American Gun Ownership Highest In 18 Years

[Ed Anger]

Its still unpunche....OOOF!

[CountDeMoney]

Armed Man Waiting for Raccoon Accidentally Shoots Self While Sneezing: Police
The man was lying in wait with a rifle for a pesky raccoon

Police in Connecticut say an 81-year-old man who was lying in wait with a rifle for a pesky raccoon accidentally shot himself after sneezing and falling from a chair.

New Haven police say James Pace Sr. shot himself in the shin at his home Saturday night. The injury wasn't life-threatening.

Pace told authorities that a raccoon had been scratching at his back door for several days and he was waiting for it with a .22-caliber rifle. Police say he sneezed and fell from his chair, then realized he had accidentally shot himself.

Pace's son drove him to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Police detectives seized the rifle and are investigating the incident.

MAH KLEENEX

[Malthus]

Armed Man Waiting for Raccoon Accidentally Shoots Self While Sneezing: Police
The man was lying in wait with a rifle for a pesky raccoon

Police in Connecticut say an 81-year-old man who was lying in wait with a rifle for a pesky raccoon accidentally shot himself after sneezing and falling from a chair.

New Haven police say James Pace Sr. shot himself in the shin at his home Saturday night. The injury wasn't life-threatening.

Pace told authorities that a raccoon had been scratching at his back door for several days and he was waiting for it with a .22-caliber rifle. Police say he sneezed and fell from his chair, then realized he had accidentally shot himself.

Pace's son drove him to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Police detectives seized the rifle and are investigating the incident.

MAH KLEENEX

How the fuck do you accidentally shoot yourself in the leg while holding a rifle?

I'm guessing his story is bullshit. 

[derspiess]

How the fuck do you accidentally shoot yourself in the leg while holding a rifle?

I'm guessing his story is bullshit. 

I can see it happening-- he's old and probably has bad trigger discipline.

[Malthus]

How the fuck do you accidentally shoot yourself in the leg while holding a rifle?

I'm guessing his story is bullshit. 

I can see it happening-- he's old and probably has bad trigger discipline.

I mean physically. If you are holding the rifle, sitting in a chair, the barrel is poking out in front of you, or to the side if you are holding it in your lap, finger on trigger. Even if you fall down, it is hard to see how you could fall in such a way as to have the barrel pointing at your leg, with your finger still on the trigger.

[derspiess]

I mean physically. If you are holding the rifle, sitting in a chair, the barrel is poking out in front of you, or to the side if you are holding it in your lap, finger on trigger. Even if you fall down, it is hard to see how you could fall in such a way as to have the barrel pointing at your leg, with your finger still on the trigger.

You wouldn't hold a rifle like that.  I wouldn't hold a rifle like that.  But I can imagine Paps sitting there with the rifle in his lap and his legs stretched out, to where the muzzle is either pointing at his shin or moves in that direction when he sneezes.  Unless maybe his legs are really, really short or the rifle is really, really long.

[Malthus]

I mean physically. If you are holding the rifle, sitting in a chair, the barrel is poking out in front of you, or to the side if you are holding it in your lap, finger on trigger. Even if you fall down, it is hard to see how you could fall in such a way as to have the barrel pointing at your leg, with your finger still on the trigger.

You wouldn't hold a rifle like that.  I wouldn't hold a rifle like that.  But I can imagine Paps sitting there with the rifle in his lap and his legs stretched out, to where the muzzle is either pointing at his shin or moves in that direction when he sneezes.  Unless maybe his legs are really, really short or the rifle is really, really long.

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

[CountDeMoney]

How the fuck do you accidentally shoot yourself in the leg while holding a rifle?

Easy.  A gun is involved.

[derspiess]

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

You're over-thinking this.

[merithyn]

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

I know of at least one kid who did it in high school. Damn near shot his foot off. It can certainly be done, and yeah, usually not by someone very bright.

[DGuller]

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

You're over-thinking this.

I'm all for thinking things through, but this is one of those cases where you should just try it and see.

[Caliga]

I'd figure out a way to do it.

[Malthus]

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

I know of at least one kid who did it in high school. Damn near shot his foot off. It can certainly be done, and yeah, usually not by someone very bright.

"Foot" does not equal "leg".

[Malthus]

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

You're over-thinking this.

I'm all for thinking things through, but this is one of those cases where you should just try it and see.

You first. 

[Malthus]

Try it with a stick the length of a rifle. There is literally no reasonable position you can be in where the muzzle of the rifle points to your leg while your finger is on the trigger. You have to tip the butt *up* a lot, which you can do deliberately but is hard to see how you could possibly do by accident.

Unless the guy is holding it one-handed and pointing at one's leg, but that's a pretty unnatural way to hold it - lots of strain on the wrist. If one was reclining, the obvious way to rest the gun would be across one's legs, making it very difficult to shoot oneself *in* the leg.

My guess is that dad was shot in an accident or dispute involving other people (most likely the son that drove him to the hospital) and is covering up for them.

You're over-thinking this.

I'm just pointing out his "accident" sounds real suspicious.