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Don't Point Rifles at Your Head... Ever!
wtf?, chilling effects, policy, education Gruber links to an interesting image of the girl's rifle team at Drexel Institute in 1925.
As a former riflery instructor, this image instantly made my heart skip a beat. Why? Because most of the girls pictured are standing and have their rifles on the ground with the bolts open and barrels pointed upwards. In a few cases, like the far left girl (pictured here), the barrel seems to be pointed very clearly towards her head! Yikes.
I taught rifelry to kids as young as 10 at Jameson Ranch Camp (which is truly heaven on Earth for young kids, if you can afford it). Among many other things, we taught that when not shooting -- e.g., when posing for pictures -- one should remove the bolt from the rifle and point the barrel of the rifle towards the ground or the sky. When pointed upwards, the tip of the barrel should be above your head. Anyone not following these (and many other precautions) would loose their shooting privileges, period.
It's a great picture... but damn if it doesn't give me the heebie-jeebies.