🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1ik2f2INN6v1@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>, bd474@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Bill McDonald) writes:
# In a previous article, 71773.3463@CompuServe.COM (Brian  T. Millin) says:
# ##From the San Jose Mercury News, 1/7/93
# #
# #A 1.4 Million dollar settlement has been awarded to the widow and children
# #of a man who was fatally shot in the back by his own military style rifle
# #that malfunctioned and sprayed bullets around a shooting range.
# #
# #To paraphrase, two years ago John E. Murray let the bolt drop on an SKS-47
#                                              ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
# #sold as the "Cowboy Companion" by Navy Arms when it slam-fired and went
#                                                      ^^^^^^^^^^
# #full auto. It tore loose from his grip and moved backward, firing one
# #bullet through his back killing him instantly. The rifle dumped 7 rounds
# #in less than one second, lodging under the tire of his truck 38 feet away.
# #
# #The exporter, the importer, the distributor and the local shop are all to
# #pay a portion of the award. A local gunsmith testified that he had
# #personally seen 4 malfunctioning models in this county alone, and the
# #settlement requires Navy Arms to publish warnings in national firearms
# #magazines. The Navy Arms attorney called the death a freak accident, then
# #went on to say that the firm warned people to test-fire the weapon because
# #it had been known to slam fire.
# 
# Translation for a noviate, please (A noviate that sees lots of SKSs
# around the shooting range--mostly under user's control ;-)  )
# 
# McD

"Let the bolt drop" -- released the bolt to chamber the first round.

"Slam-fired" -- the firing pin was frozen in the forward position.
When it chambered the first round, the firing pin fired it -- and
then the mechanism chambered the second round, the firing pin still
frozen forward, which fired the second round, and so on, until the
gun was out of ammunition.

Because of this incident, I STRONGLY recommend that ANYONE buying
an SKS check to see if the firing pin is free to move before firing
it.  I so informed a customer, who checked and found that goo in the
firing pin assembly made it less than anxious to retract.  After he
completely disassembled and cleaned it, it was MUCH more willing to
go back into the bolt.

Note that the firing pin on the SKS isn't springloaded, so the normal
force of the round in the chamber is what pushes back the firing
pin.  This means that it isn't obvious, except by lightly touching
the firing pin, if it is frozen or not.

Any new gun -- load one round.  Then load two.  But especially cheap
stuff like the SKS.  If only these incidents would happen to criminals,
instead of law-abiding gun owners.
-- 
Clayton E. Cramer {uunet,pyramid}!optilink!cramer  My opinions, all mine!
"When freedom destroys order, order will destroy freedom." -- Eric Hoffer
Not a goal, just a statement of reality.