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Stray bullets
Originally published
on this website August 16, 2001
Subj: Cop's Stray Bullets...
Date: 8/2/00 2:44:28 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: EXTRACTORMIKE
To: abbottk@RockyMountainNews.com
Dear Karen--I am the NRA Firearms Instructor who left voice mail for you on 01
Aug regarding your article on stray bullets fired by cops training. Since I did
not hear back, I wanted to address a couple of subjects concerning your article
and criticize Chief Torrez, his attitude toward, and his knowledge of the truth
regarding automatic weapons.
The fact that police officers actually fired the rounds that struck Mr.
Franzen's barn does not in any way invalidate MF's remark that "...There's
some crazy fool out there". In fact it fortifies his view since police
officers of all people should be aware of the consequences of uncontrolled
discharge of firearms. Mr. Franzen is correct to take this incident seriously
and to be irritated that the police authorities involved apparently do not--they
must be taken to task and held accountable. There was no mention of any
disciplinary action to be taken? You are in an excellent position to do so--it
is counterproductive to urge further constraints on the civilian gun owner as
your paper does, and to allow the police to "have a pass" on this one.
I emphasize to my students that they "own" every bullet they fire
regardless of where it strikes. The fact that they were firing at a dirt berm is
no excuse--they are responsible to determine what is downrange and within the
known maximum range of the ammunition they are firing--no exceptions--and for
any damage to life and property their rounds may cause--no exception--no
excuse--none--ever--for any reason--period.
The fact that these officers let "bullets get away" is cause to
examine what they are doing. What if a child had been struck rather than a barn?
"Whoops!" is no substitute for knowing how the buzz saw works!
Finally, his statement that "Fully automatic guns send bullets greater
distances than do ordinary guns..." is false--he is either sadly lacking in
knowledge of firearms--not an uncommon state of affairs for police officers--or
he is lying to cover up his own incompetence. In fact, most fully automatic
firearms generally have lesser effective range than an "ordinary gun"
such as a bolt-action rifle. A fully automatic firearm uses some of the gases
from the burning propellant (powder) to operate the bolt, and loses some power
this way--not enough to impair their effectiveness--while a bolt action rifle
confines the gases and uses all or most to propel the bullet. Also, though the
exact type of full-auto firearms in use is not mentioned, the types most often
used in law enforcement are what are termed sub-machine guns, and fire a
cartridge of pistol caliber, using much less propellant than a typical rifle.
Chief Torrez was conducting "training" using firearms his officers had
no experience with, in an area where he should not have been, and is trying to
pull the wool over your and the public's eyes. Don't let him get away with it.
Sincerely,
Mike Brickman, NRA Certified Firearms Instructor #BEV3212T
extractormike@aol.com
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