As interesting as it is to discuss new gun options and availability, support of Second Amendment rights, or to provide and accept advice toward gun use techniques, sometimes it can also be interesting to review ridiculous and bizarre stories about guns which somehow made it into national news. Most gun owners have a few favorite myths they’ve heard over the years. Here are a few you might enjoy.
Baltimore Police Carry BB Guns to Plant
Last year, this story was actually proven in court, it happened, but the context explains it better than court records. Baltimore police officers had a joke about carrying a replica handgun, or realistic looking BB gun, to throw down in case of a shooting to justify their actions. As tasteless of a joke as it might be to the layman, anyone who has served in the military or with a local police force understands the stress and pressure of being trained to de-escalate a situation while also being prepared to use the necessary amount of force, even lethal force, as needed. Yes, some officers took the joke too far and actually brought BB guns to work, but no — they never intended nor would actually place them on a crime scene.
Oven Roasted Bullets
Once heard, the story of hiding a gun in an oven and then a wife turning the oven on, resulting in spinning guns slinging bullets in every direction, is too much fun to hear not to retell. The truth is, guns and modern ammunition just don’t work that way. The heat of an oven at 425 degrees is not going to ignite the primer in a bullet. Theoretically, heat could warp the metal or expand certain parts allowing the firing pin of the weapon to contact the back of the cartridge igniting a spark to ignite the primer, but no. Today’s manufacturing standards are too high to allow for such a malfunction. With that said, your gun will be fine after extreme heat, although it would be advisable to have a reputable gunsmith conduct a thorough safety inspection of the weapon after such an ordeal. Better yet — use common sense and store your gun somewhere other than the oven. This story was originally reported in May 2018.
Flying Gun Lodged in Car
Perhaps the most bizarre story, the origins of which can’t be ascertained through internet research other than the tale has been told in different contexts over the years, is that of the gun in the hood, grill, or headlight of a car. The May 2018 story presumes a criminal disposed of a gun by tossing it over a bridge, and the unfortunate responsible gun owner happened to be driving through at “just the right moment” and found it later as an explanation for damage to their car.
Gun owners are known to be personable and their sense of humor is reflected in these stories, each of which allows for variant retelling and additional jokes to be added. Even though the stories have been debunked as untrue, they still make for great conversation among friends or at a dinner party when small talk is required to build toward a more intellectual conversation.
~ Firearm Daily
