Havent we all been tempted to try this...

[BoomShackerLacker]

In a training exercise in 1991, an infantryman tripped and accidentally shot him in the chest with his rifle. He was five hours in surgery, operated on by Bill Frist, who later became majority leader in the last Republican-controlled Senate.

My ital. Likely story!

Was it from the back?

 

[smartascarrots]

Remember the 4 principles of inadvertent marksmanship:

1) The position and hold must accidentally be firm enough to accidentally support the weapon.

2) The weapon must point naturally at the target by complete accident.

3) The sight alignment must be correct, although how that happened is anyone's guess.

4) The shot must be unintentionally released and followed through without disturbing the position.

 

[longtimeout]

And during a parachute jump nine years later, his parachute collapsed 60 ft from the ground and he broke his pelvis.

Surely his nickname has to be "lucky".