Teacher loses hand killing Bug

[Mike Teacher]

<p>I'm so proud of my profession...</p><p>=</p><p><strong>VENTURA, California (AP) -- A teacher who kept a 40 mm shell on his desk as a paperweight blew off part of his hand when he apparently used the object to try to squash a bug, authorities say.</strong></p><p>The 5-inch-long shell exploded Monday while Robert Colla was teaching 20 to 25 students at an adult education class.</p><p>Part of Colla's right hand was severed and he suffered severe burns and minor shrapnel wounds to his forearms and torso, fire Capt. Tom Weinell said. No one else was injured. He was reported in stable condition at a hospital.</p><p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/04/04/paperweight.explosion.ap/index.html" target="_blank">Link to Lefty</a></p>

[suggums]

<p><img width="390" height="425" border="0" src="http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/ModNaval30-40mm.jpg" /></p><p>so of all these it was something like one of the last two, doh. and correct me if im wrong, but doesnt a fired bullet casing not have a pointy part? its just the base right? how could he have thought it was a casing?&nbsp;</p>

[Ndugu]

it must have been a pretty old shell&nbsp;if it went off without a direct hit on the primer

[Snoogans]

I so wish this woulda happened to my shop teacher. He always kept a bullet shell on his desk<br />

[PapaBear]

This story reminds me of the old Bugs Bunny episode from WWII. Bugs wanted to enlist, but was told rabbits couldn't be&nbsp;in the Army. They ended up giving him a job testing shells. The shells would run past him on a conveyor belt, and he'd hit them with a hammer. If it didn't blow up, he'd write &quot;dud&quot; on the shell.