Missile launcher shows up at Seattle gun buyback

[KamaAina]

http://news.yahoo.com/missile-launcher-shows-seattle-gun-buyback-174331546.html

Seattle police worked with Army officials Monday to track down the history of a nonfunctional missile launcher that showed up at a weapons buyback program and determine whether it was legal or possibly stolen from the military....

The single-use device is a launch tube assembly for a Stinger portable surface-to-air missile and already had been used. As a controlled military item, it is not available to civilians through any surplus or disposal program offered by the government, according to Jamieson....

Police witnessed the private exchange of the military launch tube near the gun buyback event, where gun buyers tempted those standing in long lines to turn in their weapons with cash....

Officers saw guns changing private hands without knowing whether the person buying the gun had the legal right to buy it, and those transactions are occurring all the time, McGinn said.

[TheMastersNemesis]

1. Fortunately It Was An Empty LAW Missile Tube Which Is A One Use Weapon.

You wonder what happened to the missile.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Well, at least it was not the full unit.

They are out there, thanks the first afghani war when the CIA gave them to the Taliban like candy.

[Electric Monk]

3. That fourth paragraph you quoted is just as big a deal, imho

Officers saw guns changing private hands without knowing whether the person buying the gun had the legal right to buy it, and those transactions are occurring all the time, McGinn said.

[madville]

6. That's called the "gun show loophole" n/t

[KamaAina]

8. That's why I picked it

Picking which four paragraphs to quote is crucial to the art of posting on DU.

[madville]

4. You can buy them on the internet

Used launchers/tubes are all over the place, there are probably a few on gunbroker.com right now.

[NoOneMan]

5. You could probably make a sweet potato gun out of one of those

[davepc]

7. Oh no, an empty plastic tube!

Somebody might swing it like a club and hit somebody over the head with it!

[KamaAina]

9. See post #3 above

there's more to the story than just "an empty plastic tube".

[davepc]

10. Yes, can't have private party sales of empty plastic tubes.

Won't some one think of the children?

[KamaAina]

12. "Officers saw guns changing private hands"

Not empty plastic tubes. Guns.

[Recursion]

14. Yup. Senator Manchin is onboard with requiring background checks for private sales

If a conservative pro-gun Democrat like him is behind that, I think there's a good chance we can get that done.

[krispos42]

11. A Stinger launch tube?

Hmph.


And they're investigating? So much for "no questions asked"...

[SayWut]

13. Ahhh, the media and police again.

For starters, that's a not a "Stinger" missile (empty launch tube or otherwise), it's a Redeye launch tube.

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/B1HWN7hVzUWuL5_rP4RKgA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0xMDI0O3E9Nzk7dz0xNDIy/



http://www.wammt.org/collections/weapons/fim92.htm

http://www.wammt.org/collections/weapons/M41A3.htm



Secondly, it's an inert, harmless piece of military surplus, yet, there's cause for panic, worry and concern.

Thirdly, it was most likely stolen (ages ago), from a secured military facility. What, if anything, this has to do with "lax" gun control laws, background checks and/or getting guns off the street, I have no idea (other than to elicit more hand wringing that 'something must be done').

[KamaAina]

15. And again I refer you to Post #3

Honest-to-goodness guns were being bought and sold instead of bought back, as intended.

[SayWut]

17. Universal background checks will pass in due time.

Of that, I'm confident.
But, stirring up sentiment and outrage (as demonstrated by the article and OP), over a non issue (a nonthreatening chunk of olive drab PVC pipe with a pistol grip and a trigger), only serves to make the gun control crowd appear foolish, embarrassing and uneducated.

If the gun control segment of our society wants to gain any credibility or progress, they need to tone things down a bit and touch base with reality.

[raidert05]

16. DEAR GOD!!

Officers saw guns changing private hands without knowing whether the person buying the gun had the legal right to buy it, and those transactions are occurring all the time, McGinn said.

It was a buy back alright and it will keep on happening over and over again till universal background checks are initiated and access to the NCIS System is loosened for it.

[Initech]

18. Reno 911 called. They want their bit back!