"Sniper" Task Force Searching Residence in Baltimore (developing)

Sean Hannity Show ^ | 10/14/02 | n/a

[Pyro7480]

Sean Hannity is breaking news from his affiliate WMAL. The task force investigating the sniper shootings is searching a residence in Baltimore. Apparently, a white van has been impounded, an AR-15 has been found in the residence, and a man is being questioned by the FBI. The FBI is saying that he is "not a suspect."

[tall_tex]

I had forgoten that, he got his, we have been getting the result of a Liberal USSC ruling every since. Thanks for responding.

If I misspelled or made no sinse, I am watching fox on the shooter situation that is goin' on in the DC area. Thanks again for your response. Tom

[Bella]

It was an elderly woman pushing her cart out of Home Depot..police are looking for a 1990 white dodge van w/ VA plates w/ a man driving w/ olive toned skin wearing a blue jacket and blue pants...woman was shot in the head, one shot, and died at the scene.

[Shooter 2.5]

The Mini has two problems.
If the set screws holding the gas block to the barrel are too tight, the owner can expect as much as eight inch groups at fifty yards.
The gas block and barrel aren't attached to the stock and the operating rod slams into the block and as the barrel heats up the aim point starts to string vertically.

[sneakypete]

I will tell Anna hi for you the next tennis match she and I have!

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!

[sneakypete]

I'd like to hear your opinion, fellow shooter. I know it's gonna be good.

Anybody who says a .308 isn't "powerful" can't be serious. Especially not when it comes to "soft targets" like humans. There are a LOT of .308 bore 1,000 yard match rifles out there,and damn few (if any).375 Magnum match rifles. The ballistic coeffecient works against you on the 375 bullets when it comes to long range shooting. As of a couple of years ago,I THINK the world record 5 shot group 6 inch at 1,000 yards was a 30 caliber bullet fired out of a 8mm Remington Magnum case. Being a traditionalist,I prefer a good old 300 H&H Magnum,but would be quite happy with a nice .308 bull barrell match rifle with good optics. I definitely would NOT pick a .375 H&H or any other .375 Magnum for a sniper rifle.

BTW,lest you think I am prejudiced against .375 caliber rounds,I created my own Wildcat 375 "short magnum" round while I was in gunsmith school. It was based on a blown out and improved 348 Winchester case. I built it on a Siamese Mauser action,and it gives 375 H&H ballistics with a medium action.

[supercat]

Perhpas he purposely spelled Jihad with an unusual transliteration, to make it seem more "Arabic." why would he do this?

If someone does want to make this seem "Arabic", why write in English? I would think any Arab who wanted a declaration of Jihad to be found would be able to write it in Arabic, confident that it would get translated.

On the other hand, I find myself wondering if this guy's statement of Jihad might be directed against AQ, as in "You want war!? I'll show you war!!"

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for your research re that neighborhood in Baltimore.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for you expert data on the .223. This discounts all the claims about this being a weak sissy bullet.

You noted: At point-blank range, the .223 is more powerful than any of these cartridges, and, being a rifle cartridge, holds that energy for much longer distances. At 100 yards, the .223 is still delivering about 900-1000 ft-lbs of energy. The wound characteristics of the .223 are also notoriously destructive, with "tumbling" and heavy fragmentation the norm. I have seen what this cartridge can do in the field, and it's not pretty, although it is admittedly inconsistent. Some shots (especially if bones aren't hit) are very clean, while others are a real horror show.

What would be the foot pounds at muzzle and 100 yards if the .223 was fired from a 12-13 pistol like a Contender?

Then the same data if fired from an 18 or 20 inch Bull Berry (I think that is the speciality barrel maker for after market Contender modification?

Thanks for your data. Seems like too many people are trying to make the .223 a more puny weapon than it is is reality.

[Feiny]

I disagree. I prefer light blue or silver for concealing dirt. I have no idea why many commercial vehicles are white, but I am doubtful that "not showing dirt" is high on the list.

[Mitchell]

OK, I heard Nachman report on Abrahms (I really detest him, BTW) that Jihad in America was written on a tarot card found inside the van. They showed a picture of the van, with ladders on top. I thought he said there were a couple of tarot cards.

Also, he said they were getting the appropriate federal search warrants to search residences in other states. Nachman said he knew what the warrants were for but was not reporting that because he told his source he would keep it confidential.

An unconfirmed rumor, but still interesting.

[Arkinsaw]

I'm sure, though I did live down there for a while. A lot of us up here are Cowboys or Houston fans and I've been a Mavericks fan for years. The Hogs playing Texas is bigger than the SEC Championship game even if Texas is in a bad year. Little Rock was pretty well founded by Stephen Austin so we are, in a sense, your crazy hillfolk cousins.

[sneakypete]

In fact, a police documentary I once saw indicated that the 308 is the only common sort of thing which will predictably go through car doors.

The majority of even the pistol rounds will shoot through car doors,as will ALL rifle calibers. The only exceptions in the rifle calibers are the ones loaded with thin-jacketed "varmit bullets". This then is the fault of the bullet,not the caliber. The .223 military ball round will shoot through a 1/4 plate of mild steel at more 200 yards.

[Erasmus]

MSNBC Nachman - "Gihad" mispelled on a sign on the dashboard.

That was just there so the driver could get a good parking spot at the Saudi Embassy.

[Imal]

What would be the foot pounds at muzzle and 100 yards if the .223 was fired from a 12-13 pistol like a Contender?

There's a certain amount of voodoo surrounding .223 loads for the Contender -- a lot of shooters roll their own. I don't have solid data on factory loads (such as the Winchester NATO load performance in the Contender), but I'm willing to estimate, based on some extrapolation of velocity/energy drops from AR-15-type carbines and pistols, that with a standard load you'll see muzzle velocities of around 2000 fps (with a large flash from powder continuing to burn outside the barrel), with corresponding energies around 450 ft-lbs or so. But that's a very vague guess, it really depends heavily on how fast the powder is.

Also, all my experience is with 55 grain bullets. I really haven't taken an interest in the heavier bullets, and the performance of NATO’s 62-grain FMC M-855 in shorter-barreled weapons such as the M4 has been brought into question. I've tried the 62-grain rounds among various rifles in my AR collection and found them wanting. I know the FBI's CQB assessment of the performance of heavier bullets fired from short-barrelled weapons was unfavorable versus the classic 55 grain weight.

Then the same data if fired from an 18 or 20 inch Bull Berry (I think that is the speciality barrel maker for after market Contender modification?

With the longer barrel, you can certainly expect more juice. You might see velocities up around 2600-2800 fps or more. Again, though, I'm not really sure about the shorter barrels, but know they don't tend to yield 3250 fps velocities. The manufacturer should supply some performance data along with their barrels -- at least if they want to sell barrels to competitors.

Thanks for your data. Seems like too many people are trying to make the .223 a more puny weapon than it is is reality.

Well, please accept the disclaimer that I'm not offering reloading data or anything like that. These are my observations and estimates. I recommend getting solid numbers from authoritative manuals before trying anything fancy with loads. :^)

As for .223, it is far and away the centerfire rifle cartridge I burn the most of, and almost all of my black guns are chambered for it (it seems to fit the Steyr AUGs like a glove). I also like my other battle rifles in other calibers, particularly my DSArms FAL Carbine clone, but in my opinion, .223 is optimal for my type of shooting (quality and quantity).

I'm not saying the .223 is up there with the .460 Weatherby Magnum or other bruiser cartridges. Nor is it the equal of the various ~.30 caliber chamberings. It is a small caliber round. But it is a capable tradeoff between size and performance, is the centerfire rifle cartridge I shoot the most because it is good all around, and its ability to kill people is extremely well documented.

[dinasour]

Let's all do our part, shall we?.

LOL. It takes a village to raise a sniper.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for your feedback. It does seem that the manufacturers of the Contender and then the replacement barrel makers don't really address the muzzle velocity and the 100 yard velocities with their individual barrels.

It is really odd how many people try to make the .223 out to be some pussy type of cartridge when in the ranges that this sniper is apparently operating, the .223 is a very deadly load.

My so called big game rifle is the Remington 742, 30:06, and it does get out there. However, the big recoil is there on each shot. I hurt my shoulder a year and half ago, and I'm not ready to get hammered by that recoil. If I return to deer hunting, I will go to the .243.

A friend who has been a deer hunting buddy uses a .243 with a lot less recoil. We have both dropped deer with one shot at 100 to 200 yards with one shot. Twice with the 06, I have had the cartridge go through the deer's chest cavity and exit and not strike a vital organ. I had to kill the deer with another shot as it ran away. My friend with the .243 has never had that problem. We have felt the .06 has just passed through without tumbling and minimal expansion (looking at the exit wounds on the other side). All of my friend's chest shots dropped his deer. If there was an exit wound, the wound was big looking like the cartridge was tumbling after the impact.

My friend got his .243 as a teenager. Now in his late 50's, he has killed many deer and most have dropped and died at 100+ yards with a single shot. A couple of deer have required a little blood trail work as they dropped and then crawled or staggered away for a small distance after being shot.

[sneakypete]

Even the 44 magnum pistol frequently did not go through car doors and the 223,while it did go through the door, fragmented so badly that they determined an occupant would not be severely injured, if he was injured at all.

Don't believe everything the police tell you. They test only "service loads",for one thing. I can guarantee you that either a 44 Mag or a .223 will shoot through both sides of a car with the proper bullets.