Gun Suit Lost
A bit back, someone shot a Smith & Wesson .460 revolver. They made the mistake of putting their left index finger between the cylinder and the back of the barrel. The pressurized gas escaping the cylinder nearly amputated the shooter’s finger. So, he sued figuring that S&W should have warned people of the proper way to hold a revolver. Trouble is, S&W did have that in the manual. He lost.
Of course, this suit did go forward. Which is odd. After all, the anti-gunners and the press (but I repeat myself) told us that the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act wouldn’t even let someone sue those darn gun makers.
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Replace “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act” with “Castle Doctrine Statute” and “gun makers” with “defensive shooter” and you’ve got my argument for CCW insurance in a nutshell. The law may be on your side, but you may very well need an expensive lawyer to prove it before you’re all done. CCW insurance makes that (relatively) painless.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
As a novice shooter plinking at the range with my Ruger 22LR pistol I watched the guy in the next station blast away with his massive Remington black powder cap & ball revolver. It was the very definition of a “hogleg” and made a mighty percussion with jets of fire and smoke. Of course it took many minutes to reload after each cylinder.
He noted my admiration and offered me a shot or two. As I tried a one handed grip, the revolver pointed at the floor about 5 feet from where I stood. He suggested two hands, not unkindly.
I tried to grip the revolver barrel, like a carbine without a buttstock, and he laughed and stopped me before I blew my hand off, with the cylinder to barrel gap right about at my wrist. He showed me a proper two handed hold (which I was close to, pretty instinctively, with my weenie 22LR pistol).
I shot twice. The first time was magnificent. The second I learned that one can instinctively flinch waiting for a black powder firearm to finish after the trigger is pulled.
Good memories of a very friendly shooter, but I am left with the certainty that I’d have hurt myself without his expert supervision of my novice effort.
When I bought a centerfire revolver, I actually read the manual. It helped.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:56 pm
“index finger between the cylinder and the back of the barrel.”
Obviously that fellow didn’t watch the MythBusters treatment of this (confirmed) danger. It was quite dramatic seeing the chicken ‘fingers’ get torn off by the gasses.
November 5th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I should have sued Suzuki for building a motorcycle that would fall over when hit by a Camry.