Expiration Of Ban Pushes Police To Get Assault Rifles

[Doglips]

Ok 2 thinks made me go WT Heck......first...that because the ban on assult rifles expired...Criminals have been getting them...NOW Im not all that smart...but seems like a Criminal...is someone who dont obay the law...I mean how many Occupation Lic do you see issued for Meth Labs So seems to me that criminals would be people who had assult rifles that they 1 could not legaly purchas and 2 would have them regardles of the Law.....OK 2nd thing that hit me..Officers have to buy there own Assult Rifle...for $1100....Dont these places get the SOG catalog? Seems like Bushmaster and others were cheaper than that before the ban expired...I think they need to check out some prices on the web


Expiration Of Ban Pushes Police To Get Assault Rifles

POSTED: 5:47 am EDT April 25, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The expiration of the nation's ban on the sale of assault rifles and the appearance of more heavily armed criminals have pushed more than 100 St. Petersburg police officers to order assault rifles of their own for official duty.

The first group of officers completed the required 16 hours of instruction for using Colt AR-15s in January. The semiautomatic weapons fire bullets that travel up to 2,700 feet per second and are powerful enough to penetrate body armor.

"St. Petersburg -- it's not so sleepy any more," said Tom Jacwin, a 22-year veteran who is getting used to his new weapon. "The bad guys are smarter and better armed."

Police Chief Chuck Harmon approved use of the AR-15s last June with guidelines that took months to develop. Officers who want the weapons must buy them for $1,100.

The rifles may be used only in "a high-risk situation, such as to overcome suspects with superior firepower, in response to an active shooter situation, when confronted by barricaded subjects, during stakeout and perimeter operations, for felony vehicle stops."

The weapons must be stored in a hard case in the trunk of a patrol car except when being used. They can't be modified for automatic fire, and officers must qualify with them in the shooting range each year.

Critics say that the speed and 300-yard range of the bullets pose a threat to bystanders. Advocates say the assault rifles are vastly better than the standard Glock handguns assigned to officers and are more accurate than the pump-action shotguns that the department makes available.


Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Big Dog]

2700FPS? Whut are they using, light loads?

I'm thinking they either have a Department mandating only the Colt rifles, or they got a 'deal' going with Colt. Kinda like the deal the State of Florida has with a certian computer company. 15% off if we buy it thru the program - but other companies provide as good equipment cheaper.

[Gyrene]

The .223 is not a barricade buster, they need to go to a .308 or .30-06 to break down barricades.

The AW ban that has existed, and still does here in California has not interfered with the LEO Agencies getting AR-15's. The PD's here locally in Northern California have been getting AR-15's for a long time, one of them has just received theirs to replace the Mini-14's that never were accurate enough that the LEO's would use them, as they were afraid in the 5 incidents they would have used them, that the inaccuracies would endanger too many bystanders. I know several of the LEOs from that city, and I have seen them shoot both their Duty Mini-14's and their personal weapons including personal AR-15's, and the difference in accuracy is very dramatic. Mini-14's average about an 8 inch cluster at 100 yards, and they can shoot their personal weapons into 1 to 3 inch groups at 100 yards (average about 2 1/4 inches).

`

[dhermesc]

The appearance bayonet lugs on semi auto rifles must scare that crap out of those cops in St Petersburg.

[Mandy]

:assult: :assult: :assult: :assult: :assult:
I got mine before the ban expired, and didn't have to qualify at the range to get it.

I'm very accurate with it and practice as much as I like.

Why the police depts. don't provide the weapons to their LEOs? It's stupid not to do so and rely on the officers to buy their own guns!

If I was one of those LEOs, I'll be pi$$$$ed and probably looking for another job!!!!

:full: :full: :full: :full: :full:

[Habakkuk21]

According to the article in the New York times today, not only has crime not gone up after the ban elapsed, the legal sale of high cap mags and "assault weapons" (which I think is a bogus term, since they are talking about semi-automatic weapons, and not full rock n roll) only had a small upward blip. So where are all these well-armed criminals? Hadn't heard squat about any high profile gun crimes, except for that kid on the Indian reservation.

[SPOCAHP ANAR]

Originally Posted by Doglips

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The expiration of the nation's ban on the sale of assault rifles and the appearance of more heavily armed criminals have pushed more than 100 St. Petersburg police officers to order assault rifles of their own for official duty.

First off police could buy Assault "style" weapons during the ban because they were the special citizens.

Second you need to understand that "more heavily armed criminals" means Joe Blo taxpayer.

[Rave]

Aaaaahhhh.good ol' St. Pete!

[Gunnie Ed]

what i'd like to know is, why didn't they get them before the ban was even set up?

i mean, every police car i've seen the inside of has an M4 bolted to the roof, and a shotgun between the front seats, or in the trunk.

[Rave]

St. Petersburg,it's not so sleepy anymore...wow,that's a good one,the media has been calling it a powder keg for ten years,and not because it's been so sleepy!

[Rugged]

rofl @ florida. In LA the motorcycle cops have collapsable M-4 carbines, Armalite no less.

[Shaun]

the AR15 is not an assualt rifle by definition. Assualt rifles are full auto and that would equate to the M4 and then they would be trackable through atf tax stamps.

[Rugged]

I gurantee they're full auto
so are the mp5s.


West covina police cruisers have a little tri rack between the two front buckets sporting an M4 carbine, an hkmp5 and a remington 870.

ever since North Hollyweird (foreigners, stolen guns, stolen armor, no registered weapons) the police around here don't mess around.

[MAX7.62]

Quite actually, the majority of them seem to be semi AR's. There are more select fire weapons (M16's) in the squad armory at most departments, but individual weapons are mosly AR's. Some LEO's do buy their own select fire weapons - which they can register with approval from the Chief (which I believe may waive the normal $200.00 registration) BUT!!! this is still for weapons that are already registered. Any "new" autos are military or LEO department only (post dealer samples, etc.), for an individual officer for a personal purchase, even for duty use, has to be a previously registered weapon. Otherwise, new 'chine guns are only obtainable by the department itself for the department armory.
This is all based on Alabama law that works with BATF regulations, other states probably have much different regulations covering LEO's and their personal ownership of full autos.
It does kinda chap my backside however. A registered M16 will run thousands of dead presidents plus the two hundred for the transfer. A brand new M16 can be purchased for 6 or 7 hundred by a police department. I've made the comment more than once to people who question the huge price for owning a registered class III weapon - the rifle is six hundred bucks, the piece of paper with it is what makes up the other 6 thousand bucks of the price sticker!