Today I’m doing something I don’t think I’ve ever done before: Take a video I’ve already linked from a LinkSwarm and put it up here, because there are a lot of important lessons to learn.
You should watch all of this:
On April 9, Scott Allen DeShields, Jr. of Kentucky Ballistics was shooting old SLAP rounds through his single-shot Serbu RN 50 when a hot round burst the chamber, shearing the threads off his locking cap and sending pieces of metal flying back at him. Damage included a lacerated jugular, in-tubing a collapsed lung without anesthetic, orbital bone repair and 5 pints of blood.
Him surviving was a combination of being very lucky, having a father with law enforcement training right there to help slow the bleed, and doing exactly the right things to get him alive and conscious to treatment (the ambulance met them halfway, and then had him life-flighted to Vanderbilt Hospital).
Here, Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons discusses the accident, what went wrong (and right) in the aftermath of the Kentucky Ballistics malfunction, and covers in-battery and out-of-battery failure modes for various firearms.
He has some very good advice that goes beyond basic firearms safety. One of the most important is: If something seems “off,” stop and try and figure out what it. The life you save could be your own…
Tags: .50 BMG, first aid, Guns, Ian McCollum, Kentucky Ballistics, Scott Allen DeShields Jr., SLAP round, stop the bleed, video
As you noted in the Linkswarm, this is also a good case for taking a “Stop the Bleed” course and having appropriate “stop the bleed” gear with you at the range.
For me, it reinforces my desire to take a more comprehensive first aid course, like the ones the Red Cross offers.
I was present at a similar incident at a range outside of Houston in 2013 (see: https://www.military.com/video/guns/rifles/50-cal-blows-up-in-shooters-face/3223685684001)
In that case, it was a Vulcan rifle that the shooter was supposedly firing for the first time ever. The receiver broke, and the bolt embedded itself in the shooter’s neck/shoulder.
I was on the pistol line nearby, and when the RSO screamed for “a shitload of towels” I threw him one of those pre-packaged trauma kits that included Celox and a bandage. The RSO (or another nearby one) had some medical training in the Army, got their act together, and stabilized the guy pretty quickly. He then laid there for what seemed like 20 minutes before the EMTs arrived.
Looking back, I’m disappointed that the RSO didn’t have an IFAK on his person, or at least a grab & go trauma bag within a few seconds reach.
As for me, I keep a more serious IFAK in my range bag these days. One that includes a throw & go stop-the-bleed pouch as a *part* of the kit. I hope I never have to use it (or watch someone else use it) again.
I’m glad this incident had a good outcome. Thanks for sharing.
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