Dave Higginbotham (Lone Star Rifle Company) killed by ND - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Dave Higginbotham (Lone Star Rifle Company) killed by ND

Posted: 12/15/2011 6:46:34 AM EDT

Just received this email this morning

As many of you might know, Dave Higginbotham made excellent rolling block rifles. These were used by both blackpowder and cast bullet fans. I got the following message concerning him just now:

"Dave Higginbotham was killed this morning by an accidental discharge from a rifle he was removing from the back of a vehicle.

Keep Katha in your prayers and I'll get more information to you as it becomes available.

The arrangements are not final but the funeral should be Saturday at Mims Baptist Church in Conroe, I will email out the time tomorrow. He will be buried in New Mexico near his ranch. In lue of flowers please ma a donation to American Center for Law and Justice, this organization was dear to Dave."

Link to Lone Star Rifle Co.
Link to Bio on Dave

Posted: 12/15/2011 6:56:31 AM EDT

[#1]

Very sad.

Posted: 12/15/2011 6:57:03 AM EDT

[#2]

What an awful thing to happen. A moments carelessness... a tragedy to be sure. I've done business with Dave for years, he'll be missed.

Posted: 12/15/2011 6:58:19 AM EDT

[#3]

That sucks. RIP Dave. I wonder exactly what happened? Just goes to show that at any moment, your life can cha

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:02:57 AM EDT

[#4]

This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:23:02 AM EDT

[#5]

Familiarity breeds contempt. People don't like to hear it, specially people who have handled guns for years, but if you see it you have to keep driving it home to them.

I got my SO pissed at me the other day because she stands so that, when she slips her pistol in the holster next to the bed, her foot is directly under the muzzle. I said "You're pointing the gun at your foot", she said "My finger is off the trigger" and I said "IT DOESN'T MATTER! DON'T POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO DESTROY!". She rolled her eyes and walked away but I noticed that the next night when she put the gun in the holster she kept her foot back.

RIP Dave.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:28:02 AM EDT

[#6]

Guess he was reaching in to pull the rifle off the seat of his truck, discharged into his chest. I don't know if he caught the hammer on something and it snapped just hard enough to strike the primer or what. Just cant hardly believe he pulled the rifle toward his chest, muzzle first. Let alone leave the gun loaded.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:30:56 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

That's how I was trained. Every time I pick up ANY firearm, I always check the chamber.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:31:13 AM EDT

[#8]

My condolences to the family.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:43:52 AM EDT

[#9]

Thats too bad :(

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:49:15 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

No, all guns are always loaded. I don't know how you feel but I don't care how many times you check the chamber you better not point it at me.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:49:54 AM EDT

[#11]

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:52:52 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

So many suicides get attributed to guns that kill. It saves face for the family.

Not saying that he died that way, but he was a professional and he should have been smarter.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:55:57 AM EDT

[#13]

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:57:15 AM EDT

[#14]

Why on Earth was he transporting a LOADED BP rifle?

This is very strange. When I shot BP, you always drop the hammer and discharge the rifle at the range. Even if something goes horribly wrong and it won't fire, you take the cap off the nipple.

Posted: 12/15/2011 7:57:48 AM EDT

[#15]

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:00:00 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Familiarity breeds contempt. People don't like to hear it, specially people who have handled guns for years, but if you see it you have to keep driving it home to them.

I got my SO pissed at me the other day because she stands so that, when she slips her pistol in the holster next to the bed, her foot is directly under the muzzle. I said "You're pointing the gun at your foot", she said "My finger is off the trigger" and I said "IT DOESN'T MATTER! DON'T POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DON'T WANT TO DESTROY!". She rolled her eyes and walked away but I noticed that the next night when she put the gun in the holster she kept her foot back.

RIP Dave.

Did you tell her good job when she kept her foot back?

ETA: And I don't get why a BP gun was loaded in a car.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:00:36 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

Complacency kills.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:00:42 AM EDT

[#18]

He made beautiful guns.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:16:28 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Why on Earth was he transporting a LOADED BP rifle?

This is very strange. When I shot BP, you always drop the hammer and discharge the rifle at the range. Even if something goes horribly wrong and it won't fire, you take the cap off the nipple.

Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, not a muzzleloader. Dave was well known for his 50 caliber Rolling Blocks.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:16:34 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

No, all guns are always loaded. I don't know how you feel but I don't care how many times you check the chamber you better not point it at me.

So how exactly do you clean a loaded gun?

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:18:52 AM EDT

[#21]

Are we sure this was a black powder gun? RIP Dave.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:25:06 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

No, all guns are always loaded. I don't know how you feel but I don't care how many times you check the chamber you better not point it at me.

I don't think what he said is mutual exclusive to what you are saying. You can still treat a gun as loaded (as you should) even after you've triple checked to make sure that it is unloaded.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:25:28 AM EDT

[#23]

Sorry to hear that.

Always best to remember which end the hurt comes out of. Apparently he forgot.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:35:13 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Guess he was reaching in to pull the rifle off the seat of his truck, discharged into his chest. I don't know if he caught the hammer on something and it snapped just hard enough to strike the primer or what. Just cant hardly believe he pulled the rifle toward his chest, muzzle first. Let alone leave the gun loaded.

Hunters contantly shoot themselves in the gut this way, happens all the time.

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:43:03 AM EDT

[#25]

sad

Posted: 12/15/2011 8:58:24 AM EDT

[#26]

Dangit.

Posted: 12/15/2011 9:05:27 AM EDT

[#27]

Double tragedy for the family to have to deal with it during this time of year.

Posted: 12/15/2011 9:20:28 AM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

No, all guns are always loaded. I don't know how you feel but I don't care how many times you check the chamber you better not point it at me.

This is what I was taught. TT

Posted: 12/15/2011 12:19:53 PM EDT

[#29]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Why on Earth was he transporting a LOADED BP rifle?

This is very strange. When I shot BP, you always drop the hammer and discharge the rifle at the range. Even if something goes horribly wrong and it won't fire, you take the cap off the nipple.

Black Powder Cartridge Rifle, not a muzzleloader. Dave was well known for his 50 caliber Rolling Blocks.

I missed that but still, transporting a rifle with a live cartridge uncased seemes very unwise to me. Then to put yourself at the muzzle and pull on it, even more so.

Truly a sad situation for his family.

Posted: 12/15/2011 12:26:22 PM EDT

[#30]

Ouch.

Posted: 12/15/2011 12:33:49 PM EDT

[#31]

It was an AR15 that discharged, according to family.

Posted: 12/16/2011 6:02:39 AM EDT

[#32]

Really? I've never known Dave to use an AR. Never came up in conversation, I guess.

Posted: 12/16/2011 6:28:04 AM EDT

[#33]

I have no idea how this happened but I am torn between feeling sorry for his family's loss and feeling that ultimately he did something in a very dumb assed manor.

Let us use this to remind ourselves to avoid similar mistakes so our friends don't have to go and tell our family's that we were dumb

Posted: 12/16/2011 6:29:27 AM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:

Quoted:
This is why we double and triple check the chamber is empty and the gun is unloaded.

No, all guns are always loaded. I don't know how you feel but I don't care how many times you check the chamber you better not point it at me.

So how exactly do you clean a loaded gun?

The firearm is always loaded. When I am cleaning one I generally disassemble it. When the bolt is removed it is no longer a functioning firearm, although with a little effort you could still fire it.

In response to woodsi:

I don't think what he said is mutual exclusive to what you are saying. You can still treat a gun as loaded (as you should) even after you've triple checked to make sure that it is unloaded.

I submit that there is a difference between treating a firearm as if it is loaded and believing that a firearm is loaded. It may be a fine difference for some but it seems to me that if you "treat it as if it isn't loaded after you've checked it so you know it isn't loaded", sooner or later you will start telling yourself "it isn't loaded" and that is the first step on the road to disaster.

It is the difference between treating something as if your life depends on it and your life actually depending on it. To me that is a big difference.

You can laugh at me if you want but I believe in the cartridge fairy and that she can and will put a round in the chamber of a firearm at any time,. Therefore I don't treat a firearm as if it is loaded. To me, it is loaded.

I think maybe I've hijacked this enough. What happened is truly a tragedy. I used this as another example for my kids about what can happen when you don't follow the 4 rules.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Dave Higginbotham (Lone Star Rifle Company) killed by ND

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