Wolf...after typing the entire story I found my system ahd lost connection and dumped the whole thing. Here's the shorter version. In 1992, after providing a "sighting in" service for some 10 years, easily 400 weapons had passed thru my hands. I have a free standing sighting device that recerives the weapon, provides a contained recoil allowance and is micrometer adjustable for windage, elevation and "cant". This servive was provided for those wanting big bore rifles sighted in for hunting season. The device left no room for excuses. My rules were simple. Deliver your rifle to me in town along with 8 rounds of the appropriate new factory ammo and a $10 bill. The rifle is given back to you within 3 days. The friday before hunting season a gentleman called in a panic. He had forgotten to have his and his son's rifles sightd in tomorrow was opening day. Error #1. I allowed him to bring the rifles to me at my facility. Typically it takes 3 rounds to sight a rifle in. 1st shot to determine popint of impact, bring the crosshairs to point of impact, 2nd shot to determine windage/elevation is dead on, 3rd shot to confirm. The first rifle, his son's, was a 30/30. four shots later it was done. The second rifle was a .303SMLE. Error #2. I allowed him to hand me a loaded magazine. Error#3. I did not inspect the ammunition in the magazine. Have you boys ever seen the powder in a cartridge thats rattled around under a pickup seat for 10 or 15 years? Extruded powder is no longer extruded. It turns to a find dust that does not burn at a controlled rate. It detonates! Had I inspected the cartridges I would have found that they were 30's vintage cartridges that had literally been stored in three boxes in the above described manner. My son was standing directly behind my right ear and shoulder. The customer stood immediately nest to him. 3 rounds fired showed a loose scope mount. Error #4. I was not reacting to the very real difference in "sound" of the cartridges firing. Rounds 4&5 got the rifle on target, and round #6 sent part of the bolt, part of the sight base and 2/3 of the brass base past my right ear and shoulder in a rush of hot gas directly into my son's chest. The customer received bits of brass in his face and neck. My wife called the "ALERT" helicopter whild I tried to stem the flow of blood from my son's chest. He aked me a question, the words of which will remain with me till the day I die. "Am I going to die, dad?" The crew restarted his heart twice before they arrived in Kalispell. (Cont. on nxt post)
ANSWER TO WOLF:
- Thread starter Pierre
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