[J.D. Langendorph]

Yahoo has a link with some details:

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100618/.../us_utah_firing_squad

Winchester 30 cal. rifles (I'm betting .308 Win.) from 25 ft, on an indoor range. Sandbags to manage the ricochets. Reporters allowed to inspect the execution site after the fact noted "a strong smell of chlorine bleach, but no blood."

But here's my question: Five shooters and four live rounds. The fifth round is a blank "To provide the shooters with an element of doubt about firing a live round" -- or sentiments to that effect.

Here's the deal, even in a 30-30 Win. anybody who shoots can tell the difference between a live round and a bank in a 30 cal. centerfire rifle.

And they shoot at a target "over the heart." The heart is located just to the left of center at the level of the sternum. I imagine death is a result of massive cardio-vascular trauma, but that the accused loses consciousness from spinal cord trauma, neurogenic and vasogenic shock.

The Yahoo reporting is a bit grisly, but I have no problems with executions by firing squad. I just don't get the "four bullets in five rounds."

Seems like 44 mag, 240 gr. JHP would be a better choice for an execution, indoor range, 25 feet.

 

[TommyGunn]

From what I heard it was actually the Winchester 1894 in .30-30. A TV reporter was discussing the event, talking about how loud the rounds were and his surprise, even though he claimed he grew up in a house with a model 94 .30-30.
I read somewhere (forget the source) that the prison system in the state where this execution happened bought a load of Winnie '94s years ago for guards. They probably just used those I would imagine.

 

[Snake45]

From what I heard it was actually the Winchester 1894 in .30-30. A TV reporter was discussing the event, talking about how loud the rounds were and his surprise, even though he claimed he grew up in a house with a model 94 .30-30.

He prolly never heard five of them going off indoors at once before.

 

[ExSarge]

Re: Utah Firing Squad and Rhode Island

Yea, things do get loud in a confined space.

I'm sure the cop who fired the blank knew it if he had any sense at all.

Gee, you mean the observers were not fitted with ear muffs, safety glasses and body armor?

What's this world coming to.

At least in a Rhode Island school they made a kid get rid of his hat that he had decorated with toy soldiers in honor of our troops abroad. Their logic was that the soldiers had guns. Boy I'm glad they took care of that right away. No telling what could have occurred.

I wonder what those people who did that were thinking? Did they think those "Dear Boys" they taught years earlier were over there fighting with rocks or their bare hands?

 

[IrishCop]

Re: Utah Firing Squad and Rhode Island

Yea, things do get loud in a confined space.

I'm sure the cop who fired the blank knew it if he had any sense at all.

Gee, you mean the observers were not fitted with ear muffs, safety glasses and body armor?

What's this world coming to.

At least in a Rhode Island school they made a kid get rid of his hat that he had decorated with toy soldiers in honor of our troops abroad. Their logic was that the soldiers had guns. Boy I'm glad they took care of that right away. No telling what could have occurred.

I wonder what those people who did that were thinking? Did they think those "Dear Boys" they taught years earlier were over there fighting with rocks or their bare hands?

Yeah, Sarge, it would be hard for me to believe that the man with the blank didn't know it the second he fired it.

Does anyone else think that this method of execution is more humane and much less costly than any other modern method currently employed? The account states he was declared dead 2 minutes or so after being shot. Those subjected to electrocutions and hangings have taken 10 to 15 minutes from last jolt or drop for the heart to stop beating and being declared dead. Four rounds of .30-30 are sure a heckuva lot cheaper than lethal injection/gas chamber or whatever. Not that I'm real worried about the condemned's comfort, just the efficiency...

And at least the Rhode Island General in charge of the National Guard gave the kid the title of Honorary Brigadier General and a Challenge Coin "Medal". :thumbsup:

 

[ExSarge]

I was "volunteered" for a funeral detail where we fired blanks without the blank adaptors so we had to cycle the M1's by hand after each shot. It worked out well and I thought it was impressive as we had it all together at the time.

Anyhow, the recoil was absolutely nothing compared to firing a live round so that person surely knew he had a blank unless he never fired a rifle before, which I can't imagine being so.

 

[J.D. Langendorph]

Anyhow, the recoil was absolutely nothing compared to firing a live round so that person surely knew he had a blank unless he never fired a rifle before, which I can't imagine being so.

We fired blanks in training for the military. No recoil. I shoot blanks in a cannon. No recoil. The state of Utah is not going to use someone who's never fired a rifle as a member of a firing squad for an execution. Seems like you volunteer for this detail, you get live ammo. No exceptions as a "weasel factor" in the protocol.

 

[Charlie Petty]

I think it is a given that a shooter would know but don't you think the "blank" requirement is meant for the press and do-gooders?

 

[Skeptic49]

I think the blank round feeds the mental denial tendency. If you are looking for absolution.

Also the noise factor may contribute. I wonder if they used a 180 gr or 150 gr. I've fired both and the 150 gr has considerably less recoil.

Geoff
Who realizes people are complex.

 

[Snake45]

The blank thing allows each shooter's family to believe that their husband, father, son, etc. got it. And the shooters themselves, if they have any sense, will feed the fantasy. "I dunno, hon, I really couldn't tell if it was a blank or not. I think it was prolly the blank, though. I think my shot sounded different from the rest somehow."

I'm sure the shooters themselves know.

 

[ExSarge]

Good news from Rhode Island school.

Kid was allowed to wear his soldier hat after all.

Guess somebody came to their senses..

 

[HankB]

Good news from Rhode Island school.

Kid was allowed to wear his soldier hat after all.

Guess somebody came to their senses..

Hadn't seen that update, but if that's the case I'd say that public pressure & ridicule from across the nation came flooding in once the story went viral . . . the bureaucrats no doubt yielded while their blood was boiling and they were grinding their teeth.

Good.

They say sunlight is the best disinfectant, and publicizing their actions - including naming names - is a great response. (Who says the Internet isn't good for anything?)