Media Misinformation

Over the past year and a half since we launched FirearmsTruth.com, we’ve noted that the media misinformation often contains the same statements, words and other questionable points time and time again. For that reason we’ve decided to start a new feature that calls out these points and take a closer look. Read more

Assault Clip

One new term has shown up that the mainstream media seems determined to use. This of course is “assault clip,” a term coined by Paul Helmke, outgoing President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Helmke coined this phrase following the tragic Tucson shooting from January 2011.

Assault Rifles

The words are used over and over again by the mainstream media. There was actually a ban on this of firearm. Of course it was the “assault rifle.” But can anyone who isn’t a gun collector or regular shooter even describe an assault rifle. Surely an AK-47 is an assault rifle. This firearm remains one of the most commonly produced firearms in existence and has been used and continues to be used by soldiers, insurgents and terrorists around the world. And surely, such a gun should be banned because it is an assault weapon.

But the problem is that the AK-47 readily available isn’t the same type of gun used by most of the soldiers, insurgents and terrorists. It might look like a military weapon, but it fires a less power (intermediate caliber) bullet than most hunting rifles, and it isn’t available commercially in anything but semi-automatic. So why does it strike fear into the hearts of minds of anti-gun zealots? And why were assault weapons banned? Read more

Automatic

The idea that anyone can own “automatic” weapons must be downright frightening to the uniformed. Even with the modifier “semi” in front of it, an automatic weapon sounds like something only the military or police should possess, yet time and time again there are stories of criminals, terrorists and gang members with “automatic” weapons. Read more

Gun Show Loophole

This one comes up time and time again, the nefarious “gun show loophole.” This has been in the media a lot because of the unfortunate shooting in Tucson, followed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s so-called “sting” in a subsequent gun show. Read more

High-Powered

The media loves to use the term, “high-powered” as in “high-powered assault rifles” and “high-powered weapons.” The problem with this use of the adjective “high-powered” is that it isn’t being accurately used.

As an adjective “high-powered” describes a type of weapon, leaving the reader to believe that the weapon is actually just that… high-powered, as in can shoot a long distance and/or has a very powerful bullet. The fact is that assault rifles are neither. This is because of the very nature of assault rifles is that these were designed not to shoot at great distance or to fire a high-powered round. Read more

Military Style

This one goes hand in hand with “assault rifles,” but the mainstream media loves to add the adjective “military style” in front of assault rifles. As we noted with assault rifles, it is a matter of looks being deceiving. Can anyone say what “military style” even means? Read more

Reasonable Gun Control

To hear the anti-gun crowd talk everyone should want “reasonable gun control.” This is a phrase used by anti-gun groups such as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. It is used by the politicians who want to see the assault weapons ban reinstated, it is used by those who want to make reasonable gun owners seem unreasonable and therefore dangerous. Read more

Sniper Rifle

Ever since the tragedy involving the “DC Sniper,” there has been a great deal of media misinformation on exactly what is and what is not a sniper rifle. To hear some in the mainstream media talk, a sniper rifles is some sort of magical weapon that makes it easier to shoot people.

While it is actually correct that a true “sniper rifle” is a finely made firearm that is more accurate than a normal off-the-shelf rifle, the truth is that the weapon itself doesn’t enhance the skills of shooting. In fact, a novice shot with a sniper rifle could actually be even less accurate because of the complexity of the firearm. Knowing how to use a scope takes a great deal of practice and understanding on various factors. Thus the bullet doesn’t magically hit where the cross hairs are aligned like in video games. Read more