Inadvertent Discharge

[Sooltauq]

My single-gun gunsafe's battery died, and it does not have a key as a backup. So, I took the safe to a local locksmith's store, who advertised the ability to open gun safes. Inside was my CZ97BD, loaded but decocked.

Anyway, one of the guys there grabbed the safe and said something to the effect of "Let's have a look", and flipped it over on its end -- whereupon, the pistol fell to the bottom of the box and discharged, scaring the heck out of everybody in the store (but thankfully hitting nobody), and blowing a nickel-sized hole in the thick pressboard countertop.

We left the safe on the counter and called the police, who came out and declared that they didn't have any solutions. However, we could see another small mounting hole that the pistol had fallen on its side in the safe, so eventually I loaded it in my truck (quite carefully) and brought it home. I'm going to take it out in the middle of nowhere and pry the safe open, very carefully, but the real question is: Why the inadvertent discharge?

[Kenneth]

What kind of trigger mods were done to the gun? I have a hard time seeing a pistol fire from the decocked position unless possibly the gun is defective.


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[SI VIS PACEM PARRABELLUM]

What else in the safe? Something would have certainly had to catch the trigger as the gun shifted to cause a discharge. That's the only way the firing pin block could be disengaged and allow the firing pin to impact the primer.

[1SOW]

Be careful.  It's NOT decocked now.

[Grendel]

What else in the safe? Something would have certainly had to catch the trigger as the gun shifted to cause a discharge. That's the only way the firing pin block could be disengaged and allow the firing pin to impact the primer.

This.

[Grendel]

What kind of trigger mods were done to the gun? I have a hard time seeing a pistol fire from the decocked position unless possibly the gun is defective.


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And this.

[Grendel]

Be careful.  It's NOT decocked now.

And especially this.

[BDG]

Be careful.  It's NOT decocked now.

Amen to this!

[Sooltauq]

(1) No mods of any kind -- all CZ factory original

(2) There may have been one spare magazine in the safe; if so, would agree that was the likely culprit (but wow, talk about a freak accident considering that the pistol was in de-cock mode, which is presumably the safest for dropping it -- but maybe not if it will catch on something).

(3) Little doubt that it is still in SA mode and "hot", but I tend to treat all firearms as snakes ready to strike anyway, whether loaded or purportedly empty.

Three officers (including one Lieutenant) came out to investigate. Curiously, none had ever heard of CZ before, and it took some time to explain that, yes, it was a .45 automatic but, no, it was not a 1911 and didn't have two safeties (the slide and grip safeties). One finally pulled up a photo of a 97 on their cellphone to see what I was talking about. None of them had any idea why the discharge occurred, other than to state, somewhat to my surprise, "this stuff just sometimes happens" and one suggested defective ammo (it was newly manufactured Speer Gold Dot bought last fall, so I sort of doubt that theory).

What surprised me is that the locksmith just took the safe and flipped it, and I didn't even see what he was doing until there was a bang. Guessing that will be the last time he does that particular maneuver with a gun safe.

BTW, this will not change my love for CZ products one iota. However, this is a lesson to me that no matter how well a firearm is manufactured, it can't overcome human error (here, the locksmith flipping the gun case). Everybody just please say a "Thank you, Lord" tonight that nobody was injured.

[cntrydawwwg]

Hope you get it open with no further issues.
   Still, Murphy's law was working overtime for the spare mag to catch the trigger with the right amount of force.
    After you get it out, I think I would still take a good look at it. Check the FP block and retaining pin, and check for other worn parts.

[Sooltauq]

Certainly will do -- I intent to take substantial precautions when opening it, not the least of which being well away from any human habitation.

I will absolutely inspect it, but would be surprised to find much wear since it is under 500 rounds.

Hope you get it open with no further issues.
   Still, Murphy's law was working overtime for the spare mag to catch the trigger with the right amount of force.
    After you get it out, I think I would still take a good look at it. Check the FP block and retaining pin, and check for other worn parts.

[gdawgs56]

Crazy! Make sure give us an update when you get it open and find out if the FP block and all that is functional or what the culprit was.

Glad nobody was hurt, thankyou Lord!

[M1A4ME]

Wow!  Something had to have pulled the trigger with enough force to cock/release the hammer.  Even the weight of a 2 lb (no idea how heavy a 97 is) gun shouldn't be enough to set it off if you held it vertical with the weight on the trigger (SA maybe, not from the decocked position).

If the firing pin block is still in the gun then the trigger had to be pulled forcefully enough to actuate the block and pull the hammer far enough to the rear to allow it to release.

That's just wild to think something like that could happen.  Are you sure it was in the hammer down position?

[frgood]

Any chance it was not fully de-cocked? What I find odd is how it would fire downward into the counter. that would mean the barrel was pointed down at time of discharge. that would imply some force landing on the back of the hammer sufficient to defeat the Block or damage the hammer (or sear).  If fully de-cocked then, again, sufficient force on the back of the hammer.

Other ideas are the nose hitting the bottom of the safe with enough force to jostle (defeat) the Firing pin block while, simultaneously, throwing the pin forward through inertia? Was the only other item in the safe a full magazine? If so, then inertia is the only thing at play here.

Lastly, we did the technician mean by turn the safe on it's end? Did he 'kick' it over or simply roll it on the desk. I mean. If one is simply rolling a safe on a desktop, I would envision the contents sort of sliding around as opposed to throwing it onto the table (Or dropping it) where some extra downward force would come into play.

Just more questions.

[Joe L]

I'm thinking he used inertia to try to get the safe latch to move when it hit the counter top.  Depending on how the gun was oriented when it was smacked to the counter, you could make a case for the firing pin block inertia movement at the same time the firing pin moved also. Inertia from the firing pin itself without a hammer drop may have set off the cartridge.  Designing the gun for the gun to drop due to gravity versus an intentional smacking it on the table, barrel down and slide upside down are two different things.  My bet is inertia on the firing pin block and the firing pin alone caused this. 

Lots of lessons here for everyone.  Thanks for posting.

Joe