has been having fun with this pic already. Hopefully he will drop a few of them off for us.

Major Safety Violation.

Unless it was staged, in which case it’s fake.

So take your pick, dangerous or fake.

There’s no way that’s a real gun. If it is, it’s got the safety on, and/or it’s not loaded. If it is real, and it’s loaded, those cops are idiots of the highest order. So many things wrong with that image it’s hard to know where to start.

Not to mention those two idiots looking on and smiling.

are likely to get hurt by flying casings, too.

The good news is that this photograph came from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, which means it probably was entirely faked to help the Carnahan campaign.

I made certain assumptions looking at the 2 officers standing there and didn’t actually LOOK at the photo for the problems till I read them.

You’d think they’d be at an actual range. But not with flags and a filing cabinet behind them.
Maybe they have ear plugs. Nope. Not there.
Maybe the camera is a remote on a tripod? Considering the rest? Not likely.

So, I vote for Faked. Either that or 4 people who need to lose their jobs and their hearing.

EYE protection? What for?
You Really have to screw up to get hit in the eye with anything. And if it’s a ricochet, how many pieces of eye protection are bullet-proof?

Who is this guy’s campaign manager? That’s just great, you want my vote and you show me an image of your guy pointing a gun in my general direction? But isn’t that so fitting a metaphor for what the Democrats are doing to us.

Shooting is very loud indoors, ( Don’t do it…) without hearing protection, and glasses are recommended, especially indoors where the brass ricochets about.
Looks more like an office of some type.

I wish I’d realized there has to be the photographer downrange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8Fzp2Ur5WU

I think this one of the best youtube campaign pieces so far

He’s wearing open toed shoes? At least he’s wearing a collared shirt so that none of the hot brass falls down his neckline to burn his manliness.

I am confused from some of the other posters comments . . . is this one of them new fangled pistols for lefties that ejects the spent brass to the left?

As for squinting his left eye, maybe he’s left eye dominant and doesn’t want to take the chance of being called a lefty. When you’re punching paper, it’s all about the style points.

and no demarcated firing lane? This was taken in an office.

http://interact.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/political-fix/2010/02/while-aiming-for-jobs-russ-carnahan-shows-off-sharp-shooting/

from what I can tell he is shooting a Beretta 9mm, but my eyes are not what they used to be. The article says it is a 9mm. The target pic looks like the holes are from a .45, hmmmm.

ok, time to sick the dogs, there is too much here that does not add up.

he is high and to the left.

He was saying, “Hey guys look, I just sighted a taxpayer.”

http://interact.stltoday.com/blogzone/political-fix/files/2010/02/targetresultssmaller1.jpg

Apparently reality just wasn’t photogenic enough for his PR consultant or media sycophants.

On top of the numerous gun safety issues and/or just blatant fakery going on here, the image of police overseeing something as “apple pie” to American culture as going to the range is just unnerving.

Life member of the NRA and the not-born-yesterday league of voters. Sheesh!

Those holes are from a .45 (or a sharpie marker!)

And why do I see a bit of orange in the muzzle? I bet thats a training piece that the academy uses.

“Hey officer, can I shoot that gun of yours right here in the office?”
“Sure, Congressman! I’ll just set a target up on the water cooler. Fire away!”

Riiiiight…

I don’t know about you, but I always like to wear a suit and tie when I go to the range.

I could care less how clueless of a noob poseur he is with a gun — although it is good for a chuckle — I’d rather see a PAC commercial showing this picture, overlayed with the dude’s anti-gun/anti-sportsmen voting record scrolling by.

Anyone here know what his voting record and/or campaign stances are like? I presume the “D” next to his name provides a clue, but does anyone know for sure how bad (or good) it is?

The other two guys in the office there (does not look like a shooting range) won’t get hurt if his water pistol misfires…

On the other hand if it’s a real gun and it’s really loaded… well, a lot of dems love the concept of Darwinian selection it seems…

Jake Wagman has issued a correction titled Off the mark? Carnahan shooting photo real, gun was not.

Key excepts:

Those in our comments section who questioned whether U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan really was firing a pistol in a photo at the police academy were right on target. I, however, was not.

The photo in our Fix item Friday is indeed real — Carnahan was at the St. Louis Police Academy last week, shooting target practice with Police Chief Dan Isom. But Carnahan was not using a real gun — what I guessed appeared to be 9mm pistol.

According to the Police Department, the St. Louis Democrat was actually at a “shooting simulator” that uses infrared light — not bullets –to interact with the target.

Jake then admitted missing the cues in the photo (no ear protection, for instance), noted that neither Carnahan nor his office (who were the source of the photo) had mentioned the use of a simulator, and faulted himself for not calling the police department.

Overall, an honest taking of blame by the author.

(H/T The Volokh Conspiracy, who had also posted a story this morning raising questions about this photo.)