Does anyone know what sort of weapon was used by Maj. Hasan? Also, how did he get it onto the base? If it was there to begin with, did he have to sign it out, as you had to do? When signing a weapon out, is it checked by whomever to see if it is loaded or not? Maybe these sort of rules don’t apply to an officer versus an enlisted man? I just don’t know myself. Any thoughts on your part?
He used two guns purchased legally by himself.
For Jihad purposes.
When ever I signed out my issued weapon or my own personal sidearm, it was never issued loaded. No problem to get it on base though as he could have easily had them in his personal vehicle or on his person. Officers have to keep their weapons in the same arms room everyone else does if they live in the barracks or officer quarters. Or least at the posts I served (Ft. Sill, Ft. Bliss, Camp Colbern (ROK)). I know that Maj. Hasan *spit*, used pistols. What kind or caliber, I do not know. Probably Baretta 92s. The reason I say Baretta 92s is because unless he was a frequent shooter, those are the pistols he would be most familiar with due to his military training and qualification.
We know that one of them was an FN Five-Seven.
“FN’s newest contribution the handgun’s evolution is named the Five-seveN®. This 20-round pistol fires a 5.7mm bullet that will defeat most body armor in military service around the world today. Essentially, the Five-seveN® represents a quantum leap forward in the handgun’s suitablity for close engagements by delivering the type of performance that was previously confined to rifles or carbines. Elements of this performance include:
High magazine capacity: The Five-seveN® comes standard with 20-round magazine.
High stopping power: The Five-seveN® fires the 5.7x28mm SS190 Ball round which reliably penetrates Kevlar helmets and vests as well as CRISAT protection.
High hit probability: The Five-seveN’s® extremely low recoil impulse results in virtually no muzzle climb, thereby facilitating fast and controllable follow-up shots.
Yet, the Five-seveN® is:
Light and ergonomic: Weighing 30% less than most 9mm pistols, the smoothly-contoured Five-seveN® is comfortable to carry and quick to deploy.
Fully safe: Due to its double-action firing mechanism, the Five-seveN® offers no inherent risk of accidental discharge during transportation. Furthermore, all of its safety devices are automatically reengaged following each firing cycle.
The Five-seveN® fires the SS190 5.7x28mm ball round. This projectile will perforate any individual protection on today’s battlefield including the PASGT kevlar helmet, 48 layers of kevlar body armor and the CRISAT target (titanium and kevlar). The SS190’s conventional design allows it to be manufactured on existing production lines, and its lead-free composition eliminates range contamination.
Five-seveN® Technical Specifications
Caliber 5.7x28mm
Operating principle Delayed blowback
Trigger mechanism Double action only
Magazine capacity 20 rounds
Overall length 208mm (8.2 in)
Barrel length 122.5mm (4.82 in)
Weight, unloaded 618g (1.36 lb)
Weight, loaded 744g (1.64 lb)
Not a military issue weapon. He had an FN 5.7 semiautomatic pistol, purchased, although perhaps not by him, at a gun store off post but in Killeen. He also had a .357. It's not clear if that was the .357 Magnum revolver, or a .357 Sig semi-auto. Reporters usually get the gun designation wrong anyway. They only got the 5.7 correct so the Brady Bunch could demonize it as a "cop killer". Never mind that one cop he shot at with it, didn't die, despite being hit two or three times. (Perhaps only two rounds, since one appears to have gone through both her thighs).
I imagine he took the chance that his car would not be searched, since only at the highest alert levels (Force Protection Conditions) do they search every vehicle. He might have stashed it in a "doctor bag" which they'd be unlikely to search anyway. I can think of other ways too, but I'll not mention those.