Warning: Graphic images below.

They appear with far greater frequency than one would hope to see, and although it used to be the original poster would claim the images came from the ever-mysterious “friend” it seems the majority no longer hesitate to claim ownership. They’re pictures of gunshot wounds, and not the kind that take place from a case of self-defense or as the result of a successful hunt. No, these are entirely different kind of GSW. These are self-inflicted either through negligent discharge or accidental discharge; the phrasing often seems to depend on both the person and the situation (the reality is it’s rarely purposeful which might lead one to refer to it as an AD, but it’s also rarely completely random or entirely unavoidable which is where the ND part comes in). Whether they believe these images will somehow imbue them with Gun Guy Credibiity or just want to generate a sizable thread in their favorite gun group is a good question but it is not the one we’re after today. This is a different question: can you deduce what really happened based on a series of cell-phone images?

These particular pictures first saw the light of internet day on the page of a popular gun group and quickly spread from there. The original poster, who we’ll simply refer to by the usual “OP” rather than revealing his real name, told a short story relaying the chain of events: his pistol was holstered at his hip and when he “pulled” it from his hip “somehow she went bang.” The gun in question was a Springfield XD in .45 ACP; all that is known of the holster is that it was a paddle holster. At first, he said, he didn’t even realize he’d been hit when the gun fired. He figured it out within a matter of minutes, though, heading straight for the closest hospital and an injection of morphine. An x-ray was taken to figure out the precise placement of the bullet so the decision could be made to remove it with a local rather than embarking on surgery under a general anesthetic.

According to the OP the bullet entered through his right hip and came to a stop just above his right kneecap. Luckily for him the ER doctors were able to remove the bullet simply rather than taking him to surgery. It was a FMJ round and while some commenters felt this was fortunate due to the wound cavity and potential fragmenting of a defense round the issue of FMJ over-penetration was not raised. OP said he had just been shooting the gun and had not yet replaced his target rounds with his usual defense rounds.

OP said he’d sent the gun back to Springfield to find out why it fired while in a holster. Refresh your memory on the Springfield XD specs including safety features at http://www.springfield-armory.com/products/xd-tactical-model-45-acp/

Take a look at the pictures below and tell me what you think happened. You’ll notice one image in particular stands out. (I realize it drives some of you all crazy when I don’t give my opinion, however, this is not the place for my personal opinions. It’s where I present you all with the facts as I have been able to gather them and allow you to reach your own conclusions.)

One more warning: yes, these are graphic images. You’ve been warned.