What If the 'Beltway Sniper' Isn't Using a Rifle?

CNSNEWS.com ^ | 10/15/02 | Jeff Johnson

[kattracks]

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Much attention has been focused on the "rifle" used to shoot ten people, killing eight of them, in the Washington, D.C., area. But what if the so-called "Beltway Sniper" isn't using a rifle?

"We're willing, at this point, and able to say that from a 90-percent accuracy, we're dealing with a high-speed-velocity round," Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said Oct. 4, the morning after four people were murdered in the same day.

"We're dealing with someone shooting from a distance," he continued, "someone using a high-velocity round, 90 percent sure that it is a .223 round from a rifle."

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) later displayed four "samples" of various rifles chambered for .223 ammunition, the round police say has been used in each of the shootings.

Investigators also displayed a number of carrying cases commonly used to transport the types of rifles shown to the media. Authorities have encouraged citizens to phone their toll-free tip line if they see anyone in the area of one of the shootings with a rifle, or with one of the carrying cases.

The public has also been encouraged to contact police about anyone who owns a .223 rifle, who has been acting in a suspicious or unusual manner since the murders began Oct.2.

But Neal Knox - former president of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, who now heads the Firearms Coalition - warned Monday that authorities may be overlooking another possible weapon in the murders - a handgun chambered in the .223 or similar caliber.

Hand-fired weapons capable of firing the .223 or similar rounds include three that provide for the mounting of a telescopic sight, which would improve accuracy at the 100 to 150-yard range from which investigators believe the sniper is firing.

One of the weapons is the Kimber Predator, a modified version of Kimber's M-85 bolt-action rifle. Another is the Remington "Fireball," a bolt-action handgun chambered for the .221 caliber, which was first produced in the mid-1960s. The third is the Thompson Contender, a single shot, "break open" style gun, which is "capable of serious long range shooting," according to the company's website.

The killer has fired a single shot in each of the attacks.

"Because it's smaller, either a Contender or Fireball would be ideal for sniping from a car if you had a sandbag between the butt and the window frame," Knox explained.

Glenn Beach, an ATF firearms examiner, acknowledged the existence of handguns that fire .223 rounds, but claimed they are rarely used, "especially when you're dealing with long ranges, for accuracy's sake."

Dennis Jackson, an advisor to Armed Females of America, disagreed. He told CNSNews.com Monday that it is "very realistic" to consider the possibility that the shooter could be using such a firearm.

"They are accurate for a handgun," said Jackson, who has fired the Thompson Contender. "People need to think outside the box."

Knox estimated the accuracy of the .223 or similar caliber handguns at "about one inch at 100 yards."

"I've shot Fireballs that were capable of 1/4-inch, center-to-center, five shots at 100 yards," he added. "That's as good as the very best specially modified AR-15 [semi-automatic rifles], and as good as many bench rifles."

Handguns chambered for .223 are typically less than 18 inches in total length and approximately 6 inches tall. They could be easily concealed in a nylon or hard sided briefcase, or a padded bag made especially for handgun storage and carrying.

After the eighth murder occurred near Fredericksburg, VA, Friday, authorities closed several interstate highways and other major arteries to search white vans fitting the description of one seen leaving the location of the shooting. Observers noted that police seemed to be quickly looking inside the vehicles for a rifle or storage container similar to the ones shown to the media.

"They're looking for a needle in a haystack because [the .223] is such a common round," Jackson noted. "This is giving them another alternative."

Chief Moose refused to answer questions Monday about the specific type of weapon the sniper might be using, saying, "We didn't come out here to speculate."

Police have been tight-lipped about details of the investigation since media outlets reported the discovery of a tarot card inscribed with the words, "Mr. Policeman, I am God," at one of the crime scenes. Critics say authorities are too concerned with building a criminal case, and that releasing more details could help friends, family members or coworkers of the killer identify him as a potential suspect.

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[Travis McGee]

The world record pistol group is five shots in about 4 inches at 600 yards from a Contender in (as I recall) 6mm.

[sneakypete]

. (On a side note, I once shot a round of skeet with a TC Contender chambered in 20ga. Wild!)

Damn! How did you do? That sounds like it would be a lot of fun. You KNOW you don't ever want to shoot against the guy who brings his TC to a skeet or trap match with the .410 barrel!

One of my favorite things to do back when I was shooting a lot of 45 ACP ammo up,was to scatter golf balls all over the yard,and then spin around and make "snap" shots at them while I'm still moving to try and get them to jump. This ain't a good game to play if your ego requires you to always "hit",but it IS a lot of fun. You can buy damaged golf balls cheap at any golf course. Just find the guy that runs the "rough mower",and tell him you want to buy them.

[sparkomatic]

reported witness to the latest shooting that said he saw the shooter with a rifle

That doesn't mean much. To an unfamiliar person a contender might be a rifle. It has a long enough barrell that it could cause one to think "rifle" and the scope, if it has one, could cause one to think "rifle".

[sparkomatic]

what about a disgruntled former employee of Michael's

That's funny. I've been in several Michael's stores. Not for me of course. But the people that work in there are artsy fartsy girlie types. You know, "Geez should I use the red ribbons with the green buttons on my Christmas craft?" I can't see any of them even touching a weapon except for maybe a pair of scissors or hot melt glue gun.

[M. T. Cicero II]

If I remember correctly (and unfortunalty I do) I hit 5 and had a sore elbow and shoulder. I normally use a O/U 12 ga. The .45 ACP golf ball game sounds fun. I love shooting my .45 - I think I'll try it!

[paul51]

I heard a report on local radio this morning that witnesses last night saw the perp get out of a vehicle, fire, and get back in and drive off

It's hard to imagine that this would happen without someone going after the vehicle or at least taking some action to draw attention to it that would result in someone else going after it. With all the people apparently in the vicinity, I'm surprised someone didn't make an effort to at least follow. I'm also surprised someone hasn't pulled their own weapon.

[knighthawk]

I saw you mentioning it. The Contender.

[VOA]

Perhaps he wants to see people rushing towards the victim; something that won't
happen if he pops off a second round.

My naive, amateur thought is that there is an unspoken bargain between the shooter(s)
and the people at the scene of each hit (where more than one person is in the vicinity).

People now know this killer is a "one shot, one kill" sniper.
S/He/They kill one person and leave.

While that is useful in making a rapid getaway...it also leaves the surrounding citizens
with the (subconscious) knowledge that if they see some person 10 feet away from them
go down...if they keep their heads down and don't make trouble...they will survive this encounter.

I'm sure some professor of psychology or "game theory" has an angle/speculation on this...
but I've never heard a term for this scenario.

I guess that what I'm driving at is that IF the shooter had been killing two, three, or more
folks at one scene...some potential victim might decide "I'm gonna' rush the guy...
he's gonna' try to kill me anyway."

But this sniper has made the "civility" of only claiming one vicitm per incident
a calling card...perhaps in hopes it has subconscioulsy earned him inaction from the crowd.

I'll cut to the chase...
it's almost as if the killer has said by his actions to the public:
"Here's the deal. All I ask is one victim per incident. And I'll not harm anyone else.
Are we clear?"

[Free Trapper]

HarHar!I know what you mean.To an "unfamiliar" person,a G.I.Joe toy rifle is a deadly weapon that can't be allowed on aircraft,let alone the drawings kids make of those terrible guns in school.I shouldn't leave out threatening people with chicken fingers,either. :O)

[RightWhale]

Problem with the .223 in a handgun is barrel length. From a pistol, unless the barrel is highly unusually long, the projectile will emerge with considerably less muzzle velocity and energy. It might be accurate enough, but accuracy is not the only factor.

[philetus]

"Is it impossible to use a silencer with an AR-15"


Unless you use a POTATO

[tracer]

Posted on an earlier thread:

Posted by tracer to Rodney King On News/Activism Oct 15 10:20 AM #1,683 of 1,692

There are a few scoped handguns in .223 -- the Lone Eagle for example. I've plinked with one out West some years ago and found it to be quite accurate at 100 yards."

An example of the characteristics of such a .223 round can be found at handgunhunt.com:

"Over the long haul, the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip with Blue Dot Powder is my hands down favorite for the 10" .223 Contender. This load is quite accurate, and as can be seen, only gives up a little velocity to the IMR-4198 Load. This load is so mild to shoot, while still offering excellent performance in the 10" barreled .223 Handguns it is hard to imagine. What has endeared me to the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / Blue Dot load is the mild report, almost nonexistent recoil, and the fact that it does not heat up the barrel as quickly as other loads do. This is extremely important to the Varmint Hunter sitting in the midst of a Prairie Dog Town, or for that matter, a heavily populated Flicker Tail Gopher patch."

Such a pistol is quite concealble and potentially "in-your-face" when compared to an AR-15 longgun and would be a good choice for the goblin sniper(s) in question........