DANGER OF SAWN-OFF RIFLES

Southland Times, Issue 23675, 25 November 1938, Page 15

DANGER OF SAWN-OFF RIFLES

CORONER CONDEMNS USE (United Press Association) BLENHEIM, November 24. The danger of carrying a sawn-off rifle was emphasized by the Coroner, Mr E. J. Hill, at an inquest in Picton yesterday afternoon into the death of Alan Steele Bunt at Endeavour Inlet. Returning a verdict that Bunt died from the effects of a bullet wound in the neck, the result of a shot accidently fired by a companion on a pig-shoot-ing trip, the Coroner stated that too much emphasis could not be placed upon the danger of the practice of some shooters of using sawn-off rifles reduced to pistol, size. Two such weapons had been recently the cause of fatalities in Marlborough. A warning should - be issued about the menace of such weapons. In the present case the pistol was of amateur construction, according to the report of a Government arms expert. There was no trigger guard, the safety catch had been .removed, the trigger pull was very light and the weapon was .extremely clumsy and awkward to load. Even with considerable care the operation of loading would be dangerous. The evidence of Bunt’s companions showed that shots had been fired at a pig. Borrie was reloading when the pistol went off, the bullet striking Bunt, who was in front, in the neck.