A popular YouTuber is still recovering after his attempt in November to fire a rocket launcher in a video on the social media platform ended with the weapon failing and sending him to the hospital with serious injuries.
The video is disturbing, and the saga is a reminder that even trained firearms experts can become victims of their equipment if it is not working properly.
Most gun enthusiasts will likely never find themselves in a position to fire a live projectile from a weapon such as the Soviet-era RPG-7.
That’s why millions of us tune into channels online, such as Ballistic High-Speed — to watch people such as YouTuber Adam Knowles have all the fun.
But a video shoot in which Knowles, an Army veteran, tested a series of rocket launchers, went horribly wrong, leaving him with serious burns, dislocated bones and other trauma.
In a video that was uploaded on Nov. 22, Knowles and the team at Ballistic High-Speed set out to fire a series of RPGs — and, more specifically, to show the battlefield danger of standing directly behind one when a projectile is fired.
In the video, everything was going well as Knowles fired a number of projectiles from different weapons.
That was until Knowles got down to business — demonstrating what kind of damage standing behind one of these weapons can do. He used ballistic dummy humans as a stand-in for the real thing.
In one section, which starts about the 5:55 mark of the video below, a Carl Gustaf M2 was fired with a dummy hand directly behind the launcher. It resulted in the hand separating from the ballistic dummy.
The gases this thing emitted did some real damage — which is a thing to watch when slowed down to 50,000 frames per second.
When Knowles attempted to fire another projectile with a dummy human head behind the launcher, the RPG-7 experienced a catastrophic failure that immediately sent Knowles to the ground and sent his team scrambling to offer him medical assistance.
WARNING: The videos below contain strong language and disturbing images that might not be appropriate for all viewers.
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The terrifying moment is at the 8:45 mark in the video above, but Ballistic High-Speed made the decision to blur out the explosion that sent Knowles to a hospital.
Weeks later, the channel uploaded the full, unedited version of the weapon’s failure. Knowles was out of the hospital to discuss what happened with Bryce Fritzel, who also runs the channel.
While watching a clip of the RPG explosion in a later video posted two weeks ago, Knowles pointed to a laptop screen and said, “I’ve got skin grafts right there.”
With his arms bandaged, Knowles appeared to be in good spirits as he continued to comment on the video.
“There was no attempt to catch myself. I’m instantaneously out,” Knowles added while watching a clip.
About the 11:55 mark, Fritzel commented, “It’s like a war movie shot.”
WARNING: The videos below contain strong language and disturbing images that might not be appropriate for all viewers.
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Video of the weapon malfunction shows the RPG-7 projectile exploding inside the weapon, knocking Knowles to the ground unconscious.
His military-grade helmet even went airborne as he went limp.
Luckily, Knowles is OK. He kept all of his limbs and fingers, and he is expected to make a full recovery.
He also intends to return to the popular channel to continue testing weapons for the pleasure of the viewing public.
But the catastrophic failure of the RPG-7 not only came with a lengthy hospital stay, but also a $300,000 bill, which he is asking for help paying.
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On the fundraising platform FundtheFirst, a campaign to raise $35,000 for Knowles had reached $17,202 its halfway mark as of Sunday morning, EST.
“Adam Knowles is a recent veteran after spending some time deployed in the U.S. Army,” the fundraiser stated. “One of his goals after returning home was to educate and entertain his fellow citizens about the interesting world of firearms, as well as the dangers.”
One person who donated $20 to the fundraiser commented, “I’m sorry it’s not a lot but your channel is truly amazing and I hope you continue to recover.”
The campaign is proof that the kind of content Ballistic High-Speed and Knowles make is in demand.
But the weapon malfunction that sent Knowles to a hospital by helicopter is a reminder that as much fun as our weapons are to shoot, they are not toys.
There was probably very little these YouTubers could have done to prevent the failure of the RPG-7 to malfunction. But everyday people who shoot and carry firearms can protect themselves from similar issues with pistols and rifles by keeping them clean.
A failure to keep even a small handgun clean and maintained, or loading it with the wrong caliber of ammunition, can turn a pistol into a hand grenade.
