Homeless Man's Black Market Submachine Guns and Improvised Silencer

Gun Watch ^ | 26 November, 2014 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The LA times has an article about a homeless man who was found in possession of two submachine guns a couple of magazines, a couple of pistols and an improvised suppressor.  From the picture it appears that the two submachine guns are a reactivated/remanufactured Sten in 9mm and a reactivated/remanufactured vz.26, which is normally chambered in 7.62x25 caliber, the common East block pistol and submachine gun round that is nearly identical to the 7.65x25 Mauser cartridge. 

This ad shows the deactivated vz.26 as being available in the European Union for 95 Euros.  Parts kits have been available in the United States, but do not included an intact receiver, only stubs from the receiver tube, for $62.  Here is a link to a person who hoped to rebuild one of the parts kits into a legal semi-auto pistol.  He expected to spend about $600 on it in 2013.

The vz.26 has a large oil filter attached to the muzzle.  These are reported to make effective improvised suppressors.  The first round fired creates a hole for the rounds to follow.  It is questionable how effective it would be on the 7.62x25 round, which has a supersonic velocity of nearly 1500 feet per second. 

The LA Sheriff's Department, which took the picture, reported that the Sten and the vz.26 were fully functional.  You can see two loaded magazines for the vz.26 loaded with the 7.62x25 bottleneck rounds in the magazines.  I can only see three handguns, a Ruger MK1 that has an AR-15 flash suppressor attached to the barrel, an Rohm RG-10 .22 revolver or close facsimile, and Cobray model DD .410/.45 Colt Derringer.  The Cobray was offered in kit form about 20 years ago.

The department reported that there were two improvised suppressors; perhaps they included the AR-15 flash suppressor as an improvised sound suppressor.

I do not see a fourth mentioned handgun; it may well be outside the picture frame.

These reactivated/re-manufactured subguns should really count as homemade guns.  They almost certainly have no serial numbers.  Very likely the Cobray derringer has no serial number either.   Because the firearms were found in the possession of a convicted felon, a prohibited possessor, the firearms were likely created specifically for the black market.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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[marktwain]

When homeless men have homemade (or remanufactured) submachine guns and makeshift suppressors, maybe it is time to declare the war on the second amendment to have been lost.

[Gaffer]

He found or stole these. They look like homemade with some crude welding on the tubes for the magazine welds and rear sight build up.. Likely just slam fire autos, IMO. Look at an old M1A1 Thompson.....the firing pin was hard built into the bolt.

[umgud]

At least he will have an address now.

[knarf]

There are no homeless, naked, nor hungry in America

'lott'a drunks, though

Looking back over MY alcoholic past and close observation of someone close to me ... alcohol is the evil drug that addles your thought processes

I was a functional drunk for about 20 years ... started the morning with a beer to settle the shakey hands, off to work blue collar, in the bar at 4, 5 or 6 until 10 or 11, pass out, get up at 5 and do it again

weekends a blur especially during my hippie daze.

Met Jesus in '81 and we're STILL recovering

I'VE been on the street in the cold and hungry .... only because I was too drunk to get home

[Nuc 1.1]

Well done Knarf. A hard demon to beat.

[Paladin2]

Looks like they could double as grease guns.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Tough days. Welcome back.

[allblues]

The first news reports I read had police calling them grease guns.

[moovova]

He probably had trouble finding a gun safe that would fit properly in his cardboard refrigerator box home.

[Monterrosa-24]

“...the war on the second amendment to have been lost...”

But the war on poverty is going great. America has the richest homeless folks in the world. Just one submachinegun was not enough for this story’s homeless guy.

[marktwain]

Working to help a friend of mine beat it. One of the most competent men I have ever known. Trying to bring him to Jesus. He is resisting...

[Who is John Galt?]

"The vz.26 has a large oil filter attached to the muzzle."

Actually, it's the Sten that's got the oil filter attached...

;>)

[Mastador1]

The first news reports I read had police calling them grease guns.

Well that was their nickname back in the day because of the resemblance.

[jaydee770]

My personal observation from the sidelines at a suppressor event, oil filters are very effective suppressors. They can be more effective at sound suppression than a commercial suppressor. The biggest disadvantage is they cover up the sights.

But in a bad situation, it’s plausible to build up the barrel with enough duct-tape until you can snugly “thread” an oil filter on the end and make a field-expedient suppressed weapon. Longevity in such a jury-rigged mount isn’t good, but for close-up and limited use, it works. get a long/big oil filter and you’d be surprised what it can do even with centerfire rifle pressures at muffling the bang, even though the round is still super-sonic. If you have sub-sonic ammo, even better.

Your mileage & opinion may vary...

The requisite disclaimer — Don’t try this at home. If the feds catch you with a suppressor without their blessing and batfe tax-stamp, you risk prison and fines.

[Robert357]

Rather than say the 2nd Amendment is lost, I would say that our laws against felons being able to legally obtain firearms are not working.

Also, remember this is California with strict “assault weapons” and “magazine capacity” limits. It also has strict gun control laws against obtaining pistols.

So if anything, this is an example of how even the strictest of gun control laws in states that love gun control laws, just don't work. If they don't work and aren't effective, why bother with more such laws?

[marktwain]

I did not say the 2nd Amendment was lost.

I said the war on the 2nd Amendment was lost.

When homeless men can have/make illegal, highly effective firearms and suppressors, all the laws regulating the ownership of guns by law abiding citizens are irrational and stupid, and the ownership/making of such guns shows this for all to see.