Gun Collecting: Machine Guns That Don’t Fire

Gun Seized at Border “Not a Machine Gun”

Last month two “machine-gun like weapons” were seized by Customs and Border Protection officers at the border to Mexico. At the time even we questioned whether these were semi-automatic or fully automatic weapons – of course the mainstream media has moved on. It was enough for the MSM to denote the guns as American made machine guns and leave it at that, thus implying to the less knowledgeable reader that fully automatic weapons are readily available. One paper did go the extra distance to clarify exactly what type of firearms were in fact seized. Read more

Gun Collecting: Machine Guns Vs. Assault Weapons

This week we launch a new column that will run every weekend on facets of gun collecting.

As we’ve reported on since launching this site more than a year ago, the fact is simple: the mainstream media does a terrible job in reporting on guns, and much of it is misunderstood even when the reporting is close to accurate. The media would have you believe that “assault weapons” are in fact “machine guns,” but that’s not really the case. Here is why. Read more

Voice of America Over Simplifies Mexican Cartel Problems

There is no doubt that the violence south of the border, which is now sadly straying across the border into the United States from Mexico, is a problem for both nations. However, the problem is oversimplified in the mainstream media, and too often much of blame falls on Americans, and more importantly on American guns. Interestingly, one aspect that isn’t mentioned so much is the real problem: the American drug user. Read more

Automatic Weapons Heading to Mexico

Numerous sources are reporting that a 19-year-old U.S. citizen has been arrested at the border to Mexico, and according to 760AM KFMB, the man was caught with a cache of weapons. The news radio reports the items as including:

“…five automatic guns, two pistols, numerous rounds of ammunition, 23 loaded magazines, 10 rifle slings and other gun accessories.” Read more

Las Vegas Review-Journal Offers Questionable Quote on Gun Ownership Facts

With an introduction that states the facts about the feelings for guns in Nevada, we question the source – and more importantly the facts the source uses in her argument – in a piece from The Las Vegas Review-Journal. The article starts out with what we would agree probably sums up the feelings in the state:

“In a place where gun ranges advertise assault rifles and machine guns on billboards and taxicab doors, it’s clear Nevadans like their guns.”

We do have a small problem with this introduction, as it doesn’t make it clear that these are guns to rent with supervision, and are NOT for sale. But where we have a bigger problem is how the story, after showing that Nevada residents generally agree with the recent Supreme Court ruling on gun ownership, takes a tone that suggests the author (or possibly the editors at the paper) are actually anti-gun. The author writes:

“It’s tough to find organized groups in Nevada who disagree with the high court ruling. The nationwide Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence doesn’t have a local chapter or contact listed on its website.”

If this is a fact, why even mention that the Brady Center doesn’t have a local chapter? If they don’t have a local chapter, it would seem to us that they don’t represent the views of Nevada. Moreover, we feel that the group is only included so the name can be seen with the key part “Prevent Gun Violence” included, so that someone skimming the article might read that message.

But the author didn’t give up and did find someone to quote. In this case it was Patti Kolknow, executive director of Women Against Gun Violence. As the author notes, this group is based not in Nevada but in Los Angeles, which again brings us to the point was this necessary to include? Ms. Kolknow is also quoted:

“The Supreme Court ruling is a disappointment. We know that increasing handgun ownership increases the likelihood of homicides, murders and unintentional shootings. Statistics prove that over and over again. Some people think that having a gun makes them safer, but that’s been proven not to be the case.”

This quote is a major problem, in part because there is no counterpoint to the argument. Worse still are these “facts” really the truth or just opinions from an anti-gun group. How does “legal” handgun ownership increase the likelihood of homicides for example? We’d like to call out Ms. Kolknow as well as author Kristi Jourdan to get some insight on those so-called “statistics.”

UPI Story, and Angus Reid Poll, Includes Serious Misunderstandings of the Gun Issue

While the story titled “Under the U.S. Supreme Court: Fight over  gun laws far from offer,” was fairly unbiased and offered commentary from both sides of the debate, we noted that this piece from UPI lacked the level of fact checking that we believe is crucial in this subject. The story offers facts from an Angus Reid Public Opinion poll, which offers this polling result:

“About 68 percent said they think every eligible American should have access to handguns, but 67 percent say only police should have access to semi-automatic weapons.”

Whoever conducted the poll doesn’t understand the issue, which frankly could confuse the public. Likewise, the authors of the UPI story didn’t do their due diligence in explaining the issue. To any regular reader and gun enthusiast the problem with this statement is that it is highly questionable, because while 68 percent don’t see a problem with handguns some 67 percent think only the police should have “access to semi-automatic weapons.”

The wording of “semi-automatic weapons” could sound dangerous, even ominous to the uninformed. The simple fact is that many handguns are semi-automatic, many rifles are semi-automatic, many shotguns are semi-automatic. But the usage of the words with weapons could be seen to imply the image of a machinegun or at least an assault rifle.

To the informed this is laughable. For everyone else, all semi-automatic means is that you have to pull the trigger each time you want the gun to fire. You don’t need to manually cock it with a lever or bolt or hammer. Semi-automatic should never be confused with fully automatic, which is how a true machinegun operates. There is very big difference. It is irresponsible in our opinion for this to slip through un-fact checked in either the poll or the news story.

Angus Reid Public Opinion poll: Americans Say Second Amendment Guarantees Gun Ownership for Citizens

Minnesota Public Radio Calls for “Sensible Gun Laws”

In an editorial for Minnesota Public Radio Chaska Police Chief Scott M. Knight responds by suggesting that the country needs “sensible gun laws.” While we respect his opinion, and thank him for his service to the community, we have to stress that some of his suggestions are clearly off the mark. Even his wording of what he feels is “sensible” is hardly that to us. He calls for cities “to enact strict firearms policies.”

So we must ask, is “strict” the same as “sensible?” While he talks about strict laws, he first suggests keeping guns away from “criminals, gang members, the mentally ill and others who would visit harm upon our citizens,” but later he calls for closing the “gun show loophole” and banning “military assault weapons.”

The problem we continue to have is what exactly is meant by these two terms? In the former, Chief Knight never defines the “gun show — no background check needed” loophole.” This is a typical argument by those who can’t back up their opinion. He doesn’t even define it, possibly because it doesn’t really exist. To the next point, on the matter of “military assault weapons,” we must ask again what he means? Is it the look of the gun? The fact that it can hold a bayonet? What exactly makes a gun a “military assault weapon?”

To the average reader it sounds like a very dangerous gun, but the truth is that you can’t actually buy a military assault weapon. You can’t go to the gun show – and through loophole or otherwise – purchase a fully automatic machinegun or assault rifle. This just doesn’t happen. What you can buy is a gun that might look like one, but it is semi-automatic and is generally no different from commercial sporting rifles. So we wonder if those would be the next items in the crosshairs of people like Chief Knight. That’s our concern.

Who Guards the Guards: Soldier Ships Guns From Iraq

While the media continually notes the “iron pipeline” to Mexico, where American guns supposedly end up in the hands of the drug cartels, or the other “iron pipeline” in which guns from the south end up in New York City, there is another “iron pipeline” that gets far less attention. This is the importation of illegal guns into the United States from Iraq. This week GoErie.com reported that James Lewis Bindeman, a sergeant in the Army National Guard, had been shipping guns home while serving overseas.

According to the report this included 11 weapons in total. The story noted that the weapons were in a crate with a false bottom:

“The cache contained an AK-47, a rifle with a 50-round drum, five 9 mm pistols and four other handguns, according to court records.”

What is interesting is that Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Sanner was quoted as saying the secret compartment was “pretty clearly the wrong way to bring firearms back to the United States.” In fact, we can’t agree more… but to add that special permits are required for the importation of guns! So it comes as a shock that Bindeman has plead guity to one felony count of entry goods by means of false statements! The news posted added this choice bit too:

“With the plea, Bindeman, a sergeant in the Army National Guard, admitted that while he was deployed in Iraq, he hid the guns in the crate and shipped them from Iraq to the Readiness Center in Cambridge Springs.

“Why he shipped the guns and what he intended to do with them was not explained at the hearing.”

We’ll be watching closely to see what fines or penalties Bindeman faces, but this clearly is another example of how illegal guns do come into this country.

Who Guards the Guards: AWOL Soldier Arrested With Guns

Soldiers are meant to protect us, but there are times when sadly that isn’t the case. Spec. Christopher Paul Kilburn was arrested as he tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base in Florida reports The Denver Post. What is more worrisome is that Kilburn had weapons and ammunition in his vehicle, and was AWOL at the time. Fortunately this does not appear to be a terrorist attempt. But it worrisome nonetheless, and just another sad reminder of how guns can end up in the hands of criminals.

Next Page »