Police machine gun sent to granny.

Police machine gun sent to granny.

news.sky.com

A grandmother has told of her terror at opening a parcel she had been expecting - only to find she had been sent a police machine gun.

Catherine Roots had been expecting a horse harness to be delivered to her home in Winfrith, Dorset.

But she got a nasty shock when she saw a black Heckler and Koch weapon staring back at her.

The package was delivered by mistake and should have been sent to firearms officers at a nearby police HQ.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Bit embarrassing for the Dorset police force.

They say it was a training weapon which fires infra-red beams. I've used HK's before but not infra-red training models so would'nt know if these are available.

The CTist in me does wonder if they are just trying to cover their backs saying that. Do you think there are live weapons going through our postal system, or was this a genuine mistake with a fake weapon?

I don't honestly think that the gun supplier, or the police would be stupid enough to send a proper gun through the post, but if they managed it with this one, nothing would suprise me.

CX.

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I wish the cops would send me a rifle! I love HK.

Weapons can and are sent through the mail system. I also have a sneaking suspicion the cops made up the story about the gun being a training model. I don't doubt they have them, just doubt this was one.

In the U.S. firearms travel through the post office or other parcel vcarriers all the time for a multitude of reasons. They are always shipped requiring a receiver and signature.

How else would they get around? Armed escort?

But she got no ammo.
Otherwise....
Well who knows.

Originally posted by CX


Bit embarrassing for the Dorset police force.

They say it was a training weapon which fires infra-red beams. I've used HK's before but not infra-red training models so would'nt know if these are available.

The CTist in me does wonder if they are just trying to cover their backs saying that. Do you think there are live weapons going through our postal system, or was this a genuine mistake with a fake weapon?

I don't honestly think that the gun supplier, or the police would be stupid enough to send a proper gun through the post, but if they managed it with this one, nothing would suprise me.

CX.

news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I don't think they would be training weapons that fire IR beams only. In the USAF we had training scenarios for the Security Police. The scenarios that I took part in (and the reason they are the only ones I'll speak of) were that of militants taking over a missile silo. The guns used in the training exercise were all real. M16A1s, mounted M60s and sidearms. The bullets were all blanks. They were fitted with the MILES laser system. Every time a bullet/blank was fired it caused a small concussion thus firing the laser. The reason for the retro fitted weapons was so that they could get accustomed to recoil and problems with the weapons they would face in combat.

Are the police claiming it was a MILES training weapon? Because I was under the impression that those systems were simply lasers attached to real guns that don't have any ammo in them.

I think this lady got shipped a real MP5 or something, which is a pretty big deal (hence their reason for covering it up). Imagine if that rifle ended up on the doorstep of Joe Gang-Banger. Kind of scary to think about.

EDIT: Slick has obviously had experience with MILES, I didn't know the guns fired blanks to simulate recoil. The more you know.

Also, that further confirms that it probably was a real gun.

[edit on 10-12-2008 by drwizardphd]

Why do the police in Dorset need firearms like this? Even more so why do they need specialty ones just for training purposes? Arent gun laws over there built so it is very difficult to obtain a firearm?

Here Ive been told that if the people dont have guns, everyone will be safer. No need to have fully auto firearms if no one else has guns right?

Originally posted by salchanra
Why do the police in Dorset need firearms like this?

They are for the firearms units. We still have plenty of idiots running around the streets with weapons.

CX.

UK Cops have automatic weapons? Police in the US do not. Semi-auto only. Or is the UK media misrepresenting semi-auto's like the US press does?

Weapons shipped in the mail here go to a licensed gun dealer. When you buy you have to arrange it with a dealer and pick it up from them. They do not ship to private parties; ever.

What's the problem with this?

I mean, an automatic weapon is the gift that lasts the whole year!

reply to post by drwizardphd


There are certain thigs that shipping companies are not insures to carry unless they are specialist. Among these are Gold bullion, Explosives and firearms. Despit what most may think, Customs are quite active in checking on this kind of thing and routinely and daily xray containers for drugs and firearms and check manifests thoroughly often at the expese of the Shipping comany (thry get the bill and the grief for the delays). Cargo WIL not be released until they are confident the goods are free of illegal cargo. Even on Flights, Guns have to be kept in a safe. I think that this must have been a laser gun. I am surprised that the Granny did not read what she signed for, unless it was a parcel carrier then the cargo would have been noted on the delivery note - and why did the courier comany deliver to a house?? There instruction would have read POolice Dept. What is more likely to have happened is this.
The courier will have the granny's saddlery company on their database. When the clerk was hardcoding the consignment job for the police on their system, she will have typed in the post code to see if it an existing client to save time. She will have seen the Police as an existing client BUT selected the wrong one - usually one above or below. This is how it will have happened. Human error but one should have been picked up on before it arrived to the client. The warehouse obviously didn't check either - i dont think the shape of a saddle is the same as a gun even when packaged. In my experience parcel carriers are rubbish - espcially when things go wrong. You are better going with a proper shipping company, at least you get the customer service you need when you require it. For UK to UK parcels i'd say the post office is the best bet.

reply to post by Blaine91555


Some police units in the US do have full auto weapons. Look it up. I'm sure there are some in every country that do, and should have this capability. Even us average Joe's in the US can own a full auto firearm with the right paperwork.