Posted on 04/28/2007 7:08:18 AM PDT by holymoly
Cops waited. TV crews waited. And church officials standing under the broiling sun in South Los Angeles waited, hoping Angelenos would come and surrender their guns.
They got only one — but it was an SSK assault rifle, along with enough ammunition to blow away 59 bystanders.
"You would not believe what we got," exclaimed LAPD Officer Brian Hun of the Southwest Division. "It's like catching the big one."
With the 15th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots approaching, ministers from the First AME Church asked residents to hand in their guns during a commemorative Weekend of Peace.
The region — with four homicides, 23 people shot and 40 gunfire reports in the Southwest Division between March 25 and April 21 — is among the most violent in the city.
It's also among the poorest, with few new jobs created.
For this reason, First AME hosted a gun-surrender program coupled with a massive job fair and food giveaway.
"Turn in your piece for peace," said the Rev. John Joseph Hunter, senior pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. "Violence is something that plagues (this) community.
"With a job, dignity is restored."
Los Angeles is often described as a city divided between haves and have-nots. But for some, it's a city split between those who have guns and those who haven't.
Few expected those with "dirty guns" — or weapons used during a crime — to turn them in. And few expected those whose guns remain the final bastion behind steel security doors to hand over their protection.
"People want to protect themselves; that's why they have guns," said Amelia Quinn, 39, of Los Angeles, a seeker at the job fair. "If somebody steps in your house, shoot on sight."
Today, First AME will host a Dialogues in Peace forum to discuss race relations, education and the economy since 1992.
"You haven't changed the conditions, the mind-sets, the hearts," Hunter said. "You've gotta offer hope. A job offers hope."
To thwart gun violence, the Rev. Eduardo Vickers said, society must convince the young.
"Get them while the clay is soft — you've got to mold them," he said, watching residents line up half a block for food. "The key is love, what the world needs is love, more love."
But for Los Angeles police, what the world needs is fewer guns. The Chinese-made SSK assault rifle with two, 30-round banana clips was dropped off by a dad whose son had long ago left it at his house.
It was the only gun relinquished in three hours of waiting.
"If we can take one gun off the street, it's worth it," said Hun, a senior lead officer for the area. "If a gangster wanted to do a drive-by, it's the ultimate weapon."
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Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew@dailynews.com
I’m inclined to think it was covertly obtained and turned in “anonymously” by organizer supporters themselves, just so they could crow and the event wouldn’t be a compete bust.
LOL! “SSK assault rifle” with “banana clips.” “Banana clips” sounds like something you’d use to hang produce in the kitchen.
God forbid a journalist educate himself about firearms.
As a matter of fact, I just bought an "excellet" one, it looks to be unfired but has a small ding on the stock, for $159. The importers are making runnin-out noises, so I figured I should grab one, even though it was a bit more than I planned on paying for one..
The ammo is a problem, but I BLOATed when it was between $77 and $100 a case, so I am all set there, and I just ordered there cases of 5.45x39 from Century for $120 a case. They have WASRs for that round for between $250 for the "lo cap" version and $290 for hicaps. If you think fondly of the good old days of cheap important and ammo, then the 5.45 is the bargain gun today.
Thats my thinking as well. I smell a hoax here
Prices must be running higher up North. I can get 1k rounds of pretty good Russian 7.62x39 JHP for $150 down here in Virginia. A Yugo SKS in very good condition will run about $170.
As a matter of fact, I just bought an "excellent" one, it looks to be unfired but has a small ding on the stock, for $159. The importers are making running-out noises, so I figured I should grab one, even though it was a bit more than I planned on paying for one..
The ammo is a problem, but I BLOATed when it was between $77 and $100 a case, so I am all set there, and I just ordered three cases of 5.45x39 from Century for $120 a case. They have WASRs for that round for between $250 for the "lo cap" version and $290 for hicaps. If you think fondly of the good old days of cheap important and ammo, then the 5.45 is the bargain gun today.
“That Barrett is a pop gun compared to this 20mm Lahti Anti-Tank rifle.”
Yeah, but let’s see you do the manual-of-arms with it.
"You would not believe what we got," exclaimed LAPD Officer Brian Hun of the Southwest Division. "It's like catching the big one."
I ain't gonna say it. Just had to post those few sentences. Sounds like he got the same reaction from getting this weapon as a man 'would' thumbing through a girly magazine.
It was the only gun relinquished in three hours of waiting.
At that rate, it'll take several centuries (at least) to get SKS rifles "off the street". Norinco basically cleaned out all the mothballed rifles of that type that were stored in Chinese armories - then when those ran out, they began producing more solely for export. Lots of Russian, Romanian and Yugoslav SKS rifles were imported here, too - just about all of them but the East German Karabiner-S variant (I've ever heard a good explanation for where *those* ended up).
I know gun dealers who bought 'em by the gross.
You are right. However, some models can be converted with a kit to accept an AK mag.
“Let’s do the math: (a) those two Virgina Tech guns killed an average of 16.5 people; (2) by conservative estimates, 240 million guns are wandering aimlessly around America’s mean streets; therefore (iii) when these crazy guns finally snap, they will kill (16.5 x 240 million) = 4 billion people -- wiping out not only Virginia Tech, but the entire ACC and NCAA Division I-A itself. In this post-gun apocalypse there won’t be enough survivors to bury the dead, let alone fill a decent bracket at the NCAA basketball tournament.”
When someone burns a cross on your lawn, the best fire hose is an AK-47. (Ok, an SKS will do in a pinch.) Don’t know about an SSK.
May the day come when these fools wish they had their firearm back.
Bull Squat!
In this man's troubled neighborhood -- there has been far too much "loving" going on - resulting in >76% of all births being bastards born to unwed mothers..
An over abundance of these uncared for little bastards - have become the "gang banging", robbing, killing, drug pushing, car stealing rap singing thugs in the preacher's neighborhood ---- who forced the folks there to buy guns to protect themselves from all the "love product".
Irresponsible love SEX and ignorant parents - THAT'S the problem preacher!
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Fido969 wrote:
What is an SSK rifle? The whole internet is laughing at you.
Anyway, if it is a SKS, then you can buy those for about $95. I have a couple. They're cheap hunting rifles for the penny-pinching crowd.
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fido,
You're harsh. Point well taken. Will seek a correction.
Best,
Dana Bartholomew / Los Angeles Daily News
Nice job! Bet we don’t see a correction, though.
Not in Denver, a semi-automatic pistol is considered an assault weapon by City and County of Denver. Any semiautomatic is illegal to them.
Let’s get a petition going to ban all Chinese made SSK assault rifles. I don’t ever want to see one of those dreaded weapons.
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