ROXBURY — A 49-year-old Peru man suffered injuries to his right hand when the lever action on the Marlin 45-70 rifle he was using exploded on firing during target practice Saturday, according to a Maine Warden Service report.
Kevin Hostetter’s injuries included a dislocated thumb and cuts and burns, Warden Service spokeswoman Deborah Turcotte said.
Hostetter’s son drove him to Rumford Hospital. He was then taken to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.
Hostetter was target practicing around noon at a gravel pit off Walker Brook Road when the incident happened.
Turcotte said the firearm would be tested at the Maine State Police Crime Lab’s Firearms Lab in Augusta to determine why it exploded.
The incident remained under investigation Saturday evening.
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