Uzi recoils, questions echo

[Bob]

The tragic news from my state this week is that an 8-year-old kid shot himself by accident with an Uzi submachine gun. Whatever you think of gun control (and we have the usual range of opinions), this is a very sad day.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massac ... p_Emailed5

[Since1982]

Sad day indeed. I read it. I still don't understand how a "bullet" hit the child in the head unless he jumped in front of the weapon. I can see the barrel recoiling and hitting him hard enough to kill, but they say a bullet did it. Perhaps it misfired and exploded out the back of the barrel..It doesn't explain how a bullet actually did it, other than saying it did.

[Uncle Al]

I tried to post a responce, and IE-7 would not co-operate.
I used FireFox, and was able to post the following responce
**********************************************

As you read this article, you (the reader) can tell that the writer
HAS NO CLUE AS TO WHAT HE IS WRITING ABOUT!
Quote "...and the high-powered weapon recoiled and fatally shot
the boy in the head." The laws of physics do not make this statement true.
The recoil of the firearm, striking the boy in the head, would be the force
causing harm to the boy. A bullet shot from any gun, can not go in a
circle-ONLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE!

Yes, the father gave permission, but the 'instructor' was not properly
attending the 'student'. Is the father at fault-to some extent. Was the instructor
at fault-probably so. I don't know the circumstances leading to the
'firing of the gun', so I can only base my statements on the
existing-poorly written-article.

I have used 'guns' since I was 12 years old. These were single shot
hunting rifles/shotguns. My Dad trained me in the proper handling of
guns. We went rabbit and pheasant hunting together. I'm 57 and my
Dad passed away 24 years ago, at age 81. If my sons were interested in
hunting, they would have received proper training in the use of firearms.
My older son is an avid fisherman. My younger son doesn't really care either way.
Personally, I would not train a child-under 12 years of age-in the use of firearms.
This is also based on the maturity of the 'child'.

This article shows the typical 'hype' to get the writer 'noticed' in
media circles, to bend the publics thoughts towards 'his way of
thinking', and create a 'sheep mentality' in the minds of the readers.
When will the 'public' start thinking and reasoning for themselves
instead of letting poorly written articles be their guides?

Was this a tradgety-yes. Was it avoidable-yes. 'Dad' should not
have given permission for his son to shoot this particular gun.
Ultimately, the responsability lies with the parent.
Parents-WAKE UP!!! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO RAISE YOUR
CHILDREN--NOT THE SOCIETY IN WHICH YOU LIVE!
**********************************************

Did anyone notice my

Uncle Al
Duncanville, TX

[Kris]

I don't profess any special expertise in this area, as some others do, but I did read the whole article and came across these statements. which I have excerpted:
"The annual Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo is a two-day event."
" "It's all legal & fun," the advertisement says. "You will be accompanied to the firing line with a Certified Instructor to guide you. But You Are In Control - "FULL AUTO ROCK & ROLL.""
"The boy was firing the weapon at an outside firing range and was wounded once in the head when the recoil forced the gun to rotate upward and backward, Nuñez said. The boy was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. No one else was injured."
"He said the bullet struck the boy's lower jaw."
"The Micro-Uzi, a smaller version of the original weapon, weighs 4.5 pounds and can fire 20 rounds per second. "
See it here:
http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/ ... Micro.html

So, it would appear it was a light, short weapon on full auto. The recoil, and the boy's inability to properly control the weapon, caused it to rotate backwards while firing. He must have kept his finger on the trigger as the weapon rotated (perhaps losing his grip with his forward hand), until it reached the point where a shot hit him in the face. It doesn't sound implausible to me.

Kris

[Since1982]

Ah, thank you for looking that up Kris, that's like a pistol with a extension. Or a machine pistol. I've seen the traditional Uzi, and they are quite a bit bigger and that's what I was thinking he was using. my bad.

[Peter v]

I don't profess any special expertise in this area, as some others do, but I did read the whole article and came across these statements. which I have excerpted:
"The annual Machine Gun Shoot and Firearms Expo is a two-day event."
" "It's all legal & fun," the advertisement says. "You will be accompanied to the firing line with a Certified Instructor to guide you. But You Are In Control - "FULL AUTO ROCK & ROLL.""
"The boy was firing the weapon at an outside firing range and was wounded once in the head when the recoil forced the gun to rotate upward and backward, Nuñez said. The boy was pronounced dead at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. No one else was injured."
"He said the bullet struck the boy's lower jaw."
"The Micro-Uzi, a smaller version of the original weapon, weighs 4.5 pounds and can fire 20 rounds per second. "
See it here:
http://www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/ ... Micro.html

So, it would appear it was a light, short weapon on full auto. The recoil, and the boy's inability to properly control the weapon, caused it to rotate backwards while firing. He must have kept his finger on the trigger as the weapon rotated (perhaps losing his grip with his forward hand), until it reached the point where a shot hit him in the face. It doesn't sound implausible to me.

Kris

I agree with you fully.
My personal weapon was an uzi in the army, when conscripted.
There is a heavy square profile bolt.
The mini uzi was probably not held with both hands, we don't know the size and build of the boy, either small or big and strong. It must have been on full auto. A terrible thing to happen, but it was avoidable, even if only the instructor was holding it too. But a weapon of that type just should not be in the hands of anybody under 12 or even 18. Well the people involved know that now. Very tragic.

[Sasquatch]

The laws of physics do not make this statement true.
The recoil of the firearm, striking the boy in the head, would be the force
causing harm to the boy. A bullet shot from any gun, can not go in a
circle-ONLY IN A STRAIGHT LINE!

This was likely a specially licensed range where a submachine gun can be fired on fully auto. In that case, constant fire recoil would push the weapon upward and it is feasible that, if the boy was still depressing the trigger, the barrell ended up pointed at his own forehead (the UZI is a very short weapon). And it would have happened so fast. No way a kid should have been at a range like that.

For as big a lobbying sack of s_ _ t as Wayne LaPierre is (and has made the NRA likewise), they still do a little of what they were originally formed to do - teach firearm responsibility, hunter safety, and marksmanship. The fact that these rapid-fire shooting clubs have sprung up all over the nation is testimony to how far the NRA has fallen - their lobbying $$$ made that tragedy possible.

My rifles have trigger locks and the keys stay with me.

Sasq

[Kris]

Here is an update on the story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081204/ap_ ... ts_himself

Kris