Soldier shot in shoulder during Tekapo live firing training exercise

Soldier shot in shoulder during Tekapo live firing training exercise

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-...ining-exercise

An investigation will be launched after an army soldier suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder in an accident during a live field firing training exercise at Tekapo Military Training Facility last night.

The private, a member of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment’s 2nd 1st Battalion based at Burnham Military Camp, was taking part in a night live-firing exercise when the incident took place, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement released this afternoon.

He was treated by New Zealand Army medics at the scene, before being transported to Fairlie by a NZDF ambulance, from where he was airlifted to Christchurch Hospital.

The injured soldier is in a stable condition and is scheduled to undergo surgery, the statement said.

The soldier and his family are being supported by the New Zealand Army.

The live-firing component of the exercise was suspended immediately following the incident.

Strict rules govern live firing on ranges and careful contingency plans are in place, which were immediately carried out, the statement said.

The New Zealand Army takes its health and safety responsibilities seriously and an investigation into the incident will be launched, it said.

Playing with rifles and live ammo without a licence has it down side?:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Maca49

Playing with rifles and live ammo without a licence has it down side?:thumbsup:

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Unfortunately Id say us licensed users probably have more accidental shootings than the defense forces.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Unfortunately Id say us licensed users probably have more accidental shootings than the defense forces.

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There are a lot more FAL holders than soldiers though in NZ VC. That said we don't do the same sort of shooting that they would have been doing during a night live fire. I have seen the sky alight with tracer and machine guns with glowing barrels from sustained fire during some of the night live fire sessions I participated in as a soldier. I agree though that the Army is generally extremely good at ensuring there is no one forward of the firing line.

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Originally Posted by Rushy

There are a lot more FAL holders than soldiers though in NZ VC. That said we don't do the same sort of shooting that they would have been doing during a night live fire. I have seen the sky alight with tracer and machine guns with glowing barrels from sustained fire during some of the night live fire sessions I participated in as a soldier. I agree though that the Army is generally extremely good at ensuring there is no one forward of the firing line.

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Yep.
Now if was a percentage of bullets that hit the target Id say it would be the other way.

Being licensed or not has nothing to do with it. Licensed firearms owners use firearms vastly different to how soldiers use weapons.

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Originally Posted by Feral

Being licensed or not has nothing to do with it. Licensed firearms owners use firearms vastly different to how soldiers use weapons.

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Exactly.

I know a soldier that used his foot to clear a stoppage (hard extraction?) on a C9 when the barrel was pointing at his head, it fired, he was lucky it was only blanks in it and learnt his lesson.

Hopefully whoever it was recovers well.

Sucks, but it was a night time live firing exercise. Shit occasionally goes wrong. Fuck I almost once copped a solid burst from a C9 in the head when they put a total nutsack on top cover... In broad daylight.

You can drill/practice as much as you like but you some times can't beast out stupid. And other times shit just gets wrong.

Best wishes for recovery for that Private regardless.

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Originally Posted by Feral

Being licensed or not has nothing to do with it. Licensed firearms owners use firearms vastly different to how soldiers use weapons.

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Spot on. How many licensed people actively shoot in close proximity to their mates with military spec weapons.

Hopefully the answer is: 0

Despite best efforts, accidents will continue to happen. It's human nature.

Nobody is infallible.

Pretty sure one of our members is down there on the training exercise at the moment, hope he wasn't involved.

They called it friendly "Fire" when I was in the military. I'm fucked if I'd call a soldier or a mate that shot at me a friend!Hope the soldier has a speedy recovery.

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Originally Posted by Preacher

Spot on. How many licensed people actively shoot in close proximity to their mates with military spec weapons.

Hopefully the answer is: 0

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Service Rifle, 3-gun, multi-gun.

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Service Rifle, 3-gun, multi-gun.

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True, I hadn't considered that. Still not really the same thing though surely.

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Originally Posted by Preacher

True, I hadn't considered that. Still not really the same thing though surely.

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Definitely not in the same league

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Service Rifle, 3-gun, multi-gun.

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I thought those classes still banned full automatic fire? IE not military spec?

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Originally Posted by Maca49

Playing with rifles and live ammo without a licence has it down side?:thumbsup:

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I would say in any given year most of those soldiers shoot a lot more than any of us and would probably outshoot us all!


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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

I thought those classes still banned full automatic fire? IE not military spec?

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Civvies can't use/fire full auto firearms, collectors can have them just not allowed to use/fire them

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Originally Posted by Kiwi Greg

Civvies can't use/fire full auto firearms, collectors can have them just not allowed to use/fire them

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Exactly.

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Originally Posted by Rushy

There are a lot more FAL holders than soldiers though in NZ VC. That said we don't do the same sort of shooting that they would have been doing during a night live fire. I have seen the sky alight with tracer and machine guns with glowing barrels from sustained fire during some of the night live fire sessions I participated in as a soldier. I agree though that the Army is generally extremely good at ensuring there is no one forward of the firing line.

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Personally it surprises me that more injuries don’t happen. But from personal experience I found them well run and expertly controlled .


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For anyone who can’t quite visualize what they do

https://youtu.be/jDPl45_F02A


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The part that still puzzles me is why systolic's only posts on this forum are links to articles about firearms accidents or illegal activity. Does he not have any other interests?

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Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Service Rifle, 3-gun, multi-gun.

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Can't think of any stages or courses of fire where you have mates firing from a distance with their rounds impacting a couple of meters in front of you while you crawl close enough to post a grenade.

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Originally Posted by kiwioutdoors

I would say in any given year most of those soldiers shoot a lot more than any of us and would probably outshoot us all!


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You need to go watch them shoot then....

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The Army required all the "baggies" & "grunts" to phone home last night to let family know that they were all okay [well sadly except one] I was pleased about that as my Grandson is at Burnham doing Corps Training ATM..
Shit does happen..

And?

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Originally Posted by GDMP

Some of them would certainly shoot more than most civilian shooters (not all,but most),however I am not so sure they would outshoot us.Of course they tend to be younger men with good eyesight and health etc they have an advantage in that regard for sure.

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Yes I agree
More replying to the concept that somehow a license makes you a safer shooter. As per earlier comment by someone. I would expect that the vast majority of soldiers to have excellent safety skills and drills. All though tiredness can make accidents more likely.


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Originally Posted by GravelBen

The part that still puzzles me is why systolic's only posts on this forum are links to articles about firearms accidents or illegal activity. Does he not have any other interests?

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Tons of other interests. I'm often just the first to post the articles and I don't not post articles just because it might show guns, gun owners or users in a poor light.

And surely an article about someone getting shot fits perfectly into a section of the forum called Firearm Safety with a subtitle of 'Discussion of firearm safety and training'?

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Originally Posted by systolic

Tons of other interests. I'm often just the first to post the articles and I don't not post articles just because it might show guns, gun owners or users in a poor light.

And surely an article about someone getting shot fits perfectly into a section of the forum called Firearm Safety with a subtitle of 'Discussion of firearm safety and training'?

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Sure, I'm not saying it isn't relevant or that we shouldn't learn from other peoples mistakes. Just seemed odd that I never seem to see any other posts from you, whereas most forum members show a bit more variety and make positive posts as well as negative. Whatever floats your boat though!

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Originally Posted by kiwioutdoors

I would say in any given year most of those soldiers shoot a lot more than any of us and would probably outshoot us all!


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Not from what I have seen!

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Originally Posted by stretch

Can't think of any stages or courses of fire where you have mates firing from a distance with their rounds impacting a couple of meters in front of you while you crawl close enough to post a grenade.

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Shooting in close proximity yes. Shooting full-auto and throwing grenades, no.

I don't even see the logic in New Zealand having an Army. Its such a waste for a country that can ill afford this luxury. The risk of having an invasion by a foreign power is almost impossible. Furthermore we have the USA and Australia as protectors.

We might as well lease out a few areas in the country to these foreign powers so they can do their own training at their expense and risk.

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Originally Posted by vbull

I don't even see the logic in New Zealand having an Army. Its such a waste for a country that can ill afford this luxury. The risk of having an invasion by a foreign power is almost impossible. Furthermore we have the USA and Australia as protectors.

We might as well lease out a few areas in the country to these foreign powers so they can do their own training at their expense and risk.

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Your kidding?

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Originally Posted by vbull

I don't even see the logic in New Zealand having an Army. Its such a waste for a country that can ill afford this luxury. The risk of having an invasion by a foreign power is almost impossible. Furthermore we have the USA and Australia as protectors.

We might as well lease out a few areas in the country to these foreign powers so they can do their own training at their expense and risk.

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Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahaha. Ease up on the natural remedies there fella, you're going to do yourself more of a brain injury.

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Originally Posted by vbull

I don't even see the logic in New Zealand having an Army. Its such a waste for a country that can ill afford this luxury. The risk of having an invasion by a foreign power is almost impossible. Furthermore we have the USA and Australia as protectors.

We might as well lease out a few areas in the country to these foreign powers so they can do their own training at their expense and risk.

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Are you from the Yoga centre by the range @Rushy and them use?

gee lets humour the fella and play that one out........ lets pretend for a moment that say Kimmy gets an inkling to come down under as the weather looks better so he loads up a few ships and bowls on into wellington harbour and first job is piss bowl the beehive (some would say plurry good start) then just sets up his own people to rule /govern however the hell he sees fit......no one to stop him,why would the Yanks or Ozzies bother to come to our aid???? if we wont come to thiers anymore had roles been reversed...... sure our poorly underfunded and resourced armed forces might only be able to slow him down on thier own but you can bet your bottom dollar they would all go down trying and the resistance movement that would follow would be absolutely gobsmackingly effective in a country this size.....with our current armed forces or what was left of them out and about causing havock on small scale backed by well armed civies it would be hell on earth for any country foolish enough to try it.... be plurry hard to starve out Kiwis who know how to live off the land. the Yanks and Ozzies would be here in a flash as would the Brits etc etc we still a part of the commonwealth afterall. what a dumb thing to post....lets just shut down our army as its not needed........shaking my head as type that.

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Originally Posted by vbull

I don't even see the logic in New Zealand having an Army. Its such a waste for a country that can ill afford this luxury. The risk of having an invasion by a foreign power is almost impossible. Furthermore we have the USA and Australia as protectors.

We might as well lease out a few areas in the country to these foreign powers so they can do their own training at their expense and risk.

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Purpose of nzdf is much more than defence from invasion

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Originally Posted by vbull

I don't even see the logic in New Zealand having an Army. Its such a waste for a country that can ill afford this luxury. The risk of having an invasion by a foreign power is almost impossible. Furthermore we have the USA and Australia as protectors.

We might as well lease out a few areas in the country to these foreign powers so they can do their own training at their expense and risk.

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You sound like Helen Clarke when she neglected to buy the f16s and M1 Abrams for a steal.

If we didn't have our own forces then we'd be easily bullied by Australia and other regional powers. We have no strategic value so no one will bother defending us.

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