The only ones professional enough. Only this time with casualties.

[Spyvie]

MatthewVanitas, those pics will keep me from bashing the modern French military, especially the second one.

The serviceman in the lower right doesn't look like a wine and cheese kind of guy.

 

[Crunker1337]

Maybe it was a weapons malfunction of some sort?

 

[Cosmoline]

First rule in operation.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I refuse to let this thread turn into a French bash.

The fact is this is a pretty serious screw up, French or any other force.

There is going to be little room for praise of the folks that allowed this to happen, either through negligence or intentional criminal acts.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

I agree, but we shouldn't pretend that this is just a French thing.

 

[Shung]

as I said, a very similar thing happend in Brasil a couple years ago. I think they were law enforcement forces.

 

[svtruth]

Well

the French did offer us help when we needid it during the Revolution, but even blanks throw a lot of nasty stuff out of the pointy end.
even the francois version did not say how it happened.

 

[svtruth]

Well

the French did offer us help when we needed it during the Revolution, but even blanks throw a lot of nasty stuff out of the pointy end.
even the francois version did not say how it happened.

 

[Shung]

for sure, they werent blanks.. now it's just a matter of time to know if its a HUGE mistake or a mad criminal act.

 

[TexasRifleman]

I agree, but we shouldn't pretend that this is just a French thing.

I don't think anyone is doing that, but there's a long history of French army jokes, some earned some not so it should come as no surprise that there will be humorous attempts to lighten up what is in fact a great tragedy.

 

[Odd Job]

.Cheese. wants to know

didn't this just happen in England?

That was a prefragmented shotgun slug, IIRC. It was fired at a vehicle in a training exercise.

 

[86thecat]

My guess is simunitions should have been used not blanks

http://www.simunition.com/cartridges/fx_training_en.php

Was not aware these existed. Would scare the crap out of me having someone shooting at me with a real weapon using different bolt group and play ammo. At least the blank adapter would cause a KB if real ammo was used.

 

[Picard]

I think it's time for the French military to turn their weapons in.

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

"Were in trouble, quick call someone.....someone other then the police."

 

[usmarine0352_2005]

I think it's time for the French military to turn their weapons in.

It's for the children and public safety.










No, really, it is.

 

[strangelittleman]

Yep, a BFA would be needed in order to make the rifle function w/ blanks. It sounds criminal to me....
The French have excellent troops.
I have trained w/ French Marines & the Foriegn Legion, they are real hard troopers, very professional. Incidentally the French just laid a severe pounding on the Taliban in the Khandahar area, over the last week or so.
Pres. Sarkosy looks to be a real stand-up guy....He's sending about 2,000-3,000 more troops to Afghanistan in the coming months.

 

[Spyvie]

I think it's time for the French military to turn their weapons in.

But Jean Luc, aren't you betraying your countrymen?

 

[atblis]

I don't know

I don't think we have the story quite right.

Nobody was killed, so I kinda doubt that shot a bunch of spectators with live ammo.

The simmunitions thing might be good theory.

Maybe live rounds fired into a blank adapter. People getting peppered with shrapnel/fragments.

EDIT: Slightly more details
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7480483.stm

 

[Picard]

But Jean Luc, aren't you betraying your countrymen?

It is sad that it had to come to this. I'll even issue the executive order.

"Make it so."

 

[LightningJoe]

Don't you need a blank adapter (barrel restricter) to operate the action when shooting blanks?

That's why they had to use the "blanks" that worked without the adapters.

 

[PercyShelley]

Crazy! When will more details be forthcoming? It's simply mind-boggling that things could have gone so pear-shaped.

 

[Mil-Spec45]

Maybe they need to take 15 seconds of an NRA course...just long enough to get to the part that goes something like "Do not point at anything unless you intend to destroy it".

My little brothers know not to point their BB or airsoft guns at people, come on.

 

[barman]

I don't know what to say, except that I'm utterly shocked.

How could something like this be an accident?

It HAS to be a criminal act.

 

[dogmush]

At least the blank adapter would cause a KB if real ammo was used.

Nope, At least on an M16 the BFA comes apart and little bits of hot metal go flying everywhere.

Truly a tragedy. Seems like training needs to be stepped up somewhere along the line.

 

[30 cal slob]

shocked, and at the same time, amazed nobody was killed outright (it was live ammo, right)?