School superintendent "accidentally" fires gun during class

dwarven1

dwarven1

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Superintendent accidentally fires gun during class

BILLINGS, Mont.—The superintendent of a rural Montana school district says he was showing students his black powder muzzleloader when he accidentally fired the weapon into a classroom wall during a history lesson.

Dwain Haggard, who used to be a Civil War re-enactor, was showing the gun to five students in Reed Point High School's American history class Friday when it fired.

No one was injured, and Haggard says he can't explain how the weapon was loaded.

He says he usually fires a cap during the demonstration, but this time there was a loud bang and the room filled with smoke.

The ball shot through the "o" in the word "North" on a wall map.

Haggard says none of the students' parents was upset with him. He described the incident as "bitter irony" because he has tried to increase safety in the school district west of Billings.
 
No, he intentionally fired it... he may have left a charge in there by accident, but fitting a cap and pulling the trigger was on purpose.

Good thing he kept it in a safe direction or there'd be calls for his head.
 
Treat every gun as though it's loaded.

Not really enough information here, but it sounds like he did exercise appropriate gun safety. He had it pointed in a safe direction, even though he didn't think it was loaded.
 
Shakes head.

I've actually wondered if re-enactors tend to develop an 'it's a toy' attitude about their guns. Sounds like this guy did. "I usually fire a cap" during the demonstration. Well, he just demonstrated why that's NOT a good idea.
 
Bob P said:
Shakes head.

I've actually wondered if re-enactors tend to develop an 'it's a toy' attitude about their guns. Sounds like this guy did. "I usually fire a cap" during the demonstration. Well, he just demonstrated why that's NOT a good idea.
Click to expand...
"You went full retard - never go full retard" [laugh]
 
One would think that as a re-enactor he would easily be able to explain how the firearm was loaded. It is strange, though that as a re-enactor he would load a ball. Suppose he used it at an event and killed someone?
 
a) what a dumbass.

b) I'm glad that, in violating some of the safety rules, he atleast followed some of the others, and therefore nothing overly ill came of the incident.
 
When I was in elementary school they had some revolutionary war expert/re-enactor come in and go outside and fire a black powder charge into the air. I specifically remember him putting powder down the muzzle and saying normally you would load a muzzle ball but he didn't want it to come down and hit anyone. We all went right out back behind the school and he fired it into the air. I thought it was cool. I wonder if they still let that guy go into Newton schools.

Mike
 
On the bright side, that's one lesson that probably made a memorable impression on the students. [shocked]

IIRC, wasn't there a re-enactor who was accidentally killed by something like this a year or two ago? I thought I read about it here, but I may be wrong.

At least this guy was practicing muzzle discipline.
 
center442 said:
IIRC, wasn't there a re-enactor who was accidentally killed by something like this a year or two ago? I thought I read about it here, but I may be wrong.
Click to expand...

I remember a few stories about guys with BP cannons doing some damage a while back. One put a ball through his neighbors house, and the other someone got hit with a ramrod left in the barrel.
 
atmay said:
I remember a few stories about guys with BP cannons doing some damage a while back. One put a ball through his neighbors house, and the other someone got hit with a ramrod left in the barrel.
Click to expand...

Yup, I remember the guy hitting his neighbor's house...

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...tally-Fires-Cannonball-Into-Neighbor-s-House?

Then there is the mother of all cannon accidents...

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...dently-blows-up-building-with-cannon...-DOH!?
 
FiremanBob said:
One would think that as a re-enactor he would easily be able to explain how the firearm was loaded. It is strange, though that as a re-enactor he would load a ball. Suppose he used it at an event and killed someone?
Click to expand...

Well, you never know when Billy Yank is coming over the next hill! You gots to be ready!
 
dwarven1 said:
Superintendent accidentally fires gun during class
Click to expand...

...in Reed Point High School's American history class Friday when it fired. WRONG! When he fired it. Guns do not fire themselves.

No one was injured, and Haggard says he can't explain how the weapon was loaded.

WRONG. It is simple. Haggard, you placed a powder charge, wad and then ball into the barrel and damped it with the damping rod. Then you added some powder to the firing block (or placed a cap on the striker), cocked the rifle and pulled the trigger. So STFU.

He says he usually fires a cap during the demonstration, but this time there was a loud bang and the room filled with smoke.

The ball shot through the "o" in the word "North" on a wall map.

Haggard says none of the students' parents was upset with him. He described the incident as "bitter irony" because he has tried to increase safety in the school district west of Billings. Good job, Haggard.
*sighs*
 
Sorry, but no credit for 'muzzle discipline'!

The moron should have checked the gun two or three times AT LEAST, before bringing it into a school where he intended to pull the trigger.

It's a school for crying out loud, the room next door could have been/may have been full of kids.


My take is that he lucked out, and that it's half a miracle that he didn't kill someone.
 
crazymjb said:
... I wonder if they still let that guy go into Newton schools.

Mike
Click to expand...

BWAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Are you kidding? I taught at Newton North for five years. I know the level of moonbat indoctrination happening in Newton. The chances of allowing this to happen in 2010 are absolutely zero. Howard Zinn himself could rise from the grave and try to bring in a "show and tell" firearm for a lecture and it would not be allowed.

Chris
 
Pete85 said:
Treat every gun as though it's loaded.

Not really enough information here, but it sounds like he did exercise appropriate gun safety. He had it pointed in a safe direction, even though he didn't think it was loaded.
Click to expand...

whaaaa.... isn't your first line in direct conflict with your second.

He gets no points for anything but being a dick.
 
When I was in 7th grade, a game warden taught a hunter safety course at our school (yes, we suspended regular instruction in favor of hunting -- this was Arkansas!)

He taught use a lesson about clearing guns that I've never forgotten. He held up a 1911 and asked, "Is this safe?" The whole class answered "no". He ejected the magazine and asked, "Is it safe now?" Everyone still answered "no". He racked the slide several times and asked, "Is it safe now?" The class agreed that it was.

Then he pulled the trigger and fired a blank. That's when I learned two things: extractors can break, and always visually check the chamber when clearing a gun.

Oh, and I also learned that a .45 ACP blank is really loud in a classroom!
 

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