AR-15 A Machine Gun?

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mike101

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I saw this report on Action News (ABC) in Philly last night.

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=6589284&status=ok

A truck load of guns was stolen from a dealer's truck after the Valley Forge gun show. Channel 6 has a bad habit of sensationalizing any report that involves firearms, without any concern for accuracy.

The first rifle they show in the report, is an AR-15 with a 5 round mag., and the reporter calls it a "machine gun".

If you have a minute, drop them an email. :mad:
 
THe media, what more to say? They have made the mistake of calling a .50cal muzzle loader a "sniper rifle", i guess someone said .50 cal and they thought BMG.....
 
When Eagles' Coach Andy Reid's son was arrested (the 1st time), they searched his home and found a .45 Automatic and some hollow point ammo. On the 5 o'clock news Channel 6 reported that it was "hollow point, cop killer ammunition".

A few of us sent them emails, and they had corrected their terminology by the time the story was re-aired on the 5:30 news.

There is already enough anti-gun scaremongering from Philly politicians who don't know what they're talking about, like the mayor (Nutter) for example, without the media making it worse.

Go Eagles.
 
I don't see much of a problem with it, they said that one of the machine guns looks like an ar-15, and there were several machine guns stolen.
 
FWIW, an "AR15" can be a machinegun - I own several. Further, there's a lot of class 3 owners in eastern PA and that show in PA usually has a fair number of class 3 dealers (many of which I know and have dealth with), so I wouldn't categorically doubt the report. Finally, if you read the quote from the BATFE agent, it shows he clearly knows the difference and has some knowledge of NFA weapons ("In the second theft, we had a number of machine guns, silencers, some short-barrled rifles. ")
 
Then, in the interest of accuracy, SHOW a machinegun, for heaven's sake.
Click to expand...

In the interest of accuracy, how do you know what was shown was NOT a machinegun?
 
"I don't see much of a problem with it, they said that one of the machine guns looks like an ar-15, and there were several machine guns stolen."

The reporter, Vernon Odum, said "One of the machine guns taken looked like this one, an AR-15"

I think that most people, who don't know much about guns, will take that to mean that an AR-15 is a machine gun.
 
A couple months ago, a 19 year old man was arrested for threatening a school with automatic weapons. Channel 6 ABC local news ran the story at 6:00. They showed a table full of the guns confiscated by NCC police, after a neighbor called to report that a man was running around near the school with a machine gun.

The News folks called the guns on the table automatic weapons, even though they all had orange muzzle plugs. My son and I were watching the story...

My son is 10 he said Daddy those aren't real guns, he was right they were a mix of airsoft and toy guns, some old cap guns.

The man was playing airsoft in his own backyard, with his younger brother and a couple friends, their house is near an elementary school.

The local paper printed the facts the next day, and called it an over-reaction by the police. All charges were dropped, but only after the police had raided and seaarched the house with bomb sniffing dogs and confiscated the airsofts.

Channel 6 never aired any follow up or retraction of the story.
 
The story is about Class 3 weapons being stolen. They said one of the weapons "looks like this AR-15;" which would mean that an M16 or converted AR-15 was stolen. That's actually accurate reporting. The ATF man mentioned SBRs. That was not biased reporting. The only thing biased was the "hi-powered" bit.
 
I think some of us are overreacting. The ATF said that the second theft involved machine guns, suppressors and short barreled rifles. The reporter said that "One of the machine guns taken looked like this AR-15".

If you were going to tell this story in a brief video report and the target audience didn't know what they were looking for saying "One of the machine guns taken looked like this AR-15" might be perfectly reasonable considering how many noobs we get asking "What's the difference between an AR-15 and an M-16?". I also don't think calling an MG42 or an RPD a "high-powered weapon" is unreasonable.
 
Here's the text of the article:
PHILADELPHIA - January 6, 2009 - (WPVI) -- Federal officials are asking for your help in locating dozens of stolen, high powered weapons. More than 23 high powered firearms were stolen from a dealer who'd parked his truck in a restaurant parking lot after a December 21st gun show at the Valley Forge Convention Center.

In addition, agents are looking at the September theft of more than 40 handguns under similar circumstances. They were stolen from a New York dealer who had just left the valley for the convention center, and parked his vehicle at a restaurant near the King of Prussia Mall.
"Both of the thefts occured in restaurant parking lots after the gun show, leads me to believe we may be looking for the same individuals," said ATF Special Agent John Hageman.

The feds fear all those weapons could be hiting the streets fast, especially the hanguns.
"Those guns could move on the street very quickly, and get in the hands of drug dealers, or other violent criminals," Hageman said. "In the second theft, we had a number of machine guns, silencers, some short-barrled rifles. With that kind of firepower, they'd be looking to move the guns quickly and be able to make a lot of money from violent criminals."
Click to expand...
This seems pretty benign and without a lot of sensationalism. The video starts with a bit of breathless mention of guns being sold on streetcorners to 'domestic terrorists' and 'gangs', but that's not something for which the reporting can easily be taken to task and the rest of the video seemed like pretty straightforward stuff, to me.

If you have a minute, drop them an email.
Click to expand...
What should I tell them?

The reporter, Vernon Odum, said "One of the machine guns taken looked like this one, an AR-15"

I think that most people, who don't know much about guns, will take that to mean that an AR-15 is a machine gun.
Click to expand...
Well, it can be.

Had the reporter/video showed an M16A2 - do you think that the viewers would have seen something OTHER than an AR-15 looking weapon?
 
if you're local, instead of dropping a whiny email, invite the reporter to come shoot with you
 
Disclaimer: The Gun dealer is a victim and was most likely followed and targeted after leaving the gunshow ........I hope he does NOT get into any legal trouble,


That being said unless he was sitting where he could see the vehicle, he was stupid for leaving almost a quarter million in probably transferable weapons in a truck while he went in to eat, I would have gone to a drive through... when you are hauling a ton of weapons AFTER leaving a gunshow you should be prepared.
 
Actually, the NFA firearms dealer is required to have that vehicle in sight the entire time he was in the restaurant. ATF could legally give him a lot of trouble over not doing so. The pistol dealer, no.
 
This story has me wondering...

Why were there NFA weapons at the gunshow, to begin with? Its not like you can buy an NFA weapon and take it home the same day, so the seller doesnt have the advantage of impulse buying by showgoers. So whats the point of a dealer taking them to a gunshow?
 
Grant, you'd be surprised how many NFA deals are sealed at a gunshow. Dealers and buyers use the opportunity to check out the guns for condition and ask questions. Would you want to buy a $10,000 gun sight unseen?

I came to a deal for my full-auto AK47 at a gunshow. Had the dealer not had it there for me to look at I probably would not have done it.
 
MGShaggy took the words right out of my mouth. If I were in the market for a NFA item, especially one as costly as a MG, I'd damn well want to get my hands on it and give it a look-over in person before I slapped down the cash for it. A gun show is the perfect place to do so. Sure, I still have to wait for the Gub'ment to do their part, but at least I'm assured of getting a quality piece.
 
I disagree with those saying "WE" are over reacting, while factually the report may have been acurate.

Comparing an AR15 to a Machine gun puts in the mind of the public that and ar15 IS a machine gun. That is not done on accedent.

Now to many the AR15 is a much scarrier gun becasue they think it is a machine gun.

Truth ne told a selective fire AR15 is not even truely a Machine gun, it is an assult weopon. An M60 is a machine gun.

And just what exactly is a HIGH Powered weapon?

IMHO a very anti gun news article.
 
There's no such thing as an "assault weapon". That's a made up term to make people confuse assault rifles with a semi auto rifle based on the military selective fire version.

A "high powered weapon" is anything that shoots a "30 caliber" rifle round as opposed to a pistol (.45) or intermediate (5.56, 30 carbine, 7.62X39) round. 7.62 X 54R and 8mm machine guns fit that category, but so do 7.62NATO firing selective fire rifles like the FAL. Usually any rifle round that starts with a "3" will be a suitable for classifying as "high power".
 
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