The inventive genius of American industry was shown to be alive and well at the fifteenth annual Tactical Resources Exposition (TREXPO) held in mid-August in Northern Virginia. The meeting was divided into three segments, namely a conference, a product exhibition and a live fire demonstration.

The conference presentations led off with The Media and S.W.A.T. during which Larry Glick of the National Tactical Officers Association took a look at the media’s perception of Special Weapons and Tactics units’ role in current community policing concepts. Guidelines for dealing with the media were given for S.W.A.T. members and/or police administrators in attendance. Lt. Jim McGinty of the Philadelphia, PA Police Department detailed Crisis Management During Explosive Incidents. McGinty’s presentation was designed to install confidence and safety measures for first responding law enforcement personnel when dealing with violent offenders who use explosives and booby traps.

The FBI’s Domestic Terrorism unit provided the latest information on domestic terrorist groups and their methods of operation. Similarly, Brock Simon, formerly of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, provided an overview of contemporary policing tactics and techniques when dealing with domestic terrorism groups. Dr. James A. King of the International Association of Personal Protection Specialists detailed how to establish effective security for an executive’s residence and office.

Other seminars included: non-deadly force training; the use of robots in high-risk incidents; aviation support for low and high risk corporate operations; and, an analysis of ways to protect executives in the U.S. and abroad.

The tactical equipment demonstrations and live-fire sessions were held at the Fairfax County Police Department firearms training range in Chantilly, VA. A variety of firms gave seminars and demonstrations on the use of their equipment. The most widely attended presentation was that put on by Heckler & Koch in which the officers’ in attendance lined up for their chance to fire a magazine or two in the full and semi-auto modes from the array of firearms produced by this innovative gunmaker.

Equipment Exhibition

Upgrading of the Personal Armor System Ground Troops (PASGT) helmet to provide threat level II ballistic protection is offered by Aetco, Inc. (P.O. Box 458, San Dimas, CA 91773). Manufactured using a proprietary process, the ballistic shell exceeds military requirements and has the ability to stop the penetration of the helmet from bullets such as the .357 Magnum.

The PASGT helmet’s retention system is also improved for tactical operations with an adjustable, integrated chin/nape strap with left and right side quick release buckles and a leather lined plastic chin cup. Manufactured of tubular nylon webbing, the retention system combines with a neoprene impact pad in the rear of the helmet to improve stability during tactical and emergency response operations.

Aetco also showed its riot face shield available in kit form for assembly to any U.S. military PASGT ballistic helmet manufactured to military specifications. The high strength .187-inch thick polycarbonate material is designed to protect the eyes from thrown objects. Two wing nuts (one on each side) allow the face shield to be quickly attached to, or removed from the helmet as required. The wing nuts also adjust the attached face shield for tension as the shield is raised or lowered.

The booth set up by Heckler & Koch (21480 Pacific Blvd., Sterling, VA 20166) attracted a lot of attention as the firm had a briefcase mounted MP5K submachine gun on display. The specially designed briefcase allows the MP5K to be fired from inside the case with trigger and safety buttons mounted on the briefcase’s carry handle.

The Wilcox Industries Corp. Night Stalker “So Smart™” modular special operations laser sighting system that maintains laser boresight when moved among weapon platforms, was shown by DeMilt Associates (P.O. Box 731, Olney, MD 20832). The factory calibrated laser sight is furnished in a modular mounting bracket unit to fit a variety of commonly used military and police handguns, rifles and shotguns. The bright red laser is coupled with both an infra red illuminator lamp unit as well as an incandescent flashlight. The unit has both blink rate and power indicators and contains a selector switch to set its mode of operation. The sight is waterproof to 66 feet below sea level and is corrosion resistant to facilitate use in salt water applications.

Image Stabilizer binoculars were shown by Canon, U.S.A., Inc. (One Canon Plaza, Lake Success, N.Y. 11042). Available in configurations of 15×45, 12×36, and 10×30, the image stabilizing technology has already been proven highly effective in Canon video camcorders and professional lenses. The system employs a novel vari-angle prism that instantly and continuously makes adjustments to maintain a steady image.

The eyepiece lenses on Canon’s Image Stabilizer binoculars employ a Doublet Field Flattener, working to dramatically reduce curvature of field so there is none of the image distortion and blurring at the periphery typical of high-magnification binoculars. The design also provides long eye relief, which enables eyeglass wearers to view the entire field without vignetting. The binoculars work without the aid of a tripod and can even be used from within moving vehicles.

Less Lethal Devices

Several firms displayed devices intended for use in ending confrontations without killing the perpetrators. It should be noted there is always the chance that such “less than lethal” devices can produce a lethal result depending on their method of employment and the physical condition of the subject. Mace Security International (MSI) of 160 Benmont Ave., Bennington, VT 05201) showed its new 37/38mm Thunder-Bolt™ diversionary device shell that can be launched to a distance of 50 yards. The shells produce a brilliant flash and loud report with very little smoke. At 5 feet the sound level is rated at 175db while the flash level is measured at 2,500,000 Candela. The shells are intended for outdoor use only as they may cause fires if directed into buildings.

MSI also showed its rubber ball cartridges that are available in a variety of configurations. Rounds containing either one rubber ball or nine balls are available for use in 12 gauge shotguns. Rounds containing either 120 or 200 rubber balls are available for 37mm launchers. The rounds are designed to be skip-fired in a ricochet fashion to strike subjects. These progressive munitions can be used for a variety of police, tactical, and correctional response team applications including crowd control, hostile inmate clearing from yard areas, and in riot control.

MSI’s 37mm Baton rounds are loaded with the purchaser’s choice of one to five wooden or rubber batons. The Han-Ball™
pyrotechnic grenade loaded with CN or CS gas, is configured to ‘skitter’ along the ground when thrown, minimizing the possibility of being thrown back. Its spherical shape makes it easy to grasp and throw, and is activated by pulling a ring with a 0.7-2.9 seconds fuze delay time.

A rubber ball gun with the capability of firing 70 rounds per minute was found at the booth of Royal Arms International (P.O. Box 6083, Woodland Hills, CA 91365). These lightweight (at 3 lbs.) units fire 69mm balls from a 140 shot magazine hopper and are powered by a rechargeable CO2 tank. Target grade accuracy can be achieved up to 35 yards and the balls (which travel at 350 fps) can cause severe pain to the struck subject and thus end the encounter without deadly force.

“The master key for every door,” was shown by Fenrir Industries, Inc. (P.O. Box 2027, Stamford, CT 06906). The In-Forcer works to prevent busts from going bad because cops get shot and evidence gets destroyed. While successful raids rely on surprise, if the cops have to hit the door more than once they are, in effect, telling the unseen suspect on the other side two dangerous pieces of information: (1) where you are, and (2) you are not friendly! In the process, the suspect is thus handed two dangerous options: (1) flush and run, or (2) lock and load!

The In-Forcer ram system is designed to deliver 3 to 5 times the power of conventional door rams and with an optional power head, can boost its power up to 12 times the power of most other ram systems, according to company reps. Measuring just 30-inches in length allowing it to be used in narrow hallways, the unit weighs just 45 pounds. Its patented 16 pound internally sliding shuttle is powered by a 33 pound spring resulting in no recoil as the unit delivers all its power against the door. The unit’s delivered force can be boosted by the addition of an accessory unit powered by a .45 Win. Mag. shell.

Ammunition

The Sauvestre SHOCKWAVE shotgun slug, billed as the most advanced (and expensive) such projectile in the world was shown by its importer, Keng’s Firearms Specialty (875 Wharton Drive South West, Atlanta, GA 30336). The slug employs many of the same design principles used in modern tank munitions such as fin stabilization, a gas flow chamber to promote longer combustion, and use of aerospace-quality polymers. Shaped similarly to an aerodynamic flechette arrow, its narrow cross-section is designed to focus kinetic energy in a concentrated area, thereby creating deep and wide wound channels. With virtually all its weight oriented near the front, the slug is less sensitive to brush and other obstructions in its path and less susceptible to ricochet.

Keng’s also handles the Hirtenberger ammo line. Among the offerings is a 7.62 NATO-match load utilizing the 190gr. Sierra MatchKing HPBT bullet. A subsonic version for use with suppressor equipped rifles is also available. Hirtenberger 9mm rounds include the 124gr. Defender +P, developed for European police agencies. With its dual core construction, the Defender provides consistent tactical penetration in such materials as heavy clothing and angled automotive glass. The Hirtenberger 9mm EMB-MonoBlok +P round employs a 77gr. solid-copper alloy bullet with a radial cavity to deliver expansion with moderate penetration. Low mass and a ball-like ogive give the EMB unmatched cyclic reliability and accuracy and is ideal for use in compact 9mm autos, such as the Glock 26 and the Kahr MK9.

Thompson Emertac Vehicles (1245 Bridgestone Blvd., Lavergne, TN 37086) displayed its tactical civilian HUMMER chassis featuring the Thompson personnel body. A multi-purpose vehicle designed to transport and support an eight member SWAT team or emergency search and rescue unit and their gear, it is furnished with internal weapon-mounts and ammunition compartments.

The latest in police tactical gear and a valuable program of practical classroom strategic presentations were offered during the premier edition of the Tactical Technologies Conference and Exhibition held December 4-5 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The conference opened with keynote presentations by Sgt. Mike Albanese of the Los Angeles Police Department’s SWAT unit and Lt. Col. Gary Schenkel, of the United States Marine Corps’ Warfighting Lab.

Albanese delivered a comprehensive tactical debriefing of the “North Hollywood Incident,” on the Bank of America, North Hollywood, California shootout involving two heavily armed subjects with fully-automatic weapons. His talk addressed first responder tactical considerations, command and control concerns, officer-down rescue tactics, weapon/tactical equipment issues, and protocol matters impacting Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) units.

Addressing the topic of “Urban Warfare,” Schenkel gave an up-brief on the Urban Warrior experiment the USMC is currently conducting. The movement of world populations tends to be centered in urban areas, and thus the USMC believes future wars will be fought-not on the battlefield, but rather in the streets. Schenkel described the concept of the “three block war” in which action ranging from humanitarian mission through violent combat, occurs all within a three block operating area. Schenkel noted that the military is leveraging the tactics, techniques, procedures, and technologies used in local law enforcement.

Many visitors registered for the conference program which was divided into two tracks. Tactical Operations and High Risk Patrol. Each track was divided into four sessions.

The tactical operations classes focused on: Domestic Terrorism, during which agents from the FBI’s Counter Terrorism Unit provided information on domestic terrorist groups, their methods of operation and activities; the Mechanical Breaching class familiarized tactical officers with the variety of commercially manufactured tools available for rapid forced entry; the Surveillance Measures seminar provided attendees with a basic working knowledge of the various types of electronic visual and audio equipment available for resolving a tactical situation; and, the Explosives Detection & Booby Traps class provided an update on the latest technology for the bomb technician.

The High Risk Patrol classes included: Initial Response to High Risk Situations giving attendees a game plan for response to critical incidents; the First Responder Communication with Suspects in High Risk Situations class taught the verbal management of a crisis situation; and Less Lethal Weapons & Munitions Technology and Their Application to Patrol Operations showed the latest in less lethal weapons and munitions technology.

The most popular aspect of the event was the manufacturer’s exhibition of the latest in law enforcement tools. Here is a rundown on some of the more noteworthy products and exhibits.

O.F. Mossberg & Sons showed a couple of new shotguns of interest to police agencies. A pump action shotgun with a box magazine is now available, as is the new Model 590, a double action trigger scattergun with a 13-14 pound pull. The company is also hopeful of receiving approval to import new semi-auto sporterized versions of the Galil and UZI carbines. See related story in this issue.

Mossberg also displayed the UZI Eagle handgun line with polygonal rifling, night sights and availability in three sizes and three calibers. All three models are available in traditional decocking double action and are chambered for either 9mm or .40 S&W. A .45 ACP ‘Short Slide’ version is also available. In addition, special compact double-action-only models can be specified in 9mm and .40 S&W.

Military and police buyers on the show floor continued to show a great deal of interest in the original UZI machine pistol as well the Micro Galil, both imported by Mossberg’s UZI America division. The UZI has stood up to the harshest environments and conditions and has proven itself over the past 40 or so years. Both the original open bolt design and the newer closed bolt models are available. The Micro Galil carries a full 35-round magazine of .223 ammo, yet is no larger than the standard UZI.

An interesting new firearm accessory product is the Sally Speedloaders, Inc. (Dept. SAR, 2344 N. Old Bethlehem Pike, Quakertown, PA 18951) rapid loading tool. For use with AR-15/M-16 rifle magazines using .223 ammunition, they enable the user to reload empty magazines using only one hand. The product attaches to any belt up to 2-inches wide making it hard to lose. Production of a 7.62x39mm version for the AK-47 series and derivatives is planned.

In use, an empty magazine is slid into the bottom of the speedloader while a stripper clip is inserted into the speedloader’s top. Push the ammunition strip into the magazine and press the thumb lever to release the magazine and allow it to free fall into the hand.

The Nightstalker “So Smart” laser module (from DeMilt Associates LLC, PO Box 731, Olney, MD 20832) rapidly mounts from one weapon platform to another without losing bore sight. It incorporates a visible 635nm laser for targeting in dusk to dark conditions, an adjustable focus infrared flashlight assembly for covert illumination of targets up to 300 meters, and an infrared 830nm laser for target designation by operators using night vision goggles.

Bullet Coat is a solid film lubricant that can be dipped, sprayed or spray/baked on bullets, to allow all shooters the advantages of lubricating with Molybdenum Disulfide. Bullet Coat is known for providing outstanding lubrication and improvements in long range accuracy, while reducing lead dissipation and bore fouling. It is available from KG Products, Dept. SAR, 537 Louis Drive, Newbury Park, CA 91320.

Colt’s Manufacturing Co. has added the .45 ACP Defender to its stable of down-sized pistols. Constructed with an aluminum alloy receiver, stainless steel slide and a three-inch barrel, it is a shortened and souped up version of the time honored 1911-A1 pistol. Sights are fixed white dot Colt Competition style set on a dehorned slide with an extended thumb safety, an upswept grip safety, light weight trigger and Hogue wraparound grips with finger grooves. Empty weight is 24 ozs. while overall length is 6 3/4-inches with a 5-inch sight radius. Cartridge capacity is a full 7-rounds.

During some initial range work with a Defender this author has received from the manufacturer for test and evaluation, the pistol performed flawlessly with a variety of ammunition and delivered surprisingly good accuracy in contrast to its short sight radius. The rubber wraparound grips help to cushion recoil which was not excessive despite the light alloy frame.

This author also met up with Sandy Chisholm, president of North American Arms who reports his new Guardian .32 ACP, 6+1 shot double action only stainless steel pistol is now being shipped to dealers. Representing an effective balance between ballistic capability and package size, overall dimensions are 4.4-inches long by 3.3-inches high by .085-inches wide. Unloaded weight is 13.5 ozs.

The Guardian is intended to capitalize on the popularity of the Seecamp .32 (which is handmade in limited quantities and nearly impossible to find on dealer’s shelves) as well as the Beretta Tomcat .32 (which is also scarce). North American Arm’s product is designed to reliably shoot any commercially available .32 ACP ammo. Distinguishing features include a low profile sighting system, frame mounted magazine release and an integrally designed trigger over-travel stop. The author has had an opportunity to do some test firing of this pistol and found that it performed admirably.

A less-than-lethal subject incapacitation system was shown by Sage Control Ordnance, Inc. (Dept. SAR, 630 Oakland Ave., Pontiac, MI 48342). The L3AOS (Less Lethal Launched Ammunition and Ordnance System) fires a variety of available 37mm munitions encompassing: baton type polyurethane projectile impact ammo producing 153 f/lbs. of kinetic energy at the muzzle for use in controlling an individual or a rioting crowd; CS Irritant Agent Baton Type Impact ammo which delivers a double punch of a chemical agent along with the blunt trauma impact of a baton to control particularly unruly suspects; and, a Barricade Penetrator round which utilizes a hard plastic penetrator ring that “cookie cutters” its way through doors and windows and then delivers a high concentration of micronized CS dust.

Sage also showed several shotguns worthy of note. The Model SW-PC ‘Sidewinder’TM is a fully concealable shotgun readily capable of being put into service quickly without concern for bulky butt stocks or long barrels. Comprised of a Remington 1100 or 11-87 auto-loading shotgun with Sage’s unique action spring system,. it is equipped with a quick detachable stud and a rigid loop which allows it to be carried by a sling , or suspended from a shoulder harness. Barrel length is 14 1/2-inches making it an NFA weapon.

Two uniquely-designed folding utility tools permitting convenient one-hand use were shown by Remington Arms Co. (Dept. SAR, 870 Remington Drive, Madison, NC 27025). The blade tops have a patented oval thumbhole opener allowing them to be opened to a locked position with one hand. The combination of easy handling and advanced blade design is particularly applicable to law enforcement and emergency personnel.

The Single Blade One-Hander contains a 4 1/8-inch drop point blade with 50-50 serrated and plain cutting edge. The serrated section has a progressive, repeated pattern of one large and two small serrations providing superior cutting performance on tough but resilient materials such as rope, leather, heavy cardboard, or rubber hoses.

The Two-Blade One-Hander utilizes the same master blade as the single-blade version, plus a second 3 3/4-inch blade containing small, even serrations and a sturdy, sharpened hook on the end. The small serrations on this blade work effectively for sawing through hard materials. The freedom hook on the end is ideal for rapid cutting of seat belts, cords, wire, etc. by law enforcement and emergency personnel to free trapped accident victims.

Both knives have a lockback release (double lockback on the two-blade version) that can also be operated with one hand. The lock mechanism includes Teflon bearing discs for smooth operation and wear-resisting lubrication. For added convenience, a removable black stainless steel clip is attached to the handle of each knife.

“The master key for every door,” is how Fenrir Industries, Inc. describes its In-Forcer power operated door breaching system. Successful drug raids rely on surprise, but if the suspect’s door has to be hit more than once before entry is gained, the element of surprise is lost. Available with an optional power head design, the In-Forcer boosts power up to twelve times that of even the most forceful entry systems. The unit can deliver as much as 67,800 f/lbs. of kinetic force.

The Andros series of hazardous-duty mobile robots allow a range of responses to a threat situation-without risking human lives. Features of the remote-controlled mobile servants include an on-board real time video system, a mechanical arm, two-way audio, radiation detector and a mounted shotgun that can be fired by remote control.

Sponsoring organizations of the show included the National Tactical Officers Association, and the Philadelphia Police Department. While there was a great rush of activity during the show’s opening hours, attendance drifted off somewhat and hit high and low periods during the rest of the exhibition. The show’s promoters (the Varro Group of Shawnee Mission, Kansas) were thus uncertain if the exhibition will be offered again.

FN Group Sold To Belgians

The long anticipated sale of the FN Group, consisting of Browning, Winchester licensee U.S. Repeating Arms Co. and Fabrique Nationale was completed November 21, 1997. The sale from French government-owned defense contractor GIAT Industries to the Walloon Region of Belgium gives them 100% ownership from their previous 8%.

The Walloon Region named Philippe Tenneson as chairman and chief executive officer. Don Gobel, previously president and chief executive officer of Browning, North America and U.S. Repeating Arms Co. is now in charge of the Worldwide Browning/ U.S. Repeating Arms Co. Products Business Unit.

“We are excited as we begin this new phase in our history,” said Gobel. “We will continue to provide our customers with superior products and customer service. Both Browning and Winchester are names that are synonymous with quality, value and longevity.”

New Colt Holding Corp., a business entity set up by Colt’s Manufacturing Co. had made an unsuccessful attempt to purchase the FN Group earlier in 1997.

Colt’s president Ronald Stewart says the firm is in the final stages of its grant application to the National Institute of Justice to obtain funding for its “Smart Gun” technology which will be built into a forthcoming new handgun intended for the police market. The electronic technology allows only a predetermined authorized user to fire the handgun and is intended to prevent criminals from using a handgun snatched from an officer. While Colt’s has shown prototype handguns equipped with a user recognition feature, the technology is expected to take two to three years of additional research to perfect.

Colt unveiled a polymer-framed pistol at the 1997 SHOT Show which it had dubbed the Law Enforcement Pistol and said it was developed to meet all the needs and concerns of officers in a duty sidearm. However, the firm has since moved away from that plastic framed design and is now working on a Law Enforcement Pistol, the frame of which, is apparently composed of other materials.

“When you look at what SIGARMS, Smith & Wesson, and others have done with composites, the way they are pricing their products,” Stewart revealed, “We are certainly interested in the police market -but not at a loss.”

Canadian Push

In other international news, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy recently announced that following his nation’s successful bid to ban anti-personnel land mines, the Canadian government is now turning its attention to “small arms.”

In a speech to the United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly, Axworthy labeled small arms as the “true weapons of mass terror…the proliferation of which undermines the security and developmental efforts of many developing countries.” The UN, he said, should use the expertise gained through the land mines treaty to take on the small arms issue. “All too often,” he said, “it is small arms…that cause the greatest bloodshed today.”

Ivan Gets His Gun

Under a new law, Russians are now allowed to buy rifles for self-defense, so long as they are kept at home. The law is an admission that crime in post-Soviet Russia is out of the control of the police. Only the insane, drug addicts, and convicted criminals may not own a gun.

Debate over the gun law split the Russian parliament along lines that were the opposite of that in America. Liberal democrats were the enthusiastic proponents of wider gun ownership, arguing that personal freedoms should include the right to bear arms. On the other hand, Russia’s conservatives, who count among their supporters the Communist and Agrarian parties, favored strict gun control, saying it is the government’s duty to preserve law and order and claiming wider gun ownership would lead to more violence.

“The state today is unable to defend its citizens,” admits Lt. Col. Yelena Shelkovnikova, a police lawyer. “Until the police are paid properly, the problem of armed crime is not going to be solved, and citizens will have to defend themselves.”

“The law means guns will be used in everyday quarrels,” said Nikolai Kharitonov, leader of the Agrarian Party in the Duma (lower house of parliament). “And it will create a situation where people will settle accounts between themselves without law or judge.”

The public has expressed a great deal of anxiety over the wave of lawlessness gripping the country since totalitarian controls imposed by Soviet authorities were relaxed. The number of crimes involving firearms rose more than fourfold, from 3,401 in the entire Soviet Union in 1986, to 12,150 in Russia alone in 1995, according to official figures, which police privately say underestimates the real scale of the problem.

“Criminals are armed to the teeth,” says Mikhail Myen, a liberal Duma deputy who
voted for the bill. “And if when God created us, He created us different, Mr. Colt made us equal,” he announced, paraphrasing the famous gun manufacturer’s slogan.

“I personally oppose the idea of any civilian except a hunter owning a gun,” says Sergei Chuganov, a Duma aide who helped draft the new law. “But on the other hand, when official organizations are unable to protect…private individuals must have the right to defend themselves.”

Chuganov, a former state prosecutor, points to another main aim of the legislation, tightening up on the number of military handguns and automatic weapons in circulation.

With the right connections, one can buy almost any weapon from corrupt Russian Army officers, whether a simple Makarov pistol, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, or a land mine. All these weapons and more, have been used by hit-men in the past. Hardly a week goes by without news of another contract murder as organized gangs fight over business turf in the newly privatized Russian economy.

At the same time, previously enacted legislation allowed registered bodyguards to carry military arms. The Interior Ministry has no exact figures on how many such arms are in legal circulation, but they are known to number in the tens of thousands. Under the new law, bodyguards are required to hand in their Army-issue guns, which are now deemed offensive weapons, in exchange for less powerful models seen as merely defensive.

The factories making these lesser caliber guns will benefit from the new law. While limiting the import of some foreign guns, “The law is also designed to defend Russian arms manufacturers by stimulating demand,” Chuganov explains. “Liberalized access to guns will create jobs.”

Demand is set to rise even further if another draft law before parliament wins passage. That bill, drawing it’s inspiration from America’s Wild West past, takes the concept of citizens’ self-defense even further by legalizing the formation of volunteer posses of armed vigilantes.

Cops With Tanks

Newark, New Jersey, a city rife with scandal, crime and poverty, has acquired a 10,000-pound military tank courtesy of the U.S. Defense Department, as part of the city’s new crime fighting arsenal. Reuters reports the vehicle is of the type used in the assault by federal agents on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas in 1993.

“We will use the vehicle only in cases involving snipers and suspects who barricade themselves into buildings,” police department spokesman Sgt. Derek Glenn said. “It’s a piece of equipment that will provide police officers with better protection. “peacekeeper”, has seven gun ports, a machinegun turret, can carry up to five passengers, and travels at highway speeds. It was a gift to the city from the federal government after it was decommissioned.

The Newark City Council is considering whether to approve use of the tank. Councilman Ronald Rice, who opposes police use of the vehicle said, “Local police departments are focusing too much on military-type training and equipment. I don’t want it to look like we are patrolling the city streets with combat troops.”

Dealer News

Gun dealers who sell firearms to drunk customers can be found liable if those customers cause injuries, Florida’s high court has ruled. The decision came in the case of a former Tampa woman who sued Kmart Corp. for selling a rifle and ammunition to her former boyfriend. He shot her in the neck a half hour later, leaving her a quadriplegic. The Florida justices joined high courts in Mississippi and Washington in allowing negligence claims for selling firearms to intoxicated customers.

During the Florida trial, a Kmart clerk testified she didn’t believe Thomas Knapp was drunk when she sold him the rifle. She acknowledged, however, that he had so much difficulty writing that she had to fill out the 4473 firearms purchaser’s form for him. Knapp had consumed 24 beers and nearly 25 shots of whiskey during the day.

MG Ban Upheld

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected two constitutional challenges to the federal laws regulating ownership and commercial trade in machineguns. The justices, without comment, turned away appeals from Pennsylvania and East Texas challenging Congress’ authority to enact the laws as part of its regulation of interstate commerce.

Both appeals relied on a 1995 Supreme Court ruling throwing out a federal ban on possession of firearms within 1,000 feet of a school. In that decision, the court said the 1990 Gun Free School Zones Act had “nothing to do with commerce or any sort of economic enterprise.” Congress may enact laws under its power to regulate interstate commerce only to control activity “substantially” affecting such commerce, the 1995 ruling said.

In the Pennsylvania gun case, Raymond Rybar, Jr. was convicted of possessing and transferring two machineguns at a Monroeville, Pennsylvania gun show in 1992. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined $100. In the Texas case, William Kirk was convicted for violating federal law in 1988 by selling an M-16 near Dripping Springs, Texas. He was sentenced to a year and a day in prison and fined $3,000.

Both men challenged the constitutionality of the law used to convict them, but lower courts upheld the law in both cases. In his Supreme Court appeal, Rybar’s lawyers argued that the federal law restricting the possession or transfer of a machinegun fails the standard the Supreme Court set in 1995, since his sale to a fellow Pennsylvanian had no substantial effect on interstate commerce. The appeal said lower court rulings, “have been characterized by uncertainty, confusion and, in some instances, a downright hostile refusal to take the (1995) decision at face value.”

Kirk’s appeal contended the federal law wrongly usurps power from the states. The challenged federal law was upheld in the Pennsylvania case by a 2-1 vote of a three-judge panel for the Third U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Texas challenge was rejected by a 2-1 vote of a three-judge panel in the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In urging the justices to reject the two appeals, Clinton Administration lawyers noted that the six federal appeals courts studying the law have upheld it. “In the absence of a conflict in the circuits, the…conclusion that the statute is constitutional does not warrant this court’s review,” the government lawyers said. The cases are: Rybar vs. US 96-1738 and Kirk vs. US 96-1759.

Charter Arms Back

Charter Arms handgun products are coming back on the market, according to Nick Ecker, a company principal. The new firm, known as Chartco 2000, has established a manufacturing facility in Shelton, CT and will shortly offer a new stainless steel version of its Off Duty .38 Special snub nose revolver. The famous .22 rimfire semi-auto, floating stock AR7 survival rifle is being brought back as well under the corporate entity of AR7 LLC, Ecker adds.