Gun Safety Tips For Post Dispatch Readers

Jake Wagman just got taken for a ride at the Post Dispatch.  In what can only be explained as an incredibly clumsy PR stunt by Russ Carnahan's staff, this picture of Russ at the St Louis Police Academy supposedly firing a pistol ("two of which were pretty close — if not right on — the bullseye!") is just waiting to be mocked.

Here's the picture, courtesy of the Post Dispatch (though it's not clear if they posted the picture or took it).

I want to make sure that no one is getting firearm safety training from either Russ Carnahan, the Post Dispatch, or any senior police officer who would actually allow this picture to be taken with anything resembling a loaded weapon.

Let's count the mistakes.

1. Always wear protection for your eyes and ears.  A gun shot is a very loud noise, and permanent hearing damage can be sustained firing a pistol indoors and so close to other.

2. Never point a gun inside your office.  Only use in or at an approved range.  This prevents  senior police officers standing next to you from being hit in the face by hot steel casings and losing an eye.

3. If you're going to shoot a firearm, don't close both eyes.  It's going to make a loud noise. It might even jump in your hand.  But if you're afraid of it, don't shoot it. 

4. Never point a weapon at a photographer.  It is a very bad idea to shoot downrange with a photographer in the line of fire.  Even if the photographer is using a zoom lense, mistakes happen, and it is the height of irresponsibility to point in the direction of a human being you do not want dead. 

In all seriousness, this is a very bad photo.  Anyone who knows gun knows this is a PR setup, and anyone who doesn't know guns is likely to be wetting themself in the corner at the sight of a Democrat holding one.  You would think this photo would be bad enough from a newspaper that refuses to give any bad press to Carnahan, but it gets worse. 

Jake's story buys the story that Carnahan shot the target three times near the bullseye.  A couple things.

1) What was the distance?  Shooting a 9mm is easy.  At seven yards, anyone can hit the target, and there's not a chance Russ was shooting further than 7 yards.  I'll donate $100 to his campaign if he can shoot 15 yards or further inside the 8's.  Better yet, let's see how he does with a .45.

2) Who shoots three bullets?  Is this the new 3 bullet clip?  The very idea that any gun enthusiast would stop shooting after 3 bullets and leave the rest of the clip full is laughable.  You don't go to the range and shoot 3 bullets.  You don't ask a police officer to borrow their gun for a few shots for a photo op.  Either they were at the range, or this was completely made up, and he fired nothing.

3) Update: Commenter Ohkay3 points out something I missed.  Those are either very large holes for that 9mm, or this is a very, very tiny target.  I'm actually quite curious if this is even a real target.  It's closest cousin online is the DOE Green target, but it's not an exact match. Anyone know someone who works with the St Louis Police who can tell us if they use this target on the range?   

photo credit stltoday.com/politicalfix

We're used to the Post Dispatch reprinting Carnahan propaganda and hiding Russ from scorn and ridicule.  We know the PD online editors will manipulate headlines to make them Republicans look bad.  We know that even when they do report on stories where Russ is featured, they won't mention his name.

That doesn't mean we have to allow the Post Dispatch to print dangerous photos of police officers and Congressman mishandling firearms.  At least this explains why they are so terrified of gun violence.  I'd be scared too if that's the way people handled weapons around me.

Comments

[David]

Even when they try to be "one of the people" they prove that they aren't "one of the people."

[Mrs. P]

He ain't no Clint Eastwood or John Wayne!!

[Tully]

Betcha I could put 15 in the 9-ring in the time it took him to land three on the whole sheet.

Heck, betcha I could do that with my .25, which would mean two reloads.

[ohkay3]

Those are awfully big bullet holes for a 9mm or that is a really small target.

[Michael]

not ready for teotwawki

not feeling like a real american is shooting here

[kevino]

If he is pictured "dry firing" the gun, then that is good practice, and he can do it safely in his office without eye and ear protection.

I agree with others that three rounds doesn't make you a crack shot, and I'd like to know the distance. I'd certainly have more respect for him if it spent some real time at the range.

Cheesy publicity stunt? You bet.
But it's a picture of a Democrat holding a gun with trembling in fear or, presumably, wetting his pants.

RE: Mrs. P:

A wise man once said about soldiers, "You are not John Wayne. John Wayne is not John Wayne."

[Diggs]

Hey, the first rule anyone should know on gun safety is keep your gun away from any Democrat.

[Scott Jacobs]

For what it's worth, it looks to me like his right eye is open, but the shadow makes it seem closed...

But he still looks like a tool.

[Nick Reynolds]

I'd go with completely made up. It looks like he's in an office or boardroom . . . with the flag behind him and the other background items. Typical lame PR stunt. BTW that's NOT a bullseye type target. He hit the center of mass NOT a bullseye. Just sayin'.

[Killian Bundy]

It's called a magazine, not a clip.

[Jim]

Jimmah Catauh, just with a smaller tank.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

[SSG Jeff (USAR)]

Well, I know that when I go to the range I fire 3 shots at a time.

It's called zeroing the weapon.

Probably doesn't apply to a handgun though.

[moogrogue]

Obligatory Photoshopped version: http://www.missourah.com/2010/02/21/carnahan-dukakis-2010/

[Fderfler]

The Photoshopped version is oh, so good! http://www.missourah.com/2010/02/21/carnahan-dukakis-2010/

[Eddiebear]

I could be wrong, but it also appears as though the uniformed guys in that photo are not wearing ear/eye protection.

[Jim Durbin]

SSG Jeff - I'm pretty sure Carnahan didn't zero his handgun.

Killian - yes, yes - it's a magazine, not a clip. But where do you stand on the important questions? Is it car-been, or car-bean? And is it ever okay to close both eyes when firing?

Scott - It could be that Russ just doesn't know how to close one eye. I have a sister who can't do it. She blinks when she tries to wink. Me, I like to keep one eye wide open when firing.

[urban trekker]

Thank you to all the firearm experts for the criticisms about safety. If any of you tools had read the story or checked the facts you would know that what the Congressman is holding is a activator for a crime scene simulator used in training police officers. It "shoots" a beam of light that scores the trainee on their reaction to a confrontation. No bullets, no report, no eye protection, no ear protection needed. The fact that you would even think that photo would be taken otherwise shows how naive and suggestible you. God help us all.

[urban trekker]

By the way, the reason the scoring graphic only shows three (3) bullet holes is because that is a training point (minimum effective impact) and all the program permits. Officers are not encouraged to empty their magazine into a perp or a target like on TV.

The Congressman supports local control of local resources and sponsored federal programs help to fund efforts like the academy and crime lab. That is what prompted the photo op.

[Morgan]

@urban trekker

I read the story. Where did it say anything about an activator? And how would it do anything to a piece of paper if it was a beam of light?

"While he was there, Carnahan tested his own acuity with a firearm — stopping the paper suspect dead in its tracks. Using what appears to be a 9mm pistol, Carnahan landed three shots squarely in the center of the target, two of which were pretty close — if not right on — the bullseye."

[Jim Durbin]

Umm, yeah - sorry - urban trekker - the caption under the picture says "Carnahan shoots while Isom watches." It then goes on to say he's firing a 9mm at a target and shows us three holes. It says nothing about laser training.

Several people have asked if the red barrel was an airsoft or a laser, but the picture isn't high quality enough to tell. Laser training pistols tend to have a giant red end, not a barely discernible lifelike version of a tiny gun. It's possible it is a laser, but it's also possible it's an actual unloaded weapon used to try to make a terrible photo op.

It's strange, because what you write would have been more interesting, and could have been written to show off the police training equipment, followed by a trip to the range with a picture of the target. But it doesn't. It doesn't say any of that, which is the point. The story says crack shot Russ Carnahan fires a 9mm and hits the bullseye, and the pictures sent over are intended to tell that story. If it's a laser target - how come the .45 sized holes in the paper target? And is the simulator set up in the office? Strange place for it. Maybe it's a bootleg copy of Police Trainer.

I'm responding to what the Post Dispatch wrote, and they wrote the story based on what they were given by the Carnahan campaign.

That's why I wrote the story - to help the Post Dispatch understand proper gun safety. It's clear that Russ isn't actually firing a gun. No police officer outside of a Judd Apatow movie is that careless.

But we have demonstrated pretty conclusively that Carnahan's PR lady, Sara Howard, is clueless about guns,a and so too, is the Congressman, who posed for this picture. And urban trekker - that photo is unsafe. Guns aren't toys to be misused.

[Jimbob]

Reminds me of the old photo of Mike Dukakis (in the tank with helmet).

[kyle]

#1 foam earplugs rock, although not as cool as double-bagging it indoors.
#3 i'm blind, i squint. Call a lawyer and sue me. Shoot bullets through me. I love you.
#4 I didn't like jeff cooper when he was alive, and even barring a remotely tripped camera shot, nobody is having a gun pointed at him. That angle wouldn't even freak me out chukar hunting with dick cheney.

I don't regret dumping the gun club i was in, the NRA yearly dues, or the gun culture in general. But i still love guns. And swords, if it were still socially acceptable to carry them. And who really cares if its 8s or Xs, outside of a bullseye league? Timed wins it, rapid loses it. I let my NRA membership lapse, as i couldn't care (and wasn't in the mood to write my senator and congressmen, as it hasn't mattered in the last 100 years).

And based on my "public" range experiences, even at 7 yards that target would put Jake Wagman at the 99th percentile of gun users. At 21 feet, the OG with eyes closed would miss 1 out of 5, with the 6th hitting the carrier and dropping the paper to the ground. I wish i could say i hadn't seen it, but i've shot at the range next to badges that were no better. And one of the fucktards put a bullet through his left palm practicing his draw, which put a major harsh on my day when the popo questioned me after a pig shot himself in the weak hand practicing for qualifications at a public range. I hate the gun culture, as its inbred. But thanks to that, i know nobody is looking after me. So i love guns. And thanks to blogs, i am completely confused as to if its irony.

[Robert]

1. Something doesn't look right about that barrel. It's hard to tell from the quality of the photo, but the hole looks too small to be a 9mm.

Until more information is available, "urban trekker"'s explanation about this being a simulator makes the most sense.

If that's the case, then the fault for the confusion lies with either the reporter, or the campaign press release.

(2) "Shooting a 9mm is easy. At seven yards, anyone can hit the target, "

See "kyle"'s statement above about the 99th percentile. I, too, have seen plenty of bad shooting.

And like kyle, I am pretty annoyed with the whole gun culture. And I say this as somebody who was very active in the gun rights movement during the Clinton years, and owns several dozen firearms (including 4 Beretta 92s, which is why the one in the picture looks wrong to me).

I'm a life member of the NRA, because it makes my gun club dues much cheaper, and being in the NRA is a requirement to compete in some matches. But I'm lucky that my gun club is actually a pleasant place to shoot, unlike many I have been to.

If my gun club didn't exist, I wouldn't bother joining another. It's as if most gun ranges go out of their way to make shooting an unpleasant experience, especially to the newbies we really need.

I believe that the gun culture, or gun club culture, is doing more harm to the gun rights movement than Sarah Brady and Charlie Schumer.

(3) For those of you in Carnahan's district, John Ross is considering running against him. See john-ross.net/congress.php . If you don't know who John Ross is, read his novel "Unintended Consequences."

[lowbeyond]

It's a Magazine, not a darn "CLIP" !!

[Kevin]

You destroy your image of supposed knowledge about firearms when you refer to a magazine as a "clip".