Safety first! Wait, Reagan was a lefty?

Heavy volume this week, as we top 50 listings for the first time in quite a while. But that just gives me a chance to remind you that statistically, I'm capturing only about 20 percent of accidental gun injuries each week, and there's no telling how many accidental discharges or other types of GunFAIL are being missed that don't immediately cause injury. I suspect that the arrival of November—and with it, deer hunting season—is partly responsible for the increase in gun cleaning accidents, of which there were eight admitted instances. Three people were accidentally shot in hunting mishaps, as well. Four, if you count the one who says he and his friends were out hunting for Bigfoot. In Tulsa, Oklahoma. Because of course. A fifth victim shot himself in the face when he took his rifle out while telling hunting stories.

It was likewise a rough week for law enforcement, with four officers accidentally shooting themselves, one contract security guard accidentally putting a round in the floor in the El Paso, TX municipal court building, and one McLennan County, TX prosecutor accidentally shooting out a colleague's office window. McLennan County prosecutors are armed, it should be noted, in response to the murders of two prosecutors in nearby Kaufman County earlier this year. It might well make sense as a matter of policy for criminal prosecutors, but I thought it made an interesting footnote to the related question of whether it makes sense to arm teachers. Here, after all, were two respected professionals in their place of employment, and still we not only saw an accidental discharge, but afterwards, the insistence that, "I was being extremely safe," from the very person who caused the accident. I understand where he's coming from, but "extremely safe" is saying, "You know what? How about if I check your gun out after work, maybe at the range? Or if I just can't wait, maybe I can resist the urge to pull the trigger, even if God himself assures me the gun isn't loaded."

In other recurring theme categories, two people who shot themselves were caught lying to police, at first claiming some mysterious stranger had shot them, one person accidentally shot himself with his concealed weapon while reaching for his wallet at the grocery store, four people were injured in three separate accidents at practice ranges, two helpful patriots shared freedom projectiles with unsuspecting neighbors (including one very giving person who fired through a total of four neighboring units), one 11-year-old boy accidentally shot his sister, and one resident of Rock Hill, SC accidentally shot himself, bringing the grand total of Rock Hill GunFAILS this year to nine. And speaking of geographical GunFAIL anomalies, I have listings this week from both Mariettas, in Georgia and in Ohio.

There were also some new twists on old themes this week, including the newest entrant in the gun show accidental discharge category, bringing 2013's running total to 13 so far. This week it was at a show in Myrtle Beach, SC, and the twist is that I was actually in Myrtle Beach at the time, and even drove past the convention center on the day of the accident. Naturally, as soon as I saw the sign, I remarked on the possibility of there being such a mishap, and lo, it was true. But I didn't jinx them. It had already happened at 9:45 that morning, before I'd even left the breakfast table. The other slight twist, though, was the story in that morning's paper, about the local mom who'd brought her 6-year-old son to the show the day before, to show him there was nothing to worry about. Lucky choice, mom! Other twists this week: the man who shot his friend not because he didn't think his gun was loaded, but because he thought he had loaded it with blanks (but hadn't); the Denver road rager who accidentally shot himself (for a change); and the toddler who accidentally shot his father (grabbing an unsecured, loaded shotgun as he climbed into dad's truck).

The child victims of GunFAIL this week were ages 4, 4, 5, 14 and 16. And like most weeks, plenty of guns were found in school, this time in: Norfolk, VA; San Antonio, TX; San Antonio, TX; Bethesda, MD; Little Rock, AR; Riverview, FL; Blountstown, FL; Knoxville, TN, and; Bartlesville, OK.

Without further ado, this week's list is below the fold.