Aurora, Colorado Shooter’s Weapon Jammed
BY Herschel Smith12 years, 5 months ago
Continuing with the things we are progressively learning about the shooting in Aurora, Colorado, the shooter’s weapon jammed.
The semiautomatic assault rifle used by the gunman in a mass shooting at a midnight showing of the latest Batman movie jammed during the attack, a federal law enforcement official told The Associated Press, which forced the shooter to switch to another gun with less fire power.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to in order to discuss the investigation, said the disabled weapon had a high-capacity ammunition magazine. Police have said that a 100-round drum magazine was recovered at the scene and that such a device would be able to fire 50 to 60 rounds a minute.
As I have pointed out, the rifle wasn’t an “assault rifle” (since it didn’t have selective fire capability) and the phrase “semiautomatic assault rifle” is nonsensical. It is a contradiction, since a semiautomatic rifle cannot be an assault rifle. The police and media are both to blame for sloppy work.
But note also what I said about mass shootings.
“… the most frequent choice for such shooters in order to achieve effectiveness seems not to rely on magazine capacity, but having multiple weapons and magazines.”
Unlike me, he had a crappy rifle and his jammed. He also had a high capacity magazine. It didn’t matter. He reverted to use of multiple weapons. It also won’t matter to the anti-gun lobby. They will continue to use this as yet another example of why high capacity magazines should be banned.
My readers know better, and you’re among the first to learn the right definitions, in the right context, the right way.
On July 23, 2012 at 3:18 am, scott s. said:
A lot of after-market magazines are crap, so it doesn’t surprise me if it was a feeding failure.
On July 24, 2012 at 9:23 am, Jean said:
Well not to get off on a tangent, but I had a soldier that acquired one of those high capacity magazines for his M-4, it had two side by side drums. Complete waste of money and frequently jammed.
– The media has already tried to hijack the story by alleging tea party links
– The booby trapped apartment is probably overblown, but better safe that sorry
– What is the body count in Chicago for May, June, July
– His TTPs are similar to the LA bank robbery in early 2000’s. Body armor, multiple weapons, pain killers
On July 24, 2012 at 9:28 am, Herschel Smith said:
Great question Jean. What IS the body count in Chicago for the second quarter of this year (or the three months you listed)? How does it compare with the Colorado shooting? Is it any worse when it happens in drips and drizzles than all at once? What do the gun control advocates have to say about weapons, Chicago’s position on them, and how they argued in McDonald v. Chicago before the SCt.? With Chicago being a (ahem …) “gun free” zone, shouldn’t the violence be lower?
On July 24, 2012 at 9:35 am, Jean said:
Well isn’t DC a gun free zone- Hasn’t worked for them. Of course they are dumb enough to re elect that cocaine sniffing mayor- sad commentary on our country.