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Gun collector warns of mail-order weapons
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Gun collector warns of mail-order weapons terrorists might use
Paul Tucker demonstrates weapon parts that can easily be obtained through the mail. TuckerOs on a mission to keep the weapons out of the hands of terrorists. Brooks Sample/DFWCN photo
Paul Tucker is not the kind of man who most people would expect to be involved in gun control. He's a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam, member of the National Rifle Association, hunter, and avid gun collector.
"I'm for the Second Amendment," the 57-year-old medical software developer and consultant said as he displayed World War II-era British Enfield rifles at his Collin County home.
But the terrorism threat looming over the country has led him to campaign against what he considers lax laws governing the importation of parts that can be used to make automatic weapons.
Many of these parts can be bought by anyone with a telephone, Internet service, and a credit card. Tucker has done it himself.
No background checks are conducted, even though they are required for handgun purchasers under the Brady law. Consequently, Tucker fears that those parts may fall into the wrong hands.
"I'm trying to raise a red flag on this," he said. "I think this should be stopped."
He has taken his campaign to members of Congress, the Texas Legislature, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
"I've contacted a whole lot of people," Tucker said, displaying a thick sheaf of letters, faxes, and other communications at his home office.
But he has not met with any success.
Officials of the Dallas office of the ATF suggested the issue is more a policy than an enforcement question.
"If it is not illegal, there's not much we can do about it until a crime is committed," Tom Crowley, special agent, said.
Others contacted by Tucker included U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, who could not be reached for immediate comment Thursday. Members of Johnson's staff said they would schedule a meeting with Tucker to discuss his concerns.
The weapon in question is the Sten gun, a World War II-era British submachine gun that is no longer made. But many have been broken into parts that can be sold.
Through one of many catalogues available, Tucker legally purchased a $48.95 kit that provided him with everything needed to assemble a Sten gun except the frame and receiver.
Buying frames or receivers is illegal. Under U.S. law, both devices are themselves considered machine guns and possession of them is a felony.
But Tucker demonstrated how, using tools and parts available through hardware stores, including a piece of automobile-exhaust pipe, a working machine gun can be constructed.
"If you've got any kind of basic skills, you can rebuild it," he said. "The scary part is that anybody can buy it over the telephone with no background check. That is my objection."
Tucker questions why such kits are being sold in large quantities -- as cheaply as $15 each if 100 or more are purchased.
"If they're selling them in those quantities, somebody is buying them," Tucker said. "Why is there no background check required for sales on such a large scale?"
Sten gun parts are not the only automatic-weapons parts available through print and online catalogues. Others include those designed for the Uzi, AK47, and AR-15.
Tucker originally asked the ATF for instructions on how to legally assemble a nonworking Sten gun, called a "dummy," for display in his home collection.
In a faxed response, Curt Bartlett of the ATF's Washington office said that "a combination of parts from which a Sten gun can be assembled is a machine gun" and is, therefore, illegal under the National Firearms Act.
"In order to make a dummy Sten gun that is not a firearm, we suggest you use a dummy receiver made from a solid metal bar that is incapable of accepting any type of bolt or firing mechanism," Bartlett said.
Under U.S. law, possession of automatic weapons is illegal. For display purposes, as in Tucker's case, the weapons must be rendered useless. This process is called de-milling.
Before World War II, the British had been buying U.S.-made Thompson submachine guns but decided they cost too much.
In late 1940, the Birmingham Small Arms Company proposed a new weapon designed by Major R.V. Shepherd and H.J. Turpin.
After tests, the military accepted the weapon, named for its designers and the Enfield factory where production began, and the first weapons left the factory in June 1941.
Ultimately 4 million weapons were manufactured. They were known for affordability and ease of construction, assembly, dismantling, and concealment.
British troops called them the Plumbers' Delight, Woolworth gun, and Stench gun.
Something of a legend has grown up around them, and the legend lives on through online chat rooms and kit sales.
But Tucker hopes the legend does not take a negative turn.
"If terrorists were smart enough to use a box cutter, they should have no problem putting these together," he said.
cPlano Star Courier 2002
Reader Opinions
Post your opinion and share your thoughts with other readers!
Name: Sandy Elkins
Date: May, 31 2002
How refreshing that an NRA member and avid gun collector is being reasonable about mail order guns that can be made into machine guns. I wish him lots of luck with legislators, especially Republicans, who won't DARE do anything against the NRA
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4297734&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=186027
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Paul Tucker demonstrates weapon parts that can easily be obtained through the mail. TuckerOs on a mission to keep the weapons out of the hands of terrorists. Brooks Sample/DFWCN photo
Paul Tucker is not the kind of man who most people would expect to be involved in gun control. He's a Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam, member of the National Rifle Association, hunter, and avid gun collector.
"I'm for the Second Amendment," the 57-year-old medical software developer and consultant said as he displayed World War II-era British Enfield rifles at his Collin County home.
But the terrorism threat looming over the country has led him to campaign against what he considers lax laws governing the importation of parts that can be used to make automatic weapons.
Many of these parts can be bought by anyone with a telephone, Internet service, and a credit card. Tucker has done it himself.
No background checks are conducted, even though they are required for handgun purchasers under the Brady law. Consequently, Tucker fears that those parts may fall into the wrong hands.
"I'm trying to raise a red flag on this," he said. "I think this should be stopped."
He has taken his campaign to members of Congress, the Texas Legislature, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
"I've contacted a whole lot of people," Tucker said, displaying a thick sheaf of letters, faxes, and other communications at his home office.
But he has not met with any success.
Officials of the Dallas office of the ATF suggested the issue is more a policy than an enforcement question.
"If it is not illegal, there's not much we can do about it until a crime is committed," Tom Crowley, special agent, said.
Others contacted by Tucker included U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, who could not be reached for immediate comment Thursday. Members of Johnson's staff said they would schedule a meeting with Tucker to discuss his concerns.
The weapon in question is the Sten gun, a World War II-era British submachine gun that is no longer made. But many have been broken into parts that can be sold.
Through one of many catalogues available, Tucker legally purchased a $48.95 kit that provided him with everything needed to assemble a Sten gun except the frame and receiver.
Buying frames or receivers is illegal. Under U.S. law, both devices are themselves considered machine guns and possession of them is a felony.
But Tucker demonstrated how, using tools and parts available through hardware stores, including a piece of automobile-exhaust pipe, a working machine gun can be constructed.
"If you've got any kind of basic skills, you can rebuild it," he said. "The scary part is that anybody can buy it over the telephone with no background check. That is my objection."
Tucker questions why such kits are being sold in large quantities -- as cheaply as $15 each if 100 or more are purchased.
"If they're selling them in those quantities, somebody is buying them," Tucker said. "Why is there no background check required for sales on such a large scale?"
Sten gun parts are not the only automatic-weapons parts available through print and online catalogues. Others include those designed for the Uzi, AK47, and AR-15.
Tucker originally asked the ATF for instructions on how to legally assemble a nonworking Sten gun, called a "dummy," for display in his home collection.
In a faxed response, Curt Bartlett of the ATF's Washington office said that "a combination of parts from which a Sten gun can be assembled is a machine gun" and is, therefore, illegal under the National Firearms Act.
"In order to make a dummy Sten gun that is not a firearm, we suggest you use a dummy receiver made from a solid metal bar that is incapable of accepting any type of bolt or firing mechanism," Bartlett said.
Under U.S. law, possession of automatic weapons is illegal. For display purposes, as in Tucker's case, the weapons must be rendered useless. This process is called de-milling.
Before World War II, the British had been buying U.S.-made Thompson submachine guns but decided they cost too much.
In late 1940, the Birmingham Small Arms Company proposed a new weapon designed by Major R.V. Shepherd and H.J. Turpin.
After tests, the military accepted the weapon, named for its designers and the Enfield factory where production began, and the first weapons left the factory in June 1941.
Ultimately 4 million weapons were manufactured. They were known for affordability and ease of construction, assembly, dismantling, and concealment.
British troops called them the Plumbers' Delight, Woolworth gun, and Stench gun.
Something of a legend has grown up around them, and the legend lives on through online chat rooms and kit sales.
But Tucker hopes the legend does not take a negative turn.
"If terrorists were smart enough to use a box cutter, they should have no problem putting these together," he said.
cPlano Star Courier 2002
Reader Opinions
Post your opinion and share your thoughts with other readers!
Name: Sandy Elkins
Date: May, 31 2002
How refreshing that an NRA member and avid gun collector is being reasonable about mail order guns that can be made into machine guns. I wish him lots of luck with legislators, especially Republicans, who won't DARE do anything against the NRA
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=4297734&BRD=1426&PAG=461&dept_id=186027
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
Comments
bought a 100 instead of 2.
bud
If it weren't for lawyers, I wouldn't need a lawyer.
memories, sure does for me, almost
blew my self up.
bud
If it weren't for lawyers, I wouldn't need a lawyer.
In the first place, why would a patriot go to the national media and announce that domestic terrorists can all make working Stens (if true) from a $15 parts kit? This guy is his own worst enemy, not to mention giving the antis ideas about rationalizations for banning parts kits. And of course the media was delighted to give this nerd a platform. Next he'll be putting up another web site to show how to build pipe bombs and Molotovs, in case anybody missed out on that course of study.
- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878
~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
Woods
How big a boy are ya?
you can be king or street sweeper but everyone is going to dance with the reaper