Posted on 11/01/2021 3:58:29 PM PDT by xxqqzz
On Oct. 21, the 42-year-old was accidentally shot by Alec Baldwin with a loaded weapon that was handed to the actor by an assistant director who mistakenly believed it was safe to use on the New Mexico set of "Rust." Responders flew the 42-year-old in a helicopter to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Director Joel Souza was also hit and injured but has since been released from the hospital.
On Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said in a press conference that a lead projectile that was taken from Souza’s shoulder came from the F.LLI Pietta Long Colt .45 caliber revolver that Baldwin, 63, fired during a dress rehearsal for the Western at the Bonanza Creek Ranch studio. The weapon in question is described as a black revolver manufactured by an Italian company that specializes in 19th-century reproductions.
"When you’re using period guns from the Western era of the U.S., they don’t require any modification at all to fire a blank," weapons armorer Bryan W. Carpenter told Fox News. "The guns from the 1800s are all mechanically operated. Meaning you have to do something each time to make the cylinder rotate and the gun fire. In the case of Alec Baldwin's gun that he used on this set… you would have to physically cock the hammer back with your thumb each time you wanted it to fire and then pull the trigger. Then cock the hammer back and then pull the trigger each time. It’s done manually."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The armorer also indicated that the Assistant Director should not have handed Baldwin the weapon. Only the armorer should have handed it to him. Also, she should never have let it out of her sight. Presumably, the way it was handled on "Rust" someone could replace the gun or load a bullet into it, and it might be hard to determine who did it.
He also points out that 19th century revolvers like that had to be cocked and fired. It is sort of either or. Either the gun went off accidentally or Baldwin intended to fire. It is hard to fire that weapon by accident. This has not really been made clear, whether the gun went off or he pulled the trigger.
Single action revolvers do not just “go off”.
I don’t know if it’s true, but I read that he was practicing a “cross draw”.
F.LLI Pietta Long Colt .45 looks like a fun period reproduction.
I have considered getting one, only because my state is open carry and all the banks require a face bandana.
The least charge than could be brought is manslaughter, by reckless handling of a weapon. “Shoulda, coulda, woulda” does not mitigate the chain of events in the least.
Waving a pistol, or in this instance a revolver, like some kid with a cap pistol, in an obvious bit of horseplay, displays an egregious lack of discipline and maturity.
Alec Baldwin is not known for maintaining honesty, maturity, or self-discipline. Karma is such a b!+c# kitty.
45 Colt, still effective in the 21st century. My favorite pistol cartridge.
I thought I read Baldwin had shooting or gun experience. What if the actor doesn’t have the knowledge to check the gun? If the movie industry wants to make an effective change, they should train everyone who might handle the gun on gun safety. I keep hearing people who know gun safety saying Baldwin should never have pointed the gun at a person.
That doesn’t sound like a gun that can be fired “accidentally”.
Too many manual steps.
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“..Single action revolvers do not just “go off”...”
I wouldn’t leave the hammer down on a live round though, but yeah, it takes human physical action to cock the hammer to fire the revolver. IMHO, he deliberately fired it whether he liked the end result or not.
With a SA revolver, it is easy to check for ammo. It is also very easy to see if they are blanks or not. And for practice? You can totally unload the gun and practice 1,000 times with ZERO chance of injury to anyone. Unless you drop it on your foot!
Also, people say, “An actor shouldn’t be expected to know...” Hogwash! If you are going to use guns on the set, YOU have a RESPONSIBILITY to know HOW to use them right. Period. It is like saying, “I put the actor in a sports car and it isn’t his fault he didn’t know how to drive....”
If he didn’t know, he should have ASKED!
I haven’t fired a revolver in a long time, but many years ago when I was in LE my issued weapon was a revolver. My recollection was that when I cocked the hammer I fired the round under the firing pin, but it did not turn to the next round. When firing we pulled the trigger and it turned, firing the next round, squeeze the trigger again and it turned to fire the next round.
If you are in a fire fight you are pulling the trigger, not cocking the hammer.
That was a double-action revolver. The movie gun was a single-action revolver.
A lot of people seem to have forgotten pretty much every shoot 'em up movie they have ever seen, including westerns. Actors point (and fire) guns at other actors and at cameras on sets every day. This is why it's so critical that additional safety procedures are used to ensure a live round is NEVER on set, and that actors understand that even blanks can be dangerous. The armorer should have checked the gun and personally handed it to Baldwin, who should have checked again, verifying every round was an inert dummy as was required for the scene.
I still don't know why live rounds would EVER be used on a movie set.
Better yet, just have a “mature double” stand in whenever one of these Holleyweird idiots has to do something that requires a functioning brain. I have little doubt this moron was simply horsing around with this firearm with no forethought of the potential consequences. The “armorer” probably got her job after applying on Baldwin’s casting couch.
Sir,
Your service revolver was a Double Action piece. It could either be thumb cocked and fired or it could be trigger cocked and fired.
The DA revolver has been around a ling time, some early examples predate the Single Action revolver.
This weapon in this case is a SA revolver, a modern copy of the 1873 Colt.
Thanks for your LE service.
Modern SAA (Single Action Army) revolvers have a safety built in to prevent accidental discharge through dropping or hitting the hammer (I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk and Blackhawk in 41 Magnum).
If this is a true replica, the firing pin is built into the hammer. Used to have a true 45 Long Colt SAA. Had to be careful, and carry with an empty chamber under the hammer.
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