Going to bed, but I'm curious what your pride wouldn't let you do <_<
There's nothing wrong with Glocks, and there's nothing wrong with lower caliber rifles... I have to imagine that what you were talking about is holding the shotgun wrong and *** up your wrist, and that is bad.. Handled responsibly guns are very safe.. It's always when you aren't paying attention they bite you in the ***.. Pride should never override anything when it comes to gun use.. When you let that guard and self check slip, is when accidents happen.. It happened to me twice..
Unfortunately, the gun was still loaded.. (it was a co2 pistol, requires no pumping or anything to shoot)
That taught me the number 1 rule.. Don't point at anything you don't intend to shoot.. Well I already knew that, but it taught me the importance.. From then on, that thought has never left my mind.
Second one I made was when a friend took me to a shooting range, I was pumping out 12 gauge rounds on a shot gun, and set it down.. Never thought to actually check it (won't happen again, my mind has been swarming with the what ifs, because I didn't consider them in the first story) but it still had a round in it.. Luckily someone was over my shoulder and watching, and they counted how many rounds I put out.. I didn't even believe them at first.. I pulled the trigger and nearly got knocked on my *** for it..
EDIT: Not the haphazardly knocked on my *** you're probably thinking.. I pointed the gun down range just as I had, but I never braced for it, because I was sure there was no shells left.. I got caught by surprise.. I literally nearly ended up on my *** though..