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TRAGIC LIST

SHOOTING VICTIMS ACCIDENTS WITH ARMS APPEAL FOR CARE Inescapably, it appears, the newspapers of the Dominion will carry during the summer months reports of youths and children who have lost their lives or have been maimed through accidents with firearms —accidents which could have been prevented were simple precautions taken and the elementary rules of common sense and prudent judgment observed. Ever since man first invented the firearm as a weapon for his own destruction it has kept on destroying" him, on occasions, when being used purely for the hunt or in a contest of skill, states an article in the Evening Post. It is the hope of officers attached to the arm bureau at police headquarters, Wellington, that some day ,through the education of the public, the tragic annual list of firearm accidents will be substantially reduced. When an adult is killed through negligent 'handling of a firearm there is always a tendency to think: "Well, it was his own fault, poor fellow." Unfortunately, too often small children are the innocent victims of their elders' neglect.

The brief reports of circumstances which accompany these tragic entries tell the story in a few words. "Shot while playing 'Red Indians'," "Forgot it was loaded," "Fell while carrying rifle," and again, and still again, "Forgot it was loaded." During the year 1945-1946 the average age of the victims of shooting accidents was 20 years ten months. But the ages ranged from five years to 65 years. Thirty-two of the victims were' under 20, and of these 19 were under 17 years of age.

Not all shooting accidents reach the ears of the police. Some involve only superficial wounds which are quickly patched up. Fruitful Cause of Tragedies

The ignorance of children concerning firearms is understandable. There is one fact, however, that many adults do not grasp. Some firearms are capable of being discharged without the use of the trigger. This, the officer in charge of the bureau told the writer, was a fruitful cause of the appearance of new figures in the statistics. Prior to 1935, at which date the regulations concerning the quality of firearms .were tightened up, many undesirable and dangerous types of guns and rifles were imported into New Zealand.

Some of them, notably .22 calibre rifles, could be discharged by a blow on the back of the cockingpiece, or by being dropped sharply on the ground. It is just plain human nature .that the average salesman will show his prospective customer all' the virtues of a rifle, and even if he may know that a rifle is capable of being discharged without the trigger's being consulted, he may not advertise the fact.

He will praise the rifle; so will the catalogue. Its accuracy, sweetness of operation, ease of sighting will be made known, but no catalogue (and very few salesmen) will tell the customer of its dangers.

There is one solution to this question. The purchaser should ask the salesman straight out if he knows of any hidden danger or any feature making the weapon caapble of being discharged, cocked or uncocked, without the use of the trigger. Then the salesman can be called upon to prove or disprove his claims.

The Trickiest of All

Most accidents in this country occur with one or another of three types of firearms—the .22 calibre rifle, the .303 sporting rifle (often a military model), and the hammer shotgun. How easy it is to be lulled into a sense of security by the term "pearifle" as applied to the .22 calibre weapon. The very words convey the suggestion of a toy, but police officers throughout the country know only to well that with modern ammunition this rifle can inflict serious injury at a distance of a mile.

Some military-type rifles can be discharged through receiving knocks not affecting the trigger, but trickiest of all is the hammer shotgun. Many a hunter, with a loaded shotgun, has been unwilling to unload, and prior to getting through a fence or struggling into a car with all his gear has merely uncocked the weapon. Nothing, if he only knew it, can render that gun safe except unloading. Most hammer shotguns are fitted with "rebounding locks." Although, when uncocked, the hammers appear to be held back from the

strikers, a sharp blow will drive them forward, and conversely, if knocked backwards through the gun's being dragged through a fence they will spring forward again in a "fanning" action with sufficient momentum to set off the shells. Familiarity Breeds Contempt In a rabbit-infested country like New Zealand rifles and shotguns are practically implements of agriculture. Farmers, in particular, cannot afford'to be without them. In too many cases, however, familiarity breeds contempt and tuagedy follows.

Lack of care in storing shooting gear is one of the great causes of fatal accidents involving children. Children and firearms don't mix, and firearms (loaded or unloaded) and loose cartridges should be kept well away from adventurous youthful company. The good old game of "cowboys and Indians" can too often become a grim reality. If a rifle must be kept around the house, police officers say, take the bolt out when it is not required, and hide it and the ammunition well out of harm's way. There are some simple rules which, if followed, will take much of the risk out of shooting. It is a significant thing that very few accidents occur on rifle ranges, among college cadets, or at gun club meetings. This is because safety rules are enforced and drilled into those taking part until they become second nature. In the room of the arms officer at police headquarters were weapons of all sorts—rifles, revolvers, and shotguns, from ancient flintlocks to examples of modern precision workmanship. In no case did the muzzle of any weapon, point towards the officer, his visitor, or the doorway. From ingrained habit the officer placed each weapon as he put it down so that the muzzle would point towards some harmless portion of the room.'To him all firearms are loaded—at all times. Safety Rules of Sportsmen Shooting accidents appear to occur largely among the casual sportsman, the young fellow who has a day out with a borrowed gun trying to bag a rabbit or anything else that comes across his, sights. "One of the rules I would lay down hard and fast is this: Never lend a firearm," the writer was told. "Many a man who has lent "a firearm has lived to regret it. The fellow who borrows a rifle or a shotgun is not a sportsman as a rule or he would have one of his own. Mostly he is unskilled." What are the safety rules for the sportsman? They are simple. Point the muzzle at the ground or in the air. On no occasion point the muzzle at anyone—even in fun. There is no fun about it. Firearms should never be loaded until the moment before they are to be fired, and they should be unloaded immediately afterwards. Both weapon and ammunition should be stored away from children.

The oldest weapon cannot be treated, with contempt. Not so long ago a young lad was killed while he was experimenting with a museum piece. The bullet which killed him had been lying in the barrel for anything from 50 to 75 years. Ancient Weapons Not unnaturally, the senior arms officer, besides dealing with police work, has made something of a study of ancient weapons. On one occasion he was called in by a museum to help the staff classify accurately some ancient pistols. He came across, in the collection, a brace of fine French duelling pistols some hundreds of years old. "I wonder why these men called off their duel," he remarked to the attendant. "Was it because wiser counsels prevailed, because they got cold feet, or because the gendarmes came and broke it up?" "Why do you say that?" asked the museum man. "Because the pistols are still loaded," said the officer. The museum man was astonished at this, but laughingly remarked that he didn't suppose they could kill anybody now. The powder would be no good after rusting in the barrels for hundreds of years. "They could kill a man today," said the officer. "They could kill him stone dead." And he was right. Firearms are today as safe as most modern inventions in the hands of those who know how to use them. In the hands of the unskilled and in the hands of the little child they can transform a moment's unthinking carelessness into tragedy and lifelong sorrow.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/BPB19470207.2.36

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 91, 7 February 1947, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,432

TRAGIC LIST Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 91, 7 February 1947, Page 6

TRAGIC LIST Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 91, 7 February 1947, Page 6

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