[Closed] Deepcut

With a fully auto weapon, quite probably. An SA80 will take under half a second to fire five rounds.

Is it possible to self inflict 5 gun shots to the chest?

Probably, If you've change lever to full automatic and not single shot.
And the SA80 is short enough to be turned around and pointed at oneself.

Could you hold the trigger down backwards for the duration? Wouldn't the recoil move the rifle around a bit if it isn't supported by the rest of your body?

Seems a bit far fetched to me...

Could you hold the trigger down backwards for the duration

For under half a second?

Yes, I'd reckon so.. I've seen some "interesting" firing happen on the ranges..

Seems a bit far fetched to me...

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction?

Not saying I don't agree, but having been a Squaddie at the time this was all happening, not surprised.

We had several try to end it during basic.

Bottom line is, no matter what has happened, there are people still grieving for this loss of life..

if you are pointing an SA80 at yourself in full automatic mode the recoil could quite possibly result in the trigger being "pressed" for a second / a good couple of rounds.

what's the stats for people killing themselves by intentionally shooting themselves in the chest?

I thought head was more usual, but as I've no actual data I guess that could just be a lazy trope.

Something was very very wrong at Deepcut.

Something was very very wrong at Deepcut

Indeed. Strange how Cheryl James seemingly shot herself using her SA80, but the bullet recovered from her body wasn't military issue........

I would imagine that if you held an SA80 muzzle to your chest, placed the butt against a fence post and leaned onto it whilst pulling the trigger it would be possible to fire way more than 5 rounds from the weapon.

Having never considered shooting myself, does anyone know why you'd consider the chest a good target? I thought tradition was a shot through the mouth into the brain. Chest shots seem unnecessarily painful and prone to failure. Even trying to hit the heart would be difficult?

Although not RLC, I went through an RLC troop at Pirbright for my basic training in 98. The attitude of their DS was terrible compared to other cap badges DS. The rumours going around the Platoon about phase 2 at Deepcut made me and the other non RLC lads happy we were off elsewhere.

I was back in 2003 with the royal anglians and we had to cover the gate duty at the back of Deepcut (where a lot of the shootings happened) when the road was opened at certain times during the day. The RLC phase two soldiers weren't allowed to.

As for 5 rounds to the chest, I reckon it's doable.

Having never considered shooting myself, does anyone know why you'd consider the chest a good target? I thought tradition was a shot through the mouth into the brain. Chest shots seem unnecessarily painful and prone to failure. Even trying to hit the heart would be difficult?

Its difficult to second guess the decisions of someone in that state of mind - to make choices that would be that efficient or effective is in itself an act of self preservation of sort - you'd be trying to protect yourself from harm. Someone who's sufficiently rational to think that way clearly isn't the same person who's also sufficiently irrational to pull the trigger. People will probably do what first occurs to them which is why you get 10 times as many failed suicide attempts as successful ones.

OP,

Yes, possible with fully automatic Glock hand gun but I doubt they were issued one (automatic version but may be standard non-automatic version).

Squeezing the trigger will release 2-3 shots so depending on how long you squeeze the trigger for.

I remember this happening, I was also serving at the time. The loggies were calling the place deepshit, which was actually quite imaginative for them.
One thing is for sure, the culture in that place was rotten and the trained guys avoided the place like the plague before all of the deaths. One member of commando logs called the place "horrible in the worst way"
Unrelated to deepshit, I'd still like to know what happened to a friend of mine;
http://www.stamfordmercury.co.uk/news/was-steven-killed-by-his-friend-1-491080

Is it possible to put 5 rounds in your own chest? Although I have fired the weapon in question many times, I'm no expert. I would imagine so, considering you could well still be alive after the first 2 or 3.

I went through Deepcut in 94 (after a fun filled 10 weeks at Pirbright) and the bullying was very real. There was one particular Sgt who looked after the stores who had a Napolean complex and loved to dish shit out to all us new recruits. I was lucky that the cookhouse very kindly gave me severe food poisoning so I was able to spend 3 months in Cambridge Military Hospital and escape his beatings.

I struggle to believe that with all the opportunities to top yourself that anyone would use an SA80 placed against their chest.

I have had friends who passed through Deepcut. Always something strange there, odd how it would persist through decades. I cannunderstand training should be tough and at times uncompromising but the number of incidents is troubling

odd how it would persist through decades.

These things (bullying or tolerance thereof) normally filter down from on high, so unless all the mgmt is replaced, the attitude won't be purged.

These things (bullying or tolerance thereof) normally filter down from on high, so unless all the mgmt is replaced, the attitude won't be purged.

I think the specific details of the ability to shoot oneself five times in the chest is of great importance here, but not to the detriment of the plainly obvious - something was deeply wrong at that place.