Fatalities Caused By Firearms: Faulty Handling Main Cause

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 September 1950, Page 5

Fatalities Caused By Firearms: Faulty Handling Main Cause

PARLIAMENT BLDGS., Last Night —Almost every fatal amis accident that has occurred .since the beginning of 1935 could have been avoided through the proper handling of the weapon involved. The Commissioner of Police (Mr. J. Bruce Young) expresses this opinion in a section dealing with the arms and ballistics branch of the police force, included in his annual report, tabled in the House of Representatives today. Since January 1, 1935, there have been 724 aims accidents, in which 253 people lost their lives. Mr. Young says that a great many cases are due Io hidden dangers that lie in the mechanism of the weapons, such as the hammer gun and the bolt action Lee Enfield rifle when they are uncocked. Propei instruction i n the handling of fl reams is considered the best and most practical method of countering the cause of nearly every accident. Mr. Young says I hat lift? ral e of shooting accidents was disappointingly high again di ring the year, after an improvement in 1949. in spite of Hie department’s efforts to have riflemen and sportsmen warned of hidden dangers that are present in such weapons as a boll action rifle and shotgun with exposed hammers. Sixly-fivo shooting accidents were reported during ihe year, and in another six cases Ihe coroner, being unable to decide whether the fatality was accident, or suicide, gave an open verdict. Eleven of these accidents were fatal. Tho .22 calibre rifle was responsible for 36, of which four were fatal: the 12-gauge shotgun for 21. of which live were fatal; and the 41 flgauge shot gun lor one, which was not fatal. Tho .303 rifles was ’responsible for four accidents, one being fatal; pistols for two. one being fatal; and an air pistol for one, which was not fatal.