12-03-2021, 12:59 PM
(12-03-2021, 09:54 AM)Belsnickel Wrote: So, a little more about this particular instance. The firearm that was on set was a replica of an 1873 Pietta. This particular replica was designed with enhancements over the original model that are specifically designed to prevent the very thing Baldwin is claiming happened. The original model did not come with a transfer bar. For those that don't know revolvers, the transfer bar is used to prevent discharges without the hammer intentionally being cocked and released. The hammer on the old revolvers was flat and came in direct contact with the firing pin. Newer model revolvers have a differently shaped hammer that never directly touches the firing pin, but instead strikes a transfer bar, thus transferring the energy from the hammer to the bar to the pin. The replica Piettas have such a transfer bar. Transfer bars are raised by the cocking action of the revolver and lowered as the hammer falls. Pulling the trigger releases the hammer in such a quick motion that it strikes the transfer bar, but you can lower the hammer slowly in a safe manner. Anyway, this is all to say that the revolver had to have been cocked in order to fire, and it is literally a one in a million chance for that hammer to fall without the trigger being pulled.
The other thing to me with all of this is it would be moot if only proper firearm safety was being followed. Mechanical failures are rare, but they do occur. The three "always" rules are there to reduce incidents like this and to prevent someone being injured if there is a mechanical failure.
Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction is rule number one. Loaded or unloaded, doesn't matter. It wasn't pointed in a safe direction.
Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. This one is a little more difficult, but could you see how this could have been prevented if, say, immediately after the camera stops the armorer or another qualified individual takes control of the firearm and clears it?
Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. Simple enough. Keep your booger hook off the bang bang switch. Negligent discharges are much more common than a failure of the firearm, meaning that poor trigger discipline is the number one cause of a negligent discharge. Does Baldwin remember pulling the trigger? Maybe not. But I can say with 99.99999999% certainty that he did and it's because he was not following this rule.
Thank you for the more detailed explanation than I was prepared to type.
As you very accurately state, Baldwin is lying, or he's lying to himself to assuage his guilt. I suspect the former.
