I wasn't sure whether to post this or not but figured what the hell, I'll share in hopes that someone else might learn from it. This happened last weekend.

I had an old friend call me up and say that he'd like to purchase a gun and was wondering if I could help him and his wife choose one and give them some pointers on shooting, handling etc. Of course I said sure so we set up a time. They come down on Saturday morning, I set them down and start rolling out a few different pistols so they can get a feel for them. I show them how to check them to be sure they're unloaded, proper grip, 4 safety rules etc. Probably went through about 6-8 pistols when we decide to go shoot a few but first let's go eat breakfast.


So, we go eat and get back to the house and I pull my CCW gun, G-17, out and sit it on our kitchen table like always, wife does the same. A few minutes of packing up, chit chat, etc. Wife and I are standing at kitchen table and my friend walks over to talk to my wife and I. He is standing around the corner of the table to my right, wife is across the table from me. As I'm speaking to my wife I raise my right hand making some gesture(can't recall what it was about) when I hear that dreaded "BOOM!!" of a gunshot indoors. We all just stand there for a second in shock. Somehow without even realizing it I start feeling my right side of my body/rib cage for a hole and look at my friend who is standing there with my G-17 in his hand with a totally shocked look on his face. He instantly says "I didn't pull the trigger!!" Of course I say Oh yes you fucking did. I'm still checking myself and looking at everyone else for leaks but I knew where that bullet had gone, right past my chest and into what was behind me, turn around to look and this is what it hit;

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The round in the gun was a Glaser 9mm(Blue). It did not go through the backside of the TV though the TV is toast.

I had an SIRT training laser pistol sitting on the table so I asked everyone to get back to their exact positions when it happened, handed him the SIRT and asked him to repeat exactly what he did while activating the laser and line it up with the hole in the TV. He holds it in his right hand just below chest high, activates the laser and lines it up with the hole in my now dead 65" $4800 TV. Path of the bullet went between my right arm and passed by my chest missing it by 1/2 an inch!! I am a VERY lucky man, or was that day anyway.

ETA: Want to try and clear a few things up, I typed this up in a rush and left out some important info so hopefully this will help. I realize I made a mistake or two. My point of this thread was to try and show how over time we can develop bad habits and not realize it. For example, leaving a loaded weapon laying out unattended. We usually leave them in the holster but a few months ago I bought an SIRT practice pistol and it is laying on the kitchen table in the dining room. I try to get my wife to use it to practice her draw and I do it as well. We usually come home and set our weapons on the table in the holster but since the arrival of the SIRT we started using our holsters with the SIRT to practice. Once finished I sometimes remover the SIRT from the holster and put my weapon back in it's holster, however, sometimes I just lay the SIRT there on the table and do this later. Of course this is a mistake/bad habit which causes a loaded weapon to be laid out on the table with no holster. This bad habit is what caused me to almost get shot. Prior to go eat I had gone over safe handling, rules and so on with my friend. Had also shown him several unloaded pistols as well as the SIRT. Once we returned from eating I had been showing our friend grip etc. with the practice pistol and letting him try out how it feels on his body with a holster, I never put my gun back in it's holster and not too long after that-boom.

We did not un-holster, set the gun/s on the table and begin to eat. We went to a restaurant to eat, returned home and that is when I un-holstered and laid my pistol on the table.

Why do we lay our pistols in the dining room on the table? My wife and I live alone(our son is in college). The only people usually in our home are Military/Vets, Police and/or "gun guys" so I'm usually not too concerned as they have always either not even given a second glance at guns laying on the table or if they do they've asked "is it loaded, can I see it" and I unload it and then hand it to them. When we come home from work we take off our weapon/s and lay them on the table, usually in the holster. I am an FFL so even though we have two dogs and an alarm system I still do worry about a home invasion type robbery so I like to have a loaded gun nearby. I did learn a lesson or three and I'm going to be more cautious from now on, that was sort of the point of putting up this thread, probably should've explained it a little better in the original post.

TL/DR- I developed a bad habit over time and it almost bit me bigly.

Old friend called the wrong person Need to read fully next time.

Glad you are OK. The only person I trust around a loaded gun is my father.

Glad you're OK.

Why are you carrying Glasers?

Isn't Glaser a gimmick bullet?

Holy SHIT.
 Dodged a bullet today.
 I am very glad you got lucky.

Booger hooks. Booger hooks everywhere.

Did your dogs freak out?

The gun always just goes off.  Like it's possessed.  Glad no one was hurt.

Lucky man!

Not saying everyone should do this, but if my weapon is off my hip I clear it before putting it down. Even if its just a temporary. Why sre you unholstering to begin with?

Glad you are all safe.

Very scary. Glad youre alright.

I handed someone an AK that had a loaded magazine, empty chamber and safety engaged. We'd had a couple beers.

The VERY FIRST thing he does it try to aggressively rack it to make a cool sound, he wasnt checking the chamber. The safety kept it from cycling but I learned to never ever hand someone a gun if you don't know their experience level. Don't assume.

Watch people like a hawk now.

Literally

I shall call you Neo.
I shall call him Elvis.

Glad no one got hurt, and I hope your friend pays for your TV.

Hindsight and all, but I recommend not having loaded guns out of your control and accessible when you have guests in your home.

Frangible designed to reduce penetration.

Yes

I hope you told him to leave after that.

Glad you are OK. Sorry about your TV.

Why do you both unholster and set your pistol on the table while eating?

Glaser saved who knows down range of it but at the same time proves they are not worth a shit.

Damn, glad you are unharmed OP.  Scary situation no doubt.

So did you and your friend still go gun shopping after or was it trip to the local electronic store for a replacement TV? 

Don't leave loaded guns out unattended?

If it was still holstered and/or unloaded the entire situation would have been avoided.

Obviously your friend not finger fucking the gun would have prevented this too, but only one of these prevention steps is in your control.

Anyway, glad no one was hurt or worse.

It DRTed that TV without penetrating and hitting the other TV in the bedroom.

That's a good bullet, IMO.

Chris

I guess your students need to go back to the classroom and review the chapter on the 4 rules.

Glad you're OK.

Obviusly it is reduced penetration, it didn't go through a TV. you think itwill go through a rib?

damn! glad you are alright

Please dig into the tv and lets see pics of the damage and any bullet fragments you find.  Would love to see what the glaser did.  

Just buy your buddy a rape whistle. Don't take anymore chances w/ that guy.

So a Glaser 9mm won't penetrate a 2" plastic tv screen?  Good to know.

Glad you ain't dead, but if you were to get struck in the chest from an ND, that Glaser bullet is the one you'd want in the chamber.

You've been attacked by a TV before?

This. Good friend, roommate, long-time gun owner almost blew my damn head off with a new AR last summer. Indoors. Guy already owned one AR and a handful of pistols and shotguns, figured he'd know what the deal was.

His input after the incident? "I didn't know it would do that." Genius.

Suffice it to say that he doesn't have any more firearms in the house now.

so your buddy is gonna buy you a new TV, right?

Why did you unholster a loaded pistol and then leave it where others could access it?
Why are you carrying GSS as your carry round? Many better options out there.

Get him a taser

I have found that what first time shooters instinctively do is put their finger on the trigger. It is such a natural place to rest the finger, they just can't help themselves.

I always start new shooters with a blue gun or even a realistic looking squirt gun. Something that has realistic look and feel (and a trigger) but something we can make mistakes with and take corrective action. Only after they can demonstrate the Four Absolutes do I move on to "real" guns. Yes, some people never make it past the blue gun stage. If they are not taking it seriously or cannot take instruction (too macho) I suggest a game of Golf instead.

Sorry OP but I believe this one is on you. You assumed the role of Instructor, you created a classroom and you created the circumstances in which a "student" was able to handle a loaded firearm not under your immediate control.

Glad nobody was injured...or worse.

This I will never understand why people like to increase their changes of a neglect discharge but dicking around with a loaded guns, unholstering them for no reason whatsoever.  Keep it in the holster and stop finger fucking it.

Thinking exactly this.... And still loaded for that matter.  I see two negligent behaviors that should be corrected.  Do you hand your side arm to people loaded as well to show them?

Could have had a really bad ending

leaving a loaded gun on the counter....yeah bad idea regardless of how proficient you are.  Much like driving it's everyone else you have to worry about.  You could get side tracked and a neighbor could stop by, next thing you know they're unknowingly handling a loaded gun.

Lots of lessons to be learned all around. Glad you're OK and hopefully you all learned from your mistakes.

Why?

I take my holster off my belt and set it on the table by me all the time with a loaded pistol in it.

But never with guests over. When I have friends over I usually just slip an LCP in my pocket and put the others away

It will go through a rib just fine. Can't find it at the moment but couple guys tested on a beef slab with ribs and the damage was devastating. Glaser's are just fine for self defense.

To save $ on drywall repairs.

Uhm that tv isn't plastic, that is thick glass and the back is metal.

Wow, I'm happy you're safe!

Assumptions in any fashion, and guns, do not mix.  

I don't understand why you disarm to eat, but that's your decision.  However, I am a safety nazi, so I would have cleared the weapon, locked OOB and stuck the magazine elsewhere.

I just don't trust people...

I also do not tolerate violations of the 4 rules.  Your friend clearly violated them, which mean you either didn't teach him, he didn't remember, or he didn't care.  In any case, you left him access to a loaded gun, so it's your fault.

I'm not attacking you, nor do I think I'm better than you.  Heck I don't even know you'd disagree with me.
But I'm just telling you the truth.

I hope Elvis is buying you a new TV...

The 9mm 80gr version only made it 8" for Lucky Gunner. I think the extra weight in the 40 you showed would get you 10+" which isn't awful.

I want 14-16" and weight retention, 2x expansion

I've been in a very similar situation, except I ended up with 4 holes in me.

The "4 rules" of firearms safety contribute to NDs I think.

NRA rules are much better, because they have you focus on what TO DO.

Always Keep a firearm pointed in a safe direction.

Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

Always keep a gun unloaded until ready to use.

you also own a pit bull................................................... n/m, not even worth going down that road

No shit, that is dumb as hell. Especially when you have new people over who were just handling unloaded guns. 

Nobody is in my house and I take the holster off with the gun in it, never leave it laying around out of the holster. If poeple are over it stays on me.

Glad no one was hurt.  There is a possibility that your pistol fired all by itself.  Was Rachael Madcow on the screen?

Especially with new shooters, and even experienced shooters who handle a new firearm, one of the worst things you can have them focus on is ensuring the firearm is unloaded.

That's the last thing you should be focused on, and you are only able to focus on one thing at once.

That should always be keeping the firearm pointed in a safe direction.

Then worry about the next step, keeping your finger off the trigger.

Then keeping it unloaded until ready for use.