The rifle allegedly used in the cowardly slaying of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Q. Brenton on Halloween night is not a “military-style assault rifle” as asserted in a Seattle Times report, which was subsequently used by Seattle Weekly reporter Nina Shapiro in an attempt to blister a local gun rights advocate, Alan Gottlieb.
Shapiro should have done some homework before rushing to smear Gottlieb. Reader reaction to her comments is essentially very negative.
Indeed, when initially contacted about the gun – after the Seattle Times had published an image of the rifle on its website – one SPD information officer could not specifically identify it without a bit of help from the Seattle Gun Rights Examiner.
Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said a search Saturday of Monfort's apartment turned up bomb-making materials, improvised explosive devices and two rifles, including a "military-style assault rifle" similar to the type of weapon police believe was used to kill Brenton and wound his rookie partner, Officer Britt Sweeney. -- Seattle Times
That image shows a Kel-Tec SU-16CA, a semiautomatic rifle chambered for the .223 Remington cartridge, the same round that is used in AR-15 style rifles manufactured by Colt, Bushmaster, Remington, Sig Sauer and a host of other companies, including Washington State’s own Olympic Arms. Actually, none of these guns is an assault rifle by true definition. They just resemble military rifles and have been demonized because they are black.
What if we applied that same standard to people?
An informative “assault rifle” definition can be found on Wikipedia.
The translation assault rifle gradually became the common term for similar firearms sharing the same technical definition as the StG 44. In a strict definition, a firearm must have at least the following characteristics to be considered an assault rifle:It must be an individual weapon with provision to fire from the shoulder (i.e. a buttstock);It must be capable of selective fire;It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle;
Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable box magazine. -- Wikipedia
The Kel-Tec, according to the company’s website, has a 16-inch barrel, a folding synthetic stock and trigger mechanism (the gun is rendered inoperable when the stock is folded) and a Parkerized (black-gray) finish. It comes from the factory with two ten-round magazines, but will accept larger capacity magazines designed for AR-15 clones.
This rifle does not have a separate pistol grip, as does the AR-15. Indeed, the stock styling is rather traditional in nature – it doesn’t really look like an AR-15 at all – except that it happens to be…(what’s that word, again?)...black.
What this rifle does have are a couple of interesting features that might make it popular with hikers, small game hunters and target shooters, and as a survival rifle for bush pilots, but far less likely anyone headed to a battlefield. Spare magazines may be carried in the stock, and the forearm can fold out to create a bipod. There is a rail on top for mounting a scope. The stock can actually be folded so the rifle can fit in a compact area, like a backpack.
Rifles that meet most of these criteria, but not all, are technically not assault rifles despite frequently being considered as such. For example, semi-automatic-only rifles that share designs with assault rifles such as the AR-15 (which the M-16 rifle is based on) are not assault rifles, as they are not capable of switching to automatic fire and thus not selective fire. Belt-fed weapons (such as the M249 SAW) or rifles with fixed magazines are likewise not assault rifles because they do not have detachable box magazines. -- Wikipedia
Essentially, this is a rifle designed for sport-utility use, chambered in a caliber used by people who hunt prairie dogs, coyotes and other varmints and small game.
Had the Seattle Times or Seattle Weekly bothered to contact Kel-Tec, they might know this. Kel-Tec hasn’t been contacted by anybody, other than this writer. They certainly haven't heard from Shapiro.
So, just because it has a black synthetic stock and fires the same cartridge as an AR-15 clone, the Kel-Tec is not an “assault rifle.” Maybe it’s the cartridge. One might have a hard time convincing the folks at Remington, Winchester, Savage and Browning that their bolt-action varmint rifles, which can be fitted with black synthetic stocks and chambered for the .223-caliber cartridge are “assault rifles.”
Maybe it’s because the Kel-Tec is a semi-auto. Yeah, but the Browning BAR, Remington 7400, Benelli R1, Ruger 99/44 Deerfield and the Ruger Model 44 are all semi-autos and all are hunting rifles. Ruger’s Mini-14 is a handy little sport-utility rifle that also fires the .223 Remington cartridge and there are versions that come with black synthetic stocks, but it is hardly an “assault rifle.”
The term "assault rifle" is often more loosely used for commercial or political reasons to include other types of arms, particularly arms that fall under a strict definition of the battle rifle, or semi-automatic variant of military rifles such as AR-15s.The US Army defines assault rifles as "short, compact, selective-fire weapons that fire a cartridge intermediate in power between submachinegun and rifle cartridges. -- Wikipedia
Seattle police say the rifle recovered at the home of suspected cop-killer Christopher Monfort is a ballistic match to the gun used in Officer Brenton’s slaying. They say there is something unique about the barrel, though the published image of the rifle does not suggest this. It looks like a stock Kel-Tec barrel, and a source at Kel-Tec who examined the photo image told me that the barrel on this rifle is extremely difficult to swap out and would require the services of a competent gunsmith. Presumably details about this will come out in court, if not in the charging documents.
Pugel said the rifle had a unique barrel that helped forensic experts match the weapon to the rounds fired into the patrol car. -- Seattle Times
Shapiro took Gottlieb to task because he reacted to Washington CeaseFire President Ralph Fascitelli’s attempt to push a political agenda to ban so-called “assault rifles” before the gun was identified; essentially capitalizing on Brenton’s murder for a headline. Now that the Seattle Times, or perhaps SPD, has erroneously labeled this gun an “assault rifle,” Shapiro is doing an “I told ya so.”
Before Shapiro tells anyone else, she ought to be a little more thorough.
More from Gun Rights Examiners
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And Don’t forget to visit:
For more info: Second Amendment Foundtion. Kel-Tec CNC
Comments
Dave, you may want to point out that this gun is specifically designed to NOT be an "assault" rifle, but it designed to be available to Californians living under that state's AWB. Even by California's liberal definitions, this rifle is not an "assault rifle".
Bobby, that's correct, and it can be found on the Kel-Tec web page that I linked in the column. Readers can click on that link and see for themselves.
When i read this story to my FN-FAL it looked up and said "What, just 'cause i'm black" ?
My poor FAL doesnt like being discriminated against.
I tend to agree with my FAL, please dont discriminate, they are good rifles too!
"Unique to that barrel" meaning in a forensic sense. ALL barrels leave unqiue distinguishing marks on bullets fired through them. A number of otherwise identical weapons will each leave a unique fingerprint on bullets fired through their barrels. That is, the lands and grooves that make up an individual barrels rifling leave distinct (unique) impressions on the bullets fired through that barrel. Thus, those marks are unique to that barrel, making that barrel unique as well.
If a round is recovered from a crime scene intact, it can be matched to the weapon that fired it, if said weapon is also recovered at a later date, as was the case here.
As far as what constitutes an "assault rifle" it often comes down to a matter of semantics. For example, an AR-15 is simply a semi-automatic only version of the military weapon. The only significant difference is the fire control group parts and a hole through the lower receiver for the auto sear.
Just to add...
The term "assault rifle" is a translation of the German word Sturmgewehr, meaning "storm rifle". "Storm" is used synonymously with the word assault. In fact, the term was coined by Adolf Hitler to describe the Maschinenpistole 44, later re-named Sturmgewehr or StG 44. It is generally considered to be the first "assault rifle".
Although the StG 44 was a full-auto capable weapon, Hitler coined the term mainly due to its overall appearance, together with the cartridge it fired, not the fact it was also a selective fire weapon. Many shoulder fired weapons of the period were (and continue to be) selective fire, yet are not termed assault rifles. The M14 being one example.
Mei-yu...
Although the following are both selective fire and full-auto capable in their military versions, only one is considered an assault rifle.
The FN-FAL is not an assault rifle. Although it has many of the distinguishing features of an assault rifle it is more appropriately termed a battle rifle. The reason being, it's chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO round which is a full length rifle cartridge.
The AK-47 on the other hand is an assault rifle due to its overall appearance and the fact it is chambered for the intermediate 7.62x39mm round. Although it's same caliber it uses a shorter intermediate cartridge case.
"When i read this story to my FN-FAL it looked up and said "What, just 'cause i'm black" ?"
Best laugh I've had all day! Can't we be color blind when it comes to weapons? Can't we all just get to the range?
Mei-yu...
Although the following are both selective fire and full-auto capable in their military versions, only one is considered an assault rifle.
The FN-FAL is not an assault rifle. Although it has many of the distinguishing features of an assault rifle it is more appropriately termed a battle rifle. The reason being, it's chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO round which is a full length rifle cartridge.
The AK-47 on the other hand is an assault rifle due to its overall appearance and the fact it is chambered for the intermediate 7.62x39mm round. Although it's same caliber it uses a shorter intermediate cartridge case.
Since used a weapon chambered for the .223 Remington cartridge perhaps it's a good idea to describe the difference between it and its military version, the 5.56mm NATO round.
Many people may be under the impression they are the same expect for the name, but they're not. And neither are rifles chambered for them.
The case wall of the 5.56mm NATO round is thicker at the base in order to withstand higher case pressures. This is due to the fact it contains slightly more grains of powder. That is, it's a 'hotter' round than the .223 Remington.
Subsequently, a rifle chambered for 5.56mm NATO will often be marked as such. For example, the barrel will say "5.56 NATO", etc. The reason being, the chamber has a longer Leade than a rifle chambered for .223 Remington. Leade is the area of the chamber just prior to the rifling. This is in order to prevent over-pressure due to the hotter 5.56mm round.
Hence, a rifle chambered for 5.56mm NATO can fire .223 Remington cartidges, but one
Since Christopher Monfort used a weapon chambered for the .223 Remington cartridge perhaps it's a good idea to describe the difference between it and its military version, the 5.56mm NATO round.
Many people may be under the impression they are the same except for the name, but they're not and neither are the rifles chambered for them.
The case wall of the 5.56mm NATO round is thicker at the base in order to withstand higher case pressures. This is due to the fact it contains more grains of powder. That is, it's a 'hotter' round than the .223 Remington cartridge. Subsequently, a rifle chambered for 5.56mm NATO will often be marked as such. For example, the barrel will say "5.56 NATO", etc. The reason being, the chamber has a longer Leade than a rifle chambered for .223 Remington. The Leade is the area of the chamber just prior to the rifling. In this case, it's to prevent over-pressure due to the hotter 5.56mm round.
Hence, a rifle chambered for 5.56mm NATO can fire .223 Remi
The gun banners will expoit ANY, repeat ANY, nonsensical, extranious, unrelated to anything, excuse to continue to pursue their outgageous and unlawful war against law abiding Americans and their constitutional rights. Trying to demonize a type of weapon, as if that is a just reason to outlaw it, is one of their oldest, but still most outrageously idiotic. Dave, like David Codrea, John Longenecker, and the rest of the fine gun rights examiners, I hope you will continue to expose their lies and their warped REAL agenda, as you have so well again in this, another of your fine articles. Thanks for being one of the voices of reason and truth in a world awash in lies and madness.
It would be nice if. . . .There were a web site titled "It Would Be Nice If. . . ." that would be limited to brief contributions that completed the thought.
An example: ". . .only those journalists who know something about firearms would about them, and those who are ignorant on the topic would write household hints instead."
What matters is not a precise definition of a necessarily fuzzy term like "assault rifle" but the adjective "military-style". That fits. As it does for the Ruger Mini-14 that you called a "handy little sport-utility rifle... hardly an 'assault rifle'" Sound innocuous - since you didn't mention that the Mini-14 is a civilianized version of the M-14 rifle, the standard infantryman's rifle for U.S. troops until the advent of the M-16 in the 1970s, and a design used for sniper rifles to this day. The Mini-14 was notoriously used to shoot 28 women, 14 fatally, in a Montreal school shooting in 1989. Pretty "handy" eh?
Probably drove a car there too? And possibly was wearing pants? Idemand an outright ban on shoes as the killer was wearing them............
Rose By Another Name says:
"What matters is not a precise definition of a necessarily fuzzy term like "assault rifle" but the adjective "military-style". That fits. As it does for the Ruger Mini-14 that you called a "handy little sport-utility rifle... hardly an 'assault rifle'" Sound innocuous - since you didn't mention that the Mini-14 is a civilianized version of the M-14 rifle, the standard infantryman's rifle for U.S. troops until the advent of the M-16 in the 1970s, and a design used for sniper rifles to this day. The Mini-14 was notoriously used to shoot 28 women, 14 fatally, in a Montreal school shooting in 1989. Pretty "handy" eh?"
Prooving that your technical knowlegde of firearms is abysmal. The Mini-14, while functionally and cosmetically similar to the M-14, is much smaller and fires a smaller and much lower-powered round than the M-14. There is nothing "civilianized" about it, as it has never been used or designed as a military weapon.
The M-1A is the "civilianized" version of the M-14, same size, design and power, but built to prevent firing, or being easily modified to fire, in fully automatic (i.e. 'machine gun') mode.
By the way, any bolt action 'hunting' rifle...? Derived from an obsolete military firearm. Heck, many older ones ARE lightly modified original WWI and WWII firearms. I have 5, myself. All original, as-issued. Any semi-auto hunting rifle or shotgun...? Same thing.
Precise definitions are exactly what matter in a court of law. And yours are not precise. Or knowledgeable.
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