21 Sept 99
This from a friend in the federal system:
During a shoot-and-move stage of a local pistol competition two weeks ago, a competitor ran his gun (highly modified 1911 Colt) dry, and the slide locked to the rear. When the competitor exchanged magazines and depressed the slide-release lever, the gun went full auto the instant the slide dropped, in a flash discharging multiple rounds from the new magazine.
As a result, the competitor shot off two fingers of his left hand. Both were recovered and have subsequently been surgically reattached, and some return of function is expected.
Lessons: Highly modified 1911 pistols have a number of inherent safety problems. Unplanned spurts of full-auto fire is one of them. Race guns like the one mentioned above are for vacuous contest shooters who need to get a life.
In the process of getting a life, they need to learn to maintain a firm, master grip and avoid pointing guns at their own body parts!
/John
