Sigh - SKS = "high powered assault weapon"

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Greg L

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http://www.wcpo.com/news/2005/local/09/06/deputy.html

Anyone else feel like sending an email to the twits complaining about their wording. Also, anyone with any photography skills may want to make a comment upon their forcing the perspective of the rifle in the picture. From the angle it looks like there is 12" or so of barrel in front of the gas tube.

Now I'm not condoning the guy shooting/ramming the police but the wording of the story is certainly designed to invoke negative emotions towards the tools used.
 
I heard this reported this morning on the way to work on a local country music station from the Cincinnati area. The report said the suspect opened fire on the officer with an 'automatic' weapon. They will never get it right and there is a reason for their innacurracy. I do wonder who supplied that gem of information though, the reporter or the police dept.

I don't condone the shooting or assault either but it does make you wonder how many other news items each day are reported with the same degree of accuracy.
 
What makes a SKS an assualt weapon?

And highpower? I am sure the sheeple would be shocked to know there are much higher powered rifles sold at WalMart!
 
Here's the reporter's e-mail:

Shannon Kettler's E-mail

And here's what I sent her:

"Hi Shannon,


I just wanted to point out a few errors in the above-referenced story:

1-An SKS rifle is not 'high-powered' in any sense; in fact, many states wouldn't even allow you to hunt deer with one. It's not NEARLY as powerful as most of the rifles on sale at the local Wal-Mart.

2-An SKS is not an 'assault weapon' in any official, unofficial or technical sense. Even our own confused governmental categorization scheme recognized the SKS for what it is; a simple semi-automatic weapon.

I realize you may not know, or even care about these distinctions. Perhaps few of your readers will know about them either. But inaccurate descriptions of firearms involved in an awful incident like this reduces the credibility of your reporting, and does a disservice to those who rely on you for their news. Imagine if you had reported that the offender was driving a 'Highly tuned NASCAR truck' with 'a supercharged motor', and you'll have an idea of what this story seems like to those millions among us who understand firearms.

Sincerely,

Larry"


Don't know that it will help, but I tried.
 
I sent the reporter a e-mail and ask her to stop useing terms like hi powered assualt rifle That the SKS isn't any such thing. I also ask her to take time and learn a little about weapons if going to write about them.

I did not call her any names of accuse her of being a bleeding heart gun grabber. I was very nice :)
 
If its not a "high powered" rifle, then what is it, low powered?

It pretty much has the same ballistics as a .30-30, which has taken more game than probably all the other rifle calibers put together. The fact that you can't use it for hunting in certain states is because of it being a semi-auto. I thought I saw somewhere a bolt action rifle in 7.62x39??

As for "assault rifle", well no one has ever come up with a good definition for one.
 
Not sure and do not want to upset anyone, but in some locales. anything that fires a centerfire cartrige is deemed a "high powered" firearm, excluding shotguns. Just the way some people call centerfire as different from a rimfire.
 
ill tell you what makes it an assault weapon......

if its in california :neener:

not all, just if it has a grenade launcher or detachable or larger than 10 round fixed mag, i think
 
my letter:

Ms. Kettler,

First I'd like to thank you and your company for providing a line of feedback. Many news agencies are completely unaccountable and I feel this contributes to innacurate reporting.

I'm writing in response to your 6 Sept. article "Suspect Slams Cruiser". I'm not sure if you were aware that the terms you used in the article were misleading at best. The sks rifle is most definitely not a high powered weapon, nor is it an "assault weapon". The sks fires a 7.62X39mm (.30 caliber) cartridge. This is what is known as an intermediate cartridge because while it has more muzzle energy than a handgun cartridge, it has nowhere near the energy of full power rifle cartridges such as the .30-30, .30 '06 or .308. I'm not entirely certain what an "assault weapon" is (I don't think anyone is) but an assault rifle is usually smaller than a full size battle rifle, chambered in an intermediate cartridge, accepts 20 round or larger detachable magazines and is select fire (that means it can be switched from semi-auto to full-auto or burst). The sks in your article is semi automatic only, does not accept detachable magazines, has a magazine capacity of only ten rounds and is larger than what would generally be considered an assault rifle. I realize it is difficult to write articles about a wide range of subjects in which you may have no personal knowledge but please resist the temptation to make things up or add verbage that "sounds right". Please remember that guns and gun control are still a controversial issue in the U.S. and misinformation about the firearms may lead people to incorrect conclusions. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I wish you well.


now that i think of it, .223 rifles compete in the NRA's high power competition.
the point is that "high powered assault weapon" is a loaded, political term not suitable for a news article.
 
Steve in PA:
"Assault rifle" has a definition. It's a select-fire rifle firing an intermediate cartridge.

"Assault weapon" is:
a) whatever a reporter wants it to be.
b) something banned by an AWB (national or state) by its cosmetic features.
 
An SKS rifle is not 'high-powered' in any sense; in fact, many states wouldn't even allow you to hunt deer with one. It's not NEARLY as powerful as most of the rifles on sale at the local Wal-Mart.
Click to expand...

Name a single state that allows the use of rifles that doesnt allow the use of an SKS for hunting. Its the balistic equivalent of a 30-30, so it sure isnt a "low-powered" weapon.

Notice that the reporter did NOT describe it as an "assault RIFLE", a term that holds an actual technical definition. It was described as an assault WEAPON, which is a completely different thing. It is embarassing to argue semantics when the arguer makes such mistakes.

Its an assault weapon because it was used in an assault. If you hit someone with a hammer that hammer becomes an assault weapon, if you kill them, it becomes a murder weapon.

The actual description of the rifle in the article : "The gun used by the alleged suspect is an SKS semi-automatic rifle. " which is pretty darn accurate as far as I can tell from the picture.

Im all for fighting the language-battle, but one should try to pick the fights that make sense.
 
Guys and Gals...
This is in Ohio.
The Wannabe police state.

The terms the reporter used that we all find so disgusting, came from the cops. Here in Canton, Any rifle other than a .22 rimfire the cops find is described as "Loaded with armor piercing ammo."

Since virtualy any rifle load will pierce level IIa vests...

I am not referring to street cops.
The agenda comes from the management.
And the police spokesman has managements agenda in front of them at all times.

I know one.
She is a "gunnie" and belongs to one of my clubs.
She said she has to tell it from the bosses position, or her performance review will reflect it. Her position is non union...
(sigh, Just once I'dlike to beat her in a round of trap)
 
Ah, don't worry. If the suspect had used a 30-06 remington 700, the reporter would have described it as a high powered sniper rifle. :fire:
 
If reporters reported the rest of the news the way they did gun-related things, we'd be hearing about High Powered Assault Vehicles killing thousands of people every day. Somehow that isn't important...
 
we'd be hearing about High Powered Assault Vehicles
Click to expand...
I have one of those...

2005.honda.civic.350.jpg
 
Notice that the reporter did NOT describe it as an "assault RIFLE", a term that holds an actual technical definition. It was described as an assault WEAPON, which is a completely different thing.
Click to expand...

To cede the use of emotional and intellectually inaccurate adjectives like 'assault' 'automatic' and 'high-powered' to the media is to allow a corrosion of accuracy in their reporting. People who understand guns know an SKS is neither 'high-powered' in any sense relative to other rifles, nor an 'assault weapon' in whatever the definition de jeur is. It is a semi-automatic rifle of fairly low power, especially when compared to the stereotypical American 30-06. To allow the unfettered use of 'emotional' descriptors is to allow the media to steer the perceptions of those uninformed about the topic.

Larry
 
i no its ignorrant to call the SKS and assault weapon, but wen my liberal realives see mine on the wall, i swell with pride wen they say my "assault weapon" is a horrible thing. i know its not thats not an accurate word to describe the SKS but it is kinda funny
 
Is there a conspiracy in the liberal left-wing nutcase media to slander the respectable SKS with the "high-powered assault weapon" moniker? I sent an email to a local reporter just two weeks ago about her use of that exact term in an article. I made many of the same points made by others here. Except without the sarcasm. ;) I did also mention that despite efforts like hers, most Americans are not afraid of guns. Many Americans are offended by inaccurate and sensationalist reporting. I told her that we who are knowledgeable about firearms consider the demeaning of guns an affront to the Constitution, and therefore a personal affront.

Then I suggested that she call a gun shop or shooting range or email me if she needed more information about guns. I am sure that anyone in a gun store or at a range would be as willing to put her on the right path as me. I even offered to take her shooting. I figured that getting her to shoot my friend's SKS and then a .357 snubbie would effectively disassociate "high-powered" from the SKS. :evil:

She replied that she had written the article only listing the weapons used in the crime, an SKS and AK47 rifle. Her editor added "high-powered assault weapon." No thanks on the range trip.

We gotta stay on them, though.
 
To cede the use of emotional and intellectually inaccurate adjectives like 'assault' 'automatic' and 'high-powered' to the media is to allow a corrosion of accuracy in their reporting.
Click to expand...

Explain to me how the term "assault" does not apply when an assault clearly occured.

Our own definition of an SKS is that it is a semi-AUTOMATIC weapon.

"High Powered" is a subjective term, however i havent heard anyone yet to explain a technical definition for the term that excludes the SKS.

It sounds to me like the only emotions here are coming from the people who panic at the very sight of the words "assault" and "weapon" in the same sentance, regardless of context.
 
Maybe the author has been reading gun BBS postings. Most that write about their SKS rifles, praise them to the mountain tops. Accurate, rapid fire, indestructable, easy to modify to hi cap mags, takes all sorts of cool tactical accessories............ get the picture?
Sure SOUNDS like a high powered assault rifle to me. :)
 
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