To Glock or Not to Glock

Ammoland

I’ve been treated (so long as my gag-reflex holds out) to sham arguments by sleazy plaintiff’s attorneys. They typically say,

“If only Glock pistols had manual safety levers, if only Glock trigger strokes were longer, my client would not have been injured… ad nauseam”

Never a word, of course, about the pistol being carelessly pointed in unsafe directions, nor fingers being in contact with triggers at inappropriate times, nor other blatant safety violations.

We may expect this kind of nescient rubbish from the mouths of the willfully ignorant, anti-gun crowd. When it come from the mouth of one who purports to be a Second-Amendment supporter, it makes me openly question whose side he is really on!

In an editorial appearing in the 19 May 15 issue of the LA Times, Mr Bob Owens, describes Glock pistols as “a danger to us all!” Mr Owens is editor of a blog, bearingarms.com, which is generally pro-gun.

Citing several antidotal shooting accidents, Owens decries Glock’s lack of a manual safety and “short” trigger-stroke, saying,

“The underlying problem with these [Glock] pistols is a short trigger-pull and the lack of an external safety”

“Though short trigger-pull guns dominate the law-enforcement market, they aren’t the only game in town. A number of major and minor agencies use guns with much longer double-action triggers that are just as easy to fire deliberately but are much harder to fire accidentally.”

Dog Shoots Man in Wyoming

Huffington Post

A Wyoming man is recovering in the hospital after his dog accidentally shot him. In a phone interview on Thursday, Johnson County Sheriff Steve Kozisek confirmed that Richard L. Fipps, 46, was hospitalized Monday after his dog stepped on a loaded rifle in the bed of his pickup truck and accidentally fired it. The rifle's safety was off, Kozisek said.

According to Big Horn Mountain Radio, Fipps was removing snow chains from his truck when he was shot in the left arm.

Gun loons--the best argument for gun regulation on the planet.

First off, we have the open carry movement imploding all around us with Veronica Dunnachie showing she wasn't a victim.

Nope, she was a killer.

Of course, the Open Carry Movement wants to say they never heard of her.

Yeah, right....

But, the best thing to do to get ammunition to shoot down your arguments is to just let you babble.  Like this.

I feel safer already knowing you people have guns in your homes.

Especially since it will help buttress the claim that guns in the home are more likely to injure or kill a family member than a criminal.

Gun loons--a dying breed.

Honolulu Cop Commits Unintentional Discharge in a Target Bathroom

Huffington Post report

Guess it isn't so inanimate after all.

Seriously, they aren't dangerous? You mind if I point a loaded one at you?

You do?

Anyway, in the usual "I left my gun alone and..." situation, someone decided to do a little home gunsmithing and put on a new trigger for his Rebel Arms AR-15, when he fell asleep at the computer with the gun on his lap after installing it on the gun. Next thing, he woke up when the rifle discharged.

The pearl:

"he did not realize the gun was loaded"

Yes, indeedy.

His neighbours told police they were awoken by a loud noise and saw a hole in the bedroom wall that is adjacent to the shooter's apartment.  They also reported damage to the ceiling and another hole above the light switch on the opposite wall, records indicate. Two children, ages 1 and 2, were sleeping in the neighbours' apartment.  Not to mention, the bullet entered the bedroom above the mattress where the neighbours were sleeping, according to records.

Shooter was charged with aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and recklessly endangering another person. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.


I feel so safe knowing you have guns:  especially since incidents like this are far more common than DGUs.

See also:

• Wind Gap man accidentally fires gun after falling asleep while watching YouTube, police say

Letter: Prospective Gun Safety Thwarted by NRA

Letter to the editor of the Topeka Capitol-Journal

Equipping autos with technology that makes them safer to use has greatly reduced the number of Americans killed in automobile accidents. Yet, if gun owners want to take similar precautions with their firearms, they might find themselves thwarted by some gun rights advocates.

Such was the case recently when Oak Tree Gun Club in Santa Clarita, Calif., dropped its plans to sell a .22 caliber pistol with smart gun technology because of the opposition of gun rights advocates. A “smart gun” is one that cannot be fired by anyone other than the gun owner. (One criticism is that the technology is unreliable “because anything mechanical can fail.”)

It’s regrettable enough that, although 74 percent of the National Rifle Association’s members support requiring universal background checks prior to purchasing firearms (John Hopkins poll, January 2013), the NRA leadership opposes background checks and lobbies against such safeguards.

But if gun owners want to protect young family members from accidents in the home by electing to avail themselves of such technology, they should have the right to do so. I hope gun retailers in Topeka won’t be intimidated by those whose politics and policies are out of step with the majority of Americans.

Tennessee Teen Critically Wounded in Gun Accident - No Charges

Local news reports

Police have ruled the Monday night shooting that critically wounded a Nashville teen as accidental. 

William Blackwell and Robert Goodner, both 18, were handling Goodner’s pistol while visiting a Woodridge Drive home, according to a statement from police. 

Goodner noticed the safety was off and asked to see the gun. Goodner told police he mishandled the weapon when it fired, hitting Blackwell in the neck. 

Responding officers performed CPR on Blackwell and were able to stabilize him. Blackwell was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for further treatment. 

Two other witnesses talked to police. Investigators deemed their statements to be consistent with an accidental shooting.

Extraordinary Photo Taken Three Seconds Before Texas Gun Nut Shoots Girl Scout in the Foot

Henderson, Nevada: Colin Lowery Pleads Not Guilty to Murder

(SAM MORRIS / LAS VEGAS SUN) Colin Lowrey appears in Henderson Justice Court for the accidental killing of a friend Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013.

Las Vegas Sun

Lowrey had taken out the handgun to disassemble and clean it at the request of a woman from Norway during a video chat on omegle.com, according to a Henderson Police arrest report.

He said he stepped away to go to the bathroom and when he returned, the victim, Cherish Noelle Pincombe, 23, asked him to point the weapon at her head, according to the report.

Lowrey pulled the trigger and the gun fired, killing Pincombe, police said.

Lowrey called 911 to report an accidental shooting and attempted CPR on Pincombe, police said.

Lowrey told police he believes Pincombe loaded the gun when he left the room, according to the report.

Lowrey’s attorney Stephen Stein said other people reported that Pincombe had been acting strangely and saying things such as, “If I happen to die, would you miss me?”

According to the police report, Lowrey was charged with murder because he was proficient with guns and had training on how to safely handle a gun but still pointed it at Pincombe’s head.

Michigan Man Shoots Himself by Accident - No Charges

Local news reports

Nicholas Kegley, 32, of Iron River, was cleaning a .22 caliber pistol while waiting in his vehicle for a friend.

Kegley and friends had been camping and hunting together in northern Bates Township. Kegley told the deputies that the slide had been sticking on the pistol and he used the time waiting to clean the gun.

While cleaning the pistol Kegley unintentionally chambered a live cartridge and discharged the firearm. The bullet struck Kegley in the upper left leg then lodged in the driver door of his vehicle.

Kegley was taken by his friend to the Northstar Hospital in Iron River where he was treated for the gunshot wound then released.

Deputies found the incident to be accidental and the investigation has been closed.

A guy who is stupid enough to do something as negligent as that should never be allowed to own a gun for the rest of his life.

This was probably not his very first act of negligence, and thanks to the lax laws and nonchalant attitudes towards gun safety, it probably won't be his last.

By disarming the unfit gun owners when they come to the attention of the authorities, we'd make the world a safer place.

Irresponsible Cop Shoots Herself by Accident

The gun discharged, it must have been a miracle. More likely she pulled the trigger while the gun was pointing at her leg, thereby breaking at least two of the Four rules of Gun Safety.

She should be running a cash register in the local supermarket.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Tennesseean Shoots Himself By Accident - He's Critical

Local news reports

Murfreesboro attorney Guy Dotson Jr. remained in critical condition at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Saturday after an accidental shooting while cleaning a gun.

According to the Murfreesboro Police Department incident report, police were called to his residence at 1504 Monticello Court around 10 p.m. Thursday and found Dotson lying on his bedroom floor where he fell after suffering a gunshot wound to his abdomen. He told police he was going to clean the pistol when it accidentally discharged.


Police noted that he had been struck in the right side of his abdomen and the bullet exited his middle back. First aid was started immediately until EMS and first responders could arrive.

I sure hope this isn't our friend who calls himself Tennesseean. He's the only lawyer I know from Tennessee.

If we hear from him later today I'd like to ask what he thinks about my one strike you're out suggestion. What's the difference between the guy who forgets there's a round in the chamber and kills a kid, the guy who shoots himself in the stomach and the guy who puts a round into the floor?

Not much, is my answer.  The first two guys broke all Four Rules of Gun Safety.  The third guy broke three.

In my opinion they should all lose their gun rights, minimum, in some cases they should go to jail too.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shooting Death of Florida Man Mistaken for a Boar - No Charges

SF Gate reports

State wildlife officials say a South Florida hunter was likely mistaken for a boar by a friend who accidentally shot and killed him.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials tell The Palm Beach Post that Ernie Small Jr. likely mistook his friend Clinton Haas of Loxahatchee for a boar while they were hunting Thursday night near Jupiter.

Haas' shooting was ruled accidental, though wildlife officials say their investigation remains open.

I guess this is just a simple hunting accident with the ironic title of having been mistaken for a boar.  There was another pig shooting lately, but that one wasn't so much a case of mistaken identity as simple negligence.

Like all hunting "accidents" today's story about the boar hunters requires the violation of safety rules. The shooter should be charged with a crime.  It doesn't take a lengthy investigation to determine where he was at fault.  The problem is the mistaken idea that accidents are somehow acceptable.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

The Ten Commandments of Gun Safety

Carroll County Times

1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded;

2. Watch the muzzle, and keep your safety on until it’s time to shoot;

3. Unload your gun when it is not in use and keep the action open;

4. Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger;

5. Never point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot;

6. Never climb a tree or fence or jump a ditch with a loaded gun;

7. Never pull a gun toward you by the muzzle;

8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface, or at water and always be sure of a safe backstop;

9. Store guns and ammunition separately, beyond the reach of children;

10. Never mix gunpowder and alcohol.

This is not brain surgery. You don't need a brain like Stephen Hawking to understand this. This is basic common sense. Even the more commonly cited 4 Rules of Gun Safety contain no secrets. They list common-sense ideas that should go without saying, that should be obvious to anyone with half a brain.

But, unfortunately, incidents happen every day in every city which seem to indicate that some gun owners don't even have the minimum amount of good sense they'd need to operate guns safely and, to make matters worse, they have not learned and followed the Rules or the Commandments. 

That's why One Strike You're Out is so important. How else can we identify these unfit gun owners? We can't test them for common sense or basic intelligence, the NRA and gun-rights activists would never allow that. No, unfortunately, we cannot anticipate these things. But, when someone proves themselves to be in violation of the safety rules which should be obvious to anyone, they should lose their gun rights.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Lawful Oregon Gun Owner Fires Shotgun During Argument over Gun Safety

Local news reports

She was obviously a lawful gun owner, based on the charges, but I'll bet she was also an NRA member, a conservative, a Republican, and possibly a CCW permit holder.

What do you think?  Please leave a comment.

Jeff Cooper's 4 Rules of Gun Safety

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
 
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Cheap Gun Safes are Good for Nothing

I don't know if I believe what this video is supposed to show, but the point is a good one. Some cheap gun safes are not good enough.

Gun safety has to be taken more seriously, especially when it comes to keeping kids safe. A quick scan of the daily news is enough to see this is not the case now.  We need increased awareness and stronger legislation concerning home security of weapons.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Hug Causes Off-Duty Cop's Gun to Fire, Killing Woman

Anyone still want to talk about how guns don't kill people?  How about those of you who want to tell us how safe it is for people to carry firearms - that there isn't a significant risk to the rest of us that outweighs the fact you don't NEED to carry, you just get jazzed about the idea of having lethal force with you?

THIS is precisely why people like the example Laci provided do not want gun nuts who are carrying - open or concealed - on their property. Period.

It doesn't matter how convinced you are that you don't present a danger to us all.  You DO present dangers to us, clearly.  You have accidents.  You do stupid things; the stupidity escalates exponentially when alcohol is involved.  Or competition, particularly for something ego-related.  You aren't NEARLY as safe as you claim you are.  Your judgment is not superior to anyone else's - therefore your judgment is too damned flawed to be making lethal decisions for or about other people.

And there is absolutely NO evidence whatsoever that you make anyone safer - not us, not yourselves - or that you do shit about reducing crime.

All you do is make a lot of money for the gun manufacturers who own the NRA - not just regular green money, but bloody, dirty money stained with the deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of Americans, and even more people outside our borders - like Mexico.

From Michigan WOOD Ch.8:

Woman dies during hug with officer

Detroit Police: Hug triggered officer's gun

Updated: Sunday, 08 Jul 2012, 8:13 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 08 Jul 2012, 6:39 PM EDT

DETROIT, Mich. (WOOD) - A woman celebrating the weekend before her 25th birthday was fatally shot Sunday when she hugged an off-duty police officer while dancing at a party, causing the officer's service weapon to fire, according to police and her mother.
Adaisha Miller would have turned 25 on Monday, according to her mother, Yolanda McNair.
The shooting happened at an outdoor social gathering about 12:30 a.m., said police Sgt. Eren Stephens. It happened on the city's west side.
According to Stephens, the woman "embraced the officer from behind, causing the holstered weapon to accidently discharge." The bullet punctured Miller's lung and hit her heart, and she died at a hospital.
Stephens said the Detroit officer will remain on administrative duties while authorities investigate the shooting and report their findings to the Wayne County prosecutor. The officer's name was not released.
"For this to happen to her, whether they want to call it freak accident or mistake in judgment, it should have never happened to my child, and there's nothing I can do to get her back," McNair told WDIV-TV.
McNair said her daughter was out to mark her upcoming birthday.
"All she wanted to do was enjoy the weekend for her birthday," the mother said. "She had every right to enjoy turning 25 and look beyond that."

Is It Sufficient to Simply Remind Gun Owners to be Safe?

via Ammoland where they believe enough gun owners are actually going to take this stuff seriously that the problem will be solved.



My opinion is this kind of self-correction is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't reach the ones who really need it.  That's why gun owners need to be constrained by law to do these things. Too many ignore these common sense suggestions and when caught doing so there needs to be legislation in place with which to charge them.

What's your opinion?  Please leave a comment.

Accidental Shootings in Lower Minnesota and the Media's Response

Local news reports on the problem and the solution, complete with a fat white guy telling us how simple it is to just teach your kids to not touch daddy's toys.