A city worker was injured after being struck by debris from a blank that had been fired during active shooter simulation training. Did we learn nothing from the Alec Baldwin disaster? Even with blanks, projectiles still leave the barrel, and using real firearms to fire blanks is just asking for live ammo to work its way into the training scenario. All it takes is one forgotten spare magazine in an officer’s pouch, and tragedy results.
When engaging in gunfire simulation, there are a few rules, the first of which is that you don’t use real firearms. There are plenty of alternatives. From high realism/low danger like simunition, to Airsoft, paintballs, blue guns, or even simply fireworks.
There is no need EVER for pointing real firearms capable of firing actual bullets at people in a training situation. You have set yourself up for a scenario where a single point of failure is all that stands between safety and serious injury.
Look at this picture from another version of the story and tell me what this is accomplishing:
Slide lock, magazine inserted, in holster? Don’t get me started on the flimsy belt or the bunch of fabric that can get caught in the safetyless Glock trigger.
6 Comments
ChuckInBama · December 7, 2021 at 11:02 am
Stupid is as stupid does.
It would take a LOT of swings with a clue-bat on some folks.
q · December 7, 2021 at 11:52 am
Looks like someone’s spent too much time at Glock matches… holstered with slide locked back. Of course the mag in is a no-go even at a Glock match.
I’ve done a number of Glock matches and I suppose some people just have to have their gat holstered at one of those. After my first G match where I went holstered, I realized that carrying a holstered gun with the slide back lets in lots of sand and dirt that gets blown around. The gun carried in a closed bag stays grit-free. Save the holster for matches where slide-down-hammer-down is the norm.
Russell G. · December 7, 2021 at 7:37 pm
I watched an interview Ian at Forgotten Weapons did with a famous armorer from some movie a while back. Essentially, all of their guns are mostly real (some are totally rebuilt inside) but they use restriction slugs in **ALL** the barrels to build up enough pressure to get flash/blowback and/or burn enough powder to get the flash (wheel guns). That’s why most blank cartridges have crimped rounded brass in the ends. You can get a BP shotgun to fire a blank with no restriction, with just a nitro card rolled on top of a ton of powder, but prop smokeless guns not so much. So, when they fire something like an H&K UMP it does sound/look good to the noobs but it sounds nothing like the real deal (cycle rate is way off). And, it makes perfect sense, I can’t find the link in my browser history.
And, you’re right about the muzzle rules. I’m merciless at arm slapping..
Hugh · December 8, 2021 at 3:26 pm
Reminds me of this gem, I worked at the location they were using for the training. Apparently they were practicing clearing rooms and having dogs find contraband and went to lunch.
While at lunch one or more deputies cleared the simunition in favor of real ammo because they were no longer ‘in training’
But OOPS! Forgot to put simuntion back in when they got back from lunch and went into training…
https://www.independent.com/2014/12/21/deputy-shot-training-exercise/
EN2 SS · December 8, 2021 at 7:52 pm
I watched The Untouchables today, in almost every seen that the guns were out, the star of that crap had his finger on the trigger (most others did, also) and waved it around (pointed at fellow play actors) like a majic wand or some shit. Hard to believe more hollywierdos aren’t shot, than they are.
Jonathan · December 9, 2021 at 12:32 am
Stunt men and extras die every year for stupid reasons.
But the ones you hear about are big actors and THOSE deaths are rare because the studios care about them…
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