Jeri, people are dying for real in the States because the gun lobby make the rest of us shut up, and I find that seriously wrong. Those of us who are good shots, who might have done it as a, well, I don't think it should qualify as a sport, but perhaps as a meditation, have had to give up because of the nutters, and that entitles us to a voice, to criticise the irresponsibly loose US mentality which keeps it that way. Yes, I have shot at Bisley too, I know the fascination and deny myself it.

Where I left this before the Cat outing, was asking OD to substantiate his authority. He wouldn't, which suggests he can't. I should out of courtesy, as I'll never ask someone to do something I can't do myself, this guy's a personal friend, I worked with him and a number of his colleagues, heck I paid their salary and pension, for twenty years - I can talk about him because he's become well documented with a chapter all to his little self in a major work on the Squadron. I wasn't one of them, but very close to them - and you never leave, even in retirement, they sought me out. My honorary rank is Colonel. I am, noduff, two degrees of remove from the US President and UK Prime Minister, I call someone and they call the bosses. I'm joining the Savile Club at the moment, spook central. A right dick, in other words.

Now, for all that OD has a reputation here, none the less it doesn't qualify him to dictate on weaponry from a position not perceptibly different from that of the parents whose poor kiddy just shot Vanna. My target is his ilk, not him specifically, but one has to start somewhere and he's responsible for more than a little claptrap on this subject here, which has its consequences.

Most guns are designed for adult hands and adult judgement, real accountability. That poor lassie had fired that Uzi in single-shot mode beforehand, until Vanna moved it to automatic. That to me was an accident not just waiting to happen, but inevitable, and still, still, even now, nothing's happening. Death by 9 year old, the hammer of the recoil of the entire magazine being loosed off in a fraction of a second needs big hands, big arms and a big body to control it. It's exactly the point I was making, that you must have correct protocols, and guns in the hands of kiddies are not correct protocols, they do not have the strength to be competent handlers of the weapons. The first weapon I fired was a .303 Lee Enfield No4 when I was 14, and that was only just in my control: as a single shot weapon, it was OK. There is no way a nine-year old female could control thirty-odd 9mm bullets, the recoil would have been double or triple her body weight, everyone around, the cameraman and her parents included, was at risk. We have been shown film in that context of kids as young as four pulling the trigger of weapons, admittedly held rather plus or minus by an adult, blasting live rounds in the general direction, one hopes, of the butts. But the way one of those guns was flopping around, some of the rounds must have missed the butts, and from that kind of assault weapon, might travel up to three miles (yes, I was taught how to design a rifle range, that was the safety zone behind the butts in the 1970s, I don't know if it's changed since). God help the neighbours and the local livestock.

That is a worked example of why the US protocols are incorrect, murderously so. If you must use guns, train with them under the orders of a qualified Range Officer working to strict discipline and routine, and not involved with the shooters. "With a magazine of five rounds, Load". Check all weapons are pointed downrange and under the control of the firers. "At the targets in front of you, five rounds, single shots, Fire." Try to count the bangs. "Cease fire, make safe." Check all weapons remain pointed down range. "Unload, open breeches." Working from the right hand endof the firing line, positively check each weapon is cleared, no bullets in the magazine or breech, weapon still pointed downrange. As each is cleared, the firer can make the gun safe, closing the breech block and applying the safety, and withdraw from the firing position without crossing in front of any weapon not yet made safe. Any untrained firer changing position other than minor adjustments to the grip causes an immediate "Cease fire".

Half the problem is that familiarity has bred abuse. You may be competent, until the other guy has proved it too, you must presume he is not. A trained man never minds the repetition and check, fail safe. Which is why the UK doesn't have guns, because that is safest.