8 Mar 01

This is from a friend who is teaching in the Middle East:

"I just witnessed what could have been a training catastrophe. A student was engaging a low-light, rifle training exercise, when his short-barreled Galil rifle (223) EXPLODED in his face. The entire top half of the rifle disintegrated! The student ended up with numerous lacerations on his face. He was bleeding profusely.

His eye protection (Oakey) did just that! The lenses have deep scrape marks, but his eyes and vision are okay. Had he not been wearing glasses, he would likely have been permanently blinded.

As a trainer, here is what I learned:

>Don't allow ANYONE on a range unless they are wearing adequate eye protection, CONTINUOUSLY. Students often take their glasses off and then forget to put them back on.

>Do not allow students to use old, corroded, or dirty ammunition or ammunition from dubious sources, particularly in rifles. This student was using ammunition that way lying loose in a bucket. It was moist, and many of the rounds were covered with green scum. Heaven knows where it came from! In any event, I instructed all students to stop using it. I should have banned it from the beginning.

Low-pressure, pistol ammunition is one thing, but high-pressure rifle ammunition, such as the 223 or 308, is capable of causing significant injury to both shooter and bystanders.

>Finish the fight! Even though this student was startled and hurt, and his primary firearm outright demolished, without hesitation, he dropped his rifle, drew his Glock 17 and continued the exercise. He didn't give up, and he didn't call a "recess." Good show!"

/John