From: boardman%cancer.unm.edu@lynx.unm.edu (Bob Boardman)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: SKS Slam-fire/full auto = $1.4 million
Date: 11 Jan 93 23:31:26 GMT
Organization: UNM Cancer Center

In article <930107234210_71773.3463_DHG72-1@CompuServe.COM>,
    71773.3463@CompuServe.COM (Brian  T. Millin) writes:
##From the San Jose Mercury News, 1/7/93
#
#A 1.4 Million dollar settlement has been awarded to the widow and children
#of a man who was fatally shot in the back by his own military style rifle
#that malfunctioned and sprayed bullets around a shooting range.
#
#To paraphrase, two years ago John E. Murray let the bolt drop on an SKS-47
#sold as the "Cowboy Companion" by Navy Arms when it slam-fired and went
#full auto. It tore loose from his grip and moved backward, firing one
#bullet through his back killing him instantly. The rifle dumped 7 rounds
#in less than one second, lodging under the tire of his truck 38 feet away.
#
#The exporter, the importer, the distributor and the local shop are all to
#pay a portion of the award. A local gunsmith testified that he had
#personally seen 4 malfunctioning models in this county alone, and the
#settlement requires Navy Arms to publish warnings in national firearms
#magazines. The Navy Arms attorney called the death a freak accident, then
#went on to say that the firm warned people to test-fire the weapon because
#it had been known to slam fire.
#
	There have been a number of SKSs which would fire full-auto as
  they were delivered (A friend of mine happened to get one where the
  hammer followed the bolt, causing full-auto fire until the magazine
  was empty - I believe this is more common with the stamped trigger
  groups than with the milled ones.

        *****HOWEVER, SLAM-FIRES CAN BE CAUSED BY IMPROPER BOLT RE-ASSEMBLY
  IN SKS RIFLES*****

	If the firing pin is placed in the bolt upside-down, the relief
  notch which allows the firing pin retaining pin to retain the firing pin
  while still allowing front-to-back motion of the firing pin will be on the
  wrong side - if the retaining pin is forced into place with the firing
  pin upside-down (sometimes not too difficult to do if the bolt is a
  little "sloppy"), it can "pin" the firing pin in place with the tip
  protruding from the bolt face - this will cause a slam fire and full-
  auto operation if the gun is fired in this condition.  *** MAKE SURE
  YOU HAVE THE RELIEF CUT ON THE FIRING PIN POSITIONED SO THAT THE RETAINING
  PIN GOES THROUGH IT!!! ****

 	Of course, in this case mentioned above, several other safety rules
  were violated as well - Whenever you go to fire a military surplus weapon,
  particularly a semi-auto, you should NEVER place more than one round into
  the magazine for the first shot, and if you haven't had the headspace
  verified by a gunsmith, one is wide to shoot the first shot "remotely",
  by tying the gun to a old tire and pulling the trigger via a long cord.
  Carefully examine the case for pressure signs - if everything appears O.K.,
  then try loading TWO rounds in the magazine and fire it once, checking for
  proper feeding and operation.  Only after this sort of testing should more
  than two rounds be loaded into the magazine.

	There are lots of great old military surplus weapons around, and
  this is not to imply that they shouldn't be shot, only that proper safety 
  procedures should be strictly followed.  ***** BE CAREFUL OUT THERE *****

  -Bob

  should be follwed
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|**I _AM_ a member of a well-regulated militia - self-regulated, that is!!!!**|
| Bob Boardman,Albuquerque,New Mexico - NRA LIFE, NMSSA, Zia Rifle&Pistol Club|
|        internet:boardman@cancer.unm.edu    bitnet:BOARDMAN@UNMB             |
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