Explosion in a tank at range east of Bend

[CoastRange57]

Not something you hear very often..


http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...ed_one_injured_after_e.html#incart_river_home

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[thirtycal]

Just saw this:

http://www.ktvz.com/news/explosion-in-tank-east-of-bend-injures-2-possible-fatality/36082806

Looks like Steve Preston's M18 Hellcat tank destroyer. This thing has been a fixture in the Military Collectors community here in PDX for years.

Doesn't look good. Not much more to say other than it's a sad story.

For those who don't know, here's what I'm talking about:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/this-hellcat-still-purrs-along-nicely-1443537440

thanks-
thirtycal

 

[thirtycal]

I always appreciated the owner's willingness to let kids get up close and even crawl around inside. Here's my daughter in the driver's seat:



Obviously I'm hoping the reports are incorrect and no lives were lost today. I guess we'll find out.

-thirtycal

 

[jim97701]

They're saying two fatalities on the local news here in Bend.

 

[clearconscience]

Was it a functioning cannon on there? I thought you couldn't have a functioning weapon on military vehicles? But I'm ignorant about that.

Very sad story. Prayers to his family.

Amazing what people like him do bringing history back to life.

 

[Flopsweat]

They're saying two fatalities on the local news here in Bend.

The article has been updated to "Two killed by explosion in WWII-era tank east of Bend". Sad. I hope none of them were kids.

 

[erudne]

I'm guessing the explosion was a stowed (blank?) round inside the turret

 

[tac]

Most WW2 tanks in private ownership here in UK have live main armament - it's not as though you can just toodle down to your local Walmart and buy a case of 76mm AP, now is it?

At re-enactment events most such vehicles I've ever seen shoot blanks for the show of it, but of course, in the USA things are different, and live rounds are shot - a lot - why else spend half a million dollars on a tank?

My main concern is the rather odd comment made by the sheriff - people taking movies 'for some reason...' What? You mean that watching a real WW2 tank firing real ammunition is such a ho-hum that nobody would bother switching on a camera to record it? Get real, Sheriff.

Whatever the circumstances, it's a real tragedy for two families - he got that right. Having spent a deal of time in tanks, there is positively no room for any kind of fumbling, particularly with live ammunition of any kind.

tac

 

[DieselScout]

My main concern is the rather odd comment made by the sheriff - people taking movies 'for some reason...' What? You mean that watching a real WW2 tank firing real ammunition is such a ho-hum that nobody would bother switching on a camera to record it? Get real, Sheriff.

tac

It wasn't just people standing around filming with their cell phones it was a real camera crew. If you look around the web, there is plenty of people with more information. I am not posting it because it's all speculative at this point. ARF15 had a pretty informed thread on it.

 

[Stomper]

I'm pretty sure that was the tank that was hired by my (ex) cousin-in-law (lives in Beaver Creek) for his kid's B-day party 15-16 years ago.

Dang...

 

[whiskeybill]

Just heard this one on the news this morning. Another "explosion" takes two lives on a gun range. Things like this will shut down ranges faster than anything folks. COSSA has leased this range land from the BLM, and they do not own it. I am a member there, and it has been a GREAT place to shoot. I do not know the details of this incident, but I do know this. The range is 25 miles east of Bend near Millican. It is fairly remote and quiet. I can take my travel trailer there, dry camp, and get some shooting in on targets. I can wander off to the public rangelands and do some varmint shooting. During the week there are seldom any visitors or other shooters out there, so it is quiet. I firmly believe that whatever these two guys were up to, they were taking advantage of the remoteness to go and play with something they had no business playing with. I have no way of knowing for certain, but this sounds a lot like the brain donor that blew himself up with tannerite last winter near Mt Hood. Regardless, this is bad press for the shooting sports, bad press that we do NOT need.

http://koin.com/2015/10/27/authorities-respond-to-explosion-at-shooting-range/

 

[etrain16]

The story says they were in a "WWII era tank" and were "handling explosives". This may be something more than tannerite in this instance.

Whatever it is, stupid people doing stupid things with guns or related to guns, certainly doesn't help our cause.

 

[Joe13]

I do not see how 2 dudes blowing themselves up inside a tank has anything to do with guns other then they happened to be at a shooting range.

Not to be a negative nancy but if they were not properly trained or using old munitions then they probably should not have been doing what they were doing.

On a side note - I want to belong to a range that lets you bring your tank to plink with

 

[whiskeybill]

I do not see how 2 dudes blowing themselves up inside a tank has anything to do with guns other then they happened to be at a shooting range.

Not to be a negative nancy but if they were not properly trained or using old munitions then they probably should not have been doing what they were doing.

On a side note - I want to belong to a range that lets you bring your tank to plink with

You just nailed it on the head my friend. "It happened at a shooting range". That is all the media and the low information public has to see to conclude that there are very dangerous things being done by very dangerous people at these obviously very dangerous gun ranges.

 

[mkwerx]

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-n...f/2015/10/2_men_killed_in_tank_explosion.html

It was Preston and his tank :/

 

[tac]

tac

 

[Velzey]

Very sad news...

 

[rick benjamin]

http://koin.com/2015/10/28/victim-of-blast-in-vintage-tank-owned-vehicle/

 

[fredball]

This so so sad

 

[clearconscience]

Dang 22, too young.