weapon analysis of the virginia congressional shooting

dilbert firestorm's Avatar
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rou...97afc2d8e.html

this is a weird article.

this is not something you would normally find in a newspaper, but in a gun magazine.

this is an analysis of the weapon used in the Virginia baseball field attack.

at the writers did not use "assault weapon" in this article.

M-4 SKS 7.62x39mm rifle was used in the attack.
the_real_Barleycorn's Avatar
I was surprised that they didn't start shouting about an "assault weapon" ten minutes after the shooting or 24 hours afterward either. I think that they don't know what to say because it's not an American weapon like the AR15. Sounds silly to gun owners but these are media types. They've put a lot of time into attacking American weapons but to introduce a foreign gun...how do you frame that without insulting some foreign country. And someone else might do a follow up about how AKs and SKSs are sold around the planet every year or just given to some 11 year old in some third world country.
dilbert firestorm's Avatar
I was surprised that they didn't start shouting about an "assault weapon" ten minutes after the shooting or 24 hours afterward either. I think that they don't know what to say because it's not an American weapon like the AR15. Sounds silly to gun owners but these are media types. They've put a lot of time into attacking American weapons but to introduce a foreign gun...how do you frame that without insulting some foreign country. And someone else might do a follow up about how AKs and SKSs are sold around the planet every year or just given to some 11 year old in some third world country. Originally Posted by the_real_Barleycorn
this article is so unusual in that you won't find this piece like this printed or published in any newspaper around the country.

This was published by the Advocate, a local newspaper serving the baton rouge and new orleans area.
Good lord. Nothing like those who know nothing about firearms discussing firearms.(referring to the Article in the link).

The SKS was the main Russian infrantry Rifle for some time, untill it was finally replaced by the AK-47, and then the AK-74.

It shoots the same 7.62x39 round as the AK-47. By Rifle standards, it is a rather low performance round. It barely meets the SAAMI Specs for muzzle energy to hunt deer sized game in Texas.

But they are correct, it out performs all but the most powerful handguns. There is no comparison between it and a 9mm Parabellum.

Getting shot with any true Rifle Chambering is far more damaging than most pistol rounds.

Suppose this guy would have had M1-A, (civilian M-14) in 308 Winchester? Or a 30-06 in a old M-1 Garand? It has twice the muzzle energy as the 7.62x39 and is a heck of a lot more accurate than a SKS. Or a Remington 700 in 300 Win Mag? Or a 338 Ultramag.

Any of those can be bought at the local Academy. And, you shoot a human anywhere with one, they are in great peril, especially if the bullet is a true hunting bullet rather than a hard ball round.
I am not a marksman, but I can put 20 rounds down range at multiple targets with an SKS, with groupings of 8" at 100 yards over iron sights, in less than 1 minute. They are very adequate weapons against organized thuggery.

At one time, you could buy an sks for 80$.

If I weren't hiking with a weapon and ammunitions(ala soldiers), I would rather have a couple sks's with 3X the ammunition than 1 AR. The only real downside is their weight.
the_real_Barleycorn's Avatar
There you have it, a SKS sells for next to nothing but either a M1A or a Garand will go for close to a thousand dollars.

No, mentioning the type of and the make of the weapon would put the media in the unusual position of having to explain something new. The AR is the scapegoat of all mass shooting and American guns are bad and should not even be sold. Now we will be told that these awful weapons instead of being made available by terrible, right wing American gun companies can also be obtained from the freedom loving peoples of Egypt, Russia, China, Romania, the Czech Republic, etc. Kind of hurts the narrative when the truth gets out.