Florida Dropped Gun Injury Leads to Common Sense Safety Suggestions

The Sun Sentinel A Hollywood man who was cleaning his .38 caliber handgun accidentally shot himself in his buttocks, police in that city said Monday. “An adult male in his 20s was cleaning his firearm when it fell to the floor and discharged, [the bullet] hitting him in the buttocks,” Hollywood Police Lt. Derik Alexander said Monday. “He is not going to be charged with anything,” Alexander said. “He was in his home. There was no foul play or suspicious incident.” Alexander said there are basic rules one can follow to avoid being wounded by one's own weapon. "Generally speaking, all firearms should be handled with care," said Alexander, who emailed the following tips: 

• The firearm should be UNLOADED prior to cleaning.
• The magazine should be ejected.
• If firearm is a revolver, the “wheel” of the gun should be empty, with all cartridges expelled.
• A semi-automatic firearm should have the barrel cleared by manually pulling the slide back. 
• The firearm should then be disassembled and cleaned with the proper materials.