Ananova reported that the fellow had his gun in his pocket, and oh my, that accidental discharge had to hurt.
He told paramedics that a masked mugger had blasted him in the crutch in a bungled robbery. But police found a hole in his statement when they saw that the gunshot had miraculously left his trousers intact.
(Maybe a German "crutch" is an American "crotch.")
The photo accompanying the article shows what appears to be a Beretta with an adjustable rear sight and a non-factory grip. And it has a manual safety. I'm a strong proponent of manual safeties on firearms, and they should make guns safer. But the theory goes out the window if gun owners ignore them. And this episode demonstrates once again that proper handling is crucial in all instances involving firearms.
There are those who contend that a manual safety might slow them down too much, and to them I recommend watching some videos of guys drawing, cocking and firing a single action revolver like the old cowboy actors did. Here are a few video links to get started.
Chris Gordan demonstrates technique. He mentions "Gunsmoke" star James Arness, so here's Mr. Arness. And don't miss Howard Darby's fast draw demonstration.
These guys were probably naturally quick, but it took plenty of practice to develop the fast draw you see in the videos. And the point is that a manual safety is going to slow someone down only if he/she is not willing to put forth some effort and practice.
Finally, a note to DIY gunsmiths -- use the proper screwdriver. The person who changed the grip on this handgun probably used a standard hardware screwdriver with a tapered point, and you can see how it messed up the screw head. Most gun screws have deep slots, and a tapered screwdriver will slip and mar the screw head and maybe even the gun surface itself. The proper screwdriver would have parallel, not tapered, sides. These can be bought, or the true do-it-yourselfer might use a grinder to modify a standard screwdriver.
There are people looking for excuses to take guns away from citizens, so let's not give them any ammo. Be safe out there now, hear?
For informational purposes, since nearly all other bloggers in Midland are open about their identity, a few of the personalities of Jessica’s Well should too. A little internet research reveals this information…
Site admin., be that the old one or the new one, is the originator of this blog. His name is ...
[The remainder of this comment has been deleted by the management. Kwatee, while your detective work is admirable, it really isn't our place to "out" the people at Jessica's Well. If they wish to remain anonymous then that's their choice. They can identify themselves if/when they are ready.]
Posted by: Kwatee | May 26, 2009 at 02:03 PM