching the firing pin indicator and by the way it feels as the spring releases.

What this does is allow you to control the firing pin drop with the bolt cam.

I find it's a useful practice and it helps avoid surprises.

Don G was that Pete Fick?

Hmmm... and people still dislike stainless steel rifles...

AllanD

Don:

I followed how hard you worked to get ready and I'm sorry you had problems, but the great thing, in the middle of the heartache, is that you understand where a gun barrel should be pointed and no one was hurt! Good for you and I hope you get back and get a couple of 40" bulls next time.

Ernest

I recently found some patches of rust on my .375 H&H Model 70 after returning from Africa. We had three days of rain and I thought that I had protected it from the rain and moisture. Must have done the same thing and got into the soft gun case through the zipper or just plain humidity. In any event, when I got home and discovered some light spots of rust on the outside and some on the inside, I purchased and used the product Blue Wonder. It, with some 0000 steel wool removed the rust as directed. It did not remove the bluing. I then oiled the areas of the gun down and have not noticed any more problems. Just thought that I would pass it on for what it might be worth to others.

Don,

How about telling us about the AD with the bow and and arrow?!

I remember you mentioning it was the first time it had ever happened to you

As Saeed points out, there was another AD on this trip -- with my bow.

I was practicing with it against a sand bank along the river when Enrique wanted to try it. He is a bow hunter and handled it safely, so there was no drama.

But then Walter was attracted by the activity. (You know how children are!)

I take full responsibility for what happened next.

I strapped the release on him, lectured him about keeping his fingers behind the trigger until he got to full draw, then nocked an arrow and stood back.

Walter skyjacked the string back about 3 inches, then the arrow went sailing out in a high arc over the trail the camp staff used to get to the river. It stuck upright in the ground quivering about 50 yards from where it started.

Walter SWEARS he never touched the trigger.

I shoulda known better!

My PH in Saeed's camp was Pete Waddelow. He was a very hard-working PH, a very good hunter and a nice guy.

He'd be welcome in my camp anywhere, anytime, and I would gladly hunt with him again.

Bottom line is that the hunter/rifle owner/operator is responsible for the safe operation and condition of his firearm. I take full responsibility for the AD, I just mentioned Pete's actions so that others might resist a potential distraction in a similar situation.

Pete was focused on getting me a Cape Buffalo, which was his job. It was the last day of hunting in Saeed's camp and he'd not yet gotten me a shot opportunity. If you think about it from his viewpoint, he was willing to continue to hunt with a nimrod who was so bad with his weapon that he'd already had one AD, yet he was willing to have me behind him with a round up the spout! I will tell you right now that I am not qualified for that job!

He also achieved his goal of getting me an old, hard-bossed buffalo within an hour of the AD, so in that sense he was right to keep hunting.

I've got mixed feelings about that buffalo, as it reminds me of everything I did wrong.

Good for your safe handling otherwise.

Rifles have a nasty habbit of [getting] the bullet fired along the line of the bore. If that muzzle end is pointed in a safe direction AT ALL TIMES the rifle is also safe at all times! Even with a AD as described here.

I'm sure that if some firearm safety instructor were to compile the "Ten Commandments" of firearm safety, the pointing of the muzzle in a safe direction at all times will be high up on the list?

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren.

Good job relating the incident Don. This is the stuff that makes this website so good....you just don't get this stuff in mags. That pic worked out great too...it stills gives me a shudder. You just don't imagine this amount of rust building up when you don't see any on the rest of the rifle.

quote:

I then spent three days attempting to video tape Chris's buffalo hunt,

You say that like it was a bad thing. Just remember who MADE me go first. And I am sure the heat and humidity made it seem like three days....felt like more to me...man, that climatic adjustment was hard for a Canuck. Had to learn how to sweat all over again.

I shoulda been more sympathetic about the rusted bolt...but being a firing pin greaser from a cold climate (I know that makes no sense at all) and being under the weather at the time...

Cheers bud,
Canuck

My question is: Is it advisable to lightly oil the entire firing mechanism? I have always been resistant to oiling the action for fear of attracting dust, but sounds like a good grade of oil or light grease would have prevented this mishap

Don,

Your statement:

"I've got mixed feelings about that buffalo, as it reminds me of everything I did wrong."

bothers me a bit.

Yup, you documented a potential danger for everyone. We'll all be just a bit more careful about that particular thing. And the lesson of muzzle control is a reminder that is good for all of us.

That buf should remind you of everything you did RIGHT.

The most important things were covered properly == everyone is OK, and there is a remembrance for the hearth at home. Seems to me you did right well. Congratulations!

quote:

I regularly perform a controled uncocking of my bolt rifles after unloading them everytime.

When I put my rifles away I take a good peek inside, cycle the bolt a few times, point in the safe direction, and then just pull the trigger with my shooting hand and use the thumb of the same hand to close the bolt. I store them with the striker spring not engaged. Basically I think I do the same what you described, but then in an uncontrolled fashion.

I'm not sure what information I should derive from doing this controlled? My brain works slowly to begin with, especially before the first coffee and/or the first fight with my boss, so please enlighten me.

Frans

quote:

I'm not sure what information I should derive from doing this controlled? My brain works slowly to begin with, especially before the first coffee and/or the first fight with my boss, so please enlighten me.

I've watched a gunsmith do this. You can feel if there is any resistance/roughness at all while the firing pin is moving. Kinda like a slow motion discharge.

Don, Thanks and congratulations on that buff with the superb boss. As everyone acknowledges, first key to safety is control that muzzle.
Regards, Tim

Canuck,

I didn't intend to imply anything more than three days elapsed with the rifle in the bag on the truck. Maybe it was 2-1/2 days? Anyway, we were following our plan. I just figured you'd cover that period later.

All,

I usually do a full-on dry-fire after emptying the chamber, but for those three days I never had to load the chamber. The two days before the AD I did load the chamber and noticed nothing odd about the dry-firing at all.

I have done the "controlled let-down" but I think that only lets you feel any rust or roughness on the bolt cam. With this particular problem rotating the bolt handle seemed to free the pin.

I don't know what is best to use to lube the interior of the bolt. Canuck's Rem Oil seemed to be light enough not to get thick in the cold. Break Free is a popular choice with the full-auto crowd, and performed extremely well in Saeed's rust prevention testing several years back.

I do know that from now on I will lube the bolt when going into humid climes.

There are two products that are fantastic for corrosion prevention and lubrication. We use them in Aviation all the time. I use them on my rifles with great results when I hunt in Alaska every year.

One is Corrosion X they have a product marketed directly at the shooting industry. Look up this product at www.corrosionx.com

The other is ACF-50 you can read up on it at
WWW.learchem.com

The sales guys for these two companies get hit hard at the International Helicopter Expo every year for free samples that are the perfect size for puting in your pack.

These are the primary inhibitors used to keep the fusalages and wings of fire bombers from rotting away from water and fire retardent mix.

There is no gun oil that will come close to these products that I am aware of.

Just thought I would share it with you all.

Semper Fi

Will

quote:

didn't intend to imply anything more than three days elapsed with the rifle in the bag on the truck. Maybe it was 2-1/2 days? Anyway, we were following our plan. I just figured you'd cover that period later.

No worries mate. I was just teasin' a bit (thought your adding was a little off ) and using the opportunity to make some self deprecating remarks about my inability to take the heat/humidity in the first couple days. I was feeling somewhat lucky to have gotten my buff by lunch on what I was counting as the second day....the heat was taking a toll. But I guess I wasn't counting the afternoon drive on the day we arrived at camp...If you recall I was mainly concerned about making sure we got back in time for Walter's BBQ impala!

I do recall that crappy rain occuring on the day I was miserably and pathetically sick though! (shudder...that rain sure was cold after cooking all day).

Your AD occured about 40ish hours after that rainfall....still blows me away how fast something can rust in that climate. After living in the dry mountains for most of my life, that rate of oxidation is unreal in my mind.

Anyhoo I am digressing...my point is that I didn't mean anything by it either.

Cheers,
Canuck