So, there I was at my table a gun show yesterday. As I was sitting there
staring straight out into the void (yes it was a slow day), a youngish
guy (less than 35, & could have been in late twenties) held out a
rather large rifle that appeared custom made. Had a nice white steel
barrel (likely stainless) as he took a live round from a dealer. He then
placed the round into the chamber of the rifle. I was about to get up
and say something. I likely would have explained something about that
being dangerous but right then I realized he had the bolt out of the
action. Still, it was potentially dangerous because of such poor
adhesion to show etiquette, to the rules and to firearms safety and add
to that any other knuckllehead moves increasing the potential danger.
(For instance, he might have tried again later after putting the bolt
back in and then absent midedly loaded it with a live round and close
the bolt making it all to ready to go kaboom). Luckily, besides them
doing something both against the rules and very stupid, it at least
posed no imminent threat to anyone. Suddenly and unexpectedly, he left
out the side door. He came back in the same way a fewor several minutes
later. The bolt was in his left hand and rifle in his right hand, as I
recall.
Before I even had the chance to stand up, he went right back to the same dealer and they tried at least another round. Then he left again. I had hoped to speak to him about what he had just done but he was gone before I could hobble around my table (a very bad hip day today, was it) to get to him. While he had still been outside, I had taken a brief few moments to Google search for 'How to determine the caliber of a rifle that has no markings' - that or something very similar. I pretty much expected what came up, of which first on the list was an article by Shooting Times. It described what I had just seen and a bit worse in what some folks do regarding trying to determine the caliber of their guns and just out getting it very wrong. The first thing the author said about trying to determine the caliber by dropping rounds into the chamber was that that method is extremely dangerous (probably the worst way) because many rounds may seem to fit but in essence that shooting just one shot of the wrong sized ammo could cause serious injury to both the firearm and to the shooter. He went on to describe how a gunsmith (or anyone with specific know how) could obtain a cast of the chamber size using a proven method and proper tools. Once measu1red you would be able to track down the proper caliber by checking proper data sources. I had been about to go over to the dealer to show the article when the guy came back in and started over again; then he was suddenly gone again.
Once he was gone, I copied the link, then went over to the dealer and I spoke to up. The dealer seemed momentarily surprised when I explained how dangerous that method could wind up being in the end but listened and caught on quickly. I explained that the end, of course, might not be merely a ruined gun and maybe an injured whatever1 but could result in the dealer being sued and or being criminally prosecuted. Imagine who would be believed, when the shooter might swear, truthfully or not, that the dealer had told him that was the best way to size the chamber to the right sized caliber and then sold him the ammo that blew up his gun and injured him; the dealer quite possibly claiming that the dealer had told him it best to contact a gunsmith. Of course, that is all hypothetical but in today's world of sue, sue, sue and prosecute, prosecute, prosecute - it's all quite possible, even probable, if injuries would have had actually resulted and those prosecutions and law suits would be against not only the rifle owner (if a third party was hurt) but the ammo dealer and probably at least the show promoter too.
It wound up the dealer tracked him or a friend of his down and the ammo was returned. The dealer also sent him the link to the article that I had supplied. I am pretty certain the dealer will never do that again and I must admit, I briefly was unnerved in a very disquieting & alarming manner in as much as the dealer had worked with the guy trying to figure out the correct caliber by dropping rounds into the chamber and I would have thought the dealer would have known better. I have known the dealer from several shows over at least a few years now and I have never seen the dealer do anything else even potentially dangerous before today's exercise of poor judgement. I think a lesson was learned and neither would ever repeat that. The dealer later told me the guy who had been trying to figure out the caliber had been quite receptive to getting the article link and to having the issue explained to him. Hopefully, they will not repeat it because one stupid mistake all too often leads to another, or maybe to more than merely one more, and such a chain of events can lead to a catastrophe.
Before I even had the chance to stand up, he went right back to the same dealer and they tried at least another round. Then he left again. I had hoped to speak to him about what he had just done but he was gone before I could hobble around my table (a very bad hip day today, was it) to get to him. While he had still been outside, I had taken a brief few moments to Google search for 'How to determine the caliber of a rifle that has no markings' - that or something very similar. I pretty much expected what came up, of which first on the list was an article by Shooting Times. It described what I had just seen and a bit worse in what some folks do regarding trying to determine the caliber of their guns and just out getting it very wrong. The first thing the author said about trying to determine the caliber by dropping rounds into the chamber was that that method is extremely dangerous (probably the worst way) because many rounds may seem to fit but in essence that shooting just one shot of the wrong sized ammo could cause serious injury to both the firearm and to the shooter. He went on to describe how a gunsmith (or anyone with specific know how) could obtain a cast of the chamber size using a proven method and proper tools. Once measu1red you would be able to track down the proper caliber by checking proper data sources. I had been about to go over to the dealer to show the article when the guy came back in and started over again; then he was suddenly gone again.
Once he was gone, I copied the link, then went over to the dealer and I spoke to up. The dealer seemed momentarily surprised when I explained how dangerous that method could wind up being in the end but listened and caught on quickly. I explained that the end, of course, might not be merely a ruined gun and maybe an injured whatever1 but could result in the dealer being sued and or being criminally prosecuted. Imagine who would be believed, when the shooter might swear, truthfully or not, that the dealer had told him that was the best way to size the chamber to the right sized caliber and then sold him the ammo that blew up his gun and injured him; the dealer quite possibly claiming that the dealer had told him it best to contact a gunsmith. Of course, that is all hypothetical but in today's world of sue, sue, sue and prosecute, prosecute, prosecute - it's all quite possible, even probable, if injuries would have had actually resulted and those prosecutions and law suits would be against not only the rifle owner (if a third party was hurt) but the ammo dealer and probably at least the show promoter too.
It wound up the dealer tracked him or a friend of his down and the ammo was returned. The dealer also sent him the link to the article that I had supplied. I am pretty certain the dealer will never do that again and I must admit, I briefly was unnerved in a very disquieting & alarming manner in as much as the dealer had worked with the guy trying to figure out the correct caliber by dropping rounds into the chamber and I would have thought the dealer would have known better. I have known the dealer from several shows over at least a few years now and I have never seen the dealer do anything else even potentially dangerous before today's exercise of poor judgement. I think a lesson was learned and neither would ever repeat that. The dealer later told me the guy who had been trying to figure out the caliber had been quite receptive to getting the article link and to having the issue explained to him. Hopefully, they will not repeat it because one stupid mistake all too often leads to another, or maybe to more than merely one more, and such a chain of events can lead to a catastrophe.
All the best,
Glenn B
