Tom Clonan is an ex-officer, and therefore knows SFA about reloading rifles.
An officer yes, but a relatively junior one if memory serves, holding a rank that I`d suspect involved some exposure to small unit tactics.
A properly-trained person would be able to rapidly fire off aimed shots from a bolt-action without trouble.
I`m no expert, but I`ve the vaguest memory from my FCA days that a well trained soldier could be expected to fire up to 20 aimed shots per minute in open terrain using the SMLE that was standard issue at the time. That`s significantly less than the rate that I`d imagine would be attainable with a weapon like the Bushmaster.
Given that these massacres generally occur in the close confines of a school or some other public building, Cloonan`s points about semi-automatic rates of fire seem plausible to me. Otherwise why wouldn\’t SWAT teams and the likes not also bolt-action rifles, if there was no difference in effectiveness at close quarters?
Also it`s worth remembering that these atrocities are generally not carried out by well-trained military types, rather alienated teens.
But as I said, I`m no expert in these matters …
