firing ranges are dangerous

[safeinOhio]

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,26488654-5003402,00.html

A POLICE senior constable accidentally shot himself in the thigh at the Police Service shooting range at Gympie this morning.
Just after 10am the 42-year-old male police officer was re-holstering his gun during a re-training session, when the gun discharged.

There were eight officers taking part in the training, on Banks Pocket Road.

The officer who shot himself was the only one of the eight present on range at the time, but there were also two training officers present.

[Euromutt]

1. Sounds like a violation of rule #3

The Queensland Police Service uses Glock 22s, so this was most likely the all-too-common error of failing to keep one's finger out of the trigger guard while reholstering. Ouch.

[struggle4progress]

2. 53-year-old man dies in firing range accident (Nov 30)

A 53-year-old man died of his wounds after he accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Tel Aviv firing range on Rehov Rivlin on Monday.

The victim was with a licensed instructor when he was apparently startled and dropped his gun, which then went off ...

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1259243038991&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[struggle4progress]

3. Wrong ammo injures officer

By David Fisher
4:00 AM Sunday Nov 22, 2009

A police officer was injured in a firearms training accident - because headquarters was given the wrong ammunition.

The incident took place during ammunition testing at the Royal New Zealand Police College at Porirua, one of a handful of firing ranges where officers practise firearms skills ...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10610789

[cabluedem]

4. Darwin awards for the gun nuts! Shot by thier own deadly toys. nt

[Merchant Marine]

5. Oh wow, we just hit the twilight zone.

Breaking news, cops in Canada and New Zealand are "gun nuts". Do you read the crap you post beforehand, CAbluedem?

And don't you anti-rkba types usually insist only the cops and military can be trusted to own guns? It'd be convenient if you could remain internally consistent.

[SteveM]

16. Nah, just another eruction in a crowded room (nt)

[iverglas]

21. it seems so

And don't you anti-rkba types usually insist only the cops and military can be trusted to own guns?

Why don't you try reframing that as a statement, since that seems to be what you want to say.

Then try providing some evidence to substantiate it.

[Merchant Marine]

25. I'm going to ignore your question because I don't care for you

or your style of "debate". I also find it amusing that the premier proponent of US gun control on this forum is a Canadian. Shouldn't you be off fighting the repeal of the long gun registry?

Oh, and the quote originates with million mom march spokeswoman Rosie O'Donnel.
"I know it's in the Constitution. But you know what? Enough! I would like to say, I think there should be a law--and I know this is extreme--that no one can have a gun in the U.S. If you have a gun, you go to jail. Only the police should have guns. It's ridiculous." - Rosie O'Donnell

She said it at a march in DC, it got media coverage, it became a talking point for both sides. Happy now?

[virginia mountainman]

6. ROFLMAO!! Rarely, does such a knee jerk reaction result in such hilarity!!

Way to go! And prove that you don't read OP's before typing your reply and hitting post!

[SteveM]

17. There's a reason for this behavior...

Someone makes a pro gun-control posting, and a few banners jump in immediately to "set the tone" of the debate. Unfortunately, if they jump too quickly they get smelted in all that irony.

[Euromutt]

8. You don't qualify for a Darwin Award unless you remove yourself from the gene pool

This police officer didn't shoot himself fatally, or destroy his ability to reproduce, so no Darwin for him (besides, Darwin is in the Northern Territories, not Queensland).

Did you catch the part where the guy's a police officer?

[taurus145]

10. That's a peach!

Cops = gun nuts. Gotta love it when the anti's jump on anything that looks juicy without gathering the facts first.

You remind me of a chicken chasing a pebble on a string.

[slackmaster]

20. So, are you wishing harm on all gun owners or do you just hate cops?

Tell us about it.

[proteus_lives]

26. Name me one activity and I'll hunt down a link telling how someone killed/hurt themselves doing it.

[aikoaiko]

7. The reason he injured himself is only remotely related to being a range.

Do you really think the range had anything to do with him improperly holstering his weapon?

[Euromutt]

9. I suspect safeinOhio was trying to wrong-foot some people

Specifically, the people who think that firearms are too dangerous to be entrusted to anyone except the armed forces and police.

[iverglas]

22. oh look, it's another one

the people who think that firearms are too dangerous to be entrusted to anyone except the armed forces and police.

Names? Or are they just

(a) figments of your imagination
(b) of no relevance to any discussion here
(c) a population of, oh, two, in this forum, that no statisticianly soul such as thyself would ever think of basing any assertion on

?

[JonQ]

11. Clearly we need to disarm the police

they can't be trusted.

[Xenotime]

27. Isn't that what they do in England?

[JonQ]

29. I think they've reversed that

as banning guns has led to an upswing in violence, the police now do need to carry guns to defend themselves.

[cowcommander]

12. Glocks, eh?

Makes you wonder...

[AtheistCrusader]

13. Dollars to donut it was a Glock.

Bonus points if it has a lightened or feathered trigger.

[Euromutt]

14. No bet

I looked it up; the Queensland Police Service uses Glock 22s.

[benEzra]

15. Noticed this post from Brisbane in the comments...

Does not surprise me. If only the public new how often police in Qld actually train with live ammo. I can tell you all for a fact that Qld police get to do firearms training twice (that's right 2 times) a year. This year, they got to do firearms training with live ammo once - which is for about 4 to 5 hours of actual training (really shooting the glock for a total of about one hour max). Then, on the other day of training this year, which was the second half of the year, police got to shoot simulation ammo. THAT IS all the training they get each year. Incredible that the Qld Gov and Qld Police Service believe that this is enough training of a deadly use of force weapon.

An hour of range time a year, and probably only very limited dry firing, draw/reholstering practice, etc. on the off hours (if the UK is any example, where wanting to become "too" proficient with firearms is seen as a rather bad sign). No wonder he didn't have Rule 3 ingrained.

One of the surefire ways to spot someone who is really proficient with firearms is to hand them a drill, a gas pump nozzle, or a bottle of windex. If they hold it with their index finger straight alongside the unit until they're ready to actually use it, ten to one they're a gunnie... :D

[X_Digger]

19. LOL, I thought I was the only one who noticed that..

My wife asked me why I was holding a spray bottle with my index finger extended recently. I don't think I apply that to a gas pump, though.

[PavePusher]

24. Oh wow, A lightbulb just flashed at about 10 megawatts... Good one! n/t

[SteveM]

18. Do you have data to support your contention?

Or is a handful of "accidents" sufficient for you?

[bluedigger]

23. Well, having a range in "Gympie" is just borrowing trouble, isn't it?

[oneshooter]

28. I guess we need to shut down all pistol ranges

in the country. Also fill all swimming pools and eliminate all sharp pointy things, After all, they are dangerous!:sarcasm:

Oneshooter
Livin in Texas