CNN: "Smugglers' deadly cargo: Cop-killing guns"

[Zundfolge]

The weapon fires palm-sized .50-caliber rounds that can cut through just about anything.

Palm-sized? Someone must have real tiny hands (I wonder if they smell of cabbage as well)?

 

[xsquidgator]

Awesome discussion, thanks to you all. I occasionally can't help myself and have to dive into the politics section of a University of Florida forum. I'd just posted on a thread on this exact story on their politics board (one of the resident handwringers was pissing and moaning over "why can people buy cop-killer bullets") and I made another post making the point about the belted rounds likely coming from stolen military hardware. I wouldn't have thought of that unless a couple of you pointed it out, thanks and with any luck this will continue to make the point to the undecided that more gun laws aren't going to do squat to this problem.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

The fact the Mexican government is complaining to us about anything is either laughable, or sickening. I don't know which yet. Tell them that we'll try to control illegal imports of certain things to the south when they begin controlling their illegal imports up north.

 

[strat81]

First they say...

Mexican police say they are outgunned by criminals who use weapons like AK-47s.

Then they say...

Officer Cesar Quitana patrols a dangerous barrio in Juarez, Mexico. He is armed with an M16 assault rifle -- a weapon that would be no match in a gunfight with drug lords.

Apparently CNN has settled the debate: the AK-47 is better than the M-16.

 

[ZombiesAhead]

You guys beat me to this one.

My personal favorite is that a few months (or weeks) ago, an article (posted here) talked about how Mexican police were desperately deprived of enough M16's - the rifle that would have saved them from the drug dealers using easily obtained "automatic" assault rifles available at US "Gun Shows."

Apparently, within a few weeks, Mexican Police now have M16's but they are "not enough." You have to wonder about something like this...

If our troops in Iraq can make do with M16's (often semi-auto) against suicidal insurgents, perhaps we should work on doing something about this before turning to worry about Mexico...or maybe it says something about Mexican law enforcement - their questionable demands, corruption, and what must be horrendous training.

If, in fact, M16's are enough to fight Iraqi insurgents, well, it's time for Mexican police to learn how to shoot their weapons.

Finally, a Barret (that they seized) does not feed linked rounds and I would LOVE to see a citation/source before we dub yet another firearm/round with "cop killer" designation.

Simply, Mexican police - GET IT TOGETHER. Last month you complained about not having "assault rifles." Now you have them, how can we serve you now?

I'll bet the solution lies in expanding treaties based in NAFTA to confiscate and prohibit all of these weapons in all countries in North and South America.

Or we could close that darn "gun show loophole" - perhaps my favorite hot-button phrase of the past few years. Now I could care less if gun shows went out of business due to their pure worthlessness as far as I'm concerned but I don't understand where the "loophole" comes in. Dealers still call in checks, right? And you're never going to ban face-to-face sales without some serious outcry (especially considering that most states don't register guns.)

 

[cracked butt]

The Mexican cops are outgunned and outnumbered- by Mexican Police and soldiers owned by the cartels.

 

[Wes Janson]

Just because the .50 ammo was belted doesn't mean it was intended for use in an M2. I'd be willing to wager good money that they purchased some old Talon ball that came pre-linked. Just means that they're buying cheap (not that I can blame them for that one, but if they've got so much drug money, one would think they could at least spring for some good ammo).