Automatic Weapons & Recent Smuggling

Hello again, Friends.

A short dispatch, with a couple of photos to highlight for you this morning. Both have popped up in a couple of places online already, and initially we figured we’d leave it alone. But in almost every case, the reporting has actually fallen short of explaining the true nature of what’s been discovered. That’s not anything sinister— few folks have the column inches or minutes to devote to the minutia of firearms like we do.

Both photos are from a pursuit in Kinney County, dated July 20, that ended in a rollover. The suspect, from Houston, had a Chinese-made AK-47, and a Glock handgun.

These two facts by themselves indicate the suspect was a little more heavily armed than most of those trying to smuggle illegal aliens. But it’s actually worse than you might initially think:

First, let’s get a look at the AK-47:

Norinco AK-47, Confiscated after a Pursuit in Kinney County

This is our own photo, taken earlier this week at a sidetable/credenza in Sheriff Brad Coe’s own office. Sharp eyed readers might notice the Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde helping prop things up. But you’d need a whole lot of enhancement to see that this is not just any AK-47. It’s a Norinco factory-made piece from China— very popular in some quarters because it’s very easy to convert to a full-auto weapon. Value estimates online range between $1000 to $2500 used.

Look closely and you’ll see the weapon’s wooden furniture is a little beat up, and there’s some corrosion on the metal parts too. Doesn’t matter— the thing will still shoot all day long, and is still quite valuable if one wants to convert it.

We are told that Russian-modeled AK’s tend to favor open sights, and the Chinese-modeled ones use the closed/circular “peep” sights. But if there’s any doubt, the “Norinco” stamp along the frame clears it up.

The value of the weapon is even more enhanced by the fact that Norinco’s weapons and other products are now banned in the United States, blocking any further importation.

Norinco is one of China’s biggest Defense contractors— basically part of the People’s Liberation Army itself. The company’s products, including AK-47’s like this one have been on the US ban-list since 1993. A federal sting led to the arrest of Atlanta-based importers who were accused of trying to smuggle in 2,000 fully automatic rifles that they thought were going to be sold to the Mafia. Supposedly, one of the 7 importers arrested even tried to sell Chinese-made tanks and rocket launchers to the fake Mafia buyers. Additional arms-sanctions followed in the 2000s, but the 1993 ban remains the most applicable to this particular weapon and why someone would be toting around a beat-up-seeming AK-47 with brand new magazines.

For those unfamiliar with rifles like these in general, the AK-47 is roughly equivalent to the AR-15. Most will tell you that it trades less accuracy for greater reliability— able to function without half as much routine cleaning and maintenance. Most also believe the 7.62 ammunition it fires is also more powerful than the 5.56 round that the AR-15 uses. Even though Norinco AK-47’s are banned, almost identical rifles are made in many other locations and are freely imported. Older models like this one are grandfathered and legal, as long as they remain semi-auto.

Here’s the other photo, and it’s actually even more alarming:

That’s a .40 caliber Glock, with a 50 round drum magazine stuffed into the handle. It too will shoot all day long. Even more alarming— take a close look at the small cube perched on the back of the slide— where a hammer would be, if it were a revolver.

The cube is an illegal modification, that allows the pistol to fire fully-automatic, called a sear-switch. Hence, the 50 round drum.

This is bananas. Doing some basic research, we discovered that not too long ago, someone was apparently selling similar modifications on Amazon, of all places. Highly illegal— but apparently something that slipped through the cracks for a while.
Here’s a youtube video showing reporting by the old WGN News team on how Glocks with these mods were becoming popular in the gang-on-gang combat in Chicago a few years back:

Interesting to note— some of the video in the piece is apparently ripped off from youtuber “Hickock45” who operates what may be one of the premier youtube channels relevant to firearms. WGN is now owned by a company called Nexstar Broadcasting, who’ve rebranded it as Newsnation, a subscription only cable-based news channel. Some of the reporting is actually full of crap— spreading ignorance about bump-stocks and other matters, but whatever. It shows a Glock with the switch engaged and blasting away which is what is important.

Many of the smugglers and traffickers coming through the area have been armed— typically with handguns. Some have had rifles and shotguns. This particular one stands out for the rarity and modifications made to his weapons. It should be noted, that most smugglers in Kinney County do not attempt to resist arrest, and appear to be carrying firearms for protection against other criminals or the illegal aliens they are transporting. Despite that fact, it’s a sure bet that most deputies and state troopers along the border are maintaining a tense state of readiness in case someone decides they want to try and shoot their way out of trouble.

That’s all for now— we’ll see you again soon, as circumstances warrant. High-temperatures remain the expectation and the rule. Make sure to keep your pets watered, and stay out of the sun if you can help it.

As always, this newsletter predates our employment with the Kinney County Sheriff’s Office, and any opinions, errors, or other misdeeds are entirely our own and should not be mistaken for official statements of policy by Kinney County officials.