**a .50-caliber pistol he was using recoiled and fired into him**
I’m sorry, but I don’t understand this. Can somebody explain how this happens?
As a shooter, I can’t imagine how that could happen. I could understand a recoil that would hurt a person nearby—but unless he were aiming the gun at himself I can’t see that happening.
If not help real tight a 500 smith and weston can come loose when fired rotate back causing a second firing of gun now pointed at your head
There was a gal killed like this when some guys gave her one to fire thinking it would be funny They were charged
One must be down range of the muzzle to be hit with a bullet.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand this. Can somebody explain how this happens?”
Recoil twists the gun upward so that it is pointing back at you at the same time you tighten your grip on the gun (and trigger) while trying to get control. Hard to believe that it can happen with a double action revolver but apparently it can.
RIP
There’s a youtube video of a bank robber killing himself with the recoil of a revolver he was using in the armed robber.
If this soldier was shooting a .50AE or 500 S&W it doesn’t surprise me. I’ve seen those guns fly right out of the hands of folks not familiar with the strength of those calibers.
I’ve fired these. I can easily see it happening. The recoil feels like you slammed your hand in a car door.
I load only one round at a time for this reason.
Start with a multi-shot .50 cal pistol
Fire the first shot without enough grip to keep the pistol from rotating from the recoil.
Pistol rotates in hand now points to head
Inertia takes over and moves the pistol backwards
Because the pistol is now rotated, the inertia pushes the finger against the trigger with considerable force, enough to fully action the trigger and thus the second shot.