TIME Magazine Gets It Wrong About LAPD's AT-4 Buy-back.

[GreenStormCloud]

Referring to the recent Los Angeles Police Dept. gun buy-back, TIME (January 14, 2013 issue, page 15) wrote, "...the LAPD collected some 2,000 weapons, including two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, in exchange for grocery cards."

The LAPD actually collected two used AT-4 launchers, which are worthless as weapons, although they might make a drain pipe. The AT-4 is a use-once and discard weapon. When the rocket is fired the flame of the rocket burns and damages the inside of the fiberglass launcher, rendering it useless. It can't be reloaded, even if you had a rocket to put in it. The rockets are shipped inside the launchers as a single item, as one unit of ammunition. The launcher doubles as a packing tube, and is thrown away after being fired.

Some soldiers like to keep the empty tubes as souvenirs. The LAPD paid good grocery coupons for what is now only good for being a drainage tube. Of course, most people don't know that so the LAPD lies that they took some very dangerous weapons off the street. As weapons, used AT-4s would make a rather clumsy club.

Then to compound their ignorance, TIME called them RPGs.

Here is a picture of an AT-4 being fired. You can imagine what that kind of flame will do to the inside of a fiberglass tube.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. Ignorance is bliss?

[Eleanors38]

2. If it was Time, it was knowing intent. nt

[-..__...]

3. Eveything I learned about firearms...

I learned from the media and journalists.

BTW... you realize that's an AK-47 in the pic... not an AT-4!

[ileus]

4. same types believe you can buy full auto sears at gun shows.

turn your bushy into a super extra deadly firearm...

[Clames]

9. Those same types would proudly proclaim their ignorance...

...if you told them they don't know the difference between "low shelf" and "high shelf" AR lower receivers.

[ileus]

10. Always buy on the left of the chart.

[Clames]

14. Think both sides of the chart are sold out right now...

...


Actually I was referring to the fact that high shelf AR's can't accept RDIAS.

[DonP]

5. This is the same kind of brain trust that will help write any new AWB too

Then, when they ignore actual details about firearms, they will get all pissy about the "Loopholes" and "ignoring the spirit of the ban".

I'm sure they will make sure they cover the "loopholes" they left in the last AWB .... and leave a whole bunch of new ones.

But you can be sure we'll never be able to buy another "shoulder thing that goes up" again.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. No cards were issued for the launchers.

They were turned in, and nothing handed out for them. (One of them had TRAINER scrawled on it)

It was pretty lame that the police used it as a media prop. We use these for bottle rocket launchers on the 4th of July. It's just a tube.

[Glassunion]

7. Reading is funda-mental...

Oh NOES not teh rocket launcher death spewer!!!


Wait... What are they looking at?


Do yourself and read what's written on the tube. You may have to look upside down.

[jody]

8. Ignorance is a curable disease, stupidity is a terminal illness and TIME is very sick. nt

[Puha Ekapi]

11. Pay close attention, those...

...of you advocating highly restrictive gun control legislation. The police chief and Mayor of L.A. have been caught with their pants down in a blatant propaganda episode. Their sole intent is to inflame anti-gun sentiment by showing that the streets are awash in anti-tank weapons. Never mind that the tubes were non-functional, non-reloadable and perfectly legal to own, and as dangerous as a piece of 2" PVC pipe. They deliberately LIED to the public. Are you ok with that, or does it get a pass because you might feel the means justify the ends?

[jody]

12. How dare you accuse LA police chief & mayor, obvious gun-creationists who have faith guns create

crime, of going on national TV and spreading lies.

To question the morality of banning all firearms and abolishing one of the rights our Constitution requires government to protect is most distrustful.

If I didn't agree with you 100% I would alert your OP.

[Puha Ekapi]

16. "Gun-creationists"

GREAT turn of phrase! It fits the strong anti- crowd to a "T"...same exact mindset is commonly seen in both camps. Mind if I borrow it?

[jody]

17. Please do. nt

[sylvi]

13. There is a reason

There is a reason lawyers pore endlessly over evidence, laws, contracts, and the like, nitpicking and parsing. In law especially, words have meanings, and they must be precise in order to avoid ambiguity and misconstruing as much as possible lest the entire law fail in its intent. For want of a correct word or phrase in court the guilty have gone free and the innocent have suffered. This is why pro-2A people insist on correct language when defining or describing firearms and their parameters. Grab nuts handwave this away as merely a distraction, when it is essential in the course of considering things like restricting a constitutionally-enumerated right.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

15. Can you say...

..."your tax dollars at work"?

[jimmy the one]

18. thou shalt not bear false witness on thy neighbors in L.A.

Puha: The police chief and Mayor of L.A. have been caught with their pants down in a blatant propaganda episode.

No, actually, that would be YOU - blatant propaganda episode. Right there above, in a blatant misrepresentation of what transpired. It's rightwing propaganda coming from YOU, puha.

Their sole intent is to inflame anti-gun sentiment by showing that the streets are awash in anti-tank weapons.

Trying to inflame that 'the streets are awash in anti-tank weapons'. By finding TWO? the grand total of TWO turned in, indicates the cops were trying to show that streets were awash in anti-tank weaponry? You can't be serious. If anyone in his right mind in los angeles thought that streets were awash in anti tank weaponry, well, they'd not be in their right mind.
Are you suggesting that the police chief & mayor villarogosa (sp) somehow planted these 2 anti tank weapons for that reason?
.. I've not heard a bigger crock in a long time.

Never mind that the tubes were non-functional, non-reloadable and perfectly legal to own, and as dangerous as a piece of 2" PVC pipe. They deliberately LIED to the public. Are you ok with that, or does it get a pass because you might feel the means justify the ends?

Your post is ridiculous & inane. The one lying here, is YOU. You should apologize, one of the ten commandments is 'thou shalt not bear false witness on thy neighbor', and you certainly bear false witness against the police chief & the mayor of los angeles.

[Puha Ekapi]

19. Lying, ridiculous, and inane?

I'll grant that my use of the word "awash" was a bit hyperbolic, but the points I made still stand. What is the purpose of the Mayor and Police Chief showing the (completely inoperable, non reloadable, perfectly safe and totally legal) empty anti-tank launch tubes to the press after a gun buy-back. It was propaganda, pure and simple.

[guardian]

20. But but but but

they look scary!

[Starboard Tack]

21. Apart from that unforgiveable piece of propagandistic journalism, they got a bunch of guns off the street.