Gun safety teacher shot in accident

Syracuse Post-Standard ^ | July 10, 2003 | Pedro Ramirez III and John O'Brien

[Euro-American Scum]

Gary Kassel, 56, of Syracuse, was unloading the .40-caliber Glock and didn't realize there was still a round in the chamber when he pointed the gun at the cement floor and pulled the trigger "to render the gun safe," deputies said.

Anyone ever notice when incidents like this occur, or in criminal shootings, Glocks are the only guns mentioned by name?

The gun grabbers really have a hard-on when it comes to the lack of a manual safety, among other things.

[robertpaulsen]

Sorry, but as soon as I read just the headline I thought, "Glock".

[Redcloak]

The correct unloading sequence is to take the magazine out, then pull the slide back to eject a round that might be in the chamber, then look in the chamber to make sure it's empty...

That last part is the critical one. It doesn't matter how badly you screw up the order; if you look inside and you see a shiny brass thingee, it ain't unloaded!

Of course, that applies to any make. It's not just a Glock thing.

[dogbrain]

note to self:

first, TALK.
THEN hang up.
(in that order...)

[Redcloak]

Cornholio?

Are you threatening me?

I NEED TP!

[Sofa King]

I've never even touched a gun in my life and even I know that an semi-automatic handgun isn't unloaded until you take the round out of the chamber.

[RogueIsland]

The gun grabbers really have a hard-on when it comes to the lack of a manual safety, among other things.

It's not the lack of a manual safety in this case, it's just the nature of striker-fired guns in general. Since there is no hammer you can lower or decocker you can use, the only way to decock the pistol is by pulling the trigger. Perfectly safe as long as you always make sure the chamber is empty. Glocks are certainly exceptionally safe when used within the parameters of their design, but they are by nature not terribly "idiot friendly".

[af_vet_rr]

Not only what you mentioned, but pointing at a concrete floor and pulling the trigger. Are we talking Darwin candiates here or what? Do they think a bullet will magically stop the moment it hits concrete or steel, if there was a round in the chamber?

[glock rocks]

funny... the first thing I thought of was...

hmmm... must have some major gun legislation coming up.


that aside, I run a cold range. this darwin candidate was giving cherrys live ammo in his house. stupidity should hurt. he was lucky.

btw... I've seen kitchen windows shot out by an "empty" 1911, and a ceiling ventilated by a 12ga.

glocks don't have a monopoly on being handled carelessly.

[Xenalyte]

Bang - I mean ping!

[SquirrelKing]

Guns dont wound idiot instructors, idiot instructors wound idiot instructors.

[dfwgator]

Perhaps this guy should have stuck with teaching students how to defend themselves against fresh fruit...and pointed sticks.

[Jason_b]

bump

[Little Ray]

Uh, dunno about other folks, but I call self loading weapons "safe" when I've removed the clip, worked the slide or bolt and _visually_ inspected the chamber and carrier to make certain there is no ammo in the weapon.
Even if it is empty, you are not supposed to dry-fire a weapon anyway.
Conclusion: The instructor was stupid or his students were not listening (and he was stupid to trust 'em!).

Still, as they say in Cowboy Action Shooting: there are two types of Cowboys; ones who have been DQ'd and ones who WILL be DQ'd.

[robertpaulsen]

"hmmm... must have some major gun legislation coming up."

Oops! I didn't know that card-carrying NRA members (member #025870227) were not allowed to criticize (hushed breath) Glock. Cool it with the inference.

Maybe Glocks don't have a monopoly on being handled carelessly, but you wouldn't believe it by the news reports. That was my point.

[Pearls Before Swine]

They didn't say he flunked. He just shot the teacher.

LOL. If at first you don't succeed, try again.

[Ed Straker]

Violated Cooper's Rules #1, 2, AND 3.

[Shooter 2.5]

"He screwed the procedure up," said Cominolli, who designed and patented a manual safety device that can be added to Glocks. He based his opinion about Sacco's shooting on the description given by deputies. "It's a typical screw-up with the gun."

I don't like Glocks but this had nothing to do with the design of that specific design. The quote is also from an "inventor" who seems to be pushing his product.

I have seen IDPA members reverse the order of clearing a semi-suto which shocked the heck out of me. That's one of the reasons I don't believe in pulling the trigger as the last "test" whether it loaded or not.

[AmericanMade1776]

George...in my Gun class here in massachusetts...the instructor had all the guns, and all the students , no matter what their background, were considered to be novices. The Instructor made sure all of his guns were empty, before the class began and at all times. Only during the actually shooting test, were we allowed to have a loaded gun, by that time the instructor was assured we knew how to handle a gun. The Gun test was also a one on one with the instructor.

[AmericanMade1776]

he is probably thinking the same thing this morning