[hansolo]

In a recent story, a Palm Springs, CA, newspaper reported on an armed robbery; "....an automatic pistol and an SKS assault rifle were found in the gunman's car...". The handgun was a Ruger P89 and the SKS is not an assault rifle...to the best of my knowledge.

Not defending a felonious act, but the terminology was just tainted. What else is new?

[spacemanspiff]

didnt you know? guns magically morph once they are used to commit a crime. revolvers become 'semi-automatic revolvers', and semi-automatics become 'automatic machine pistols'. any long gun becomes a 'death-dealing assault rifle forged by the devil himself', even if its a single shot chipmunk .22lr bolt action.

[Car Knocker]

Below is the reply I received today from a reporter I queried about the ubiquitous term "high-powered rifle":

Hi, and thanks for your e-mail.

The police described it as a "high caliber" rifle. I know absolutely nothing about guns so I don't even know what would constitute a high caliber. But I do know high powered is used pretty much interchangeably.

And I don't know WHAT an assault rifle designates.

I'm really not stupid! Just don't know a lot about guns!

Sorry I can't help more.

[Standing Wolf]

Yeah, but was it a sniper automatic pistol junk gun? I hear those are the really dangerous kind!

[Greg L]

Car Knocker,

This sounds like a real good opportunity to send the reporter a quick primer on what is/isn't high powered. The difference between revolver/semi/automatic. What an assault weapon really is and what defines it. Perhaps even throw in something about the NFA/1934 and the hoops one has to jump through (both background check wise and financially to get the money to afford it) to actually get an assault rifle. If nothing else offer to be a source to bounce questions off of before stories head off to the editor.

Can't hurt.

Greg

[Justin]

Hmm. Would be interesting to have a quick 'n' dirty primer for those who don't know anything about guns. Something that's only a couple of paragraphs long, but busts down the most common misconceptions.

BTW, I don't even think the firearms industry has a standard designation for what is or isn't considered to be a 'high-powered' round. High powered compared to what? An orange? a .22? how about a .308, or a .338 WinMag, .50 BMG, or a .577 Tyranosaur?

[clarkg1124]

CarKnocker-
Don't you find it a bit curious that the reporter,while admitting his ignorance,did not express a desire to be educated on this subject?Is there a subtle fear on his part that ,if he knew something about the subject,he might have his nice little Lefty world rattled by the truth,and thereby be forced to reassess his Lefty biases???
Clark

[vmi93]

They don't want to take the time to be educated about ANY of the things they report on. All most media folks do is read a wire report or two and occasionally a press release from some advocacy group. They may make the effort to interview some government official who knows less than the reporter about the particular topic. They have yet to realize that accurate information on EVERY topic imaginable is readily available for free at public libraries and on the internet.

Ask anyone who knows about the topic of any news article and you will discover that the mainstream media is incompetent in reporting ALL topics.

[Waitone]

Quick!!!!

Bounce back to the reporter that you would more than willing to serve as a source of information on the technology of firearms. Give him/her your phone and email. Let him/her know you are doing this for the sake of accuracy in media. Without casting dispersions on LE, politely explain to the reporter police are NOT NECESSARILY experts in firearms. Some are, some are dumb as a stump. It just depends upon the ossifer.

To have a reporter actually admit ignorance is a profound opening for education.

[Norm357]

Quick! Call the reporter back and offer to take him shooting! You may have a new shooter there.


Norm