Danger, these nail guns can

[JMPRO]

really hurt a guy. I was working on a little project and got out my nail gun to fasten some boards together. After a few nails the gun stopped working. Oh shoot, a jam. I unplugged the air line from the gun and started to try to unjam the gun, thinking that the gun was disconnected from the compressor and was no longer capable of firing. Boy was I wrong. Poking with a little screw driver at the jam and much to my surprise the gun fired a nail. The nail passed through my hair and embedded its self in a cardboard box on a shelf behind me only missing my face by a few inches.
What I discovered is that when you press the gun down that takes off the safety. You then pull the trigger and a charge of air goes into the cylinder. Then even if the nail doesn't shoot the cylinder remains charged and the safety is no longer useful. The nail can then fire at any time all by its self if it gets unjammed, how long it can wait I don't know.
I don't know if this is useful info for any one here but I sure have more respect for the nail gun.

[GH85Carrera]

The one time I used one I treated it like a real gun. Never point it at anything you don't want nailed.

[Talewinds]

What brand/model is that JMPRO? I own a Senco framing, Bostich finish, and GREX pin nailer. Neither of these retain their cylinder pressure when the hose is disconnected...

[trekkor]

None of my guns can do that. ( Senco framer, roofer, stapler and Bostich finish )

Never heard of such a thing. Kinda scary.


KT

[Rot 911]

None of mine retain pressure either. Not sure how they can on all of mine the line pressure just drives a piston. Disconnect air hose, no pressure to drive piston.

[smokintr6]

I treated it like a real gun. Never point it at anything you don't want nailed.

Thats not a bad rule of thumb for several things in life, as it turns out

[jyl]

I used to represent one of the major nail gun manufacturers in product liability cases. These were powder actuated guns, normally used to fasten into hard surfaces like concrete. Typical accident was someone fires through an inadequate surface and nails a person on the other side, or someone fires into an already cratered surface and the nail turns 180 deg and nails the right-handed shooter in the left side of the chest i.e. heart.

[71T Targa]

Did you happen to attach a quick disconnect to the gun? That's the only way mine would keep pressure when disconnected from the hose.

I did manage to shoot myself in the hand with my framing nailer. I was holding the board square, and the nail shot along the board I was nailing and stuck in my little finger like a dart.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by 71T Targa

Did you happen to attach a quick disconnect to the gun? That's the only way mine would keep pressure when disconnected from the hose.

That would do it. Female connection on the gun is bad juju. None of my guns will fire anything disconnected with the male connection at the gun.

In rare case, I suppose there could be blockage, so it would be a good idea to treat the things the same as you would a firearm. I know I don't like my powder actuated guns mainly because of what you usually do with them, i.e., shoot into concrete and steel.

[Oh Haha]

My brother is a roofer. Last year he made a mistake and put a nail through his knee with his commercial-grade gun.

He had to be carried down the ladder from the roof as he couldn't bend his knee.

The nail went almost perfectly under his kneecap so the damage was minimal.

[BGCarrera32]

Wife's rellie took a framing nail right in the noggin. Gun fell off the roof from above, landed square on top of his head, fired, shot the nail in right between the lobes of his brain.

They just pulled it back out at the ER after a couple hours/CT scans and off he went...

Unreal.

[JMPRO]

Originally Posted by Talewinds

What brand/model is that JMPRO? I own a Senco framing, Bostich finish, and GREX pin nailer. Neither of these retain their cylinder pressure when the hose is disconnected...

Don't be so sure
I hate to tell you the brand of the gun cause you will just "Well, no wonder"
The gun is from Harbor Freight. The gun has a quick disconnect but the male end is connected to the gun. I too thought when the hose is disconnect that the gun wouldn't fire. Apparently thats not so and I wonder how many other brands have this flaw after all Harbor frieght just copys other products. My band saw is a dead ringer for a Delta. I have used nail guns for years going back to 65 and never had any thing like this happen before.
This was a very unique set of circumstances not likely to happen again but don't be so sure yours can't do the same thing.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by JMPRO

My band saw is a dead ringer for a Delta.

It is a Delta. Same with the table saw they sell. I've measured all the components and they were the same. A lot of the Delta machines are made at the same factory it would seem. Different color paint is all I could find.

Don't know about the guns. Are you saying it looks like a name brand?

BTW, one of my nailers is a StanTec. That was the Stanley (now Bostich) that was sold at the off price tool stores at the time. The one that HF sells now looks identical to my 15 YO StanTec. Except the color. And, it's been more or less a POS from the get go.

My actual Bostich is a pretty good unit, but I'll bet there's a clone out there.

[Jagshund]

Promise you would have posted pics if the nail hadn't missed your head.