Accidental Shooting at Range in Poland (Shotgun)

[smoothshooter]

I use my club range only during the week as well. One old-timer there (I, too, am an old-timer!) told me he shoots only on weekdays because on weekends all the morons come out.

Funny story:
About seven years ago I accidentally shot myself in the right hand just behind my ring finger knuckle with a .22 pistol at almost contact distance. Was shooting in my front yard where I had a steel target range. Hand eventually healed up to almost normal over the course of a year. The funny part is that even though I had an AD, the gun was pointed safely down range the whole time.

 

[Mule Packer]

It happened in Poland?? Hmmm. Maybe there's a legitimate reason behind all those Polack jokes.

 

[smoothshooter]

Because it is the operator of the range to ensure their clients safety. The RSO's are an extension of the Range Operator/Owner.

We don’t know if an RSO was even present.

 

[smoothshooter]

Because it is the operator of the range to ensure their clients safety. The RSO's are an extension of the Range Operator/Owner.

We don’t know if it was an official shooting event or if an RSO was even present

 

[AJ]

We don’t know if an RSO was even present.

We don’t know if it was an official shooting event or if an RSO was even present

Maybe it happens a lot over there.

The vest the gun handler was wearing translates to "Pass Referee", or "Pass Judge". I suppose he may have also been part of the Range Safety guys, but he was some sort of official. You'd think he'd know more about not pointing the shotgun at anyone while on the firing line, but......

There was some sort of official present.

The more I look at it, the more it looks to have been faked.

 

[AJ]

Funny story:
About seven years ago I accidentally shot myself in the right hand just behind my ring finger knuckle with a .22 pistol at almost contact distance. Was shooting in my front yard where I had a steel target range. Hand eventually healed up to almost normal over the course of a year. The funny part is that even though I had an AD, the gun was pointed safely down range the whole time.

Not a funny story. Yes, AD's happen and as long as no one is hurt by it, then it is a learning experience. I taught Combat Pistol and Combat Shotgun for several years.

Your gun was not pointed safely down range if you shot yourself in your hand.

 

[wood714]

Watching it frame by frame, that shotgun sure didn't have much kick, and there was no damage I could see to the other dudes pants where he got shot.

 

[CH4]

The other gentleman is lucky the victim's butt took the hit, or it would have 10xed Big Jim and the twins, femoral artery, etc.

 

[Martyk]

I smell an internet youtube video set up. The "victim" grabs is butt, not his hip. Not much in the way of torn trousers or blood/flesh. I'm guessing wad only, no lead.

 

[BE Mike]

I once saw a college instructor (not firearm instructor) walk out in front of a hot line to change his target while people were shooting. When he was called on it, he got huffy and packed up and left the range.

 

[biku324]

It seems staged.

 

[long colt frazier]

I run a trap/skeet range that sees upwards of 250 Jr and Sr High shooters for various tournaments, never have I seen such poor gun safety.

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Bad habits happen.

 

[Engine49guy]

Interesting that so many people think sueing someone in Poland is exactly the same as in the USA.

 

[Busch297]

As a relatively new shooter I appreciate when a seasoned shooter politely makes a suggestion or gives some advice. I’ve fortunately only been corrected once by an RSO, when packing up my stuff i put my pistol in my case and had it pointed not down range. The gun was clear and safe but things like that shouldn’t be overlooked.

 

[glenwolde]

....is that it looks as if the victim might survive, judging from where he was hit. However, he may not have use of that hip, pelvis or leg.

He ain't gonna walk right ever again.

 

[6string]

I once saw a college instructor (not firearm instructor) walk out in front of a hot line to change his target while people were shooting. When he was called on it, he got huffy and packed up and left the range.

Ugh!
I have seen that more than once!
The first time, I spoke to the guy and said, "Please let me know if you want to go downrange. I don't mind making the line safe."
He replied, "Oh, it's OK. I trust you and I'm way over here."

Needless to say, I was NOT going to be walking downrange until after that guy was gone!

 

[6string]

I can't count the number of times I've chewed someone out at the range for unsafe acts. Oddly, not once has anyone ever argued with me. Well, they did once. A guy laid his rifle 9-to-3 o'clock instead of downrange. I asked to point his muzzle downrange instead of at me.

His reply? "It isn't loaded."

My reply? "What if I held the muzzle to your forehead & told you 'it wasn't loaded.' Would you feel safe?"

He pointed it downrange.

A wise man once told me: The only one responsible for your safety is YOU!

That has kept me safe for 66 years now.

Yeah, I've seen that one a lot, too!

I like your approach.
My reply is usually a little gentler.
I remind them that the range rules stipulate all firearms are to be pointed downrange, unloaded, with the action open at all times they are not in use.

NOTE TO Y'ALL!
Thanksgiving is coming up!​

That means the once-a-year Yahoos will be heading out to the range!​

Many will be with family and friends looking to "laugh it up".
Some may even be drunk.

BE SAFE!!!​

BE ALERT!!!!​

 

[Shotguncoach]

The guy with the camera seemed pretty cool. Filmed it. Didn’t flinch..
Makes me wonder if this was some kind of a set up or a movie or something? Not sure if this is real or not?
What was the guy filming for?? And why did he do nothing when he saw what was about to happen and what did happen??
Just filmed the guy falling down after being shot?
I’m not buying this for those reasons… But I guess it could be.

I'm also going to call BS on that video. At that distance there is no real "pattern" from a shotgun. Even with target loads and birdshot the "pattern" is only about 2 inches wide and creates devastating wounds. I have shot living things at ranges that close and it is quite gruesome. When I was 15, a prairie dog popped out of it's hole in front of station 3 while I was shooting skeet and I shot it with a load of #8....I ended up covered in blood and green goo from the brim of my hat to my knees, and the bottom half of the prairie dog actually ended up in my shell bag.

Watching the video full screen in slow motion I see a very slight impact on the edge of the table (perhaps from the wad or filler material in the blank cartridge), but no impact on the "victim", the objects on the table, or the ground behind the "victim". There is no tearing of the clothing and no blood. There is a little bit of clothing movement from the muzzle blast and that's it.

Add in the reactions of the bystanders who were more interested in the table than the "victim" and the motion of the "victim" after the "shot" and I don't believe that it's real.

My opinion is that it was staged and the reaction of the "victim" is from a hot piece of something from the blank cartridge getting into his pants and burning his butt.

 

[Krogen]

I also said above that I thought it was staged. Many good observations here support that position. Still, it's a great illustration of why we have layers of safety protocols. More than once, I've been muzzled by someone and I call them on it. A few times, the person said "it's flagged" or "action's open" or "it's unloaded." Still, no bueno.

We apply the Swiss Cheese approach to safety. Layers of safety. The holes in each slice in a stack of Swiss Cheese need to align to drop something clear through the stack. Same with gun safety. We have a bunch of safety rules, so that if one happens to be broken, the others prevent a problem. Simultaneous violations of multiple rules can lead to disaster.