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Dairy Queen Tastes Bitter

itchytriggerfinger

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itchytriggerfinger Prolific Contributor

itchytriggerfinger

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There are a few sayings regarding disqualifications for those who regularly compete in shooting sports. 

  • It's not if, but when.
  • There are those who have been disqualified, and those who will be disqualified.

Well today was my day.  Last stage of the day.  The buzzer goes off, I draw, sprint to P1, plant my feet, and as I'm just pressing out (still only one hand on the gun) to the first array, my finger hit the trigger and I discharged one into top of the berm.  I stood there stunned.  I immediately knew what happened and stopped to show clear.  The safety officers and I regularly shoot together.  We looked at each other and I said, "yup, I just did that."  After showing clear I even got to push the DQ button myself on the tablet.

 

There were a lot of emotions running through my mind.  To be honest, I pretty much wanted to puke on the spot.  I f#$ked up bad.  Did I seriously just do that?  Is this a bad dream?  Wake up damn it!

 

But it wasn't a dream and I spent the afternoon reflecting on what happened.  A DQ does not mean a trip to Dairy Queen for delicious ice cream.  A DQ isn't something to be celebrated or made light of.  A DQ should be taken seriously for any level of shooter.  Safety is the number one rule for all shooters.  I compromised this rule.  I deserved the DQ.  This segways to the next most important aspect of our sport; integrity.  As the shooter, have the integrity to stand up and admit the fault.  As the SO, have the integrity to stop a shooter when he/she has committed a fault no matter who it is.  And finally, as a shooting community, have the integrity to stand for the "safety is #1" rule and don't be afraid to say something if anything is unsafe. 

 

This was a tough lesson, but one I'm willing to take to become a better shooter and competitor. 

 

See you guys at the next match!

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TMF
TMF

You get DQ'd for happy finger?  So long as the weapon was pointed in a safe direction while taking the slack out of the trigger, I don't see it being a safety issue.  I've been through several shootin

itchytriggerfinger
itchytriggerfinger

There are a few sayings regarding disqualifications for those who regularly compete in shooting sports.  It's not if, but when. There are those who have been disqualified, and those who will be disq

itchytriggerfinger
itchytriggerfinger

Yeah, I walked over to the safe area, removed my gear, cleared my head, and went back to pasting and SO'ING the remainder of the match.

Jonnin Postus Maximus

Jonnin

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It scares and upsets you (as it should) and you won't do *that* again ...  the best outcome possible from a mistake with a gun as no harm was done.  I know such things have happened to me.   I suspect they have happened, or will happen, to many gun owners at some point in their life.   I can absolutely remember finding a live round in a gun I was sure I had checked carefully after I had been carrying it around for a while. 

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itchytriggerfinger Prolific Contributor

itchytriggerfinger

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I dq'd once. Reloaded my gun right out of my freaking hand lol. Safest dq ever the slide was still locked back when I picked it up off the ground. 11 rounds down range for the day, then I played full time SO


Yeah, I walked over to the safe area, removed my gear, cleared my head, and went back to pasting and SO'ING the remainder of the match.
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TMF Postus Maximus

TMF

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You get DQ'd for happy finger?  So long as the weapon was pointed in a safe direction while taking the slack out of the trigger, I don't see it being a safety issue.  I've been through several shooting schools where they instruct you to draw the weapon from the holster and immediately point it down range toward the target to try and instill the muscle memory, in case the enemy is closing distance on you and you must fire before getting the weapon up to position three (essentially firing one handed from the hip).  Due to the logic behind this, we're instructed to already begin taking slack out of the trigger between position 3 and 4.  With heavy triggers (like Sigs and Berettas) sometimes people pop early, which results in a thrown shot, but in a safe manner.  This isn't a negligent discharge.  There was never really a word for it back then, so instructors just called it happy finger, and it was fine.  I don't see the big deal, since it isn't unsafe.

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TNWNGR Prolific Contributor

TNWNGR

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Action shooting sports carry inherent risk factors in and of themselves so I'd table all of the angst and move on with life. Why? No one was injured or killed. No property was damaged or destroyed. You correctly identified your own culpability brought upon by either haste or momentary inattention. Object lesson? Slow down a bit and replace competivness with a deisre to just do things correctly. Otherwise move on with life and accept that this was a DQ such as yours is a bit different from a ND.

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DMark Prolific Contributor

DMark

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...... as I'm just pressing out (still only one hand on the gun) to the first array, my finger hit the trigger and I discharged one into top of the berm.......

 

Upon further review the call on the field of a DQ has been reversed.

 

 - By rule a DQ can only be applied for a discharge Over a Berm   (IDPA rule 2.2.3.4).

 

The shooter (OP) will not be charged with a locked thread. 

 

Please reset the stage and the timer. 

 

The reshoot will begin upon my command to "Load & Make Ready."

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itchytriggerfinger Prolific Contributor

itchytriggerfinger

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Upon further review the call on the field of a DQ has been reversed.
 
 - By rule a DQ can only be applied for a discharge Over a Berm   (IDPA rule 2.2.3.4).
 
The shooter (OP) will not be charged with a locked thread. 
 
Please reset the stage and the timer. 
 
The reshoot will begin upon my command to "Load & Make Ready."


It was USPSA so I don't know if the rule is the same. It was at the shoot house at MCTS. That is a really high berm you know. The bullet impacted above the washed out part. Still in the side of the hill, but way up there.
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itchytriggerfinger Prolific Contributor

itchytriggerfinger

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Action shooting sports carry inherent risk factors in and of themselves so I'd table all of the angst and move on with life...


Oh I have, and did before writing this post. Live and learn. When you shoot 10k+ rounds a year the odds are it's going to happen. It has taken three years for it to happen to me. Hopefully it will be another 3 years before it happens again.
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peejman Postus Maximus

peejman

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Upon further review the call on the field of a DQ has been reversed.

- By rule a DQ can only be applied for a discharge Over a Berm (IDPA rule 2.2.3.4).

The shooter (OP) will not be charged with a locked thread.

Please reset the stage and the timer.

The reshoot will begin upon my command to "Load & Make Ready."


I was thinking the same thing.... The round hit the berm so why the dq?
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DMark Prolific Contributor

DMark

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Where? 

 

IDPA or USPSA?

 

It was USPSA......

 

That was the reason I asked the question in post #8 of this thread.  

 

You referenced SOs (IDPA) instead of ROs (USPSA) so I was dazed & confused - - - Not that IDPA HQ couldn't have tweeted out another one of their "OH, BTW Joyce has made another Rule Charge" that morning for DQs!  :squint:

 

Reckon you should have been at GGC shooting Robert's Shotgun/Pistol match!  :taunt:   

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HOGNUT Prolific Contributor

HOGNUT

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There are a few sayings regarding disqualifications for those who regularly compete in shooting sports. 

  • It's not if, but when.
  • There are those who have been disqualified, and those who will be disqualified.
Well today was my day.  Last stage of the day.  The buzzer goes off, I draw, sprint to P1, plant my feet, and as I'm just pressing out (still only one hand on the gun) to the first array, my finger hit the trigger and I discharged one into top of the berm.  I stood there stunned.  I immediately knew what happened and stopped to show clear.  The safety officers and I regularly shoot together.  We looked at each other and I said, "yup, I just did that."  After showing clear I even got to push the DQ button myself on the tablet.
 
There were a lot of emotions running through my mind.  To be honest, I pretty much wanted to puke on the spot.  I f#$ked up bad.  Did I seriously just do that?  Is this a bad dream?  Wake up damn it!
 
But it wasn't a dream and I spent the afternoon reflecting on what happened.  A DQ does not mean a trip to Dairy Queen for delicious ice cream.  A DQ isn't something to be celebrated or made light of.  A DQ should be taken seriously for any level of shooter.  Safety is the number one rule for all shooters.  I compromised this rule.  I deserved the DQ.  This segways to the next most important aspect of our sport; integrity.  As the shooter, have the integrity to stand up and admit the fault.  As the SO, have the integrity to stop a shooter when he/she has committed a fault no matter who it is.  And finally, as a shooting community, have the integrity to stand for the "safety is #1" rule and don't be afraid to say something if anything is unsafe. 
 
This was a tough lesson, but one I'm willing to take to become a better shooter and competitor. 
 
See you guys at the next match!

There are a few sayings regarding disqualifications for those who regularly compete in shooting sports. 

  • It's not if, but when.
  • There are those who have been disqualified, and those who will be disqualified.
Well today was my day.  Last stage of the day.  The buzzer goes off, I draw, sprint to P1, plant my feet, and as I'm just pressing out (still only one hand on the gun) to the first array, my finger hit the trigger and I discharged one into top of the berm.  I stood there stunned.  I immediately knew what happened and stopped to show clear.  The safety officers and I regularly shoot together.  We looked at each other and I said, "yup, I just did that."  After showing clear I even got to push the DQ button myself on the tablet.
 
There were a lot of emotions running through my mind.  To be honest, I pretty much wanted to puke on the spot.  I f#$ked up bad.  Did I seriously just do that?  Is this a bad dream?  Wake up damn it!
 
But it wasn't a dream and I spent the afternoon reflecting on what happened.  A DQ does not mean a trip to Dairy Queen for delicious ice cream.  A DQ isn't something to be celebrated or made light of.  A DQ should be taken seriously for any level of shooter.  Safety is the number one rule for all shooters.  I compromised this rule.  I deserved the DQ.  This segways to the next most important aspect of our sport; integrity.  As the shooter, have the integrity to stand up and admit the fault.  As the SO, have the integrity to stop a shooter when he/she has committed a fault no matter who it is.  And finally, as a shooting community, have the integrity to stand for the "safety is #1" rule and don't be afraid to say something if anything is unsafe. 
 
This was a tough lesson, but one I'm willing to take to become a better shooter and competitor. 
 
See you guys at the next match!


Hate to hear about this. Glad it wasn't the first stage of the day. Hope you had fun. Happy to see you stick around (like the person you are) and discuss it when we got together after the match. Doug or Charlie was the RO running you?
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