RO Fatally Shot at NY USPSA Match

[RJ]

I'm down for changing safety rules as result of real-world outcomes, and I have worked a number of professional jobs with safety rules written quite literally in blood, but I don't see what can realistically be done or changed to USPSA that would be able to address this particular incident. I shoot at local indoor club that hosts weekly matches, with mostly CO or Production shooters, so this more than academic to me.

I dunno, to be honest. Stop matches for a brief period and have clubs conduct a review of the rules we have in place now? Just spit balling.

I’m also familiar with safety as a professional. I was involved in an ASW weapon system in the UK in the 90s, based on the EH101 platform. During flight testing, one of our pre-Prod helo’s spiraled into a mountain. We lost the Italian Chief Engineer for Augusta, the test pilot, and two Royal Navy crew members. That day sucked.

We learned later that the (new design) rotor brake had apparently engaged in flight, heating up the (new design) carbon-fiber control rods. They melted. At that point they were passengers. We were grounded 18 months while the team came up with a solution (we reverted back to steel control rods, iirc.)

I hope that USPSA takes the opportunity to review everything in the rule book, stem to stern, so we can determine if any changes do in fact need to be made to lessen the risk of this happening ever again.

[RJ]

Given their past track record, I think the organization's reaction will be to not react at all.

Well, if they do, good luck surviving the $5M wrongful death lawsuit.

[Bergeron]

Allow Production and CO guns to start with hammer on decock notch. This is what I’ve been doing, unless told otherwise.

Allow or mandate start on deock notch? I agree that this is safer, and have no problems with it. What about hammer guns without decock/half-cock notches?

[farscott]

Most rifles and shotguns are not drop safe. Firing pin blocks on handguns didn’t really become a thing until the 70s and 80s. This was one of the things that drove the dominance of double action revolver’s in law-enforcement for so long.

S&W added the drop safety feature to hand ejector revolvers after a dropped revolver on a ship caused a fatality in the early 1940s. I believe Colt added the "Positive Lock" feature that accomplished the same thing decades earlier.

[Clusterfrack]

Allow or mandate start on deock notch? I agree that this is safer, and have no problems with it. What about hammer guns without decock/half-cock notches?

I don’t have a good answer. At this point, I would say “recommend”?

[Jim Watson]

Rule change?
OK, no manual decocking, period. Your CZ (if not a D model) is in Limited only.

[Bucky]

Rule change?
OK, no manual decocking, period. Your CZ (if not a D model) is in Limited only.

Sure, let’s make the most popular guns used in production no longer viable.

[Duelist]

S&W added the drop safety feature to hand ejector revolvers after a dropped revolver on a ship caused a fatality in the early 1940s. I believe Colt added the "Positive Lock" feature that accomplished the same thing decades earlier.

S&W had a drop safe design prior to that unfortunate sailor’s death. It wasn’t good enough to keep that revolver from firing when dropped to the deck from the extended height (IIRC) it unfortunately launched from. They improved the design significantly.

[Clusterfrack]

Rule change?
OK, no manual decocking, period. Your CZ (if not a D model) is in Limited only.

Manual decocking isn't a problem.

[Jim Watson]

Sure, let’s make the most popular guns used in production no longer viable.

As the owner of a .45 revolver, my sympathy is limited.