Homeowner Fights Off Invaders After Ammunition Clip Falls From Gun

**PizDoff** · Posted On: 4/07/2007 12:47pm

Homeowner Fights Off Invaders After Ammunition Clip Falls From Gun

APOPKA, Fla. -- Authorities in Eastonville, Fla., are searching for three armed men who tied up and robbed people inside a home before fleeing in a stolen pickup and eluding officers during a pursuit.

Investigators said a homeowner and his girlfriend returned to their house located at 306 Greensend St. in Eatonville Friday morning and found a third member of their household tied up.

The pair were immediately were surrounded by three armed men, demanding money, police said.

The homeowner gave the intruders his wallet and $400 but was still pistol-whipped in the head, according to police.

As the homeowner was being struck, the ammunition clip fell out of the gun.

"The boyfriend grabbed (the clip) and then, feeling as though he was safe, began fighting off his attackers," Local 6's Mike Deforest said.

The gunmen jumped into a Dodge Ram pickup and sped off with police behind.

"(They) were violently going into the opposite side of traffic at points," Eatonville police Detective Joseph Jenkins said. "At one point they did display a handgun to Officer Smith."

Eatonville police backed off the pursuit to protect the public, DeForest reported. However, by the time sheriff's deputies located the pickup in the Clarcona area, the three men had run off into the woods.

Police have only a vague description of the culprits. Witnesses said one of the three black men had long dreadlocks and another had short dreadlocks. All three were also wearing sunglasses.

The search for the men was focused near Clarcona Elementary School in the area of McCormick and Apopka-Vineland roads, forcing officials to place the school on lockdown for about an hour. The lockdown was lifted at about 11:20 a.m.

The truck used in the getaway was stolen from Altamonte Springs, Fla., Thursday night, Local 6 reported.

Officials told Local 6 News that the men are considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information concerning the crime is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.

http://www.local6.com/news/11550142/detail.html

I think this is the first time I've heard of this happening. Striking someone with the weapon then the clip falling out.
Is this common?

**Anna Kovacs** · Posted On: 4/07/2007 1:05pm

The part of the gun that fell out is actually called the magazine, a clip is a different thing, though the two are commonly confused.

I've seen magazines fall out of guns when they were improperly seated on good guns and I'd imagine on lower quality cheap handguns like the kind favored by criminal types that it's even more likely due to the latches being loose or not a good size or whatever.

The gangsters in question must be pretty stupid though because there should still be a round in the chamber regardless of the magazine being in place. (Which is one cause of many accidents, people taking the magazine out and forgetting about the chambered round).

**Anna Kovacs** · Posted On: 4/07/2007 1:09pm

Magazine:

Clip:

Clips are used to feed magazines as one can line the clip up with the mouth of the magazine and then the bullets can simply be pushed off the clip and into the magazine.

**SFGOON** · Posted On: 4/07/2007 1:20pm

Yep, sounds like a typical amature armed robbery goatfuck to me.

Since they're stupid and fled into the wilderness in Florida, the police will never catch them. They are now piles of croc ****. They will be identified when a pistol is found in a gator turd sans mag.

**Yrkoon9** · Posted On: 4/07/2007 2:35pm

Didn't have one chambered. Pulled trigger. *CLICK*. Panic. Run.

Balls to the guy who decided to fight. Who knows what would have happened if would have cowed.

**Joe Doggs** · Posted On: 4/07/2007 4:49pm

Its not particularly common but couldn't have happed to nicer bunch of guys.

Interestingly enough the Thompson Submachine Gun, Cal. .45, M1 variant had a quirk in that he magazine catch had not been designed for the added weight of the heavy 30-round magazine so occassionally a fully loaded magazine sometimes detached from the weapon usually at a most embarrasing time. Experienced troops short loaded the magazine to 28 rds and it cut down on the drop outs.
Steven Ambrose in his book on D-Day relates at least one instance where a US soldier jumped off a landing craft with a Thompson full loaded to 30 rds and the shock of landing in the surf caused the mag to drop into the water. One of those "ohh S***" moments. The guy survived.

JD

**Roaming East** · Posted On: 4/08/2007 5:14pm

Wouldnt necessarily have to be a cheap weapon either. Glocks have a tendency to eject the mag if the magwell is struck in a hard manner. pistol whipping a person with an automatic is pretty dumb anyway if you dont know how to do it right. You got to come down with the bottom rear edge, not the floor plate.

**kwoww** · Posted On: 4/08/2007 5:21pm

Originally Posted by Roaming East

Wouldnt necessarily have to be a cheap weapon either. Glocks have a tendency to eject the mag if the magwell is struck in a hard manner.

Maybe the robber's hand slipped and hit the release button.

**pauli** · Posted On: 4/09/2007 3:19pm

i've got this entertaining image in my head of some asshole with dreads and shades pistol whipping some poor guy with a broomhandle mauser.

**Southpaw** · Posted On: 4/09/2007 5:52pm

A guy hit me w/ a .45 in the head during a drug-deal gone bad once...he hit me and the clip fell out. I didn't find out if he had one in the chamber or not as after the one hit he was on the defensive and eventually got tossed out of my moving car.

My cat-like reflexes did allow me to attempt to block the hit...but the gun smashed my index finger causing a compound fracture. I also had a bunch of stitches in my head.

We went to the same emergency room. He left very quickly once I arrived.

He is now doing life for some other dumb **** he did.

Good times.