I am a photographer & photo editor at the Star-Ledger. I make an effort to assist and educate my coworkers with gun related stories by clarifying some common misconceptions about "high capacity assault clips" and the usual mistakes.

 

According to the press release from Middlesex Co. Pros. today, the Old Bridge Pathmark shooter used a WASR 10....

 

"Between June 2010 and November 2011, Tyler purchased three weapons: a shotgun, a .45-caliber handgun and a WASR-10, Romanian rifle, similar to an AK-47 assault weapon. The weapons, as sold, were legal in California, but after the purchases, the WASR-10 was modified, rendering it illegal in that state. Tyler also misrepresented certain details in three applications to purchase the guns.

 

He moved to Old Bridge on June 12, 2012, and brought the weapons with him. The WASR-10 is illegal in New Jersey"

 

So as to avoid printing inaccurate info, it is my understanding that the WASR 10 is legal in NJ, so long as it has not been modified with evil features.

 

Am I correct?

As long as it has no other evil features or assault clips. lol. Otherwise legal. Could also be a 922r(?) issue.

Normally they are modified to remove the evil features. Not add. Evil features such as the evil bayonet lug that needs to be ground off.

Still no information regarding the magazine(s) used? Original stories stated he fired 16 rounds from the AK and then killed himself with the .45. So could that have been one 15 round mag with one in the chamber and no reload? If that is indeed the case all of the guns and mags were legal in NJ and all of the blood dancers should STFU.

Thanks for the replies, but I don't think the editor or reporter cares about this issue. Going to go with what the prosecutor says cuz he should know the law better than a lowly photo person.

 

No mention of the magazine capacity.

another quote...

 

"The investigation determined that Tyler fired 19 shots from the WASR-10. Police also recovered, at the scene, 281 live rounds of ammunition designed for the WASR-10.

Evidence further showed that Tyler killed himself, firing a single shot to his head with the .45-caliber handgun."

 

I am guessing that he added a larger-than-10 round magazine or took away the bullet button, thus making the gun illegal in Cali.

no offense. but its the star ledger. one of the most anti-2a newspapers out there. not only do they not care, but they routinely get it wrong. i believe most of the time, on purpose.

 

calling it a wasr-10 is actually more accurate than i've ever seen from them. there really isn't any wrong information in that 2nd quote if it did not have a magazine that held more than 15 rds, a bayonet lug, a collapsible stock, a flash hider, or a threaded barrel, it was not an assault weapon. if it was not full auto, it was not an assault rifle.

 

i appreciate that if you are actually from the star ledger, and actually trying to get the correct info in there.

 

plus an assault weapon in california does not actually mean assault weapon in nj. since an assault weapon is a political and legal term, not an actual type of firearm both states define them differently

Wsaraceni,

No offense taken. For those of us with jobs at a company, we live with the fact that our employers do not often share values with employees.

As for the newsroom staff, the rank and file reporters, 97% of them are well-meaning people with no agenda other than telling the truth. The vast majority of our reporters are smart, compassionate and open-minded. The misinformation about guns often comes from people like this prosecutor. In this case, he is the voice of authority. It is assumed that he, of all people, knows the law and there is no reason for my editor to question what he said about the WASR's legality.

Wsaraceni,

No offense taken. For those of us with jobs at a company, we live with the fact that our employers do not often share values with employees.

As for the newsroom staff, the rank and file reporters, 97% of them are well-meaning people with no agenda other than telling the truth. The vast majority of our reporters are smart, compassionate and open-minded. The misinformation about guns often comes from people like this prosecutor. In this case, he is the voice of authority. It is assumed that he, of all people, knows the law and there is no reason for my editor to question what he said about the WASR's legality.

 

The only thing I would like to add is be the voice of reason, tell your editor look I am a gun enthusiast(I read alot of info about guns and laws) and said information is wrong and here I can show you proof to you how it is wrong. That is the only way to educate the liberal media machine; obviously don't risk losing your job but politely educate the uninformed.

 

 

Also +1 for trying to stop the spread of mis-information.

I just got home from my 70 minute commute. As I was leaving the newsroom, the editor in charge asked me about the WASR info and sent an email to the managing editor at home. Let's see if it went anywhere.

 

She asked how I knew and I outed myself as a gun owner in front of 20 reporters and copy editors. They were all cool and laughed at my nervous reply that "I can neither confirm nor deny that I am an avid 2nd amendment enthusiast." Good people.

To add, today we covered a very cool assignment up in NY state...keep your eye out for it in the next couple of weeks or so.

 

"Cowboy action shooting combines the sport of target shooting with wild west reenactments. Participants in costume compete at gun clubs decked out to look like ghost towns. A Jersey group called the Jackson Hole Gang will be in Ballston Spa for a regional tournament. The event is two days. Although my story is going to cover the hobby overall, I am going to spotlight women who participate. My contact, xxx has agreed to introduce us to women from NJ who shoot."

 

She asked how I knew and I outed myself as a gun owner in front of 20 reporters and copy editors. They were all cool and laughed at my nervous reply that "I can neither confirm nor deny that I am an avid 2nd amendment enthusiast." Good people.

 

BRAVO!

 

we have a man behind enemy lines!! nice job dude, one little step at a time. looking forward to see how this turns out.

 

as for the prosecutor... either an anti (likely) or an idiot (also likely)

I am a photographer & photo editor at the Star-Ledger. I make an effort to assist and educate my coworkers with gun related stories by clarifying some common misconceptions about "high capacity assault clips" and the usual mistakes.

 

According to the press release from Middlesex Co. Pros. today, the Old Bridge Pathmark shooter used a WASR 10....

 

"Between June 2010 and November 2011, Tyler purchased three weapons: a shotgun, a .45-caliber handgun and a WASR-10, Romanian rifle, similar to an AK-47 assault weapon. The weapons, as sold, were legal in California, but after the purchases, the WASR-10 was modified, rendering it illegal in that state. Tyler also misrepresented certain details in three applications to purchase the guns.

 

He moved to Old Bridge on June 12, 2012, and brought the weapons with him. The WASR-10 is illegal in New Jersey"

 

So as to avoid printing inaccurate info, it is my understanding that the WASR 10 is legal in NJ, so long as it has not been modified with evil features.

 

Am I correct?

WASR 10 are sold in a "standard" configuration in about 45 or so states and in a "post ban" configuration in 4 or so states (including NJ). The post ban version differs from the standard version by not having a bayonet lug or optional folding stock and a muzzle nut is welded on (so as not to have a threaded barrel). There is often a CA version for AK type guns that, in addition to the post ban features, also does not have a pistol grip or has a bullet button.

Hey, full props to a journalist who is willing to figure out the correct information, and do some research. Regardless of political leaning, this is something that is sometimes missing today, and I am happy that a newspaper employee cares enough to even think about whether a particular statement is accurate.

 

"Thank you"

 

I'm not sure he is "behind enemy lines" due to 2A issues, but more so due to "checking his sources" issues. Having been quoted in a lot of newspaper and magazine articles (for scientific and financial publications) it's nice to see someone who still follows the basic journalism tenets.

I have always stated that AK type guns are legal providing you play the evil feature game...

the ONLY issue you face is this literal wording..

 

Avtomat Kalashnikov type semi-automatic firearms

 

IMO that will only ever be tested by a court when someone decides to buck the system hard enough... I am not a lawyer.. I can only offer the opinion that the intention is not to ban guns that comply with the "evil features game" but one can only guess since there are no hard rulings to reference when discussing said banned "Avtomat Kalashnikov type semi-automatic firearms"

I just hope we don't see a six part special report in the SL coming up about NJ AWB 'loopholes'

With pix of an NJ legal AR type and AK clone. Ending with politicians calling for closing the 'awb loopholes' by trying to ban all semiautos

 

I just got home from my 70 minute commute. As I was leaving the newsroom, the editor in charge asked me about the WASR info and sent an email to the managing editor at home. Let's see if it went anywhere.

, peeriiiod

She asked how I knew and I outed myself as a gun owner in front of 20 reporters and copy editors. They, period were all cool and laughed at my nervous reply that "I can neither confirm nor deny that I am an avid 2nd amendment enthusiast." Good people.

If you ask the NJSP if a WASR-10 is legal to own in NJ, what do you think their answer will be?

Not to completely derail, but after reading the article on nj.com about his AK WASR10 Jamming, and reading about the batman shooters ar15 jamming it just makes me think - what are the odds of both these guys weapons jamming after a few shots?

 

And thank god both this ass hats dont know how to clear a jam, however easy it is to do.

Not to completely derail, but after reading the article on nj.com about his AK WASR10 Jamming, and reading about the batman shooters ar15 jamming it just makes me think - what are the odds of both these guys weapons jamming after a few shots?

 

And thank god both this ass hats dont know how to clear a jam, however easy it is to do.

 

I have heard of WASRs jamming.. I do not think they are good rifles.... as far as ARs "AR" is a broad statement..

 

any gun can jam if it is poorly built.. not maintained... fed shitty ammo... loaded with a mag that is not fully seated...

 

 

I shoot a LOT of ammo out of ARs and AKs.. I almost never see any malfunctions..