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Over 29,000 Russian AK-47s Imported by Indian Paramilitary Forces
20 May 2012
Times of India
NEW DELHI - AK-47s continue to be the preferred assault weapon for the country's paramilitary forces deployed to neutralise terrorists and Maoists at the frontiers and in the hinterland.
Over 29,000 pieces of this Russian-origin rifle were imported by forces like CRPF, BSF and NSG over the last three years, leaving behind, by a large margin, other sophisticated assault weapons procured from the US and Israel.
The inventory of the assault weapons procured for security... (GunPolicy.org)
Assault Weapon Bribery Probe: Gun Maker Heckler & Koch Raided Again
10 November 2011
Associated Press
BERLIN — Some 300 police officers searched the headquarters of Heckler & Koch Thursday amid allegations the German arms maker bribed Mexican officials to boost its sales, prosecutors said.
The firm is under investigation on suspicion that it "bribed officials in Mexico using cash payments for several years" in connection with arms deliveries between 2005 and 2010, Stuttgart prosecution spokeswoman Claudia Krauth said.
A spokeswoman for Heckler & Koch GmbH confirmed... (GunPolicy.org)
Los Angeles Police "Embarrassed" After Gun Cache Stolen
17 October 2011
Reuters
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police officials searched on Monday for a stolen cache of submachine guns and semi-automatic handguns that disappeared from a SWAT training facility, and said they were embarrassed by the loss.
More than 30 Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns and M1911 pistols that had been stored at the training facility were stolen, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Karen Rayner said.
The weapons had been altered to fire blanks, and it would be... (GunPolicy.org)
Boy Shoots, Kills Friend with Father's Police Pistol in Switzerland [Francais]
19 September 2011
Le Matin (Lausanne)
[Translated summary: A teenager accidentally shot dead his friend with his father's handgun. The father, who is an experienced police officer, did not store his handgun in a secured cabinet. According to Thurgovia law, police officers do not have to comply with the Federal Law on Firearms in terms of safe storage of guns kept at home.]
Trois écoliers thurgoviens jouaient avec le pistolet de service du père de l'un d'eux, un policier. Celui-ci a été mis sous... (GunPolicy.org)
Influence Game: Gun Manufacturers Battling over US Military Rifle Market
25 May 2011
San Francisco Chronicle / AP
WASHINGTON - For nearly a decade, Colt Defense went without a lobbyist. The legendary gun maker based in West Hartford, Conn., had an exclusive deal to provide combat rifles to the U.S. military and didn't need a hired gun looking out for the company's interests in Washington.
Times have changed. After buying more than 700,000 Colt M4 carbines, the Defense Department has started a search for the rifle's successor, giving Colt's competitors the long-awaited chance to... (GunPolicy.org)
Illegal Gun Dealer Boasts He can't Keep Up with Demand in Lebanon
22 April 2011
Sydney Morning Herald
The Beiruti arms dealer Abu Jihad is more than an hour late to our pre-arranged meeting.
"I'm very sorry for the delay," says the balding father of four when he finally appears. "On the way here I made an unexpected sale. Two M16s."
Wearing green camouflage pants and a black parka, Abu Jihad sits down and reaches for the Smith & Wesson revolver strapped to his ankle. "I normally carry three weapons," he says, emptying the revolver of its bullets and spinning the... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Exports to Libya Show Apparent Hypocrisy of German Foreign Policy
21 April 2011
Deutsche Welle
At the end of February, a shaky video appeared on Youtube showing Moammar Gadhafi's son Saif al-Islam addressing a raucous crowd in Tripoli. Struggling to keep the regime supporters quiet long enough to speak, Saif promises that weapons will be handed out to fight the opposition forces. As if to show what kind of weapons he means, Saif waves a large machine gun.
This gun has been identified as a Heckler and Koch G36, manufactured in Germany. It's the standard weapon of... (GunPolicy.org)
Romanian Assault Rifles Modified in US, Flood South to Mexican Drug War
3 February 2011
Center for Public Integrity (Washington DC)
Camron Scott Galloway, 21, walked into X Caliber Guns in Phoenix, Ariz., on Jan. 30, 2008, and filled out forms for the purchase of six AK-47 rifles.
Reliable and powerful, and a bargain at about $500 each, the Romanian-made gun, a semiautomatic version of the iconic Kalashnikov assault weapon, had become popular with the drug cartels in Mexico.
Galloway, who eventually pleaded guilty to a forgery charge and became a cooperating prosecution witness in a broader case,... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany Bans Heckler & Koch Gun Sales to Mexico in Human Rights Row
13 January 2011
Canadian Business / AP
BERLIN - Germany's government has banned weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH from any new arms deliveries to Mexico amid concerns they are ending in parts of the country where Berlin has forbidden weapons exports over human rights issues, according to a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
The letter from the Economy Ministry to the arms manufacturer, dated Jan. 4, says the company's applications for exports of "weapons and other defense goods" to... (GunPolicy.org)
German Police Finally Raid Heckler & Koch for Illegal Gun Exports to Mexico
3 January 2011
Deutsche Welle
Police recently searched the offices of German arms company Heckler & Koch in connection with allegedly illegal weapon exports to Mexico used in the drugs war. One manager involved in the deal has already resigned.
The scandal currently embroiling Germany's biggest small arms manufacturer is becoming more and more difficult to contain. Heckler & Koch (H&K) stands accused of illegally exporting handguns and automatic rifles to embargoed regions of Mexico in the grip of... (GunPolicy.org)
German Police Raid Heckler & Koch, Probe Illegal Gun Exports to Mexico
22 December 2010
SIFY News (India)
STUTTGART, Germany - German police searched the offices of Heckler and Koch, a German manufacturer of premium firearms, Tuesday over suspicions that its exports of rifles to Mexico may break German arms-export laws, prosecutors in Stuttgart said.
German law forbids unlicensed exports to zones of conflict.
A spokeswoman said Heckler and Koch, which supplies armies, police forces and hunters worldwide with high-powered rifles and small arms, was suspected of breaching... (GunPolicy.org)
Rush to Pack Handgun in Chicago Brings Gun Owner Complaints of Delay
12 December 2010
Chicago Tribune
The delight that North Sider Ray Diaz felt in early September driving home with his newly purchased Heckler & Koch .45-caliber handgun, the first of his life, was tempered by frustration with the hoops he felt he had to jump through to get his city-issued firearms permit.
Diaz, who wanted a gun for home protection and target shooting, said he spent months trudging through the process to get his permit.
After applying for a state firearm owner's identification card in... (GunPolicy.org)
Nashville's Orthodox Jewish Gun Dealer an Obnoxious Right-wing Agitator?
17 March 2010
Nashville Scene (Tennessee)
The loud pop of a semi-automatic rifle shatters the quiet of a still winter day. The sun is shining through the motionless branches of bare trees in a large wooded area, reflecting off the sunglasses of a slender, dark-haired German. He takes aim once more, then fires.
Just a few yards away, a slightly round, white-haired man lifts his weapon to his shoulder and eyes the target in his scope. This man, however, could have come from a Central Casting file marked "Hasidic... (GunPolicy.org)
Victoria Police Handgun Tender 'Rigged' for S&W, Grumble Gun Makers
9 March 2010
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Victoria Police has denied the winner of its tender for new semi-automatic pistols is settled.
There have been murmurings in the firearms industry that the criteria for tenders made US giant Smith & Wesson the only winning chance to replace the existing .38 revolver.
At least one manufacturer has approached force command to complain that stipulations played into the hands of Smith & Wesson, to the exclusion of other bidders.
Smith & Wesson's rivals say those... (GunPolicy.org)
Judge Tosses New Zealand Police Reclassification of Assault Weapons
3 March 2010
New Zealand Herald
A High Court decision has set back efforts by police to impose greater controls on a wider range of firearms.
The court has ruled against a move by police to reclassify many "sporting configuration" firearms as military-style semi-automatics (MSSAs).
Police spent $60,000 advertising the changes. Owners would have had to undergo more stringent vetting, register each affected weapon and have a more expensive gun safe.
But a High Court judgment released this week has... (GunPolicy.org)
Business Booming at Vegas Machine Gun Range
8 January 2010
Forbes (USA), Blog
LAS VEGAS -- Mining. Cattle-ranching. Machine gun rentals. If you're a Berkeley-bred crunchie that combination is the stuff of nightmares. If you're entrepreneur Billy Conn, however, it's a living. And, thanks to a weak dollar and ever-tightening firearms laws, business at the machine gun range is good.
Conn will only say that the privately-held Las Vegas Gun Range & Firearms Center is a "multi-million" dollar business. However tough firearms laws, a weak dollar, and... (GunPolicy.org)
13 Firearms and a Parrot Stolen From a South Beach Apartment
29 December 2009
Miami News Times
Michael Beasley hobbled up the stairs leading to his second-floor apartment near the southern tip of Miami Beach. On the way home from Haulover Park, the 60-year-old Jacksonville native had purchased a couple of burgers for himself and his beloved green Amazon parrot, Seaweed. Then something startled Beasley. His front door had been pried open.
Normally, Seaweed would squawk the greeting, "Hey, how ya doing?" But this time there was silence.
Beasley, who walks with a... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas Firearm Dealer Loses 60 Handguns, Shotguns to Criminal Gang
14 December 2009
Montgomery County Police News (Texas)
60 more guns are in the hands of criminals after an early morning burglary at Shooters Station off of SH 105 West. Owner Danny Benois said 12 shotguns were taken and the rest were handguns.
Montgomery County Sheriff's patrol units responded to an alarm call at that location around 4:40 this morning. When they arrived, the thieves had already made forced entry, took their loot and fled.
Benois said the building has no windows and only a front and back door, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Heckler & Koch Leads Race for US Marines' New Automatic Rifle
3 December 2009
Defense News (USA)
The U.S. Marine Corps has selected the infantry automatic rifle made by Heckler & Koch as the weapon that will likely replace many M249 Squad Automatic Weapons in the rifle squad, and could begin fielding the IAR by next summer, a senior service official said.
The H&K IAR beat out three other models in the competition, which was launched in 2006 and narrowed to four finalists made by three companies in December 2008, Chief Warrant Officer 5 Jeffrey Eby, the Corps'... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Owner Loses 31 Handguns to Burglars in Michigan
26 October 2009
Tri-County Times (Michigan)
FENTON TOWNSHIP — The Genesee County Sheriff's Department recovered several firearms on Sunday, some of which were stolen from a Fenton Township home on Monday, Oct. 19.
Sheriff Robert Pickell, said a home in the 4100 block of McFarlan Drive, off Rolston Road, was burglarized sometime before 5:46 p.m. on Oct. 19. The suspects broke into the attached garage and entered the inside of the home through an unlocked door, said Pickell.
Once inside the home, the suspects... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Dealer Convicted for Illegal Possession, Import
22 October 2009
Tri-City News (British Columbia)
The former owner of a Port Coquitlam gun store received two years' probation and a 10-year firearm ban for illegally possessing a prohibited weapon without a licence.
Several other charges against Shahriar Tavazoie and his common-law wife Maryam Behagh were stayed by the Crown.
Tavazoie and Behagh, who operated Sureshot Hunting and Tactical on Prairie Avenue in PoCo, were arrested in February and initially charged with importing firearms knowing it is unauthorized... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed British Police Officers Go on Routine Foot Patrol for the First Time
22 October 2009
Telegraph (UK)
A hand-picked team from CO19, the Metropolitan Police's elite firearms unit, will walk the beat in gun crime hotspots where armed gangs have turned entire estates into "no go" zones.
Local politicians and anti-gun campaigners have reacted with anger at the news that the officers will carry Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns — capable of firing up to 800 rounds-per-minute — and Glock semi-automatic pistols.
CO19 currently provides armed support in volatile... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed UK Public School Sport Shooter Gets 4yrs for Smuggling Guns
23 September 2009
BBC News
A student found with 200 weapon parts in his East Lothian home has been jailed for almost four years.
Ramsay Scott, 21, bought £20,000 worth of gun components on the internet using his mother's credit card.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how the former public schoolboy was interested in extreme violence and had trawled websites linked to massacres.
Scott, who was sentenced to three years and nine months in jail, earlier admitted breaches of the Firearms Act.... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Take 36 Guns, Assault Rifles, Ammunition from Queensland Bikies
27 August 2009
Courier-Mail (Brisbane) / AAP
Police raids on outlaw motorcycle gangs uncovered an arsenal of weapons, including semi-automatic AK-47s, handguns, silencers, detonators and ammunition.
The discovery of the weapons cache, allegedly belonging to the Odins Warriors organisation, comes as the State Government tightens laws to crack down on the gangs, vowing to destroy them by tearing down clubhouses and banning members from socialising if there was evidence of illegal behaviour.
The new regulations... (GunPolicy.org)
Machine Guns, 100 Illegal Firearms Taken from Australian Gun Traffickers
27 August 2009
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
Police raids and an undercover operation have netted more than 100 illegal firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in a crackdown on an alleged Wollongong-based gun trafficking network.
Three men — Michael Zarakas of Fairy Meadow, Aristos Dionys of Mangerton and Andrew Kafizas of Wollongong — face a total of 110 firearm trafficking charges between them.
The trio appeared before Magistrate Paul Johnson at Wollongong Local Court on Thursday but did not apply... (GunPolicy.org)
Heckler & Koch Shut Out of Victoria Police Tender for 10,000 Handguns
13 August 2009
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Victoria Police has been warned its $18 million tender process to re-arm officers with semi-automatic guns is flawed and may endanger members.
German gun giant Heckler & Koch alleges the process is rigged by police officials to give Smith & Wesson's cheaper alternative an advantage in the battle to provide more than 10,000 guns.
It comes just weeks after the Office of Police Integrity accused Victoria Police of neglecting weapons training.
In a letter to Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Submachine Gun Cache Found in Malaysia Included Unused Weapons
8 July 2009
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
IPOH — Some of the firearms recovered by police near the North-South Expressway in Bercham have never been used, said Perak police chief Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah.
To date, police believe that the cache of weapons and ammunition had not been used in any crime, he said after the monthly assembly at the state police contingent headquarters yesterday.
On May 24, workers of a cement factory found two bags in the bushes near the factory, containing six submachine guns,... (GunPolicy.org)
Colt Loses Monopoly on M4 Assault Rifle, US Army Takes Design Rights
6 July 2009
Army Times (USA)
As of July 1, the Army has taken control of the design rights to the M4 carbine from its sole maker, Colt Defense LLC. Translation: With an uncertain budget looming, the service is free to give other gun companies a crack at a carbine contract.
The transition of ownership of the M4 technical data package marks the end of an era and Colt's exclusive status as the only manufacturer of the M4 for the U.S. military for the past 15 years.
In late November, Army senior... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Gun Industry 'No Longer Capable of Making Rifles to Arm Own Troops'
5 July 2009
Sunday Express (UK)
Three proud centuries of tradition have come to an end with the revelation that Britain is no longer capable of making rifles to arm its own troops.
Instead, experts believe, all European armies will one day be using the same type of weapons.
The news, branded a national disgrace by one critic, comes after a warning that Britain is in danger of overspending on defence.
The nation has been at the forefront of the design and manufacture of small arms from the Brown... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealer Tells His Story After 3 Years' Jail in Zimbabwe Under Mugabe
3 July 2009
SW Radio Africa (London), Transcript
Violet Gonda: My guest on the programme Hot Seat is Michael Peter Hitschmann who was released from jail on Thursday. The former police constable was initially arrested for allegedly plotting to assassinate President Robert Mugabe at his birthday celebration in Manicaland in 2006. He served a total of 40 months for possessing dangerous firearms without a licence. I spoke with the firearms dealer on the day he was released and first asked him how he was feeling.
Michael... (GunPolicy.org)
Global 'Gun Fight' Tipped as Handgun Makers Bid to Equip Victoria Police
7 June 2009
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
A global "gun fight" is expected to break out over the lucrative Victoria Police .
Police will go to tender on Tuesday and international arms makers from across the globe could be in the running.
The contract's specified requirement is that the semi-automatic pistol has a .40 calibre.
Austrian company Glock, Belgian gunsmiths Browning and US company Colt all make a semiautomatic pistol with that size bore.
James Bond's favourite arms manufacturers, Beretta, from... (GunPolicy.org)
Malaysia Probes Political, Crime Links to Illegal Submachine Gun Cache
27 May 2009
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
KUALA LUMPUR — A cache of weapons and ammunition found in Bercham, Perak, on Sunday night could be linked to the chaotic political situation in the state, police say.
This is one of the possibilities police are probing, besides the possibility of the cache being used for criminal or militant activities.
What is certain, though, is that the weapons and ammunition were brought in from a neighbouring country. Checks revealed that the cache was not from the armoury of... (GunPolicy.org)
Prince Killed His Nepalese Royal Family for a $15m Gun Deal - and Love
30 March 2009
IBN / United News of India India / UNI
KATHMANDU — The ex-crown prince Paras has said late prince Dipendra had killed his family for a multi-million dollar arms deal and love, local media reports said here today.
"Nepal Army was looking for a new weapon to replace the Belgian SLR. Dipendra liked the German Heckler & Koch G36 assault rifle, as opposed to the battle-tested Colt M16," Kantipur quoted ex-prince Paras as saying in an interview to The New Paper Sunday.
The ex-prince has been living in... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Northern Ireland
Police Back to Carrying Their Heckler & Koch Rifles in Northern Ireland
30 March 2009
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
BELFAST — Police in parts of Northern Ireland have begun wearing flak jackets and carrying rifles for the first time in years following three high-profile killings.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has returned to arming some of its officers after the fatal shootings of two British soldiers and a police officer within 48 hours of each other in early March.
"Regional commanders will decide where it is appropriate to advise patrols to carry Heckler and... (GunPolicy.org)
Student Smuggled Handguns, Machine Guns by Mail from US to Scotland
13 March 2009
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
A student who was caught with an arsenal of illegal weapons planned to kill himself if he failed his exams, a court heard yesterday.
Ramsay Scott, 20, originally claimed his interest in the firearms was in the mechanical challenge of assembling them from scratch.
However, he confessed to the suicide plan during interviews for sentencing background reports, and a judge said he now wanted a full risk assessment on Scott.
Lord Uist had been told at the High Court in... (GunPolicy.org)
Of All Guns Seized by Scottish Armed Police, 79% Are Imitations, Airguns
8 March 2009
News of the World (UK)
This week the News of the World was granted exclusive access to Strathclyde Police's elite armed response unit.
Scottish Crime Reporter Graham McKendry went behind the scenes at their training facility — and was put through his paces in a virtual armed raid …
Armed with a Heckler & Koch machine gun, I wait for the signal to go.
A violent criminal, believed to be carrying a weapon, has been spotted in a shopping mall.
According to intelligence reports, he has... (GunPolicy.org)
California Police Chief Accused of Stealing, Trading Court Evidence Guns
26 February 2009
Times-Standard (California)
Former Blue Lake Police Chief David Ray Gundersen was held to stand trial Wednesday on a single charge of felony grand theft, but just barely.
Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Bruce Watson seemed to waver Wednesday, before ruling there was sufficient evidence to hold Gundersen to stand trial on the charge, which alleges that he took firearms from Trinidad Police Department evidence and used them to trade for a submachine gun and a silencer — weapons Gundersen... (GunPolicy.org)
Race Heats Up to Supply US Military with New Battlefield Assault Rifle
1 February 2009
Defense Technology International, Vol. 3, No. 2
Ask people about how the M4 carbine — the weapon of choice for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps — stacks up against other weapons and you'll get different answers.
U.S. Army program managers will say that the M4, despite problems identified by critics, is a great weapon. Those outside the service speak more freely and are more critical.
In an April 2007 letter to then-Army Secretary Preston M. Geren, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) questioned the "long-standing... (GunPolicy.org)
Rush to Buy Guns Includes More Women, Say Florida Gun Show Dealers
28 January 2009
Florida Trend
MIAMI — It was a tough day for Victor Bean. Typically, a weekend in September would find 3,300 people at his Victor Bean Southern Classic Gun and Knife Show in Miami. But the threat of a hurricane had people in line at Home Depot and Publix, making for a very slow day for Bean, a friendly 49 year old. "When things are slow, we joke, 'Where's Bill Clinton when you need him?' "
Many a true word spoken in jest. Two months later, Barack Obama won the presidency, and... (GunPolicy.org)
California SWAT Team Recycles Disabled Submachine Guns Into Movies
27 January 2009
Daily Sound (California)
Weapons currently carried by members of the Santa Barbara Police Department's SWAT team may soon pop up in Hollywood action films.
If the move is approved by the City Council tomorrow, the department will trade out its set of old weapons for new equipment through Cinema Weaponry, a firearms dealer out of Glendale, Calif., that converts weapons for use as props in movies.
Police officials began searching for an arms dealer willing to trade after current equipment began... (GunPolicy.org)
Tennessee Cops 'Curious' to Find Loaded Assault Weapon at Wal-Mart
21 January 2009
Oak Ridger (Tennessee)
OAK RIDGE, Tennessee — Oak Ridge police are investigating where an assault rifle with a loaded clip may have come from, after a Wal-Mart employee found it outside the store, among the shopping carts.
Deputy Police Chief Alan Massengill said law enforcement personnel searched the area around the store for a young black teenager who may have been associated with the gun — but didn't locate him.
Massengill said a "loss prevention employee" called the Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Vintage Rifles Can't Fight New Face of Urban Terror: Top Indian Cops
20 January 2009
Indo-Asian News Service
GUWAHATI — Vintage World War I era firearms like the .303 rifles are no match to the new face of terror — heavily armed with sophisticated weapons and gadgets, said top Indian police officials here advocating the need for replacing them with sophisticated weapons like the Israeli Uzi and the German MP5 submachine guns.
"We are still using the .303 rifles which are accurate and good in the field, but not in a combat situation while fighting terrorism in cities. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Scottish Club Shooter 'Obsessed' with Guns, Smuggled 'Mini-Arsenal'
20 December 2008
Scotsman (Edinburgh)
Police found a mini-arsenal of illegal weapons in a raid at the home of a student who had become obsessed with firearms.
Ramsay Scott, 20, a former pupil of Edinburgh's Merchiston Castle School who had shot competitively for Scotland, used his mother's credit card to order components of prohibited guns on the internet.
He turned his bedroom in the family home in Longniddry, East Lothian, into an assembly plant, but denied there was anything sinister about it, even... (GunPolicy.org)
UK Grandmother 'Petrified' After Receiving Police Machine Gun in the Mail
10 December 2008
Telegraph (UK)
Catherine Roots had been expecting a horse harness in the post, instead she opened her package to find a Heckler & Koch black submachine gun.
The package was delivered by a courier to Mrs Roots when it should have been sent to firearms officers at the nearby police headquarters.
She called the station and two armed officers turned up and took it away.
Police later explained a gun supply company made a mistake with the postcode when they sent it to Dorset Police in... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany Doubles Assault Rifle Exports, Many to Conflict Areas (Deutsch)
9 December 2008
Die Tageszeitung (Berlin)
[Translated summary: Germany has doubled its exports of assault rifles, many to countries in conflict, according to a combined Church report critical of lax government export controls.]
Der deutsche Rüstungsexport ist im vergangenen Jahr erneut stark angewachsen. Die Ausfuhrgenehmigungen durch die Bundesregierung beliefen sich 2007 auf 8,7 Milliarden Euro, das sind eine Milliarde Euro oder 13 Prozent mehr als im Jahr 2006. Diese Zahlen hat die Gemeinsame Konferenz... (GunPolicy.org)
Peak Church Group Alarmed at Huge German Gun Trade (Deutsch)
8 December 2008
Sueddeutsche (Munich)
[Translated summary: Germany is the third largest exporter of armaments in the world — and it is almost unnoticed that the export of small and light arms has increased. The churches are alarmed.]
Die Bilder zeigen eine georgische Spezialeinheit in Südossetien — bewaffnet mit dem Sturmgewehr G36 des deutschen Rüstungskonzerns Heckler & Koch. Wie die Waffen, die eigentlich nur in Nato-Staaten verkauft werden dürfen, in den Kaukasus kommen, ist bislang unklar. Für... (GunPolicy.org)
Texan Straw Purchasers, Dealers Profit from Smuggling, Murder in Mexico
6 December 2008
San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
The young Mexican national looked over the table at a San Antonio taquería and nonchalantly described the firepower that passed through his hands as if he were describing the trowel he now uses to lay bricks.
Heckler & Koch MP5s. Colt AR-15s. M16s. Berettas. Barrett sniper rifles.
"To kill people, hurt people, we use them as a tool for kidnap and for escort drugs," the former Mexican drug cartel foot soldier, who previously served in the Mexican army, said in... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Sales Up 14% as 'Suspicious Gun Lovers' Show Fear of Obama
10 November 2008
Irish Times
CHANTILLY, Virginia — Earl Curtis's staff in the Blue Ridge Arsenal gunshop hurried to and fro on a Saturday afternoon coping with the rush of customers that has emerged in recent weeks since people realised that Barack Obama was heading to the White House.
"The rush started about three weeks ago, and it hasn't stopped," Curtis tells The Irish Times . "People are afraid that we are about to go back to the days of the Clintons, except that it will be worse."
The same... (GunPolicy.org)
Plan to Re-arm Australian State Police with 10,000 Handguns is Delayed
3 November 2008
Age (Melbourne)
The plan to re-arm police with semi-automatic guns is behind schedule as senior officers admit they will not meet the initial target of completing the weapons upgrade by the end of the year.
Although the State Government has committed $10 million for the new weapons, the falling Australian dollar means that costs have blown-out by at least 30%.
When Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon announced the firearm upgrade in June, she said it would be conducted over a... (GunPolicy.org)
Georgians Illegally Armed with German Assault Rifles, Says TV Report
17 August 2008
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Georgian elite forces fighting Russia in the breakaway region of South Ossetia were illegally armed with German assault rifles in a blatant violation of Germany's arms export laws, according to a TV report.
The report by German public broadcaster ARD, which was to be aired late on Sunday, claims that Georgian elite forces in the rebel province of South Ossetia were supplied with German weapons manufactured by arms company Heckler & Koch based in the south-western... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Ex-Chief of Marines Sought in Theft of 72 Submachine Guns
4 July 2008
GMA News TV (Manila)
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a former commandant of the Philippine Marines and seven other co-accused over the loss of 72 units of Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns in 2000.
Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division ordered arrested retired Brigadier General Percival Subala and seven other people — including military and police officials, and civilian respondents — who were charged with illegal disposition of firearms based... (GunPolicy.org)
Did US 'Mercenary' Firm Use 'Straw Purchase' to Buy Assault Weapons?
22 June 2008
News & Observer (North Carolina)
The private military company Blackwater has found an unusual way to skirt federal laws that prohibit private parties from buying automatic weapons. Blackwater bought 17 Romanian AK-47s and 17 Bushmasters, gave ownership of the guns to the Camden County sheriff and keeps most of the guns at Blackwater's armory in Moyock.
Tiny Camden County — population 9,271 — is one of the most peaceful in North Carolina. In the last 10 years, there have been two murders, three... (GunPolicy.org)
Chicago Shop Owner Charged With Smuggling 220 Guns to Canada - Feds
20 June 2008
Franklin Park Herald-Journal (Illinois)
A former Franklin Park gun shop owner was charged Thursday with violating the federal Arms Export Control Act, allegedly for exporting 220 firearms to Canada.
Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms took Ugur Yildiz into custody without incident near his home in Park Ridge, said federal law enforcement agents in a press release.
He is in federal custody pending a detention hearing Monday.
Yildiz... (GunPolicy.org)
US Army M4 Combat Rifle Faces Stiff Competition from European Designs
20 April 2008
Associated Press
One of the biggest differences between Colt's M4 carbine and its competitors is the way the bullets are fed through the rifles. The HK416, XM8 and SCAR use a gas piston system to cycle the bullets automatically. The M4 uses "gas impingement," a method that uses a tube to push hot gas through key parts of the gun. This leaves residue behind, detractors say, and makes the M4 more prone to jamming. But Army officials and Colt executives say they've received no significant... (GunPolicy.org)
M4 Assault Rifle Does Poorly in US Army's Own 'Iraq Dust Storm' Test
20 April 2008
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Connecticut — When the dust finally settled, Army officials sought to put the best face on a sandstorm test that humbled Colt Defense's vaunted M4 carbine.
The tests were conducted at an Army laboratory in Maryland last fall. Ten M4s and 10 copies each of three other carbines — the SCAR from Belgium's FN Herstal, and the HK416 and the XM8 from Germany's Heckler & Koch — were coated in heavy layers of talcum-fine dust to simulate a sandstorm. Tens of... (GunPolicy.org)
Colt's Exclusive Grip on US Military M4 Assault Rifle Under Fire from Critics
20 April 2008
Associated Press
HARTFORD, Connecticut — No weapon is more important to tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan than the carbine rifle. And for well over a decade, the military has relied on one company, Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn., to make the M4s they trust with their lives.
Now, as Congress considers spending millions more on the guns, this exclusive arrangement is being criticized as a bad deal for American forces as well as taxpayers, according to interviews... (GunPolicy.org)
Australian State Bans 'Military Style' H&K Rifles Convertible to Semi-auto Fire
15 April 2008
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
Guns that can be easily modified to become lethal semi-automatics will be banned under laws to go before State Parliament today.
Ministers believe some military-style weapons are being "detuned" abroad to beat import laws — then converted back on arrival here.
Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon will get the power to declare such guns as category D and E, for use by the military and police only.
The State Government fears guns are being tailored to be rated... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airways Pilot Was Locking Up Handgun When It Fired, Pierced Cockpit
2 April 2008
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The pilot of a US Airways flight headed to Charlotte was putting a lock on his gun when it discharged in the cockpit, a congressman who was briefed by federal security officials said Wednesday.
Rep. John Mica of Florida, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he remained convinced after a briefing from the Transportation Security Administration that the March 22 midair discharge of the weapon was a one-time... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia) / McClatchy Newspapers
US Airline Pilot's 'Accidental' Cockpit Gunshot Actually 'Negligent Discharge'
28 March 2008
Arizona Republic, Editorial
On many airline flights, the pilots' checklist for preparing to land includes the stowing of a gun carried by one of the pilots.
On Saturday, as a US Airways jetliner approached Charlotte, N.C., something went awry and a gun was accidentally discharged in the cockpit of Flight 1536. The incident has put the unidentified pilot, Tempe-based US Airways and the government's Federal Flight Deck Officer program that authorizes pilots to carry guns under scrutiny.
For now,... (GunPolicy.org)
Oklahoma Legislators Encourage Students, Staff to Carry Guns on Campus
27 March 2008
Bloomberg (USA)
Oklahoma lawmakers have a plan to prevent violent outbreaks at colleges: let students carry guns.
The state's House of Representatives voted March 13 to allow students and employees who have law-enforcement or military backgrounds, or who undergo training, to carry concealed weapons on public campuses. If the measure is enacted, Oklahoma will be the fourth state where collegians can be armed legally, as a result of legislative, court or administrative action in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Marines in Philippines 'Diverted' 77 Brand New H&K Submachine Guns
27 March 2008
Manila Standard Today
A retired Marine commandant and seven other people were charged before the anti-graft court yesterday over the unexplained disappearance of 77 sub-machine guns in June 2000.
The Ombudsman charged retired Brig. Gen. Percival Subala, now deputy administrator for port operations at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; Col. Cesar de la Peña, former Marines chief-of-staff; Navy Capt. Teodoro Briones; SPO4 Richard Zules; and private individuals Edelbert Uybuco, Gerardo... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airline Pilot Was 'Trying to Stow' Pistol, Bullet Pierced Cockpit at 8000ft
26 March 2008
Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — A US Airways pilot whose gun fired inside a cockpit said he was trying to stow the weapon as the crew got ready to land, according to a police report released Wednesday.
The pilot didn't tell air traffic control about the shooting or say the bullet had punctured the cockpit until after the plane landed safely at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on Saturday, the report said. Photos obtained by The Associated Press show a small exit... (GunPolicy.org)
US Airways Pilot Blew Hole in Cockpit at 8000ft, May Have 'Mishandled' Gun
26 March 2008
Seattle Times / AP
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — The pilot of a US Airways plane may have been mishandling a firearm when it went off in flight, piercing the cockpit wall before the jet landed safely, a federal air marshal said Tuesday.
Airline officials said the accidental discharge did not endanger the 124 passengers and five crew members on the Airbus A319 over the weekend. But air-safety experts said the hole could have caused the plane to rapidly depressurize had it been in a window... (GunPolicy.org)
German Gun Makers Profited from Decades of Armed Violence in Nigeria
10 March 2008
Guardian (Lagos), Opinion
On New Year's Day 2008, 18 people died in a shooting scene in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, amongst them civilians who were caught up in the crossfire. Just like in Kenya — where massacres were raging at the same time — there was a German weapon at the centre of the violence: according to Nigerian press reports, the police confiscated one Heckler & Koch (H&K) G3 assault rifle from the attackers. However, German media only reported about this incident in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,United States,Iraq,Afghanistan
German Gun Maker H&K Dumps 'Unique Partnership' with Blackwater USA
19 February 2008
Deutsche Welle (Germany)
Weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch said it would end its relationship with Blackwater after German media reported that the controversial US-run military firm was using its guns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Blackwater, a private security company which has been contracted to protect high-profile US officials and foreign dignitaries in Iraq, had been using Heckler & Koch machine guns in both Iraq and Afghanistan, German broadcaster ARD's "Report Mainz" program reported... (GunPolicy.org)
German Gun Maker Heckler & Koch Supplied Weapons Used in Kenya Crisis
1 February 2008
African Executive (Nairobi)
Hundreds of people have been killed during the recent post-election unrest in Kenya, many of them from bullet wounds. The UN-news-agency IRIN reported that in Kisumu alone, 44 people were shot dead, some of them apparently in the back on escaping. Many pictures from the fighting scenes carry the G3 assault-rifle of Heckler & Koch (H&K), the standard weapon of the Kenyan army and police for more than thirty years. According to the well-informed Jane's Intelligence, those... (GunPolicy.org)
Singapore,United States,Germany
German HK416 Assault Rifle Could Replace US M-16, Claim Its Promoters
20 January 2008
Electric New Paper (Singapore)
It's no joke to say that the arms race between gun manufacturers is deadly serious.
After all, a successful deal could translate into millions of dollars, especially when the weapon for an entire army force is replaced.
This is where the Heckler & Koch 416 comes in.
Talk is rife that this state-of-the-art assault rifle is touted as the possible weapon that may replace the ubiquitous M16 rifle — some 8 million have been produced and used by many armed forces around... (GunPolicy.org)
AK-47, Other Assault Rifles Double in Price, Sell Swiftly in Lebanon Crisis
5 January 2008
Times (UK)
BEIRUT — Wearing tatty green Israeli army webbing over his black leather jacket, Walid shoulders an M16 rifle and squints down the barrel. "How much is this one?" he asks. "It's worth $1,200," replies Abu Rida, a tough, barrel-chested arms dealer.
Arrayed on a bed in Abu Rida's home in southern Beirut were more weapons for sale — an automatic pistol, two AK47 rifles and a Heckler & Koch G3 rifle, altogether worth about $3,000 (£1,500), more than double the price... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Dealer Jailed for 4yrs: First Prosecution Under UK Arms Brokering Law
26 November 2007
Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (UK Govt), Web Page
Arms dealer John Knight was jailed for four years on Friday 23 November 2007 after pleading guilty to the illegal sale of 130 MPT 9 machine guns in the Middle East.
In a hearing at Blackfriars Crown Court in September 2007, Mr Knight admitted illegally moving the weapons contrary to Article 9(2) of The Trade in Goods (Control) Order 2003. Mr Knight was also made subject to a confiscation order of £53,389.51 to be paid within six months or face an 18 month prison... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (UK Govt)
Mounties Catch Teenager Trying to Import Machine Guns from US to Canada
24 November 2007
Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
PORT COQUITLAM — A 19-year-old man who allegedly ordered three fully automatic weapons from a U.S. firearms dealer over the Internet was arrested Friday as he waited for his shipment to arrive.
Octavian Emilian Olaru, 19, of Port Coquitlam has been charged with importing a prohibited firearm. More charges are pending. He remained in custody and was to reappear in Surrey Provincial Court next week.
Olaru, a Canadian citizen, was not previously known to police.
Cpl.... (GunPolicy.org)
Brief Guide to the World's Best Known Guns and Major Gun Makers - BBC
12 November 2007
BBC News
The global trade in small arms is big business — 1,250 companies in at least 92 countries produce weapons, parts or ammunition. But who are the big players?
ARMALITE
Makers of the M4 and M16 assault rifles, which are popular with the US armed forces and soldiers from many other nations. The design was quickly bought by Colt.
Armalite weapons were also popular with the IRA, hence the republicans' long-time policy of the "Armalite and the ballot box", meaning... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handguns in Colorado: Comprehensive Picture of One US State
21 October 2007
Daily Camera (Boulder)
Whether tucked inside waistbands, slipped in jacket pockets or holstered around ankles, chances are most handguns being carried around Boulder County go unnoticed.
"You wouldn't know I'm carrying," said 46-year-old Longmont resident Rod Brandenburg, who occasionally packs a fully loaded .45-caliber Heckler & Koch pistol.
Brandenburg owns Grandpa's Pawn & Gun on Longmont's Main Street — the fourth-highest-volume gun dealer in Colorado — and is among the 1,462... (GunPolicy.org)
US Law Drives High Price, Rarity of Legitimate Collectors' Machine Guns
20 October 2007
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia)
Randy Powell has a .50-caliber machine gun he would like to sell you — but he can't afford to.
The monster, sitting in a cage in back of his gun store and shooting range in Lawrenceville, can cut down a tree — and could easily fetch $30,000 in a perfectly legal sale. But for Powell, the sale would be the equivalent of hawking a Picasso or vintage wine.
The gun increases in value exponentially each year.
"I bought that gun for $10,000 about 10 years ago," he said.... (GunPolicy.org)
US Army Relents: M4 Must Now Compete With H&K, FN Assault Weapons
16 October 2007
Army Times (USA)
Once postponed until December, the Army dust chamber test, designed to test the M4 carbine's performance against a handful of other carbines, should now be finished by Thanksgiving.
Testers at the Army Test and Evaluation Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., began testing the M4 against the Heckler & Koch 416, the H&K XM8 and FNH USA's Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle on Sept. 24, said Army Col. Carl Lipsit, project manager for Soldier Weapons.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
734 Scottish Police Now Routinely Carry Guns - 6 Percent of the Force
30 June 2007
Sunday Mail (Scotland)
With his black body armour and bearing a deadly assault rifle and handgun, this menacing officer looks better suited to the set of Judge Dredd than patrolling Scots streets.
But this armed and dangerous supercop is one of hundreds of new Bobbies on the beat cracking down on our spiralling gun crime rates.
The officers are equipped with superstrength Kevlar body armour and helmets and carry Heckler & Koch 53 Carbine assault rifles and Glock 17 handguns.
They are... (GunPolicy.org)
Drunken 'Loner Obsessed With Guns' Kills UK Constable With Legal Rifle
6 May 2007
Evening Standard (London)
The best friends of a man who gunned down hero police officer Richard Gray have told how he was on the verge of a nervous break down.
Pest controller Pete Medlicott had started to hear voices in his head but was too terrified to let doctors know because he feared he would lose his gun license, pals said.
Rob Hillman and Martin Lane, who have known Medlicott for the last 10 years, denied he was evil or a crazed gunman.
They believe he had started to "crack-up" amid... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Meet to Combat Illegal Gun Trafficking from Philippines to Japan
12 March 2007
Manila Standard
Eight police generals will leave for Japan today for a four-day meeting on gun control in Tokyo in the wake of the Japanese' growing concerns over rising gun smuggling cases in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Philippine National Police and the Japan Police will also discuss initiatives on crime scene investigations and compare notes on new strategies, techniques and equipment in dealing with criminals.
Those given authority to attend the Japan conference were the... (GunPolicy.org)
Philippine Police Connive With Licensed Dealers to Smuggle Guns to Taiwan
5 March 2007
Manila Standard
Some police officers appear to be conniving with gun dealers in smuggling guns to Taiwan and other countries in Asia, documents show.
Investigators have recorded two cases of gun smuggling into Taiwan — one on Oct. 5, 2000, and another on July 13, 2006 — of 214 high-powered firearms from the Philippines. In both cases, police were able to track down five of 150 units of the British-made Heckler & Koch MP5A sub-machine guns, which were delivered to the National... (GunPolicy.org)
US Delta Force, H&K Said to Have 'Better Rifle' But Army Sticks to M4, M16
21 February 2007
Defense News (USA)
Faced with troubles using the M4 rifle in combat, members of Delta Force worked with a gun maker to come up with a better weapon. The 416 is now considered in many circles to be the best carbine in the world — a weapon that combines the solid handling, accuracy and familiarity of the M4 with the famed dependability of the rugged AK47. But the Army is sticking with the M4 and M16 for regular forces.
March 4, 2002. An RPG tore into the right engine of an MH-47 Chinook... (GunPolicy.org)
Thousands of Firearms Stolen from Canadian Gun Owners, Few Recovered
16 February 2007
Vancouver Sun
More than 2,300 firearms have been stolen from legal-gun owners in B.C. in the past eight years — including military-style assault rifles such as the AK-47, according to records obtained by CanWest News Service.
And only 99 of those missing firearms have been recovered by police — meaning hundreds of weapons are still unaccounted for.
Gun-registry data obtained by the Ottawa Citizen through the Access to Information Act show that 2,349 guns have been stolen and... (GunPolicy.org)
Licensed Canadian Gun Owners Have Lost 17,000 Firearms to Criminals
14 February 2007
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario), Series
The list reads like a SWAT team's inventory or a catalogue for a military museum: Uzis, AK-47s, vintage Tommy guns, German assault rifles and a compact submachine-gun capable of firing 900 rounds a minute.
They are some of the most efficient combat firearms ever made and many of them are in the hands of Canadian criminals. More than 1,200 of these prohibited-class firearms have been reported stolen in the past six years and only a fraction of them have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Gun Enthusiasts Legally Own 7,100 Full-auto 'Machine Guns'
13 February 2007
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario), Series
Dave Tomlinson belongs to one of the most exclusive clubs in the country. It hasn't accepted a new member since 1978 and is unlikely to do so again. If you don't already belong, owning the one thing you would need to join could get you arrested.
Mr. Tomlinson, a firearms advocate and proud Uzi owner, is one of a shrinking group of Canadians permitted to keep fully automatic weapons — machine-guns, submachine-guns and other firearms that can shoot a stream of bullets... (GunPolicy.org)
Popular Assault Rifle Lookalikes Designed to Evade Canadian Gun Bans
12 February 2007
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario), Series
Its name alone evokes images of guerrilla resistance fighters or Iron Curtain military might. With its wooden pistol grip and distinctive banana-shaped magazine, the AK-47 is the world's most recognizable assault rifle.
From the jungles of Africa to the streets of Baghdad, the low cost, deadliness and reliability of Mikhail Kalashnikov's rifle have made it a favourite of conventional armies and insurgents alike.
Although the AK is prohibited in Canada, inexpensive... (GunPolicy.org)
About 8,000 US Airline Pilots Now Carry Loaded Handguns in the Cockpit
11 February 2007
Sun-Sentinel (Florida)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida — Five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, a growing number of U.S. airline pilots are armed, prepared to use lethal force to protect the cockpit. Soon, they will carry badges, bringing them even closer to being bona fide law enforcement officers.
"Every cop has that metal badge to flash," said John Mazor, spokesman for the Air Line Pilots Assn. "It is a valid recognition signal between law enforcement officers."
About 8,000 pilots carry... (GunPolicy.org)
Knob Creek, Kentucky: 2 Days Firing the Deadliest Guns Civilians Can Buy
11 February 2007
Sunday Herald (Glasgow)
Richard Parker has a problem with his 50-calibre sniper's rifle, but firepower isn't it. Made by Hampshire-based company Accuracy International, the rifle's cigar-sized bullet reputedly slams into distant targets with more force than Dirty Harry's famous .44 Magnum at point-blank range.
"With the right ammunition," muses Parker, an amiable 57-year-old marketing executive from Indiana, "you can take out a tank." Accuracy isn't the problem either: Parker can hit a... (GunPolicy.org)
Another Felony Charge Hits Seattle Gun Dealer Arrested in Wales Homicide
8 February 2007
Seattle Times
A federal grand jury has added another firearms-related felony charge against a Bellevue gun dealer once arrested as a material witness in the 2001 slaying of Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Wales.
Albert Kwok-Leung Kwan was charged Wednesday with unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, which carries a potential prison term of up to 10 years. Kwan earlier had been charged with possession of a machine gun.
Kwan has been scrutinized by the FBI and federal... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Collector Once Arrested in US Attorney Murder Faces Another Charge
23 December 2006
Olympian (Washington state)
SEATTLE — Federal prosecutors say they intend to bring another weapons charge against a Bellevue gun collector once arrested as a material witness in the 2001 slaying of Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Wales.
Albert Kwan has been a person of interest in the killing because sales records indicate he purchased two Makarov gun barrels in the mid-1990s that were like the one used to kill Wales. Kwan has turned over one such barrel, but insists he does not remember... (GunPolicy.org)
Only a Standard NZ Firearms Licence Needed for Military-Style Rifle
22 December 2006
New Zealand Herald
It looks and sounds like a seriously high-powered firearm — the Saiga AK47 semi-automatic listed for sale on Trade Me.
Hundreds of dollars have been bid for the Russian hunting rifle, described by local gunshops as a military-style rifle, which fires off five rounds at the squeeze of the trigger.
The seller says the new owner will need just a standard firearms licence to secure the deal.
The state of the country's privately held armoury is under the spotlight with... (GunPolicy.org)
NZ Police Raid 55 Licensed Gun Collectors, Dealers, Seize 500 Weapons
21 December 2006
New Zealand Herald
Police have seized hundreds of military-style firearms in raids on gun dealers and collectors.
They believe the powerful automatic and semi-automatic weapons were destined for gangs and other criminals.
Fifty-five gun dealers and collectors were raided in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch.
More than 500 weapons were confiscated.
Six people have been arrested on firearms charges and more arrests are expected.... (GunPolicy.org)
Foreign Handgun Imports to Russia Push Out Veteran Makarov Pistol
16 August 2006
RIA Novosti (Russia), Opinion
MOSCOW — News that Russia's Interior Ministry has decided to use some foreign small arms, including Glock, Walther, and Heckler & Koch pistols, has been unpleasant for Russian designers.
"Why?" they say, "Our police generals are acting like boys. They have seen too many Hollywood thrillers and spend public money on foreign toys. Our pistols are in no way worse. Some of the foreign makes don't hold a candle to them."
That is, of course, a bit much. But Russian-made... (GunPolicy.org)
2,000-plus Assault Rifles, Handguns, SMGs Looted from East Timor Police
5 July 2006
Sydney Morning Herald / AAP
DILI — East Timor's ruling Fretilin party has called for an immediate audit of arms looted from the police armoury, saying it fears many weapons are in the hands of police who deserted their posts.
Stanislau da Silva, a senior member of Fretilin's central committee and the Minister for Agriculture, told the Herald the party was "very, very worried about the number of high-powered weapons" taken by police when the 3000-strong force disintegrated during the violence in... (GunPolicy.org)
Spate of Police Gun Thefts Embarrasses Detroit Area Police
24 June 2006
Detroit News
A Monroe County deputy has joined an expanding — and embarrassed — law enforcement fraternity struggling to answer the question: Where's my gun?
When the unnamed, eight-year deputy noticed that his submachine gun, $3,500 police radio, uniform and 20 rounds of ammunition had been swiped from his unlocked pickup truck on Thursday morning, he joined two other officers in just over a week whose powerful firearms were stolen or missing.
Last week, a 9 mm Colt... (GunPolicy.org)
Submachine Gun, SWAT Uniform Taken from Ohio Sheriff's Parked Car
23 June 2006
Toledo Blade (Ohio)
MONROE — A submachine gun and other police gear were stolen early yesterday from the parked vehicle of a sheriff's deputy, according to the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
The theft occurred between midnight and 6 a.m. in the 100 block of Lavender Street, the sheriff's office said.
The deputy whose gear was stolen had attended a training session Wednesday night.
The items included a Heckler & Koch .40-caliber UMP submachine gun in a black nylon case, with one... (GunPolicy.org)
Cheap Chinese Guns Flood South Africa, Says Amnesty
16 June 2006
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
A recently released report by Amnesty International (AI) says Norinco 9mm pistols, which are cheaply manufactured in China, are commonly used in cases of robbery, rape and other crimes in South Africa.
The report notes that, despite South Africa's stringent Firearms Control Act of 2000, firearms are filtering into the underworld after being lost or stolen.
Although the United Nations Comtrade database recorded the sale of only 10 079 pistols and revolvers in 1998, AI... (GunPolicy.org)
East Timor's Police Missing Half Their Guns, Almost All Ammo Gone
6 June 2006
Australian (Sydney)
Almost all the ammunition and more than half the firearms of East Timor's national police force are missing.
Unaccounted for, according to a security analyst, are more than half the 3000 Glock 9mm pistols issued to the 3400-member police force (PNTL), whose authority has ceased to exist in Dili.
More than half the PNTL's 400 Steyr assault rifles and Heckler & Koch HK-33 sub-machineguns, 160 of 200 FNC assault rifles and all F-2000 machine pistols issued to police... (GunPolicy.org)
Arms Bust in Hawaii Puts Indonesia Under the Gun
27 April 2006
Australian Financial Review
JAKARTA — A small group of mainly Indonesians flew to Hawaii earlier this month but they weren't planning to bring back the usual souvenirs.
They went to Honolulu to buy 245 air-to-air Sidewinder missiles, 882 Heckler & Koch MP5 guns, 880 HK 9mm handguns, 16 HK sniper rifles, 5000 rounds of ammunition and an aviation radar system.
But on April 9 their plans came unstuck. The group, including known arms dealers for the Indonesian military and two Indonesian Air Force... (GunPolicy.org)
Heckler & Koch Scales Back from 200 Workers to 7 in Georgia
30 January 2006
Ledger-Enquirer (Georgia)
When German gunmaker Heckler & Koch showed up in Columbus more than two years ago, it had big plans for becoming one of the city's major local companies.
On the drawing board was a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, a $25 million capital investment and at least 200 high-paying jobs — maybe more. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue even visited Columbus to attend a groundbreaking at Muscogee Technology Park, the industrial area off Macon Road where H&K was supposed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Under New Italian Law, Gun Owner Could Escape Murder Charge [Italiano]
27 January 2006
La Repubblica (Italy)
[Translated summary: Licensed handgun owner Michelangelo Rizzi, who fired 13 shots at home intruders, killing one of them, has been charged with first degree murder. Under recently revised Italian law, the shooting could have been legal].
Tentativo di furto nella notte, in un'abitazione di Castelnuovo del Garda. "Cercavano di forzare una finestra, ho preso la pistola."
Accusato di omicidio volontario, 13 i colpi sparati Ministro Castelli: "Si è difeso". Nuove norme... (GunPolicy.org)
Estonian Army Swaps Makarov Pistols for Glocks
27 December 2005
Kommersant (Russia)
Estonian army is retiring pistols of Makarov known as PM. The local ministry of defense signed an agreement with company Heckler&Koch about purchase on new 9mm pistols USP, which will replace Russian PMs. This information was reported by RIA Novosti, which quoted press-service of Estonian Defense Ministry.
The replacement of light weapons is going according to "Program of development and structural changes of Armed Forces of Estonia before the year of 2010." New... (GunPolicy.org)
Canadian Cop Killer Managed to Keep Two Unregistered Rifles
17 December 2005
Globe and Mail (Ontario)
MONTREAL — The man accused of killing a 25-year-old policewoman had not one, but two rifles stashed illegally in his bachelor apartment, police say.
Despite being banned from having guns since 1999, François Pépin had managed to keep both weapons. Neither rifle, The Globe and Mail has learned, was among the weapons he was given an exemption to carry during hunting season.
"We're trying to find out how he came into possession of these weapons," Sergeant François... (GunPolicy.org)
