George Byrd IV (courtesy theblaze.com)

“A man accused of firing a bullet that broke a neighbor’s window says he fired the gun because he knew of no other way to unload it,” philly.com reports. “After the shooting on Friday afternoon in Middletown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, George Byrd IV first denied knowledge of the shooting to a detective, then admitted he fired the weapon to clear the chamber because he was unfamiliar with guns, police said.” The “firing to clear the chamber” explanation is such a stupid excuse on so many levels it just has to be true. Note that the shooter in question is the IVth person to assume the name George Byrd. This indicates that Darwinism is still pretty much a crap shoot. As does the fact that he can’t make $20k bond. Luckily, our IGOTD is free – although, it must be said, not without cost. [h/t RD]

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48 COMMENTS

    • I don’t know…over at Bearing Arms they have an article called “Why Everyone Needs a Clearing Barrel”. Most of the comments are about the time they unexpectedly fired a round and thankfully used a bucket of sand to “unload” the gun through the muzzle. Seems that it is hard to unload a gun sometimes. One comment was “It is good to have a 5 gallon bucket of sand on hand for that one time you think you cleared the chamber.” WTF!?

      • Patton was wrong. Clearing barrels, not fortifications, are a monument to the stupidity of man.

        From the people who brought you the yellow safety belt, speed bumps in combat zones, and saluting in combat zones – here’s something you really need!

      • While this particular incident is remarkably stupid it is a fact that many NDs happen when loading or un loading a gun. They are far more likely to happen to experienced owners. That being the case using a bucket in your clearing routine is just as smart as observing the 4 rules. Yes following the ruses successfully eliminates physical harm but using a bucket in tandem reduces damage to nothing more than possible hearing loss.

    • As someone who is a firearms instructor, the people I keep an eye on the most during class, is usually not the complete noob, but the over confident know-it-all or the guy or gal has been out shooting a few times with friends and believes they know everything and the classroom is just a formality.

      If I had a camera for some of the things I have seen or heard people say, I could make one of those end of show comedy reels like Benny Hill used to have.

      Yes, people are amazing but not always in a good way.

        • I would imagine almost all NDs are experienced shooters that are overconfident or careless. Look at all the examples with police.
          Don’t want to be “that guy”, follow the four rules.

        • Don’t pull the trigger unless you are prepared to fire and pointed at a target. There – no chance of an ND, ever, ever.

          Unless you are the proud owner of a Glock-Brand Glock (TM and other stuff), then you have to pull the trigger as a step in disassembly.

          Or you are a part of “America’s Military Heritage” – in which case idiots who aren’t fit to be corporals in Frederick the Great’s army will make you clear your weapon 1) to go on post, 2) to eat, 3) at guard mount, 4) returning from guard mount, 5) at the range, 6) leaving the range, etc. etc.

        • I’ve got two words for you…

          Function Check. I always do one after cleaning to make sure that everything went together right. This is especially important with semiautomatic rifles as they have quite a few fiddly bits.

    • This is the same fool who would choose to play Russian Roulette with only one round in a semi-automatic pistol.

  2. The local paper has it behind a paywall, but he also had a .357 revolver, a 12 ga double barrel, and an M77. Clearly, the semi-auto pistol was a technological leap too far for George…

  3. Here George, let me help you out. Just say “I pulled the trigger like a dumbass”. You weren’t trying to unload it. You were playing with it.

  5. Jeebus, Marty and Jobus. The stupid is strong with this one. He should be neutered for society;s protection. And if he’s already spawned they should be neutered.

  6. I find unloading the gun through the barrel is generally more fun, but I can unload it through the ejection port when I have to.

    • That might not be safe where he is. The best backstop is one that’s dense and holds no real value…perhaps his head.

      • If he had claimed it was a failed suicide attempt, he probably would have gotten no more than a few days in a mental hospital and he then he would be declared “cured”.

        • Sure, after they take away his guns for being ‘mentally unstable’.

          I mean, since you can’t take away someone’s guns just for being an irresponsible dumbass.

  9. Proof that if you are going to make up a story to explain an NG, come up with a story that is not worse than the truth. Or better yet, be a man and admit the truth.

  11. Many an Iraqi Army soldier used this same method to clear their AK. Surprising that they can’t hold off ISIS…

    • So you pitch a squealing hissy fit over the word “cracker” being racist, and yet you post a clip featuring Robert Downey Jr. in blackface mocking the mentally challenged? Looks like someone’s P.C. just crashed.

  13. I’ve always wondered what was with those people who overshoot the parking lot and plow right into a Walgreens every other week. Turns out it’s just fellas like George Byrd IV forgetting which pedal makes the magic go-box stop going.

    Going off what’s already been mentioned, I’m willing to bet there’s a George Byrd V on the way right now, specifically because part IV thought holding his breath during sex was an effective form of birth control.

  14. Please someone write to him at the jail and tell him that once he fired the gun to empty it, that there is no easy way to get bullets back into the gun. He will have to go and buy a whole new magazine for it because magazines are single use only after recent legislation. And the worst part is he has to disassemble the gun to get the magazine into it. Matters well throw away the gun because it’s too much trouble to get it firing again.

  16. At first, I thought “black powder muzzle loader? ” But no, just your conventional garden-variety idiot. How about pulling out that smartphone of yours and typing “how to unload a handgun” into Google?

  19. From the totally blank look on his face, maybe it was an attempted suicide and he missed. His expression seems to say,”I can’t believe I missed at that range!”.

    In L.A. they just had a guy “accidentally” shoot his BFF in the head and kill him while they were tussling over a loaded pistol, then the guy shot himself in the head and killed himself in apparent “instant despondency” over killing his “Bestie”.

    You just can’t make this stuff up,

  21. Proof that Eddie Eagle isn’t just for kids. It also applies to firearm incompetent adults. Stop, don’t touch, leave and tell a competent adult.

  22. See. this is why we need a federal law requiring every one who owns a gun to have a carefully-constructed sandbag “chamber clearing room” in their house or apartment. Minimum thicknesses will vary depending on the kinds of firearm you own.

    Of course, as soon as we make the “chamber clearing process” idiot proof with another federal law, they will just develop a better idiot.

    Alternatively, we could just offer firearms safety training in the public schools. NAAAH, that’s WAY too radical,

  24. The IV?! So his ancestors were royalty like kings? Or Popes? I blame inbreeding of some form. Or the Royal Armorer was unavailable to assist HRH.

  25. It’s good to always keep the “Bell Curve” in mind when you’re out and about.
    This should be an integral part of your situational awareness.
    This is especially true when you’re in the presence of someone holding a dangerous implement.
    Say, a gun, a chain saw, or a steering wheel.

    Even the four basic rules of the gun can be intellectually challenging for some people.
    In the US half the people have an IQ below 98.
    15.5% have an IQ below 83.
    http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bell_curve_and_IQ.jpg

    I had a good friend who was the Chairman of the Materials Science Dept at a very well
    well known technology university. He had this handy rule:
    “Show me a dumb looking man and I will show you a dumb man”
    (Yes, I know it’s unfair, but as a rule of thumb it’s still pretty useful.)
    I’m guessing that Mr Byrd does not descend from a long line of rocket surgeons.

    …

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