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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMan Orders TV Through Amazon, Gets Assault Rifle
When D.C. resident Seth Horvitz ordered a flat-panel TV on Amazon, he didnt expect to get a military-grade assault rifle in return.
Horvitz ordered the TV, a Westinghouse 39-inch LCD, for about $320 from a third-party electronics seller on Amazon.
On Tuesday evening, a large, oblong box arrived at his doorstep via UPS Ground.
When I saw some metal parts inside the box, I thought, Maybe this is a TV stand or mount or something, Horvitz said in a phone interview with Wired.
When I realized it was an assault rifle, it was pure shock and disbelief.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/tv-amazon-assault-rifle/
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)Justice wanted
(2,657 posts)REP
(21,691 posts)And for $320.00?
Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)I almost want to see if I can replicate that bug ...
freshwest
(53,661 posts)dballance
(5,756 posts)I fail to see how pointing out that a GUN that was not ordered by the recipient was not a full automatic but just a semi-automatic should make me feel better about our absurd gun culture.
Tomorrow when I call a place to order take-out will it just be fine and dandy if they show up with a Glock for me rather than fried rice? I'd still like soy sauce with that.
REP
(21,691 posts)I don't care how you feel about guns. I do care about accuracy in reporting. Military weapons are select fire (semi or full auto); military styled AR-types are semi-auto only. That Sig is a civilian model.
I don't care if someone is liberal, conservative, libertarian, green, blue, or upside down.
Media reporting is simply shameful. We should let them know that trying to sensationalize things by distorting the truth isn't their job.
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)If you're going to insist on 100% literary accuracy in reporting, you may want to pay attention to your own details.
Just sayin'
REP
(21,691 posts)Sigs are very good guns; well-made and accurate. The one in the story, like all AR types, are modeled on military grade rifles, but are not weapons used by any military force.
Major Nikon
(36,827 posts)This difference is no less subtle than the difference between "assault" rifle and "military styled" rifle.
Just having fun hair splitting, as you were.
BTW, the local Faux affiliate called it an "assault rifle" this morning.
Just sayin'
however, it is still not a TV. If I was the customer I think I would be just a bit beyond furious at the screw up and they would have somebody there bring me the correct item and to pick the damn thing up as I would not want to handle it at all.
REP
(21,691 posts)$320 for a $1700 item? Not bad at all.
I just don't get "beyond furious" about mail order screw ups. Or much else, really.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)you would be beyond furious.
lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)And it's so life like, it only looks like a real gun. That's one kick ass TV.
loli phabay
(5,580 posts)i just have the vision of the guy expecting the rifle looking at the tv trying to figure how it works...
Kaleva
(36,298 posts)It is illegal for any civilian to have a machine gun in the District and Washington D.C defines a machine gun as:
"as any firearm which shoots, is designed to shoot, or can be readily converted or restored to shoot semiautomatically, more than 12 shots without manual reloading. "
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/guncontrol/a/dcguns.htm
REP
(21,691 posts)It's not select-fire, and isn't a "machine gun" (full auto). It well may be illegal in DC, but it's legal in many places - even in California.
Kaleva
(36,298 posts)That SIG is illegal to have in D.C. not because it's an assault weapon or a military style assault rifle but because it's a semi-automatic that has a detachable magazine. Now if the SIG had a fixed 10 round magazine and couldn't be easily converted back to having a detachable mag, it'd be legal to own despite being a so called assault weapon or military style assault rifle.
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Oh wait, USPS s the shipper.
DrDan
(20,411 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)struggle4progress
(118,282 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)It has it's humor factor. Order a lego set and get a lowes rocket more like it.
struggle4progress
(118,282 posts)nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)I mean if you ipordered a tv and got a computer monitor. One thing, this is funny.
thelordofhell
(4,569 posts)jberryhill
(62,444 posts)Remember when they were shipping grenades instead of floor lamps?
aquart
(69,014 posts)Work conditions are horrific (Think Lucy in the chocolate factory).
Wonder what other mistakes they've made.
Franker65
(299 posts)How can this happen with Amazon, absolutely unbelievable. And can you just buy a gun straight off the internet with no background check?
justanidea
(291 posts)Also if you buy a gun off the internet, it must, by law, be shipped to a licensed gun dealer. They call you when its in and when you go to pick it up, they perform the background check before letting you take it home.
ManiacJoe
(10,136 posts)Lone_Star_Dem
(28,158 posts)But in transit, the label with Hurwitz's address somehow came off the box with the television and was attached to the box with the gun.
"Whoever made the mistake, it's pretty serious. I think it should be followed up," said Horvitz.
The Florida Gun Exchange says it's looking to UPS for answers.
Read more: http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19230886/labeling-error-blamed-for-rifle-delivery-instead-of-tv#ixzz232LQFRm5
Someplace out there in the land of UPS is the poor guys TV with no label on it.
Canadian 2
(20 posts)real life emulates an episode of Family Guy (which is my favorite American TV show)!
OneTenthofOnePercent
(6,268 posts)It should have went to a licensed federal firearms dealer... not Amazon's or the guy's fault.
Motown_Johnny
(22,308 posts)How the hell is he going to, ummm... hunt squirrel, with a TV?
I am assuming shipping labels were accidentally switched.
kctim
(3,575 posts)According to the fearful anti rights people, the gun should have shot him or he should have grabbed the rifle and started shooting everybody.
Junkdrawer
(27,993 posts)and how easily background checks are evaded.
Kaleva
(36,298 posts)First, one would have to find someone willing to risk jail time. And how would a seller know the buyer isn't an undercover police officer? Or how would the buyer know the seller isn't an undercover police officer?
Junkdrawer
(27,993 posts)and UPS screwed it up.
--- OR ---
It's being done fairly regular and, sooner or later, a mix up like this happens.
Kaleva
(36,298 posts)"An invoice found inside the box, Horvitz said, listed the sender as online gun retailer Gunbuyer.com. The invoice, for $1,590, was addressed to Independence Gun Shop, a gun store in Duncansville, Pennsylvania....."The guy ordered stuff from the internet, it has to go through an approved federal firearms licensed shop
. You verify licenses on both ends, the shipper and the receiver, and you ship the gun to the approved ATF FFL holder."
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/tv-amazon-assault-rifle/
Guns are shipped by UPS, Dunham Express, FedEx, USPS all the time but one has to go thru licensed gun dealers to do so legally.
I've ordered 3 guns off the internet in the past and they were shipped to a local gun dealer where I had to go thru a background check before the dealer would hand them over to me.
Gun dealers can ship guns to other dealers, no problem.
BTW, Kaleva- what did the local gun dealer charge you for the service? I've always wondered what kind of fee they'd charge.
Thanks!
PB
Kaleva
(36,298 posts)NickB79
(19,236 posts)Unauthorized transfers of guns are not something they look kindly upon.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)I have a Federal Firearms License that allows me to receive curio and relic firearms that way.
But I've always had to receive them at my home in person, and sign for them.
Bake
(21,977 posts)Bake
Kennah
(14,265 posts)Enrique
(27,461 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)snort