The myth of the easy machine gun

The Star ^ | 5/21/6 | Michael Bowers

[MarkL]

Excellent article, however MY response to the spokes-twerp would have been, "A conversion kit? If they're so easy to get and use, approximately how many illegally converted 'assault weapons' have been used in crimes in the last 10 years?" It seems to me that if they have been used, we'd be hearing about them in the press, over and over and over again.

Mark

[DJ Taylor]

"In short, it's not enough."

Yes, it's obvious from the drawing that several more parts and fittings would have to be made before the thing stood a chance of working.

The ad has been running for years now, and I always figured it was just ATF trolling for a dummy.

[MarkL]

Of course, such a weapon would be extremely dangerous to everyone--including the shooter. For safe operation, locked-breach firearms need a mechanism to ensure that a round cannot be fired before be breech is locked. This is typically handled by disconnecting the trigger from the sear until the bolt carrier is fully forward. Disabling this mechanism may cause such a firearm to fire full auto, but only until it jams on an improperly-ejected or loaded cartridge, blows up from a ruptured casing, stops because the hammer either falls before it can fire a round or else snags on the bolt carrier, or has some other calamity.

Exactly... At a weekly "practicle shooting" match, one of the competitors had a 1911 where the disconnector broke, and on the first trigger pull, all 9 rounds (8+1) were discharged... After a moment's pause, he dropped the magazine and began to reload, but the RSO grabbed him and called a DQ... Pretty cool to watch, actually. But extremely dangerous.

Mark

[DTogo]

That's one thing I really like about many of the FoxNews male journalists: they've actually served in uniform (Jim Angle and Brian Wilson come to mind, though I could be mistaken).

[lonedawg]

This thing is a POS. it just uses the recoil of the rifle to cause you to pull the trigger again. If you put the rifle to your shoulder it won't work

[F-117A]

Hit and Bumped too!!

[lonedawg]

In the infamous bank robbery in LA you had two real life bank robbers with fully automatic rifles going bonkers , but in the end the only people killed were the robbers. Granted they caused a lot of injury and caused quite a stir but there was the mass slaying the lefties would lead one to believe is inevitable.

[GSlob]

All it takes is a length of a steel wire [large paper clip would do] to tie the rear hammer hook of AK47 in the depressed [backward] position. If only the front hammer hook is operational, then one has an illegal machine gun. Your hoplophobe was ignorant and illiterate, that's all.

[XR7]

All it takes is a length of a steel wire [large paper clip would do] to tie the rear hammer hook of AK47 in the depressed [backward] position. If only the front hammer hook is operational, then one has an illegal machine gun.

Cool.

[BudgieRamone]

AS a machinist and gun shop employee, I got asked about this frequently.

Depends on the gun. Depends on the skill level of the machinist/gunsmith. Depends on the determination of the individual doing the "conversion".

Personally I wouldn't want to risk it. Heck there are enough laws on the books that I don't know about that I could be breaking; why would I want to break the ones I do know about and jeopardize my being able to work in my chosen trade or being able to participate in a hobby I enjoy?

JM2B

[JasonC]

The SKS is not, of course, a Chinese AK-47. It is a Russian designed carbine in the same 7.62x39 caliber at the AK-47, which they designed immediately after WW II. It's closest US cousin would be an M-1 carbine (not to be confused with an M-1 Garand). It is a Korean era semi-auto carbine and even in military use was never a fully automatic weapon. Unlike the later AK.

[CodeToad]

Converting an AR is a PITA. It requires machine work on the receiver and new parts. It isn't a simple or reliable job.

[CodeToad]

For the Chicago mayor he has machines guns...he simply tells the police who to shoot. They've got machine guns, so why can't the citizens of Chicago?

[paul51]

police are looking for a SMITH AND WESSON .45 CALIBER GLOCK PISTOL

I think that is one of those assault revolvers. They are bad, bad, bad and their only purpose is to menace society and kill people. It uses those special bullets for killing a lot of people at once.

[HP8753]

Your hoplophobe was ignorant and illiterate, that's all.

I find that's the case on most things Liberals say.

The minute you start probing their minds about specifics,You quickly find out they ain't got a clue and wouldn't know where to buy one either.

[papertyger]

Machine guns aren't nearly so impressive when you make good use of sights ;o)

[pawdoggie]

So I thought I would look into the validity of its major argument. That is, this notion that it's easy to convert a semi-automatic rifle (legal) into a fully automatic rifle (illegal), also known as a machine gun (illegal).

I wasn't aware that this was the major (MSM/public) argument against semiautomatic "Assault Rifles". I thought the major argument was/is "you don't need one to hunt with". Everything else, the "violent" bayonet stud, the "high-capacity" magazine and the possibility of "conversion" to full auto were secondary issues.

If you're going to have to get precision "machining" equipment, you might as well get a copy of the British SOE plans for the Sten gun, and have at it.

[Hot Tabasco]

I find that's the case on most things Liberals say. The minute you start probing their minds about specifics

My sister and brother-in-law are republicans but are totally anti 2nd ammendment. No matter the valid arguments I provide, they still hate guns. They have a half million dollar summer home up in northern michigan that the deer are loving. Well, kill the deer but hate the guns. We have reached an impasse in our discussions, they dont dare bring up firearms any more because they know I am the only one who will step forward with a vengence to support the 2nd ammendment and they cant factually support their opposition.

[HP8753]

My sister and brother-in-law are republicans but are totally anti 2nd ammendment.

I know several people that claim to be Republicans,But sure seem to be Liberals when you start talking about certain issues.

They may just be misinformed or not knowledgable about those issues.

[43north]

I cannot be responsible for the rantings of an immature being. If he thought he won the argument, he has never taken debate seriously.

The unfortunate thing is that no matter how ignorant he may be, he can still vote.