Anti-gun nuts: Let’s ban more guns because of Fort Hood

[henktermaat]

The Greenroom Forum Archive Anti-gun nuts: Let’s ban more guns because of Fort Hood

Anti-gun nuts: Let’s ban more guns because of Fort Hood

posted at 1:57 pm on November 8, 2009 by MadisonConservative
printer-friendly

Of course. They tried it with Columbine and Virginia Tech, why not the tragedie du jour?

Nidal Malik Hasan, the Muslim American army psychiatrist, who ran amok at Fort Hood army base in Texas killing 13, used a controversial Belgian weapon. Hasan employed an FN 5.7 pistol.
The weapon is produced by arms manufacturer FN at Herstal in Belgium. Hasan was able to purchase the arm without any difficulty at an arms dealer’s.
The 5.7 pistol is an extremely powerful semi-automatic arm. Using a special type of ammunition it can pierce through bullet proof vests even at a great distance.
This makes the weapon extremely popular among criminal gangs. It has been dubbed the “cop killer”.

Well, it certainly seems that this vicious, evil 5.7 FN pistol is some kind of magical killing machine. The question is, how? The article seems to discuss both the pistol on its own, as well as a particular kind of ammunition. So, is it the pistol? Does it only fire bullets which pierce armor? Um, no.

The 5.7 x 28 mm cartridge was designed for pistols, submachine guns, personal defense weapons and carbines. It was developed by Fabrique Nationale Herstal (FN Herstal), Belgium and primarily marketed to European militaries for use by vehicle crewmen, artillery personnel and combat engineers and as a military and law enforcement round that has more effective performance against modern body armor when compared with traditional pistol caliber ammunition. The ammo for the civilian market WILL NOT penetrate Level IIA and Level IIIA Kevlar, Kevlar 129 or Spectra vests, contrary to popular myth put originated by misguided politicians and gun control advocates trying to advance their agenda. Ballistically, the 5.7 round is very similar to the .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum Rimfire) round.

So wait…the ammunition being used is available only to law enforcement and…military? Why, yes it is, according to FN’s own website. You can buy and use a number of different rounds for that pistol for self-defense, target shooting, or whatever legal purpose you wish, and police officers are at no more risk than if you had picked up a package of 9mm rounds at Wal-Mart. I guess adding in the little detail about Hasan only being able to purchase the AP rounds due to being a member of the military might have blown their argument. Must have just slipped their mind. It even slipped the mind of the writers of the above news article, since the blue-tipped rounds in the included picture indicate that they are, in fact, not armor piercing.
So it’s not the gun, yet gun control advocates still want it banned. By their logic, we better ban

all other standard caliber handguns as well

. The military also has access to a lot of other weapons and equipment not available for civilian use, so do we ban the military from having it? How strange that they would be calling for the outlawing of a firearm based on completely flawed thinking, particularly with such hyperbole at their disposal as “cop killer”.

[rambone]

Maybe the military should be banned from handling guns.

[Bill of Rights]

Is the AP ammo more available outside the US? I recall someone posting that it's in a bonded warehouse, but I'm not sure if less scrupulous persons outside the US might be more willing to make it more available if someone was willing to pay.

I'd like to think that this was not a possible problem IN the US as well, but I have no way of knowing for certain.

Also... was the murderer able to purchase the AP ammo as an individual soldier or would it have to be purchased by the department or service employing the purchaser?

Blessings,
Bill

[Fletch]

Originally Posted by Bill of Rights

Also... was the murderer able to purchase the AP ammo as an individual soldier or would it have to be purchased by the department or service employing the purchaser?

As far as I know, we haven't even established that he even had the AP ammo to begin with.

[printcraft]

Labeling any ammo or gun as a "cop killer" is a slimy tactic that DID WORK against the "black talon" ammo. And it was pulled (rebadged and lost the moly coating however)

Cop killing death buzzsaws.

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by Fletch

As far as I know, we haven't even established that he even had the AP ammo to begin with.

Granted. I was asking about his ability to do so, however, not stating that he had. Theoretical/hypothetical.

[printcraft]

Originally Posted by Fletch

As far as I know, we haven't even established that he even had the AP ammo to begin with.

They are calling the FN 5.7 armor piercing.

They are trying to make ALL FN 5.7 and label it as "AP COP KILLER" even if
it is the civilian only NON AP.

[Fletch]

Originally Posted by printcraft

They are calling the FN 5.7 armor piercing.

They are trying to make ALL FN 5.7 and label it as "AP COP KILLER" even if it is the civilian only NON AP.

Yeah, I get that. At the same time, once the media is shown to be idiots, I go back to wanting to know and discuss the actual facts, especially since there are no reporters handy to smack around.

[edsinger]

Originally Posted by Fletch

Yeah, I get that. At the same time, once the media is shown to be idiots, I go back to wanting to know and discuss the actual facts, especially since there are no reporters handy to smack around.

They are not idiots, they know FULLY what they are doing, it is geared toward an audience of idiots. BIG DIFFERENCE.

[dhnorris]

I'm just glad he wasn't armed with an AR 16 Lord knows the carnage this cry for help could have caused.