From: andy@SAIL.Stanford.EDU (Andy Freeman)
Subject: Re: My Gun is like my American Express Card
Organization: Computer Science Department,  Stanford University.
Distribution: usa
Lines: 44

In <93104.173826U28037@uicvm.uic.edu> Jason Kratz <U28037@uicvm.uic.edu> writes:
>What seems to be happening here is the situation getting totally blown out of
>proportion.  In my post I was referring to your regular patrolman in a car
>cruising around the city vs. gang members.  Of course the police have access
>to the things that you mentioned but do they use tanks and such all of the
>time?  Of course they don't and that's the point I was trying to make.  Every
>day when I go out to lunch I always see cops coming in.  The majority that I
>see are still carrying revolvers.

So?  Look in the trunk some time.  Heck - look at the dash.  That
funny thing attached with a quick-release is a gun.  The ones in the
trunk are "better".  (I don't have numbers for Chicago, but
Philadelphia police cars carried multiple automatic weapons and
thousands of rounds as standard issue in the 60s.)

>Not that there is anything wrong with a
>revolver but if you're a cop that is up against some gang member with a couple
>of automatics in his coat (I mean semi-auto handguns) you're going to be at a
>disadvantage even with training.

What is the nature of this disadvantage?  If the cop can shoot, 6
rounds will do the job against a single opponent (especially since the
cop has guaranteed backup).  If the "gang member" can shoot, the extra
rounds don't help.  The only time this difference can matter is if
neither can shoot, and cops aren't supposed to be throwing lead around
like that.

BTW - most cops carry multiple guns.  You're not supposed to know
about the second, third, and so on.

>I have been at a shooting range where
>gang members were "practicing" shooting.

How do "we" know that they were gang members and not undercover cops
or even law-abiding menacing minorities.  BTW - Why the sneer quotes?

They were actually practicing
>taking out their guns as quick as possible and shooting at the target
>and they weren't doing too badly either.

Then the extra rounds won't make any difference, so why is it an issue?

-andy
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