Oops

Apparently Roanoke County cops had some issues with an armorer not sticking a firing pin back in a gun. I’d also add to the discussion here that if I had someone work on my gun, I’d at least field strip the gun to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. All the more reason to learn how to do basic maintenance on your own. It kind of amazes me, given that police are far more likely to need their firearms than ordinary citizens, how little effort many put into not only competent shooting skills, but into basic firearms maintenance skills.

7 thoughts on “Oops”

  1. Ouch. I’ve never got a gun back from the smitty or agency armorer and NOT run a few rounds through it to ensure all is well and that I can trust my life to it.

    That also doesn’t bode so well or speak highly of their armorer. . .

    JD

  2. All people make mistakes, even the best of us. This armorer could have been top gun material and had a bad day. It happens.

    What should not happen is a LEO carrying a firearm missing a fracking firing pin since 2010 and not notice it won’t go boom until 2012 when he is facing a felon pointing a shotgun at him. I don’t care what people think of the armorer…what the frack was the cop doing wearing a gun he had not shot in almost two years?

    The article is ambiguous in ways that make me think they are covering for someone. They claim it had no firing pin but worked before and after the incident in question. I call BS. No firing pin means no fire. That means this LEO “qualified” using a gun that could not shoot.

    There is a lot of stink with this story. Suspect we won’t know the answers for a long while, if ever.

    But anyone who cleans, repairs or works a firearm without test firing it after is plain dumb. Sorry, but until it goes boom it is not a gun. I know there is religion out there around spic-n-span guns, but not with me. I clean my guns and then make them dirty immediately after. Until they go boom again I don’t trust them. I’ve never had one fail to go boom after preventative maintenance, but I know the day I fail to test is the day it will fail.

    Again, something sticks about this story.

    1. Sounds like in the story the gun was shot on the range and worked, and just failed this time due to improper parts.

      Maybe the spring bound in the firing pin channel, but I’m not sure how that would work…and then not work..

  3. When I was in the service we would be issued a 45 when our duty demand we carry. I would always break down the weapon, clean and grease it before going out with it. Trust yourself, not others.

  4. When I worked at several nuclear facilities I had chances to observe the security officers weapons. The best needed a wiping down and the worst looked like they were used for stirring “honey” pots. Many of them had damaged optics. Remember that these people were the first line of defense. Made me feel all warm & fuzzy inside.

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