Safety..... A not so subtle reminder

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My 40 year old brother texted me this picture not too long ago. (Sorry, that is why the size and quality is what it is). It is an x-ray image of his head taken during his last physical. The white spot seen on the back of his skull up near the top is a flattened .117 pellet fired from a crossman 760 pumpmaster. Thank goodness it was not a steel BB. That unfortunate accident happened 30 years ago! The readers digest version: I was showing one of my younger brothers (A) how to shoot the pellet gun. Pop cans off a wooden fence post. We were sitting at a picnic table next to the house. Brother (B) who was shot, ran out in front of A from around the corner of the house maybe 25 feet in front of us right when A pulled the trigger. B stopped in his tracks and screamed "You shot me!!". Those of us at the table saw the red hole on the back side of his head and we all freaked out! We all had our summer crew cuts at the time. I won't bore everyone with all the details but let if suffice to say that my brothers and I learned a valuable lesson that day that could have ended tragically. Even to this day I can close my eyes and see that sequence of events clearly...... You can never be overly cautious or safe even with a BB or pellet gun! Thought I would share this when I came across that picture again a few minute ago.
 
Why haven't they removed it. Probably no harm in the location, but if it's superficial it would be an easy task. Or maybe when he rubs his head and feels the knot he thinks of you. Haha : ) 

One of the classic papers on this topic was published in 1982 by Erwin Thal at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. The paper recounted a series of 16 patients who had developed signs and symptoms of lead poisoning (plumbism) after a gunshot or shotgun injury. The common thread in these cases was that the injury involved a joint or bursa near a joint. In some cases the missile passed through the joint/bursa but came to rest nearby, and a synovial pseudocyst formed which included the piece of lead. The joint fluid bathing the projectile caused lead to leach into the circulation.
 
Yeah, I think I'd want it removed, if it were my skull.

My brother still has a BB in his knee from when I was maybe 10. He was standing on a pedal boat down in a pond. I was showing off, and said "watch this" as I aimed the Crosman American Classic to shoot a shot off the bow into the water. But my (hip shot) aim was bad, and I shot the BB on the deck of the boat. (fiberglass) It ricocheted and went into his knee. It's one of the big regrets in my life. Reminds me how dumb I was when I was 10. It reminds me to be patient with my 12 year old who doesn't think before acting.
 
I remember using Crosman 760 pumpmasters only pumped up one time, two if we wanted to really zing each other. We would shoot at each other or at a cast iron skillet trying to hit a guy on the richote. BUT this is when I was young like 22 years old. I can still remember the phone call I was having with my girl friend at the time. " blah blah blah OOOHHHH F'n Jay just shot me." "WHAT he shot you." She was upset with him. "Why did he shoot you?" "Well I might have shot him first." All her compassion for me being shot went out the window. 
 
Yep. I carry a bb in my ankle from over 40 years ago. Benjie multi pump. A "friend" was going to shoot the heel of my rubber boot to scare me. Not sure how he could be off that bad, 6 inches, but it went through the boot, hit bone, bounced off at an angle and ended up under the skin. But wait, there's more. At the ER my Dad discovered simply cutting the skin to pop the bb out would be an expensive surgical procedure. They elected to use curved stats, and other tools of torture, to follow the wound track and attempt to extract the offending bb. After digging around for what seemed like an eternity, wallowing out the wound to a great degree in size and discomfort, they left it in place. And yes, it does jiggle around when Im in the MRI. 

That Benjie has nothing on todays PCP guns that are dangerous weapons. I watch a lot of air gun vids and am amazed at the lack of proper precaution taken by people, one being a member of this group. If these things can kill a hog, they can kill you.
 
Love this thread......only wish I had an xray to upload so I could join the club. At age 16 I was shot "point blank" in the face with a bb pistol during an attempted bicycle robbery. The fool didn't think I would put a fist in his breadbasket as soon as he pointed the gun at my face. I was left with one of my front teeth shot out, and a bb lodged in the base of my tongue. It was the most painful injury I've ever had to this day. It literally bisected my tongue and came to a stop in an area that doctors said couldn't be operated on without possible lifelong damage to my speech. The tooth was completely shattered and nothing but the bare exposed nerve was left dangling.
The abortion that shot me whilst trying to scare me into parting with my bike (my momma bought that for me) found out what it was like to get a 1988 GT performer bent over his head. I was in the emergency room at the local hospital for 4 hours and couldn't talk or eat anything solid for 2 months.........he was in the hospital for a week, had to have his jaw wired shut, and like a cherry on top.......had to wear a cast on one leg, and the opposite arm for months. Seriously, the crank sprocket of the bike was bent over the bottom of the bike frame and had to be replaced.
Lol, I haven't thought about that episode in a really long time but you guys just reminded me. I gotta ask my mom what happened to those xrays.
 
One should always make sure to try and avoid shooting their brother in the head with any type of gun!

It will make me think twice about letting my son play with air guns. I had a co2 BB when I was a kid. My parents must have been crazy to let me use it unsupervised.... Kids lack the common sense and dexterity to practice proper safety. 

The kid that sold me my BB gun used to shoot himself in the leg to test the guns to make sure they delivered enough pain. He accused me of being "a chicken" for refusing to do the same before deciding to buy it....



 
My dad coming from our mountain in in Corley, WV, & being a Seabee in the Philippines, he taught us proper gun safety when we were old enough to handle one. So no real accidents here! I hunted with my old Crosman 760 for years till the pump piston gave out. Still have it & it's in good shape otherwise. So definitely teach the young ones the proper way to respect any gun & it's power. And never keep loaded guns laying around, even in a closet. Keep the ammo separate as well. Can't wait for my new Winchester 1400CS to arrive Friday. Then a new chapter starts...