Posted on 12/03/2021 5:43:02 AM PST by marcusmaximus
+1.
Wouldn't have been a problem if they'd used an American pin!
“I let go of the hammer and bang, the gun goes off.”
Alec learned something...that maneuver can fire a gun.
guess what moron. you fired the gun that killed someone.
He would have had to have fully cocked the hammer, and pulled the trigger to make it go “Boom”, unless it had been modified as a “slip hammer” pistol, with the trigger tied back or removed.
Pietta makes two types of copies of the 1873 Colt. One like the originals, and one with a transfer bar in which the hammer must be fully cocked to raise the transfer bar.
Below is a schematic of the two types made by Pietta. One like the old style and a transfer bar model.
https://www.vtigunparts.com/store/images/1873%20Pietta%20SA.png
One more thing I forgot about, when the hammer is cocked, a pawl connected to the hammer pushes up on the cylinder to rotate the next chamber into firing position. When in firing position the “bolt” on the bottom locks the cylinder into position.
If you thumb slips before the cartridge in the chamber is aligned, the firing pin will not hit the primer, but to one side.
To make it fire, the hammer has to be at full cock. If at full cock, then the trigger has to be pulled to make it fire.
He is guilty of Negligent Homicide no matter what. Again he should never have pointed the gun at anyone. Since Brandon Lee’s death, no one should be pointing a gun at anyone! They handle the angles and post-production. Almost none of the guns used in Hollywood modern productions are real, most are rubber.
Standard On Set Rules:
Blanks can kill. Treat all firearms as though they are loaded
Refrain from pointing a firearm at yourself or anyone else
Never place your finger on the trigger unless you’re ready to shoot
Anyone involved in using a firearm must be thoroughly briefed at an on-set safety meeting
Only a qualified person should load a firearm
Protective shields, eye and hearing protection should be used by anyone in close proximity or the line of fire
Any actor who is required to stand near the line of fire should be allowed to witness the loading of the firearms
Bingo! Absolutely correct.
***I think he was most likely squeezing the trigger the whole time.***
That would make the firearm work as a “slip hammer” firearm, one with no trigger or the trigger tied or pulled back.
The Brandon Lee incident involved random debris entering the barrel. When personally “clearing” a gun, nobody is expected to disassemble the device and literally look thru the barrel. Result was the gun passed a clearing check, and the blank inserted (which would be harmless beyond a few feet if fired directly at someone, which was the intent) pushed the unexpected debris at lethal velocity. THAT is an accident.
In contrast, Alec admits to handling a firearm he did not clear, pointing it at someone without good reason (cinematographer didn’t need be the target for the scene), was not aware of who was beyond the target, and for all legal purposes “pulled the trigger” (actual action coined “going off half-cocked”). This occurred in a context where history of accidental on-set shootings are now established history; Massee may have had the excuse of ignorance, but Baldwin does not.
I’ll be happy to research exact precedent, case numbers, and precise legal justifications for $80/hr. FWIW, I deeply studied NY weapons laws, to the point police used my writings for guidance. (Having moved, I’ve lost interest in that depth but retained the main concepts applicable in most jurisdictions.)
Don’t all firearms with an exposed hammer have this problem? Specifically if the safety is off. 1911’s, lever actions, walthers .... They all can be de-cocked and if your thumb slips while doing it “bam!” .? Newer newer guns have a de -cock switch That blocks the primer.
Not relying to you specifically. Half-cock notches are very deep and strong. Once the half-cock is engaged, it’s almost impossible to make the hammer fall by pulling the trigger. Whether or not the trigger is being pressed, if you release the hammer before it has reached the half-cock point, it will fall and could fire a round because the cylinder hasn’t rotated yet. Hold the trigger back as you pull back the hammer, and neither the half-cock nor the full-cock (sear) notches will be engaged. If you then let the hammer go, the half-cock may or may not stop it.
Because the half-cock notches are so strong and paralyze the gun, if you try to draw and fire when you have carelessly gone only to half-cock you will be unable to fire. This gets you killed in a gunfight, and THAT is the origin of “Don’t go off half-cocked”, not that the hammer can slip.
The hammer should never have been pulled back if the gun was not to be fired in that scene, which is what has been reported.
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