Dennis Tinkham Update

H

Harley Baker

Member
I just got off the phone with Dennis. He is in alot of pain and poor spirits. The surgery that was to take appx. 45mins. to one hour ended up taking over 6 hours. The doctors had to remove his cornea to get access to the damage in his right eye. There was alot more damage than they thought because another piece of metal went through his Retina and caused more damage. The future for sight (Right Eye Only) is none to the front and to the left but he may be able to see movement to the right. He will have future surgery to have a new lens implanted. I will be in touch with him tomorrow to get any updates. Harley Baker
 
I've followed this from day one................this is a sad outcome, for sure. The bright side is that he's alive and otherwise okay, thank God.

I've been at this for a long time, and had never even heard of a "drop rod". Just the idea of using a rod short enough to hide in the barrel gives me chills. I was surprised to learn from later posts that it is available commercially....at first I though it was a home-grown idea. Any more word on them being outlawed by the organizations?

Please, all, think twice, wear glasses, and be safe...........

-Dave-
 
This does look bad but it sure could be worse.
There are plenty of good shooters out their with just one eye.
Heck, Wiley Post just had one eye.
Ted
 
heck i shoot better than i did when i had two eyes. dont have that slight squint you get from closing your left one. i was lucky enough to loose my left eye though.

i also had never heard of a drop rod before this. and dont understand the purpose of having one since almost all of us take a cleaning rod to the range that would actually work better. perhaps its to protect the muzzle crown from damage.
 
tpende said:
heck i shoot better than i did when i had two eyes. dont have that slight squint you get from closing your left one. i was lucky enough to loose my left eye though.

i also had never heard of a drop rod before this. and dont understand the purpose of having one since almost all of us take a cleaning rod to the range that would actually work better. perhaps its to protect the muzzle crown from damage.
Click to expand...

you would most likely damage the threads/or what ever attachment was on the end of the rod. a brass/bronze flat ended rod does not damage the bbl just the stuck bullet.......

maybe what we need is for someone to manufacture/market a bullet dislodging TIP for conventional cleaning rods ?

anyone listening ?

mike in co
 
Inspect bores...

As well as wearing safety glasses, I'll be checking the bore EVERY time during practice or match...

I believe every one should take the time to inspect their barrel bore just before commence fire command... Ready on the left, ready on the right, ready on the firing line place bolts in rifles... Commence fire.

It just takes a second,
I think it's worth the effort. Maybe the NBRSA and IBS will adopt Ready on the left, ready on the right, inspect bores, ready on the firing line..... Place bolts in rifles... Commence fire.

cale
 
Peek down the bore...

is something I have always done as I'm setting on the bench waiting for the range commands. The bolt is already out and it only takes a second. Make it an automatic habit. For that matter I do it will all guns. I work on a lot of customers rifles that come out of storage and you would be surprised as to what might be in the barrel. I wish the best for Dennis. We all make mistakes sooner or later....Regards
Herb Coates
 
Hang tuff!

Dennis: Hang in there! It will get better! Appears there is no infection? If not they can do great things. My prayers and empathy is with you as I has experienced vision problems due to infection and after long battle will get a lens implant next week. HANG TUFF! GOD WILLING IT WILL GET BETTER!
 
Safety Glasses

In this unfortunate incident did Dennis' eye protection fail?

Or did the schrapnel bypass his glasses to cause damage
to his eye?

Is there any type of eye protection that could have stopped
this kind of injury?

I'll keep Dennis in my prayers....
 
Harley/Dennis

Harley

Address for Tink please?

Dennis

They say everything happens for a reason. I don't have a clue about how to see any good happen from this. I'm just glad you survived. I've got a lot of $hit to give you yet. Think positive. Good luck to ya man. Hang tough.

Dave
 
caroby said:
As well as wearing safety glasses, I'll be checking the bore EVERY time during practice or match...

I believe every one should take the time to inspect their barrel bore just before commence fire cale
Click to expand...


Gentleman, can you possibly believe, that there're is at least one gentleman who always does that.

Gentleman, would you believe, that most gentleman never do that.

Con
 

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Mr. Tinkham, we've never met, but I send you my best wishes. If it is any consolation to you, this incident has brought an important issue back to the surface, and has inspired at least myself to immediately take action.

I wear eyeglasses and have in the past, worn them as my eye protection. I was fooling myself into thinking they would help... After reading about this, and other similar incidents, I realized what I was doing was probably worse than doing nothing. If I got hit, the shards of glass into my eye would be nothing more than even more projectiles, and would most likely result in even more damage.

I went down this week and have ordered a pair of prescription safety glasses I will wear from here forward. So please don't think that nothing good came from your accident, because it has.

My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Mark Walker
 
tpende said:
heck i shoot better than i did when i had two eyes. dont have that slight squint you get from closing your left one. i was lucky enough to loose my left eye though.

i also had never heard of a drop rod before this. and dont understand the purpose of having one since almost all of us take a cleaning rod to the range that would actually work better. perhaps its to protect the muzzle crown from damage.
Click to expand...

I think someone posted an accident with a cleaning rod that also blew the gun! No rule or regulation is going to stop accidents of this type. Still boils down to shooter responsibility or we can give up our guns and find some other way to injure ourselves!
 
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