Wow...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/04/weightlifters-dumbbell-shoots-bullet.html

A 56-year-old weightlifter in Modesto reportedly shot himself after dropping a dumbbell on a bullet.

Modesto police officers responded to the call Wednesday night and found the man wounded in the shoulder.

He told police he was lifting dumbbells when he accidentally dropped one on a .22 caliber bullet in his apartment

Really?

 

Can that happen?

Totally plausible especially being rim fired ammo, however who keeps .22's on their floor lol.

I heard he keeps his floor covered in random bullets as motivation to not drop his weights for fear of being shot if he did. Well, I didn't really hear that but seems like it could be good motivation for him now!

He forgot the first rule of weight training safety... always treat your dumbbell as if it were loaded.

...How did he get hit in the shoulder dropping it on the floor? I've been curious if a ballpeen would fire a .22 round. Never stupid enough to try though.

I don't see how this is even possible. I mean...the propulsion of a bullet is the result from the pressure concentrated in the chamber, with it's only exit down the barrel. So without the chamber and bullet to direct the pressure, and guide the bullet...it shouldn't go anywhere. I call BS.

Stop bringing things like physics and other science into this! How dare you!

...How did he get hit in the shoulder dropping it on the floor? I've been curious if a ballpeen would fire a .22 round. Never stupid enough to try though.

 

There a movie called hope and glory, its about a kids life during wwII in Britain living through the bombings and such, good movie. Anyway the kid joins this gang of little kids and they put left behind rifle bullets in vices and set them off with hammers it seems quite possible.

There a movie called hope and glory, its about a kids life during wwII in Britain living through the bombings and such, good movie. Anyway the kid joins this gang of little kids and they put left behind rifle bullets in vices and set them off with hammers it seems quite possible.

I have wondered for YEAR's what the name of that movie was.

Will dropping a dumbell on a .22 cartridge set it off? Yes - anything that strikes the primed end with enough force can "fire" a rimfire cartridge. Does the bullet "shoot" out of the case? Well, kinda. As Vic pointed out, the case needs to be contained in order for there to be enough explosive force to drive the bullet to the velocities for which it was designed. A round exploded in the open won't propel the bullet with enough force to do a lot of damage. Obviously there is some force and if you are standing close enough, it would probably break the skin - so, technically "shot", but not like out of a gun.

 

Adios,

 

PIzza Bob

A ball peen WILL set off a .22 rimfire cartridge. Please dont ask how I know.

There a movie called hope and glory, its about a kids life during wwII in Britain living through the bombings and such, good movie. Anyway the kid joins this gang of little kids and they put left behind rifle bullets in vices and set them off with hammers it seems quite possible.

 

Anthony.... Thank you.. I have seen this movie before a long time ago and that scene has stuck with me. I could not remember what the name of the movie was, or enough of the premise to try to figure out how to go about finding it... great movie.. and great scene... imaginary +1 to you sir

A ball peen WILL set off a .22 rimfire cartridge. Please dont ask how I know.

 

Maybe he did not have a ball peen hammer.

Sounds like one of those stories where there's more to it than is being told. Kind of like when the guy shows up in the ER after accidentally sitting on a cucumber.

Setting off a cartridge (of any kind) will shoot the bullet out because pressure is built up prior to debulleting. How much pressure depends entirely on how much force is required to break the crimp/neck-tension. It just won't be anywhere near the velocity or accuracy when using a gun, but at very short range that doesn't really matter much.

 

The military actually does tests similar to this for Insensitive Munitions. Two of them in particular are fast- and slow-cookoff where they heat up a box of ammo quickly or slowly to see what happens. The idea behind it is if the cargo is in a fire or sitting in the desert sun they want to know how dangerous it will be to those around it. The rounds will pretty much always go off, it's just a matter of how much velocity and momentum they carry that determines how dangerous it is.

Its been years since I read Hatcher's Notebook but I remember reading something about how he set off 30'06 rounds under a cardboard box and the bullet wouldn't penetrate the box.

So he shot himself while working on his " guns" haha lol. Ok bad pun

I don't see how this is even possible. I mean...the propulsion of a bullet is the result from the pressure concentrated in the chamber, with it's only exit down the barrel. So without the chamber and bullet to direct the pressure, and guide the bullet...it shouldn't go anywhere. I call BS.

 

I was thinking that it was set off, and the pressure caused the casing to explode. He likely got injured from that I guess. But I still find this a little fishy.

AS Vic said, calling BS on this and if he is shot and really injured, there is a lot more to this story..

In this FREAK accident, the dumbell could have ignited and pinched the case of the .22 at the same time, if it hit just right. Putting physics into play, IF the case wasn't able to go anywhere, than ANY pressure from the ignition would be generated towards the bullet head, thus propelling it (albeit not that fast).

 

I would have liked to been a fly on the wall to see it happen though. Truly a one in a million event.......

In this FREAK accident, the dumbell could have ignited and pinched the case of the .22 at the same time, if it hit just right. Putting physics into play, IF the case wasn't able to go anywhere, than ANY pressure from the ignition would be generated towards the bullet head, thus propelling it (albeit not that fast).

 

However for that to happen, the bullet would have to be laying flat on the ground. Thus hitting him in the foot, not the shoulder.

 

The other thing that just crossed my mind is...even IF this is actually possible, WTF does this guy have live ammo laying on his ground for? Cops said they didn't find a gun. So not only does this dude not have a gun, but he's got live ammo on his floor. Come on...I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I'm gonna need boots for all the BS in this story.

However for that to happen, the bullet would have to be laying flat on the ground. Thus hitting him in the foot, not the shoulder.

 

The other thing that just crossed my mind is...even IF this is actually possible, WTF does this guy have live ammo laying on his ground for? Cops said they didn't find a gun. So not only does this dude not have a gun, but he's got live ammo on his floor. Come on...I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I'm gonna need boots for all the BS in this story.

As for not having a gun it's possible that a friend of his took him shooting and thats why he had some ammo, wether he bought some or accidently ended up with a few rounds. As for having amunition on the floor, you are telling me you find it impossible to believe ammo somtimes falls on the floor or behind stuff without some one knowing. When I was getting ready to move out of my last apartment I found a fullmoon clip of .45 ACP under my couch.

 

Here is just one way it could have happened. Guy gose shooting with a friend. Upon gettin home he finds he has a bullet in his pocket. He puts the bullet on a shef, table, etc.., that the dumb bells sit next to and forgets about it. Bullet falls between the dumbbells. he Goes to work out when finishes drops the dumbbell back where he stores it. It catches the very edge of the bullet flipping it up an triggering it.

As for not having a gun it's possible that a friend of his took him shooting and thats why he had some ammo, wether he bought some or accidently ended up with a few rounds. As for having amunition on the floor, you are telling me you find it impossible to believe ammo somtimes falls on the floor or behind stuff without some one knowing. When I was getting ready to move out of my last apartment I found a fullmoon clip of .45 ACP under my couch.

 

Here is just one way it could have happened. Guy gose shooting with a friend. Upon gettin home he finds he has a bullet in his pocket. He puts the bullet on a shef, table, etc.., that the dumb bells sit next to and forgets about it. Bullet falls between the dumbbells. he Goes to work out when finishes drops the dumbbell back where he stores it. It catches the very edge of the bullet flipping it up an triggering it.

 

This is the same sort of thing that I was thinking about! Case gets pinched, held and tilted up-angle from the floor all in one action. It's a FREAK, but it could happen!

Thanks anthony. I always wondered what movie that was also! That scene always stuck out in my mind!

...How did he get hit in the shoulder dropping it on the floor? I've been curious if a ballpeen would fire a .22 round. Never stupid enough to try though.

 

I have to admit something stupid I did as a kid. My friend and I must have been about 9 years old. We found a .22 round somewhere. My friend said that it would fire if we hammered it. I think we used a rock. Yes, the round fired after a few attempts at dropping a rock on it. It's good that we were lucky. Times were different then, and this was in a different state.