This is extremely unfortunate… the instructor in the video died:
Sure we all know guns are awesome, and automatic ones are even more awesome. Probably millions of kids have shot automatic guns under adult supervision and never hurt anyone or themselves, just like millions of kids have “driven” a car on their dad’s knee. If a rule is put in place where kids can’t legally shoot automatic firearms at a rental establishment though, do the terrorists win? I don’t know, but I do know that since there isn’t a law in place, there should be common sense in place in the mind of the instructor. This girl was clearly tiny, and didn’t know what she was getting herself into, so the decision needed to be made for her and her family. I’m just glad she wasn’t the one who ended up dead. At 9 years old living with the fact you killed someone though has got to be incredibly traumatizing, I can’t even imagine.
The video on the CNN page references the incident I also remember in 2008 where a little boy shot himself accidentally with an auto UZI at a gun fair.
Thoughts?
Comments
15 responses to “Do The Terrorists Win If We Don’t Let Kids Shoot Auto Firearms?”
Sad… And it’s not gonna do any good to shooters.
Even got reported in French news, them ‘journalists’ love to have an opportunity to relate how scary the US can be, with all these guns…
This is a case of “stupid parents” and a not so smart firearms business . The family was on a summer vacation and I suspect this was a “something to post on Facebook and show off” moment. I’m mean 1 round on semi and you think she’s ready to go full auto , not very smart on the part of the “instructor”. But that’s what you get when you treat a firearms business like it’s an god damn “amusement park” .
I agree. Hard to call that guy an “instructor”
I let my year old throw grenades all the time and nothing happens, WTF?
Nothing happens, you mean the grenades don’t explode? LOL.
You didn’t teach him properly how to remove the pin…
9 year old girl 1
inept “instructor” 0
I just feel badly she has to carry this on her like it might be her fault. adults are supposed to protect kids from stupidity. I hope she doesn’t end up on the pole because of this.
Sad to pin it on the deceased instructor but he could have said no or suggested a semi auto or something more controllable with a longer barrel and this wouldn’t have happened.
That whole situation was just full retard in general. I fault most everyone, (no I’m not saying it’s ALL the girl’s fault) but really??? Oh yeah go ahead and mag dump it on full auto, you were great on one shot, and don’t stop pulling the trigger, no way.
agreed. full retard on so many levels. She probably went from never having touched a firearm before to firing full-auto 1000rpm just like that.
Also, I read a few reports that generally stated the weapon was an “Uzi”, but it specifically seemed more like a “Mini-Uzi” or “Micro-Uzi”, which both have significantly higher rates of fire (~1000rpm) compared the the standard uzi (~600 rpm). Maybe if it had been an actual standard “Uzi”, it would have been easier to control.
“Start with doing a few strings on semi, to get a feel. Then put two in the magazine and shoot on full auto. Then work up to three. Then five. At each step, evaluate how well the person is exercising control. Then work up to ten. Full magazines don’t come until the person being instructed shows they can maintain authoritative control over the firearm.”
http://www.pagunblog.com/2014/08/26/lessons-not-learned/
For me and my yard tards (kids) the order of learning I used for them was:
1. Red Ryder (no eyes were put out)
2. .22 bolt action rifle
3. Ruger 10/22
4. .22 revolver
5. The fun stuff
They are teens now and I still watch them like a hawk. Because they’re teens.
Sorry for this dude’s family but, and I hate to say it, he set the situation up for the accident that resulted. It was a lack common sense that killed, and it only takes a second for something very wrong to happen.
R.I.P.
Well I’m never going to be able to see the “grab your helmet cuz it’s about to get retarded” patch from ITS the same…
As a matter of practice (and not law) I think kids under 12 should generally be limited to longer benched guns for any “full auto” experience. A full auto micro uzi has got to be one of the worst choices for ANY less experienced shooter period. Felt recoil is greater since it is so light and because the barrel is short its easier to sweep. I set my suppressed 300BLK SBR (w/ subs) on a heavy duty tripod for my under 6 year olds first range outing. She had a blast plinking steel suppressed with minimal recoil. No physically possible way that rifle was pointing anywhere but down range.
Meant to say under 7 / almost 7 year old.
I don’t have any problem with adults owning Uzi’s or any fully automatic weapons. I don’t have a problem with adults owning as many guns as they want, or carrying them in public. I have a HUGE problem with allowing children to participate in the same activities as adults if those children are not fit to do so.
The girl in that video looks like she’s about 4 feet tall. 48 inches. There are roller coasters in theme parks across the country that have 52″ height minimums. No one complains when children are denied access to rides they’re not big enough for. Why should they be operating short-barreled machine guns they’re not strong enough to control? And for God’s sake, a machine pistol at that? They might as well have given her a Glock 18.
If your kid absolutely has to shoot something full auto before they’re big enough to handle an Uzi, find a nice 20″ barreled M16 or, better yet, a belt-fed machine gun that’s been mounted on a permanent tripod and doesn’t require any strength to keep pointed in a safe direction.
Or maybe…and this is a novel idea…just tell your kids “no.”