Re: Movie thread...
Reply #114 –
How on earth does a live round find its way on to a movie set and in to a firearm that has been checked by the armourer? There is no way that anyone with very basic firearms training could mistake a live round for a blank.
There are protocols for firing weapons loaded with blanks in the direction of folk on or off movie sets. We were permitted to aim rifles and machine guns loaded with blanks directly at the "enemy" provided they were 10m or more away.
That is a ridiculous statement. Firearms are routinely discharged on the sets of many movies, and most Hollywood movies.
Baldwin must be devastated but the information released indicates that he was told the firearm was safe. If anything affects his career, it will be the psychological impact of accidentally taking a life.
Well said, David. Naturally as part of my military training (RAN) we were tirelessly drilled on firearms safety - it was a major part of our training. A 'live' round looks very different to a 'blank' round. Totally different. Only Mr Magoo couldn't tell the difference. My very first question when hearing of this tragedy was 'how the hell did a live round get onto a movie set?'
It was drilled into us even when using blanks, as you rightly pointed out, that the only safe distance was at least 10 yards (in those days)... preferably much further. AND, every firearm after use MUST be cleaned to ensure to ensure a pristine barrel (the infamous 'pull through'). The 3 weapons I personally became pretty proficient with were the Browning 9mm pistol, SLR17 long barrell and even the 50 cal machine gun (a beast of a weapon)... love how Sly Stallone could carry and fire one of those on his own - pure fantasy.
Naturally we all feel for Halyna's loved ones, colleagues and friends... but also Alec Baldwin. He trusted the professionals around him and was tragically let down. The fact he has spent time with Halyna's loved ones shows class and deep remorse.