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Posted on 12/03/2021 12:33:12 PM PST by budj
Baldwin said he pulled the hammer back and released it and the pistol fired without pulling the trigger. The pistol was a replica Pietta, but we don't know now if it had a transfer bar. Assume it doesn't.
Has anyone here ever had that happen, or have known that it happened?
Let’s suppose that that happens. Hey! I have an idea, let’s see whether dropping the hammer on an SA without pulling the trigger fires the gun! First, pull the hammer back, then, aim the gun at that assistant director over there, and then, let go of the hammer!
Is that what Alec is claiming happened?
Because that looks like it would be worth criminal charges to me.
the cowboys in the old movies used to just fan the hammer for rapid fire
Normally, one would pull the hammer all the way back until it engaged the sear (cocked). IF one is just playin’ around with it, I suppose one could pull the hammer back far enough, but not quite engage the sear, and IF freely released, it would have enough power to light off around.
Regardless, who was holding/playing with the gun? Who was pointing at people? Who broke every single firearm safety protocol there is? THAT is the person responsible...Alex Baldwin.
If you don’t pull it back far enough to lock in place, the hammer will drop.
Ever see those westerns where they use the side of the hand to slap the hammer back over and over to get rounds out quick?
Single action means the trigger only does one thing - drop the hammer. You pull the hammer back and you hear a click, meaning it’s “locked” in place until you pull the trigger.
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oh, the old Fanner 54!
Universal Citation: NM Stat § 30-7-4 (1996 through 1st Sess 50th Legis)
30-7-4. Negligent use of a deadly weapon.
A. Negligent use of a deadly weapon consists of:
(1) discharging a firearm into any building or vehicle or so as to knowingly endanger a person or his property;
(2) carrying a firearm while under the influence of an intoxicant or narcotic;
(3) endangering the safety of another by handling or using a firearm or other deadly weapon in a negligent manner; or
(4) discharging a firearm within one hundred fifty yards of a dwelling or building, not including abandoned or vacated buildings on public lands during hunting seasons, without the permission of the owner or lessees thereof.
NM law says that negligent discharge is a misdemeanor, but its a crime none the less. Add in homicide...
30-2-3. Manslaughter.
Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a human being without malice.
A. Voluntary manslaughter consists of manslaughter committed upon a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion.
Whoever commits voluntary manslaughter is guilty of a third degree felony resulting in the death of a human being.
B. Involuntary manslaughter consists of manslaughter committed in the commission of an unlawful act not amounting to felony, or in the commission of a lawful act which might produce death in an unlawful manner or without due caution and circumspection.
Whoever commits involuntary manslaughter is guilty of a fourth degree felony.
Baldwin committed involuntary manslaughter, the unlawful act being negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Trigger must be pulled
On a single action revolver if you have the trigger pulled back and you pull back the hammer and then release it the gun will fire. Quick draw shooters do this all the time. Also, a transfer bar has nothing to do with this function.
“Who was pointing at people?”
Guns are pointed and fired at people in countless movies. After millions of rounds fired this way amazingly there have not been that many accidents.
No. The problem lies elsewhere.
The big problem was the loose screw holding the pistol.
Fanning is holding the trigger done and rapidly pushing the hammer back. with the trigged already pulled the hammer will release and fire the bullet.
But the trigger must be held back in the firing position
and many times the gun exploded
Good assumption on no transfer bar.
One of three things happened:
1) The hammer was pulled back only far enough to NOT ENGAGE the half-cock sear, and that little force when the hammer was released was enough to set off a very soft primer, and Baldwin is an idiot.Can you spot the common element in all three scenarios?B) The half-cock sear notch was broken off of the trigger assembly (which can happen, and is the origin of the phrase 'don't go off half-cocked') so the hammer was pulled almost all the way back, but not far enough to engage the firing sear, and when the hammer was released the half-cock notch did not catch the falling hammer and the blow set off the primer, and Baldwin is an idiot.
III) Baldwin had the trigger pulled when he fully cocked the firearm - the hammer spring is very stiff and it is easy for a novice to inadvertently pull the trigger when squeezing his fist struggling to thumb back a very stiff hammer, and because the trigger was pulled, the half-cock sear notch was out of the way and the hammer hit the firing pin, and Baldwin is an idiot.
usually the cowboys were holding the trigger in.
Pietta clones of the Colt single action revolver have been manufactured in two different configurations.
One configuration is that identical to the original Colt. On that model, the hammer can be cocked back, and it will fire only if the trigger is pulled OR if the hammer slips out from under the thumb while in the process of lowering the hammer in what would be referred to as “manually decocking” the revolver.
The other varient has an internal hammer block that will only allow the hammer to strike a round (and fire it) if the trigger is fully depressed.
I would say this revolver was a clone of an original Colt, without the hammer block. Baldwin got careless and let the hammer slip from beneath his thumb...
The question is did the Pieta replica have a transfer bar or not. They make two versions. The bigger question why a live round on a set? It's becoming more plausible this was an accident. However, the armorer is going down for not checking for a live round or losing chain of custody.
Two situations come to mind: (1) He didn’t pull the hammer back far enough to engage the sear (lock) (2) A defective or worn sear might not hold the hammer. I had that happen on a 22 rifle once, the smallest jar would drop the pin when it was cocked. Remington had some ongoing lawsuits related to a similar issue with some of their rifles - the gun would fire on its own even if the safety was on.
Gun parts, including safties, are mechanical devices, and can fail. That is one of the reasons you never point a gun at anyone.
The movie set scene is somewhat different as far as gun rules, but there are safguards in place designed to keep people from getting hurt even under those circumstances.
As far as Arec Baudwin, the guy is a jerk, and a sociopath as well.
Pietta made versions both with and without a transfer bar. The early transfer bar models, the bar was weak and could break. Since Pietta service is pretty bad (EMF now handles it), folks would just have a gunsmith remove it.
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