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Police Worried About New Vest-Penetrating Gun
WNBC ^

Posted on 01/14/2005 12:21:45 PM PST by Mr. Mojo

NEW YORK -- There is a nationwide alert to members of law enforcement regarding a new kind of handgun which can render a bulletproof vest useless, as first reported by NewsChannel 4's Scott Weinberger.

The most shocking fact may be that the gun -- known as the "five-seven" -- is being marketed to the public, and it's completely legal

It was a very difficult decision for members of law enforcement to go public about the new weapon, but officers fear that once word of the weapon begins to circulate in the wrong circles, they will be in great danger. They agreed to speak to NewsChannel 4, hoping the public will understand what they call the most devastating weapon they face.

The weapon is light, easily concealable and can fire 20 rounds in seconds without reloading.

"This would be devastating," said Chief Robert Troy, of the Jersey City Police Department.

Troy said he learned about the high-powered pistol from a bulletin issued by Florida Department of Law Enforcement to all of its agents. Troy believes faced with this new weapon, his officers would be at a total disadvantage.

"Dealing with a gun like this -- it's a whole new ballgame," Troy said.

Troy is not the only member of law enforcement to voice concern. As NewsChannel 4 began to contact several more departments in the Tri-State Area, it turned out that officers in Trumball, Conn., had seized one of these handguns during a recent arrest.

"Certainly, handguns are a danger to any police officer on any day, but one that specifically advertised by the company to be capable of defeating a ballistic vest is certainly the utmost concern to us," said Glenn Byrnes, of the Trumball Police Department.

The five-seven is made by FN Herstal, a Belgian company. On its Web site, the company boasts the five-seven's ability to penetrate more than 48 layers of Kevlar -- the material bulletproof vests are made of -- if you use a five-seven, 28-mm armor-piercing bullet.

However, the company said that bullet is not sold to the public. Instead, gun buyers can purchase what the company calls a training or civilian bullet -- the type loaded into the gun confiscated by Trumball police.

At a distance of 21 feet, Trumball police Sgt. Lenny Scinto fired the five-seven with the ammo sold legally to the public into a standard police vest. All three penetrated the vest.

The bullets even went through the back panel of the vest, penetrating both layers.

In a similar test, an officer fired a .45-caliber round into the same vest. While the shot clearly knocked it down, it didn't penetrate the vest, and an officer would likely have survived the assault.

"The velocity of this round makes it a more penetrating round -- that's what had me concerned," Scinto said.

FN Herstal told NewsChannel 4 that they dispute the test, stating, "Most law enforcement agencies don't have the ability to properly test a ballistic vest."

When NewsChannel 4 asked how this could have happened, the spokesperson said: "We [the company] are not experts in ballistic armor."

Back in Trumball, Scinto said his officers would have to rethink how to protect the public and protect themselves.

"This is going to add a whole new dimension to training and tactics. With the penetration of these rounds, you're going to have to find something considerably heavier than we normally use for cover and concealment to stop this round," Scinto said.

In Jersey City, Troy said he will appeal to lawmakers, hoping they will step in before any of his officers are confronted with the five-seven.

"This does not belong in the civilian population. The only thing that comes out of this is profits for the company and dead police officers," Troy said. "I would like the federal government to ban these rounds to the civilian public."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: bang; banglist; bodyarmor; leo
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To: All

The government has said it can mandate the public use seat belts.

The government has said it can mandate the use of motorcycle helmets.

Fine.

I saw we mandate the CCW for all adults. No going in public without the safty of traveling armed.


81 posted on 01/14/2005 12:57:50 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: 45Auto

Hmm. I'm the proud owner of a new Ruger SP101. I fire mostly .38 special but always end a practice session with some .357 loads. Are you saying I bought a pig in a poke? Hope not, I really like the gun.


82 posted on 01/14/2005 12:57:58 PM PST by Arkie2
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To: Brilliant
The gun is designed to fire a specific round. Nothing more, nothing less.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it say anything about a "Right to keep and bear arms as long as there a NEED". That is a Brady Campaign line of reasoning...

83 posted on 01/14/2005 12:58:18 PM PST by Dead Corpse (Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.)
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To: melbell
"Isn't the easiest way to breach a bullet-proof vest just to aim for the head?"

It's fairly easy, if you aren't some drugged-up criminal. You take out the next biggest target. You shoot them in the groin or buttocks (or legs, I suppose) and once the target is down, you aim at their head. Or if you do have more time or can fairly guarantee your accuracy, start there first.
84 posted on 01/14/2005 12:58:36 PM PST by blogbat (Blogbat: ein Fahrgeschäft durch die Weltnachrichten)
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To: Mr. Mojo

It matters not which gun you use, it's special made bullets that tear through a vest. Banning a gun is stupid,without banning that bullet, just shoot it through a legal gun.


85 posted on 01/14/2005 12:58:40 PM PST by fish hawk
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To: Servant of the 9

Is this the same round the CZ 52 uses? I can't recall. I've fired a CZ 52 a few times, and the round is quite zippy.


86 posted on 01/14/2005 12:58:43 PM PST by .38sw
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To: calex59
Yep...good points.

Not to be gross, but (and I know I probably shouldn't know this) another area to "plug twice" is a square that runs from the crotch, up to the beltline (around the navel). Two rounds of anything in this area are very likely to strike below a balistic protective vest, and pierce major blood vessles in the hip region. Not only is blood loss sudden and rapid, but pressure technique is not as effective because of the mass surrounding the area.

In addition to this, it takes a long time (if ever) to "get over" a hip/gut shot.

Ah...bad stuff to think about, but I understand your point. It's easy enough to just shoot where the kevlar isn't. :-)
87 posted on 01/14/2005 12:58:58 PM PST by hiredhand (Pudge the Indestructible Kitty lives at http://www.justonemorefarm.com)
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To: Mr. Mojo

If this is to be the test to determine which firearms civilian peons will be allowed to keep, you can say goodbye to all your centerfire rifles.


88 posted on 01/14/2005 12:59:01 PM PST by meadsjn
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To: Redcloak

Good point.


89 posted on 01/14/2005 12:59:11 PM PST by blogbat (Blogbat: ein Fahrgeschäft durch die Weltnachrichten)
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To: hiredhand

I've seen where .223 Saboted Accelerator bullets handloaded into 7.62x25 cases that could be pushed to nearly 1800fs out of inexpensive CZ52's.

Pudge is way cool.


90 posted on 01/14/2005 12:59:15 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
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To: AdamSelene235
Yep, it craps where it eats.

LOL! That's HILLARIOUS! I never thought about it that way! :-)
91 posted on 01/14/2005 1:00:12 PM PST by hiredhand (Pudge the Indestructible Kitty lives at http://www.justonemorefarm.com)
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To: HenryLeeII

Hm. Thanks. If it's not a Smith & Wesson revolver, I get foggy on details.


92 posted on 01/14/2005 1:00:13 PM PST by .38sw
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To: Brilliant
This gun is very similar to several other guns that are already on the market, except that it was designed for the specific purpose of penetrating bulletproof vests. If you want a gun like this one, buy one of the others. You don't need a gun that is designed to penetrate a bulletproof vest--unless you're a cop or a criminal.

As I said before almost any pistol can be modified by a criminal to bust a light vest.

I'm greatly annoyed that 357 AP was criminalized. It was the perfect thing to give deep penetration in a handy backpacking sized weapon. Without steel (which is too dangerous to give to serfs) you dont stand much of a chance of breeching a bear's cranial vault with a light sidearm). Thanks to panty-wetting hysterics like yourself I have to lug around a full 44 mag.

93 posted on 01/14/2005 1:00:29 PM PST by AdamSelene235 (Truth has become so rare and precious she is always attended to by a bodyguard of lies.)
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To: .38sw

In a previous post on this same topic (today - whatever happened to the "Search" function?) more than one poster claimed to have owned the civilian version of this pistol.


94 posted on 01/14/2005 1:01:02 PM PST by Redbob
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To: calex59
The key to this article are the use of the words "armor piercing bullet. All armor piercing bullets are already outlawed.

Wrong

95 posted on 01/14/2005 1:01:16 PM PST by AdamSelene235 (Truth has become so rare and precious she is always attended to by a bodyguard of lies.)
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To: AdamSelene235

The beauty of the Missouri law is that one can carry a concealed weapon in a motor vehicle without a permit. All that is required is that one must be twenty one years of age, not have been judged mentally incomptent,have a felony conviction or be under a restraining order.


96 posted on 01/14/2005 1:02:02 PM PST by em2vn
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To: Redbob
"In a previous post on this same topic (today - whatever happened to the "Search" function?) more than one poster claimed to have owned the civilian version of this pistol."


Sure why not. It makes him current lol.
97 posted on 01/14/2005 1:02:41 PM PST by blogbat (Blogbat: ein Fahrgeschäft durch die Weltnachrichten)
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To: Redbob
(today - whatever happened to the "Search" function?)

That was a linkless vanity that got 17 replies.

98 posted on 01/14/2005 1:03:13 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
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To: .38sw
Just to make sure, I found the Five-seveN page on the FN website. According to that page...

(Law Enforcement agencies only- 5.7 x 28 caliber weapons are not available to the general public)

...emphasis and color in the original.

99 posted on 01/14/2005 1:03:41 PM PST by Redcloak (No, I haven't been drinking.)
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To: Servant of the 9
Yep...We've handloaded rifle ammo just using "ball" projectiles, and were amazed at we were able to shoot through. If most people understood exactly what the .223 Rem and .308 NATO would penetrate, they might be a little more c-a-r-e-f-u-l!

We did work up a handload SPECIALLY for punching holes in blue U.N. kevlar helmets. Yuk..yuk..yuk... :-)
100 posted on 01/14/2005 1:03:43 PM PST by hiredhand (Pudge the Indestructible Kitty lives at http://www.justonemorefarm.com)
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