How NOT to hold a revolver!

Mark Bolyard · 02-27-2008

A St. Louis, Missouri guy on my AR-15 forum had a bad accident with his S&W 460XVR Magnum yesterday. He was shooting with a two handed hold and got his left thumb up near the lower front of the cylinder. The normal (powerful) gasses blowing out at the barrel/cylinder gap ripped the top of his left thumb off. I've added some of his posts & some pics.

S&W 460XVR Magnum

460XVR blew my thumb off today!

No joke, about 1/2 of my left thumb is gone ... what's left is a friggin mess.

It's pretty hard to type, and I'm only posting because you never know, it might save somebody else a thumb. I was using a 2-handed grip, fired off a Cor-Bon DPX .460 and the blast came violently out the side of the gun.

At first my thumb was so covered in blood that I couldn't see how bad it was ... and I was full of adrenaline and felt no pain. And hon estly it looked really bad, my whole hand was covered in blood and it was kinda gushing.

The blown-off thumb was on my support hand. I'll re-create the grip tomorrow to see where my thumb was, but it's not like I didn't already know not to get any body part near the cylinder gap. And even if I totally screwed up and did, taking my thumb clean off seems a bit excessive?

Just be careful with those 460's. That case operates at such high pressure, it's just asking for trouble.

BTW, I bought my 460 new and had exactly 12 rounds through it. Info about the gun, it's a full-size 460 with the 8 3/4' barrel and factory installed comp ensator. It's one of the Whitetails Unlimited models. Ammo was 200gr Cor-Bon DPX.

The gun only had 12 or 13 rounds of the Cor-Bon through it, and 10 .45 Long Colt rounds through it. So it was essentially still brand new.

Saw a hand specialist while there today. Lots of ways to try and save what's left, but first I just have to hope it doesn't get infected in the next few days ... then surgery early next week.

The hand specialist I spent a few hours with last night said that in gunshot wounds there is always a lot more damage than is first visible ... same with things like fireworks going off in your hand. A lot more flesh around the wound is dead, and will rot and fall off over the next couple days. That's why it's so important to keep clean, and that's also why they can't do surgery now. If they wrapped new skin over dead skin it would just puss out, possibly turn gang-green, and they'd have to start all over again.

This is an example of how he was holding his revolver. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

This is what's left of his thumb.

shortbus · 02-27-2008

mmmm, just getting ready to have some lunch...

I bet he doesn't do that again!

D Winkler · 02-27-2008

Wow, Thats a bad day. I'd probably sell the gun.

oucorry · 02-27-2008

that had to hurt!!! Go ahead and make my day punk.

oudave · 03-16-2008

i can here it now his wife got to the hospital and said that i told you not to buy that gun

stalkingbear · 12-10-2008

Anybody know how much he wants for it now?

02-27-2008	#1 (permalink)
Mark Bolyard Technical Support Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Adamstown, Md Posts: 14 Images: 3	How NOT to hold a revolver! A St. Louis, Missouri guy on my AR-15 forum had a bad accident with his S&W 460XVR Magnum yesterday. He was shooting with a two handed hold and got his left thumb up near the lower front of the cylinder. The normal (powerful) gasses blowing out at the barrel/cylinder gap ripped the top of his left thumb off. I've added some of his posts & some pics. S&W 460XVR Magnum 460XVR blew my thumb off today! No joke, about 1/2 of my left thumb is gone ... what's left is a friggin mess. It's pretty hard to type, and I'm only posting because you never know, it might save somebody else a thumb. I was using a 2-handed grip, fired off a Cor-Bon DPX .460 and the blast came violently out the side of the gun. At first my thumb was so covered in blood that I couldn't see how bad it was ... and I was full of adrenaline and felt no pain. And hon estly it looked really bad, my whole hand was covered in blood and it was kinda gushing. The blown-off thumb was on my support hand. I'll re-create the grip tomorrow to see where my thumb was, but it's not like I didn't already know not to get any body part near the cylinder gap. And even if I totally screwed up and did, taking my thumb clean off seems a bit excessive? Just be careful with those 460's. That case operates at such high pressure, it's just asking for trouble. BTW, I bought my 460 new and had exactly 12 rounds through it. Info about the gun, it's a full-size 460 with the 8 3/4' barrel and factory installed comp ensator. It's one of the Whitetails Unlimited models. Ammo was 200gr Cor-Bon DPX. The gun only had 12 or 13 rounds of the Cor-Bon through it, and 10 .45 Long Colt rounds through it. So it was essentially still brand new. Saw a hand specialist while there today. Lots of ways to try and save what's left, but first I just have to hope it doesn't get infected in the next few days ... then surgery early next week. The hand specialist I spent a few hours with last night said that in gunshot wounds there is always a lot more damage than is first visible ... same with things like fireworks going off in your hand. A lot more flesh around the wound is dead, and will rot and fall off over the next couple days. That's why it's so important to keep clean, and that's also why they can't do surgery now. If they wrapped new skin over dead skin it would just puss out, possibly turn gang-green, and they'd have to start all over again. This is an example of how he was holding his revolver. Wrong, wrong, wrong! This is what's left of his thumb. __________________ .

02-27-2008	#2 (permalink)
shortbus Administrator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 14,617 Images: 1	mmmm, just getting ready to have some lunch... I bet he doesn't do that again! __________________ Hunting and Fishing...what else is there?

02-27-2008	#3 (permalink)
D Winkler Administrator Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Edmond, OK Posts: 755 Images: 17	Wow, Thats a bad day. I'd probably sell the gun. __________________ Take care of our Forests. The animals I like to kill live there.

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02-27-2008	#4 (permalink)
oucorry Administrator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Blanchard, ok Posts: 1,125 Images: 7	that had to hurt!!! Go ahead and make my day punk.

03-16-2008	#5 (permalink)
oudave Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 60	i can here it now his wife got to the hospital and said that i told you not to buy that gun

12-10-2008	#6 (permalink)
stalkingbear Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: central ky Posts: 37	Anybody know how much he wants for it now?