Did The Vegas Shooter Use A Fully Automatic Weapon?

hot air ^ | 10-2-17

[doug from upland]

Opinion is divided this morning on Twitter among people who, unlike me, know more than the most basic basics about firearms. It’s not a matter of mere curiosity; as you (should) know, fully automatic weapons have been illegal in the U.S. for decades, which is why even mass shooters hellbent on murder unto death never use them. If Stephen Paddock used a machine gun, how on earth did he get it?

[backwoods-engineer]

And I bet you think “high-capacity drum mags” should be banned? And which slave state do you live in? NY? NJ?

[TomGuy]

LV local news reported that the perp had 10 automatic weapons and 2000 rounds in the hotel room.

A comment section on one of local TV live stream websites said that the perp fired over 700 rounds.

Smoke from the weapon(s) were so much that it set off smoke alarms and that helped LEOs locate the exact room sooner.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Wouldn’t the barrels have melted or distorted by the end of his string of shots?

[Charles Martel]

Since the 1930s, I believe there has been *one* crime committed with a legally owned, registered machine gun. As a "class" of firearms, privately-owned fully-automatics are statistically the least likely to be used in a crime. When you consider the federal anal probe that you go through to get approval for an NFA purchase, it's not surprising.

Now, illegal (smuggled or home-built) machine guns are another story. Many police departments have collections of illegal (and subsequently deactivated) fully-automatic weapons that were seized from arrestees or found at crime scenes. With our porous southern border, it would be easy enough to send crates of AKs up into the southwestern US. IIRC, there was a shipping container full of real, military AKs that BATF caught at a California wharf, back during the Clinton years. A "packaging error" in China. I wonder how many such containers made it through?

[Buckeye McFrog]

That’s some impressive shooting.

Is this screwed-up 65 year old guy capable of the same?
I have my doubts.

[cableguymn]

I have yet to see a hotel check to see what is in your bag.

[backwoods-engineer]

Approximately 1.7 million registered NFA items (includes machine guns) out of an estimated 400 - 700 MILLION guns.

[raiderboy]

On special permit so rare that I have never seen one after full ATF investigation. Law enforcement has them. Also it is gun specific. He had “10”!!! I will bet these 10 full auto were not licensed. If he had 10 permits he would have been questioned by ATF. These guns are illegal as hell except for special permits not easily obtained. 5 years minimum in the federal pen for possession.

[IYAS9YAS]

Can’t stop until rounds are expended

I've used a SlideFire on an AR-15. You most certainly can stop. Just slack up on the stock. It works by keeping tension backward on the stock, remove that tension, and it stops.

[Reno89519]

I travel all the time. No hotel asks about weapons, nor checks. Mine are completely out-of-sight, I have CCW. We have traveled with rifles and no hassle, always see people coming and going with guns.

And media talking about inspecting bags, banning guns in hotels, etc. is idiotic emotional response.

[Jarhead9297]

The bump videos I have witnessed auto “bump” the next round not under control of the shooter. Now there may be some controllable HOWEVER listen to the audio and you tell me an automatic weapon that sounds that erratic.

I’m not claiming to be an automatic weapons expert however I can guarantee you I’ve fired and disassembled more fully automatic weapons than 98% if the members here.

[Jarhead9297]

Agree on that point fully

[Lurkinanloomin]

Very unlikely. Legal full autos are very expensive.
Not convinced he wasn’t using one of the many devices that can make a semi-auto mimic a full auto.

[Lexington Green]

‘’My question is, how did he get all of that into the hotel?’’

Easy. The bellmen delivered his luggage to his room.

[Sopater]

How likely do you think it is that this guy had it (them?) legally?

Not sure... he apparently has some money if he owns a couple of airplanes. However, if he had obtained them legally, there will be a pretty strong paper trail.

I think it's possible/likely that he simply put a bump-fire or slide-fire stock on the weapon that he was using and had something like a drum magazine or something. I still haven't heard a word on what kind of weapons were found in the hotel room, and which were actually used, which shouldn't be all that hard to determine and to publish.

[Sacajaweau]

Looking at the hotel....one window was open and later another opened. Possibly shooter....need all the videos we can get.

[backwoods-engineer]

Full autos are illegal so laws won’t help.

People like you are so ignorant. Don't post unless you know something about guns. Unless you live in a slave state, full auto is legal but registered.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I listened to the video also. It was full auto and not 3 round bursts either. So the question is how did a neer do well gambler get his hands on a full auto weapon and an “arsenal” of weapons.

You don’t just go out and buy a cartload of guns overnight. His family made no mention of Paddock being a collector so somebody had to supply him with this stuff.

I’m doubtful it was ISIS. 64 year old gamblers don’t convert to Islam.

[MCF]

“Is this screwed-up 65 year old guy capable of the same?
I have my doubt”
It’s not hard to spray a crowd of many thousands of people with automatic rifle fire.

[Jarhead9297]

I’m commenting on the possible type used based on the audio I’ve listened to. It does not sound like a normal auto under control of the shooter. It sounds like he has several weapons squeezes, let’s all rounds go then pauses(weapon switch) rinse and repeat