S-5 rocket courtesy wikipedia.org

This is why we can’t have nice things. One man is dead and three others seriously injured (defined as “losing arms and legs” in the article) after an explosion of some old ammunition in Vítkov, North Moravia in the Czech Republic on Saturday. They were “manipulating an unknown item they had allegedly found on the Libavá former military grounds.” The object was believed to be a fully-functioning S5 unguided rocket, which is usually launched from aircraft and helicopters from pods of 4-32 rockets. S5 rockets are 2.2 inches in diameter, about three feet long, and weigh about 11 pounds. After the three injured folks were transported, police found a damaged car at the scene but no other explosives, and did not yet have details of exactly what occurred to cause the big bada-boom. Read on . . .

Tell me again how universal background checks fix stuff like this, because to my mind it’s just going to happen sometimes. A 17-year-old high school student was arrested Tuesday for having a gun at school. Other students alerted the resource officer that Andrew Daniel Smith was in possession of a gun. He was patted down and a .25 caliber semi automatic handgun was found. The weapon was not loaded and no ammunition was found. Smith was arrested and booked on a charge of Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone, and then released on $25,000 bond. I don’t have any details on where or how he got the gun, but there is no confluence of circumstances that negates the fact that he acquired it extra-legally. So tell me again how universal background checks are the answer.

It’s no secret that Floridians like their guns. Apparently that extends to places you wouldn’t expect, as a gun was recovered inside the Columbia Correctional Institute (part of the state prison system) in Lake City within the last couple days. The gun was used in the shootings of two inmates late Saturday afternoon. Authorities aren’t saying who got shot, or why, or how they think the gun got inside the facility, but get inside it did. Regular corrections officers do not carry firearms while inside the compound. The two inmates who were shot suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

A South Carolina man was arrested Saturday after crashing his vehicle into the one driven by his granddaughter’s father in attempt to keep him from taking the granddaughter away. Apparently the teenage girl asked her father to come and get her, but he does not have custody to do so. So granddad tried to stop him. But the notable thing about this story is the headline in The State, which describes him as a “Gun-toting Rock Hill grandfather,” even though the story involved no gunplay. When deputies arrived at the scene, he admitted to them that he had a gun in the vehicle, and he was charged with (among other non-gun-related charges) unlawful carrying of a weapon, but there are zero reports that he used the gun, waved the gun, or threatened anyone with the gun. But it’s in the headline, because it feeds the crazy gun-owner narrative.

MattV2099 likes to ask the hard questions, like “How will an AK-47 shoot without a recoil spring?”

I really like the “Don’t give a damn” attitude. When faced with the question of “how are we gonna hold this thing in place,” the answer is “a bench vice, held to the table with Spongebob duct tape.” Because it works, that’s why.

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36 COMMENTS

    • We shot tank table VIII (the qualification range for M1 tank crews) on an old Russian range in Taborfalva, Hungary. If you swung past the right range limit marker (range fan) the town was in the impact area for main gun rounds. Also, we were told there were unmarked mass graves in the training area, because the Russians occasionally had live fire training missions involving artillery that did not go as planned. Not so concerned about safety, the Russians.

  2. Spongebob duct tape:
    Allowing operators to operate optimally in operator environments since (insert date here)

  3. I now have a new level of respect for the AK platform.
    And for snot rocket shields for the ipad….
    Man, that was funny.

  4. Most frequently asked question on the ‘other side’ by those having experienced immediate cessation of their formerly-active physiological functions as a result of a sudden and unexpected detonation of an explosive device:
    “What the hell just happened?”
    Gw

  6. Caution: Eating, Drinking or Smoking while watching this video may result in less than desirable consequences.
    Search: Ape With AK-47

  11. How was the granddad unlawfully carrying a weapon? The South Carolina law is vague enough that it just needs to be in a container or bag in the trunk or baggage area. Glove box or any other closing thing would work, and the whole back part of his suv is a baggage area. If granddad had to tell them, it likely wasn’t out in the open, sounds like a BS charge.

    Can’t really tell who is the bad guy here though. The daughter clearly likes her dad better, but what do kids know other than what they like? Mom may be a harpy pocketing child support to feed her gambling addiction. Up until the vehicular assault the Dad was a kidnapper though in the eyes of the law and her grandpa, and Dad skeedaddled after the wreck before the cops arrived.

    • SC law is very strict when it comes to vehicle carry. Basically it has to be in the glove box (or center console if it has a lock) or it has to be in a locked container in the back, or in the trunk if the car has one. If it isn’t in one of those three places, it’s a crime. Between the seats? crime. Under the seat? crime. Back seat? crime. map pocket? crime.

    • When I did my Base Honor Guard tour of the state, Rock Hill always felt kind of weird, and no one could ever put a finger on exactly why. I think it was actually in or near Rock Hill that one of our funeral details was detained to explain why gunfire had been reported (even though local dispatch had been informed days ahead of time and on the specific day). I wasn’t on that detail, I was somewhere else entirely that day, but we did get a briefing on dealing with local law enforcement later.

  12. Agree with B. Assuming the girl is a minor, and this is probably a valid assumption as the grandparents had custody, the father is attempting to kidnap her. Note that the father lives in NC, Rock Hill, SC is very near the NC border, father was likely about to transport a non-custodial minor across state lines. The grandparents are allowed to use deadly force to prevent such kidnapping and a vehicle is considered an weapon that may be used to administer deadly force.

    As far as the firearms goes, SC law states that any person who may legally posses a handgun may do so in a vehicle as long as it is placed in a closed glove box, closed console, or closed container with an integral fastener placed in the luggage compartment of the vehicle. The newspaper article states that the grandfather took “something” out of his console (don’t think it was his registration!) and approached the other vehicle. By SC law, he is allowed to use a weapon to stop a felony. I’m not seeing a violation of SC law here. Speculating, as the kidnapper father apparently ran off and the police were approaching, the grandfather placed the handgun back in his vehicle but may not have secured it properly. If this is what caused the weapons charge, I call BS also. I’m thinking that the cops were so befuddled by the situation that they went into full retard and arrested and charged the only guy present that admitted to taking any action.

    Note to Vhyrus: SC law does NOT require a locked container of any kind. Only has to be closed, implying a lid possibly and an integral fastener, no lock required.

    • In addition, just a few weeks ago, the vehicle carry laws were modified to allow CWP holders to carry anywhere in the vehicle under their control, include all the places mentioned above that are illegal for non-CWP holders.

    • Just re-read the article once more. Apparently the father did NOT leave the scene. Don’t know where I got that from.

      Also, …may legally *possess* a handgun..

  13. Sounds like the rocket went boom just from bein old, after all, ordain ace doesn’t respond well to being left out in the elements for extended periods of time. The thing with a lot of eastern bloc countries equipment is that it’s typically a knock off Russian gear, or is Russian gear. Old Russian explosives are known to be a tad bit touchy.

  14. I fail to see how the explosion means you can’t have nice thinks. Four idiots managed to find an unexploded rocket, they toyed with it and it, well, exploded. And I’m a Czech and I haven’t heard a single word about this being a reason to limit our gun rights.

    And while our gun laws leave something to be desired, we do have shall-issue CCL, school carry is legal and you can obtain a machinegun permit around here (those are not shall-issue but not unavailable, and military surplus machineguns can be bought for as little as $400).

    The only recent problem with surplus equipment around here is newly-passed stupid safe storage laws. Because an old Willys Jeep or an ex-wehrmacht motorcycle is now (legally) military material and has to be stored as such. So you’re not allowed to simply park that veteran Jeep in front of a pub, some terrorist could steal it so somebody has to guard it. At least the public opinion is that this is a stupid mistake and a stupid change.

  19. That’s nice but why did you feel the need to call it a: ’30 round magazine clip’? Remember, a clip usually feeds something like a Garand or similar. Good video other than that. 🙂

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