Posted on 02/01/2006 6:35:58 AM PST by holymoly
SPRINGFIELD - The first five bullets from the AK-47, delivered in two short bursts, tore through the metal of the U.S. Postal Service mailbox.
The remaining 70 shots in the 75-round clip fired in one continuous spray turned a bullet-proof vest into Swiss cheese.
"I went through it in what, five seconds?" said Springfield police officer Sean Sullivan of the empty and now smoking rifle.
During a demonstration for the press in the basement shooting range at police headquarters, Sullivan showed what an assault rifle, illegally converted into a machine gun capable of firing as many as 400 rounds per minute, can do.
"It's a scary weapon to face, and scary knowing there are people out there who have them," said Sullivan, a member of the police Street Crimes Unit.
That particular weapon, said Sgt. John Delaney, "was out on the streets five days ago in the hands of a drug dealer."
It was one of 13 guns confiscated by police over the past few days, he said.
In addition, police also seized a semiautomatic AK-47, a semiautomatic M-16 and a Thompson submachine gun, and several semiautomatic pistols and revolvers.
So far this year, confiscations number 21, compared to three in January 2005.
In 2005, police confiscated 151 handguns, rifles and shotguns.
Despite the emphasis on getting illegal weapons off the streets, "Guns, drugs and gangs continue to be a problem," said acting Police Commissioner William J. Fitchet.
"The firepower has enormous potential for danger. It's what police officers face every day," he said. "In some cases, police officers are out-gunned by these weapons."
Fitchet pledged that anyone found with an illegal gun or using a gun in the commission of a crime will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Shooting range master Joseph Lech said a bullet fired from an AK-47 cannot only go right through a metal mailbox, it can perforate "both sides" of the standard police-issue protective vest.
"It pierces, goes through the officer, and pierces the back," he said.
Sullivan said when members of the Street Crime Unit seized the fully automatic AK-47 during a drug raid, its owner had a 75-round clip, plus two 30-round and two 20-round clips.
"That's more ammunition than the regular soldier carries in combat," he said, still holding the weapon in his hands.
"Unfortunately, it is not the only one out there," he said.
Oh my! You mean the bullets didn't just bounce off in a shower of sparks, like in the movies!? </sarcasm>
A steel jacketed 30'06 from my M1 Garand will go through an engine block, so what?
"Its scary that people have them"...
No. It is scary when CRIMINALS have them, but then, CRIMINALS will have them even when they are illegal.
It is actually comforting when a LAW ABIDING CITIZEN has one.
A friend of mine brought one up for the weekend to fire on my personal shooting range. While it did not have the power of my .300WSM, it was a really nice weapon. I wish I had one. Actually, I wish I had a 40 round clip on my Browning .300WSM because it has less recoil and more power.
I'm sure that the Postal Inspectors will be quite interested in the written confirmation of the felony committed by this police officer in front of multiple witnesses.
lol
are the dems STILL trying to take peoples guns away !?!
ROFL!
they never learn.
May I buy the Thompson. Please?
"That's more ammunition than the regular soldier carries in combat,"
BS, I carried a lot more than that when I was in Somalia and Desert Storm. Geesh?, Where do these people come up with this stuff?
Semper Fidelis
Just to scare the sheep into handing over more power
Quick you reporters ... trumpet this from the highest rooftops ... WE NEED MORE GUN CONTROL ON LAW ABIDING CITIZENS (/sarcasm)
The key word here is criminal. Criminals don't care about the law, that is why they are criminals. Any crime commited with a firearm (robery, 1st degree murder, kidnaping) should be a FEDERAL hanging offense ... period.
And there really is no such thing as a "illegal" firearm. Every citizen should be able to own a full-auto M2 or M60 if they want (and can afford to feed the thing).
Heh. Nice catch!
Thanks for your service, Marine. We appreciate it, even if some of those pols don't. Your tagline says it all.
For those who don't know much about firearms, this statmenet is B.S.
What Sullivan showed was a semi-automatic rifle, illegally converted into an assault rifle*
Of course, the leftist-liberal media likes to exaggerate everything in regards to firearms. Semi-automatic only rifles become "assault rifles". True "assault rifles" become "machine guns". Don't ask me what they call a "machine gun"; probably a "high-powered fully-automatic armor-piercing rapid-fire nuclear-tipped weapon of mass destuction".
*Assault Rifle - Encyclopedia Brittanica
Military firearm that is chambered for ammunition of reduced size or propellant charge and that has the capacity to switch between semiautomatic and fully automatic fire.
Your welcome, it was an honor serving you and this entire nation, even the DUmmies.
Semper Fidelis
LOL...I was thinking exactly the same thing, but you beat me too it....it's obvious officer sullivan never spent a day in the military. (I'll have gravy on my crow if anyone can prove otherwise.)
The question is: What class of body armor were they using in this little "demonstration"?
Only Class III and Class IV body armors are rated to stop centerfire rifle rounds.
Class I, II-A, II and III-A armors are only rated to stop centerfire handgun rounds.
If they're shooting a Class I, II-A, II or III-A vest with a rifle, of course it's going to penetrate.
But there is a solution!
The guy put 75 rounds through a, what, three square foot target "in one continuous spray?" Sure he did....
Go all the way through? I doubt it. Penetrate into it and mess up the engine? ...probably so.
Isn't it against the law to shoot mail boxes?
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