San Jose LEO helps the media...

[bg]

...pull their heads out of their asses regarding firearms.

[LadyDoc]

That was excellent.
I'm still learning about these things (calibers, actions, etc), and that was very helpful. Got any more?

[MightyA]

thank you for sharing this, it was very informative!

[frybyrd1]

Pretty good aside from the fact that he states that a "Fully automatic weapon can not be purchased legaly". I think that a couple of folks here might disagree. Proper background check, license and pretty heavy taxes (in my mind) make the purchase/ownership of these type weapons perfectly legal. Least for now. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

[VoTrooper99]

That was excellent.
I'm still learning about these things (calibers, actions, etc), and that was very helpful. Got any more?

Here's a test...

Which of these three guns packs the most punch and why? Gentlemen...leave this to the ladies now...










Begin...

[VoTrooper99]

Pretty good aside from the fact that he states that a "Fully automatic weapon can not be purchased legaly". I think that a couple of folks here might disagree. Proper background check, license and pretty heavy taxes (in my mind) make the purchase/ownership of these type weapons perfectly legal. Least for now. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

With a few thousand dollars worth of license, a background check that would make the CIA look weak, and STRICT oversight by the ATF...

You could own a fully automatic weapon PROVIDED it was manufactured prior to 1986. Because that makes them rare, it's going to take a ton of cash just to buy one.

Those licenses are few and far between. Very few.

[bg]

For all practical purposes, the "average" citizen cannot get his hands on a fully automatic weapon (where "average" includes the time and money limitations that most folks deal with).

[LadyDoc]

Here's a test...

Which of these three guns packs the most punch and why? Gentlemen...leave this to the ladies now...










Begin...

Can't see the third choice.
My answer is, I can't immediately tell.
But I'll tell ya what I'm thinking about when I look at the two photos I can see. Bear in mind that I have only ever been up-close and fired my dad's 20 ga shotgun when I was twelve, and an AR-15 and a .45 pistol when a friend let me tag along to a gunshow/demo day the other year. That's why I want to learn more.

First pic - made to at least "look" like an evil black rifle (Kalishnikov style?)- no orange on the tip so it's probably "real" and not airsoft, but what's with the clear plasticy looking magazine? Have no idea how to tell what caliber just by a pic.

Second pic - I can't see either a pump action, a lever action or a bolt action on it, so it is probably semi-automatic. Also have no idea what caliber in order to judge "punch". Can't see an external magazine.

Third pic - can't see it.

Okay - tell me - how big of an idiot am I?
That's why I want to learn.

[bg]

The answer is "C".

Because it's the gun you DON'T see that will ruin your day. Ask any cop.

[VoTrooper99]

The answer is "C".

Because it's the gun you DON'T see that will ruin your day. Ask any cop.

I like that answer!

[VoTrooper99]

Can't see the third choice.
My answer is, I can't immediately tell.

This is exactly the answer I was looking for...you pass.

First pic - made to at least "look" like an evil black rifle (Kalishnikov style?)- no orange on the tip so it's probably "real" and not airsoft, but what's with the clear plasticy looking magazine? Have no idea how to tell what caliber just by a pic.

The first pic is a Ruger 10/22, .22LR caliber semi-automatic rifle. It has a custom stock on it and some other whiz bang cosmetic accouterments. The Ruger 10/22 is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) .22LR rifles on the market. That "plasticky" clear magazine is a banana mag for the rifle. It is detachable, and can be placed in the 2nd rifle.

Second pic - I can't see either a pump action, a lever action or a bolt action on it, so it is probably semi-automatic. Also have no idea what caliber in order to judge "punch". Can't see an external magazine.

This is also a Ruger 10/22, .22LR caliber semi-automatic rifle. It is the exact same rifle pictured in the first photo, but it has the standard wood stock on it. There is a magazine well forward of the trigger, and it will accept that clear plastic magazine.

.22LR is a tiny bullet. They're popular for target shooting, learning to shoot, varmint hunting (shooting rats and other vermin), competition shooting, and just plain fun shooting as the ammo is cheap.

Caliber is an expression of diameter of the projectile in inches. Thus, .22 cal is 22/100ths of an inch. Less than a quarter inch in diameter. A .22LR bullet is smaller than a common pencil eraser.

Third pic - can't see it.

Okay - tell me - how big of an idiot am I?
That's why I want to learn.

Don't know why you can't see the third one. I can. The third one is an SKS. It is a 7.62mmx39 semi-automatic rifle with a built in bayonet and an internal magazine. (You cannot detach it, you load it through the top.) It was created for the Soviet military in the late 40's but only saw limited service due to the development of the AK-47. It was used by many Warsaw Pact nations, and is still in service in some third world armies.



This rifle fires the same round as the AK-47. It packs quite alot of energy. This rifle will knock a man on his ass, by and large.

So if you know what you are looking at, the answer is #3. Alot of people would see #1 as the bad guy.

[Skysoldier]

Pretty good aside from the fact that he states that a "Fully automatic weapon can not be purchased legaly". I think that a couple of folks here might disagree. Proper background check, license and pretty heavy taxes (in my mind) make the purchase/ownership of these type weapons perfectly legal. Least for now. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

It's OK if you live in New Mexico!

[frybyrd1]

It's OK if you live in New Mexico!

Or Denis Hopper I guess.

[LadyDoc]

This is exactly the answer I was looking for...you pass.



The first pic is a Ruger 10/22, .22LR caliber semi-automatic rifle. It has a custom stock on it and some other whiz bang cosmetic accouterments. The Ruger 10/22 is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) .22LR rifles on the market. That "plasticky" clear magazine is a banana mag for the rifle. It is detachable, and can be placed in the 2nd rifle.



This is also a Ruger 10/22, .22LR caliber semi-automatic rifle. It is the exact same rifle pictured in the first photo, but it has the standard wood stock on it. There is a magazine well forward of the trigger, and it will accept that clear plastic magazine.

.22LR is a tiny bullet. They're popular for target shooting, learning to shoot, varmint hunting (shooting rats and other vermin), competition shooting, and just plain fun shooting as the ammo is cheap.

Caliber is an expression of diameter of the projectile in inches. Thus, .22 cal is 22/100ths of an inch. Less than a quarter inch in diameter. A .22LR bullet is smaller than a common pencil eraser.



Don't know why you can't see the third one. I can. The third one is an SKS. It is a 7.62mmx39 semi-automatic rifle with a built in bayonet and an internal magazine. (You cannot detach it, you load it through the top.) It was created for the Soviet military in the late 40's but only saw limited service due to the development of the AK-47. It was used by many Warsaw Pact nations, and is still in service in some third world armies.



This rifle fires the same round as the AK-47. It packs quite alot of energy. This rifle will knock a man on his ass, by and large.

So if you know what you are looking at, the answer is #3. Alot of people would see #1 as the bad guy.

Ahh, NOW I can see it - the previous said something about remote linking forbidden.

Thanks for the education. Now is that info purely experiential? Meaning you just worked with these firearms for so long that you already know what they all look like, or are there some giveaways that someone like me would be able to pick up over time?

What is the draw/advantage/fascination with the see-thru magazine? To my eye it makes it look cheap/toy-ish and easily breakable. Is it?

Another question - since the video was originally posted in regards to the media. Another term reporters throw around is "High-powered rifle". That to me seems like some garbage can term like "assault rifle". I notice that no reporter ever refers to a firearm as "low-powered" or "a common caliber" or anything. Is there some magic cut-off for caliber or powder-load (or whatever you call it) that makes a rifle or round "high powered"?

[VoTrooper99]

Ahh, NOW I can see it - the previous said something about remote linking forbidden.

Thanks for the education. Now is that info purely experiential? Meaning you just worked with these firearms for so long that you already know what they all look like, or are there some giveaways that someone like me would be able to pick up over time?

What is the draw/advantage/fascination with the see-thru magazine? To my eye it makes it look cheap/toy-ish and easily breakable. Is it?

Another question - since the video was originally posted in regards to the media. Another term reporters throw around is "High-powered rifle". That to me seems like some garbage can term like "assault rifle". I notice that no reporter ever refers to a firearm as "low-powered" or "a common caliber" or anything. Is there some magic cut-off for caliber or powder-load (or whatever you call it) that makes a rifle or round "high powered"?

The arms that I used in my examples are all weapons that I have personally fired. I haven't fired those weapons, but identical ones to them. (except for that whiz bang .22LR) Either I or friends of mine own them.

After a while you can pick up on clues that help you id what a weapon in by photograph. In some cases, where weapons of the same make/model come in differing calibers, you actually have to see the actual barrel or the stamping on the weapon to tell the difference.

The see through magazine is more fragile than say, metal. Honestly I don't know why they do it that way. It's not a weapon of war, so the durability isn't really all that necessary.

"High Powered" is a scare word. Nothing more, nothing less in common verbiage. The grand-daddy of them all is the "High-Powered Assault Rifle".