Depicted with a .38 Spl cartridge for comparison.
Posted on 06/20/2005 11:26:51 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
Hundreds turn out for shoot
By WES FRANKLIN / Daily News staff writer
WYANDOTTE -- It sounded more like what would be heard around the war zones of Baghdad or Mosul in Iraq rather than rural Wyandotte.
On Saturday, more than 200 avid machine gun enthusiasts from around the nation gathered for the fourth annual Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot and Trade Show -- and brought with them a full arsenal of fully-automatic weapons. Featuring everything from mini-guns to MG-42s to AR-50s to Quad 50s, the auto shoot drew crowds of nearly 1,500 spectators who, setting up lawn chairs in the shade, sat back and watched the bullets fly.
Positioned under a long line of tents atop a ridge, the shooters fired down into an assortment of targets including cars, trucks, buses, washing machines and even a small airplane. Explosions resounded throughout the hills as hot lead tore through car metal and set off "fuel bombs" that were placed in some of the vehicles.
"It just keeps getting better and better every year," smiled Mike Friend, owner of "The Firing Line" and co-organizer of the event. "People that own stuff like this need a place to shoot and we feel like we've got a good, safe place for them to do that."
Co-organizer DeWayne Convirs, who owns both "The Bunker" army surplus store and the land used for the auto shoot, said the number of people who want to come out and watch the machine guns blaze gets bigger every time.
"This is twice the attendance we saw last year," Convirs remarked.
Noting the proportionately good number of kids scattered throughout both the crowd of spectators and exhibitors doing the shooting, Convirs was pleased.
"We need all the young people who participate in this because one day they'll have to vote on it," he expressed through a loud speaker to the gathered mass of onlookers.
Privately to the Daily News Convirs stated that "Oklahoma is one of the few states that allows full auto shooting."
Perhaps for that reason the two-day event draws so many licensed shooters from throughout the country to the small northeast corner of Oklahoma.
Paul Ware drove up from Ft. Worth, Texas, with his 11-year-old son Austin to participate in the shoot on Father's Day weekend.
"We have a blast out here," Ware proclaimed, as Austin fired off a thunderous .50 caliber nearby. "This is Austin's and I's Father's Day trip. How can you go wrong -- shooting machine guns for Father's Day?"
For his part, Austin couldn't have wished for a better outing with his dad as evidenced by the excited smile on his face.
"I enjoy shooting," Austin stated matter-of-factly.
Giving it a minute's contemplation, he said his favorite weapon to fire was the AKSU-74 because "I hold down on the trigger until it's out. That's pretty cool."
Kim Cousino of Toledo, Ohio, said that her 6-year-old daughter, Alyssa, begged to come when she found out her parents were coming to the Oklahoma Full Auto Shoot.
"We thought maybe we would take her next year but she wanted to go so badly we just said 'OK'," Cousino related. "It's really a lot of fun."
Alyssa herself appeared to be enjoying the time immensely seated near her father behind a mounted .308 Browning 1919 as it rapidly spit out hot rounds.
Local friends Nick Young, Rocky Comfort, and Mike Cook, Wheaton, were impressed with the day's machine gun exhibition, the fourth shoot they have attended together.
"This is a lot more low-key than the events out in Kentucky or elsewhere," Young ventured.
Cook agreed, commenting that the annual Wyandotte full -auto shoot afforded them a place to go and enjoy their hobby.
"We've got a lot of places to shoot around home but it seems to annoy the neighbors and draw the cops," Cook laughed. "We've got 10,000 rounds with us today and we aren't bringing any of them back."
The auto shoot will continue at approximately 10 a.m. today and last until an unspecified time in the late afternoon.
Located just west of the junction of Highways 43 and 60 on Cayuga Road (the first paved road on the left), admission to the event is $10 and kids under 12 get in for free.
Convirs encouraged anyone interested in firearms to come out and watch -- and maybe even get a chance to fire off a few rounds for a minimal fee.
"If you haven't ever fired a machine gun before we'll set you up," he announced.
Best fireworks in the world.
SO9
There's nothing like old-fashioned American fun.
I may not have a class III license, but a quick trigger finger works just fine ;-)
So straighten me out here, a person can legally own and shoot a machine gun???
..FREEDOM!!!
yes
If we could just get the kids of "liberals" to go to something like this before their minds are poisoned by their parents to the right of self-defense and supporting freedom, America and Western civilization. I think kids naturally like shooting and blowing stuff up. If they don't, they're weird or brain dead.
"So straighten me out here, a person can legally own and shoot a machine gun???"
***
It depends on what state you live in. Here in Arizona, one can own a machine gun if one goes through all of the Federal and local red tape.
A well-cleaned and oiled .30 Carbine (M1) can keep up with the quickest trigger finger. Makes a lotta noize, too! ;o)
If I ever win the lottery I want an original German MG38 and a truckload of ammo!
And pays a bunch more money...at least that's the way it is here in CT.
oh, okay thanks... so is there a list of states that allow ownership and how to apply for the "permit" if that's what it is...
You can in Oregon.
Depends on your state. Biggest problem is cost. After the 1980s machine gun act(sic) a gun that should cost $500 now costs about $10-15,000.
The easiest is under the "Curio and Relic" label which usually WWI/WWII weapons.
Yes, on the federal level. You will need to check with state and local laws though.
I recommend browsing www.subguns.com and www.titleii.com for further information. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or just want to chat about full auto and other NFA (national firearms act) weapons.
Mike
You gotta love that statement!
Half of the book is fiction but the section on ATF entrapment tactics isn't.
No. This is a story about hardened criminals.
oh if it costs between 10 and 20 grand to purchase a machine gun, I'll take a pasadena. LOL
I would have liked to have purchased a full auto M14, BAR or a Tommy Gun before the ban but I'll just be happy with my 12 gauge and Sig 45, thank you.
As I noted in an earlier post, in this wonderful nation, you could at one time buy full auto THROUGH THE MAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If that doesn't tell you about what kind of people we used to be, and what kind of government we used to have. Nothing will.
They should have gave free copies of the Road Warrior DVD as well as the classic rpg game "Fallout" :)
kj,
The last full-auto shoot in Westfield, MA drew crowds like that. I believe the local chief of police helps organize it.
Massachusetts: We're not ALL communists
no need to be a smartass...
I didn't know what the laws are in different states...
gezzzzzzzz
gave=given
You don't know me very well.
For me, there's a need. ;^)
Of course they can. Not in Kalifornistan of course but in places like Ok and Texas, hell yes.
Are you Zathras, or Zathras?
What do you mean 'kids'?
"Kids" from 6 to 80+ "kids", young and old. And even children.
There is a Father's Day Shoot that I attend each year (even though I'm not a father). LOTS of full auto toys! Great fun!
so I see, thanks
What does the .30 stand for on a M1 carbine. I believe
it uses 7.62 amo. Would you or anyone answer this for me ???? Thanks
...when you want to know something...ask a FREEper...
(a)1918A2 BAR: $450
(b)M1A1 Tommy gun: $250
(c)German MP-40 "Schmisser": $225
(d)German MG-34 belt fed machine gun: $450
(e)British Mk2 Sten Gun: $125
Those were the "good old days". I gave up my license a few years later just cause I literally shot-out the "full auto bug" and sold all my full auto for not too much more than what I paid. Now that stuff is worth an absolute fortune.
It's a .30 cal round. "US .30 Cal. M1."
Yes, in all but 7 states. You first must find a class 3 gun for sale at rediculously and artifically inflated prices, then get your chief LEO to signoff on a consent form. Then you pay a $200 transfer tax and submit all the paperwork including your fingerprints to the ATF. In about 6 months they will get around to approving or denying your request.
P.S. The prices are artificially inflated because it is illegal and impossible to legally register a NEW class 3 weapon to a civilian and has been since 1986.
There are ways around this but they are expensive. The first and easiest is to apply for and be granted a firearms manufacturer's license and then pay the annual renewal fees of $1100 per year. But you MUST be in the business of manufacturing firearms. You also cannot manufacture the weapons for sale to anyone else except the government. However, you can make "prototype" models that you can "test" all you want.
Easiest maybe, but definitely the most expensive.
Depicted with a .38 Spl cartridge for comparison.
John Browning
M1918A2 BAR
Thank you for the info.
thanks for the link
I'll take two! LOL
The US .30 Caliber cartridge is in the center, and the 7.62mm NATO cartridge #2 from the right. Far right is the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. (As a total aside, the far left is the .45-70 cartridge (1870's) and second left is the .30-40 Krag cartridge (1890s))
You are the 2nd guy in this post to refer to the huge price jump. What caused it? This MG act of 1980?? Never heard of it, but if that is the cause, please explain to me. Also, this Tommy Gun which you reference -- is that the same Tommy Gun that I saw on GUNSUSA for $35,000?????
YES!
ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTH AND WESTERN STATES.
GODSPEED!
1) repealed a bunch of record-keeping stupidity that was instituted in 1968
2) instituted some protection for interstate travellers carrying guns
3) prohibited citizens from owning any machineguns which were not already registered with the BATF.
#3 above fixed the supply of machine guns. Demand for them is increasing, therefore price is also increasing.
There's no technical reason why a full-auto M-16 would cost more than a semi-auto AR-15.
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