9 Dec 99
A follow-up from a friend in the federal system:
“I had something similar happen to me during a student demonstration on the subject of pistol reloading. I was using a Browning Hi-Power, and this was overseas, so all the equipment we were using was old and poorly maintained.
In this case, the problem magazine was already in the pistol when the base plate broke off. We finally had to use pliers to pry the magazine out of the Browning, because the magazine safety kept the magazine from falling free. Browning HP magazines have no butt plate to speak of, and, when a magazine sticks in the gun, there is nothing to grab.”
Lessons:
Some complications are so egregious they take the gun out of action, at least in the short term. That is what back-up guns are for.
If you habitually use old and poorly maintained equipment, you stand a very good chance of paying a high price.
I won’t own a gun with a magazine safety.
/John
