1/17/2005: Man nails himself without knowing

[russotto]

I'd guess the second nail wasn't a "backfire" at all -- rather, when the thing kicked up from the first misfire and hit him, his finger was on the trigger and he accidentally fired another one normally right into his skull.

Negligible blood, as the nail sealed the hole it made fairly effectively.

[Sweets]

Originally Posted by russotto

Negligible blood, as the nail sealed the hole it made fairly effectively.

Great point! However, I still dont understand how on earth it got that angle without peircing through his bottom jaw first.


Perhaps sealing the blood is what saved his life. head wounds are some of the worst bleeders.

[FloridaDragon]

While I agree I can't imagine how you could get nailed and not know it, I can see where a second (or third) shot can result from use. I worked construction during the summers in high school and there were many times that more than one nail came out and there were even cases where the safety on the front of the gun (you have to have it pressed against something for it to fire) would not function and you could spray nails if you wanted to or were clumsy. I also had a nail gun fire a nail through two 2x4s on edge with the nail bouncing off the concrete slab and hitting a board on the other side....those guns can certainly be dangerous....

all that said, this guy must have been sucking on the end of the gun for this to happen...

[xoxoxoBruce]

Bah, they can't "backfire"...there is only one way that nail can come out of the gun unless it explodes. That's like saying a second bullet came out of the back of the pistol.

I picture the following;
Like most guys he keeps the trigger pulled and used the safety shoe to fire the gun on contact. Those guns, especially the framing (4"nail) guns, are pretty heavy, so the easiest way to hold them when you're not shooting is to let your arm hang down or hold the gun upside down balancing on your hand. It's the same position you would hold a pistol to have it pointing straight up in the air.
Now two things;
One, the gun being heavy you'd give it a pretty good jerk to get it up to that position.
Two, it ends up being right next to your head.

I can easily picture him jerking the gun up and smacking himself in the mouth with it. It hurts like hell...it's embarrassing...and it might bleed a little.
Any shot to the head is a little disorienting and I can see where he might not know the gun went off when he smacked himself.

OR...he doesn't want to admit he was shot by a jealous husband.

[capnhowdy]

Iwanted to post here, BUT NO!!!!!!!!!
Bruce said every damn thing I was gonna say.
Either this dude was really drowning in pride, or, tremendously stupid.
I hope if I ever drive a four inch nail halfway thru my head I would know it or at least look at someone and say HELP!
If we trace this guy's family tree, he's most likely related to Deputy Fife.
"You beat all, you know that?"
They do still drug test construction workers, don't they?

[chrisinhouston]

I can just imagine the quote next to that picture of him, "No shit Thelma, this nail was in my heaaad" (think a real southern accent here...)

[xoxoxoBruce]

Bruce said every damn thing I was gonna say.

But..but....but, when you didn't show up by 9, I couldn't hold it any longer.