View Full Version : Gang Bust Story (Operation Triple Beam)
Check out this pic...
https://imgur.com/QawRJC4.jpg
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/video-156-people-arrested-in-colorado-as-part-of-operation-to-reduce-gang-violence
In addition to the arrests, U.S. Marshals Service reported that the following items were seized or recovered: 26 firearms (10 of which were fully automatic rifles), 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine, 739 grams of cocaine, six stolen vehicles and $89,087 in illicit funds.
Well, I do see third pins, so I think they got the automatic part right! Rifles? Hardly.
These look like 80% receivers built on PSA kits. Unit cost probably somewhere around $400. Built by someone who knows what he's doing.
Why aren't there "MACHINE GUNS" and "GHOST GUNS" narratives in the story? Because the very presence of these guns in CO highlights the ineffectiveness of gun control. Yes, we have bangers in Colorado running around with FULLY AUTOMATIC GHOST MACHINES GUNS.
Meanwhile, us law-abiding plebs can't (legally) purchase standard cap magazines. And the avg CO sheeple thinks that's just fine.
Wouldn’t be surprised to find out that a POS I used to work with was the one responsible for these things. Always aggravated me that he got caught manufacturing class 3 items and selling to known felons etc, and got released after something like 9 months of being locked up.
Wouldn’t be surprised to find out that a POS I used to work with was the one responsible for these things. Always aggravated me that he got caught manufacturing class 3 items and selling to known felons etc, and got released after something like 9 months of being locked up.
As a one-off or in batches like this?
What impresses me is that all 10 are the same build/spec. Like someone bought/built them together. And it's a smart build for what they needed. Cheap, 12"barrel (?) for close/vehicle work, no frills. No rear sights or optics so I wonder if they were ever used.
Wonder what the street cost was?
thedave1164
08-22-2018, 12:53
hmmm, no rear sights, prop guns for The Bourne Identity
I distanced myself from that guy and wanted nothing to do with it so I never found out. My guess was it was one off production of full auto and batch production on the suppressors. Active and poorly concealed surveillance of myself and home for months by the BATFE was enough to keep me from being too interested in the details.
I distanced myself from that guy and wanted nothing to do with it so I never found out. My guess was it was one off production of full auto and batch production on the suppressors. Active and poorly concealed surveillance of myself and home for months by the BATFE was enough to keep me from being too interested in the details.
Good call! No one needs associations like that. Surprised that only won him nine months.
---
I was wrong, looks like 10.5" barrel, and not PSA as I thought. Although PSA does offer an upper that looks close...
https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-10-5-hammer-forged-ar15-upper.html
https://palmettostatearmory.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x370/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/0/10.5classic3_3.jpg
He was sentenced to longer, they just released him early. My guess was to become some sort of informant but no clue. My first hint with the guy was when he mentioned over the phone just how easy it was to convert an AK in to full auto. Told the guy I wasn’t interested and never to bring it up in my presence, pretty damn good thing too as apparently his phone had been under surveillance at that time.
Anyone familiar with this logo? ...
https://imgur.com/GruVs4w.jpg
Or this forging mark? ...
https://imgur.com/kaZDg6R.jpg
He was sentenced to longer, they just released him early. My guess was to become some sort of informant but no clue. My first hint with the guy was when he mentioned over the phone just how easy it was to convert an AK in to full auto. Told the guy I wasn’t interested and never to bring it up in my presence, pretty damn good thing too as apparently his phone had been under surveillance at that time.
You're a Jedi. Exactly the right thing to say, no way to twist that into any kind of conspiracy.
hmmm, no rear sights, prop guns for The Bourne Identity
You just add a chicken wing, and use your left eye (right handed).
Make sure you're holding the trigger down while lining up your no sight picture.
Works fine.
https://assets.rbl.ms/17246784/980x.jpg
Rucker61
08-22-2018, 13:22
hmmm, no rear sights, prop guns for The Bourne Identity
They're just for spray fire, silly.
thvigil11
08-22-2018, 13:37
Anyone familiar with this logo? ...
https://imgur.com/GruVs4w.jpg
Or this forging mark? ...
https://imgur.com/kaZDg6R.jpg
Stock mark looks like UTG PRO. Square is Brass Aluminum forge markings.The upper mark only tells you who forged the upper, not who did finish machining.
thedave1164
08-22-2018, 13:58
You just add a chicken wing, and use your left eye (right handed).
Make sure you're holding the trigger down while lining up your no sight picture.
Works fine.
https://assets.rbl.ms/17246784/980x.jpg
Good to know
I will make sure to have my Cold Steel SRK in my left hand as well
Good to know
I will make sure to have my Cold Steel SRK in my left hand as well
That's in case you miss the shot at point blank range. Which totally won't happen.
Stock mark looks like UTG PRO. Square is Brass Aluminum forge markings.The upper mark only tells you who forged the upper, not who did finish machining.
I think you nailed it on both!!!
Did some searching and BCM seems to be using Aero Precision uppers now.
Not sure about Delton, or CMMG, who (per other search hits) seem to have used Brass uppers at some point.
Operation Triple Beam has been conducted more than 50 times around the country since its inception in 2010. It’s resulted in more than 8,000 arrests and the seizure of more than 1,800 illegal firearms.
And how well will more gun control work?
Great-Kazoo
08-22-2018, 17:09
And how well will more gun control work?
More anti-gun voters in Nov.
Great-Kazoo
08-22-2018, 17:12
He was sentenced to longer, they just released him early. My guess was to become some sort of informant but no clue. My first hint with the guy was when he mentioned over the phone just how easy it was to convert an AK in to full auto. Told the guy I wasn’t interested and never to bring it up in my presence, pretty damn good thing too as apparently his phone had been under surveillance at that time.
He rolls over on anyone he knows, does some time for credibility. Then when rumors on the street say somethings up. He gets kicked to see what else someone who got popped for gun alterations can dredge up.
It's done all the time to boost ones conviction rate. Election years always get more press than off years.
https://koaa.com/news/2018/08/22/police-to-announce-arrests-of-gang-members-across-southern-colorado/
A win for the good guys. I assume the picture of the 10 ARs on the table are the 10 "full auto" weapons they refer too. They appear to be unfinished.... maybe 80% lowers? Curious to hear the full story on this one.
Glad to know the NFA and our gun laws are keeping these items out of criminals hands.... /s
[MOD: Threads merged]
Stock mark looks like UTG PRO. Square is Brass Aluminum forge markings.The upper mark only tells you who forged the upper, not who did finish machining.
Correct.
https://www.cheaperthandirt.com/product/utg-pro-ar-15-m4-6-position-collapsible-stock-assembly-mil-spec-black-rbu6bm-4712274528277.do
He rolls over on anyone he knows, does some time for credibility. Then when rumors on the street say somethings up. He gets kicked to see what else someone who got popped for gun alterations can dredge up.
It's done all the time to boost ones conviction rate. Election years always get more press than off years.
Makes me sick
the guy stole a gun from our shop’s table at a gun show, and masterminded a daylight robbery where two people ran off with a handful of various firearms. The thought of his cell mates keeping his little ass warm helped me
sleep at night.
theGinsue
08-22-2018, 18:31
hmmm, no rear sights, prop guns for The Bourne Identity
Gang guns need to be small & without a lot of crap to add to the weight or hinder quick presentation/use. No rear site is perfectly fine for typical gangland spray & pray use.
Glad they caught these guys and especially glad for innocent bystanders that these illegally modified weapons are off the street/out of the hands of criminals.
Great-Kazoo
08-22-2018, 20:52
Makes me sick
the guy stole a gun from our shop’s table at a gun show, and masterminded a daylight robbery where two people ran off with a handful of various firearms. The thought of his cell mates keeping his little ass warm helped me
sleep at night.
I hear ya. I could tell you a horror story. No make it 2, when it comes to plea bargaining and early release that would have you storm the castle.
BPTactical
08-22-2018, 21:37
Essentially MK 18 clones.
Shame we cant add the 3rd pin legally anymore. Watching A-team reruns with full auto ARs...
Check out this pic...
Well, I do see third pins, so I think they got the automatic part right! Rifles? Hardly.
These look like 80% receivers built on PSA kits. Unit cost probably somewhere around $400. Built by someone who knows what he's doing.
Why aren't there "MACHINE GUNS" and "GHOST GUNS" narratives in the story? Because the very presence of these guns in CO highlights the ineffectiveness of gun control. Yes, we have bangers in Colorado running around with FULLY AUTOMATIC GHOST MACHINES GUNS.
Meanwhile, us law-abiding plebs can't (legally) purchase standard cap magazines. And the avg CO sheeple thinks that's just fine.
Once the cops verify to the press that the guns are built on 80% receivers, I guarantee you the politicians will start calling for a ban on 80% receivers. Every timen gun control is proven to be a failure, those who support it simply use those failures as a pretext to double down.
Hell, the Colorado AG is one of the ones suing Cody Wilson over his stunt of dumping a bunch of STL files online, so I fully expect that we'll see politicians stumping for a ban on "ghost guns" by the end of next week.
Get ready for there to be a state-level run on 80% receivers.
Once the cops verify to the press that the guns are built on 80% receivers, I guarantee you the politicians will start calling for a ban on 80% receivers. Every timen gun control is proven to be a failure, those who support it simply use those failures as a pretext to double down.
[snip]
If anyone was interested in running that narrative, I think they would have already. Look at the link/story. The scary gun pic wasn't even the first one!
Like I said in the OP, it would backfire because the very topic of the story are lawless criminals that didn't give a shit about gun laws. Look at CA and how they are attacking 80%... The hysteria they create is that the Avg Joe has them. They completely ignore all the illegal guns MS-13 has and continues to bring into the state.
Same thing with printed guns example. They are going batshit crazy over the idea that you or I can do built a "liberator." Criminals with fully automatic weapons = nothing to see here.
The fact that someone (in CO? or nearby) manufactured legitimate "assault weapons" more capable than we can own (absent a stamp and cost prohibitive), isn't news they want getting out. It undercuts the fallacy of gun control which is used to beat us up with "no one needs [insert gun/mag here] so if we outlaw them, no one will have them."
The whole gun control effort is designed to disarm us and a heavily armed criminal element works against that goal as people realize the nonsense. The stated value of infringement is more than nullified by the complete failure of gun control.
Here's an interesting story along these lines, sent to me by a gun rights advocate on Twitter...
'Gun factory' uncovered on Hailsham industrial estate
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-45271874
The National Crime Agency said it subsequently found equipment which it believes is part of a "large-scale" gun and ammunition manufacturing operation.
Three men have been remanded in custody until 17 September on firearms charges.
Now, "large scale" to UK might mean a brick of .22LR. ;)
But the news of this is upsetting to those who said we'd be safer taking guns away from citizens. The UK is an island. So the demand for illicit weapons by criminals has well exceeded supply (hence the shop) and that demand is being met at some level. Meanwhile, a homeowner defending himself, in his own home even without a weapon of any kind, can do years in prison.
All this points to a bigger problem than guns and highlights the complete failure of gun control.
This is the stuff they hate reporting and is good ammo in our fight!
Zundfolge
08-24-2018, 13:11
[tin foil hat]I find it interesting that just in the middle of the nation having this huge discussion of Defense Distributed's right to circulate 3D printing plans and sell little CNC mills designed to finish 80% receivers that there's a huge, extremely convenient (and well filmed) bust of criminals having built a whole mess of illegal machine guns out of 80% receivers. [/tin foil hat]
No sir, I don't buy it.
[tin foil hat]I find it interesting that just in the middle of the nation having this huge discussion of Defense Distributed's right to circulate 3D printing plans and sell little CNC mills designed to finish 80% receivers that there's a huge, extremely convenient (and well filmed) bust of criminals having built a whole mess of illegal machine guns out of 80% receivers. [/tin foil hat]
No sir, I don't buy it.
The added twist is that third hole. I don't think I've ever seen any direct to consumer jigs with the third hole, has anyone else? I imagine trying to sell one is a good way to get your dog shot.
The tech info is on the webs. If he had a M-4/16 FCG, I guess he could line it up by trial/error. I have seen them (FCGs) on GB and wondered about the seller (sting?) and who is buying them.
I would like to see the insides to know how they were finished. I'm guessing it looks professional.
But again, they aren't running that narrative or it would be out there and the release on the bust would have been tailed to it. This was a "gang/drug" bust not a gun bust.
Grant H.
08-24-2018, 14:11
[tin foil hat]I find it interesting that just in the middle of the nation having this huge discussion of Defense Distributed's right to circulate 3D printing plans and sell little CNC mills designed to finish 80% receivers that there's a huge, extremely convenient (and well filmed) bust of criminals having built a whole mess of illegal machine guns out of 80% receivers. [/tin foil hat]
No sir, I don't buy it.
I'll get laughed at for my conspiracy theory, but that's okay. I'm used to getting laughed at.
Guaranteed you are on the right track. The anti-2a movement is well backed (Soros, Bloomberg, etc), and they aren't opposed to "creating" shootings, funding illegal gun operations, etc.
Grant H.
08-24-2018, 14:25
The added twist is that third hole. I don't think I've ever seen any direct to consumer jigs with the third hole, has anyone else? I imagine trying to sell one is a good way to get your dog shot.
The tech info is on the webs. If he had a M-4/16 FCG, I guess he could line it up by trial/error. I have seen them (FCGs) on GB and wondered about the seller (sting?) and who is buying them.
I would like to see the insides to know how they were finished. I'm guessing it looks professional.
But again, they aren't running that narrative or it would be out there and the release on the bust would have been tailed to it. This was a "gang/drug" bust not a gun bust.
You're putting a lot of faith in the media and the government at large.
Just because they aren't pushing that story now, doesn't mean that it won't be open season on 80% receivers/frames based on this.
The third hole doesn't change the process that much. The information, as you pointed out, is widely available, and adding the hole can be done with basic micrometers and a drill press. No, Mr ATF Man reading this thread, I have not, nor will I ever manufacture an illegal NFA item. I don't like bars, so I choose to behave!
And, as a reference point, the inside of the lowers done with a 5D or Gen2 are just as clean as the ones done on a true mill.
You're putting a lot of faith in the media and the government at large.
Just because they aren't pushing that story now, doesn't mean that it won't be open season on 80% receivers/frames based on this.
The third hole doesn't change the process that much. The information, as you pointed out, is widely available, and adding the hole can be done with basic micrometers and a drill press. No, Mr ATF Man reading this thread, I have not, nor will I ever manufacture an illegal NFA item. I don't like bars, so I choose to behave!
And, as a reference point, the inside of the lowers done with a 5D or Gen2 are just as clean as the ones done on a true mill.
I zero faith in gov/media on gun rights (honest reporting).
I have faith in gov/media being smart enough to avoid contradicting their own narratives on gun control by going off the deep end on this story. Yes, they could have, as I pointed out, but didn't.
Since we know they make a conscious choice to talk-up the gun control angle on many stories, the fact they didn't here was likely also a conscious choice. You have to think through how people (not gun owners) would view that story. Criminals are making fully automatic (we don't know that for sure) machine guns/assault weapons. Illegally. The laws aren't stopping them.
Is that a call for more gun laws or an admission of the current laws' failure?
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