Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 Roundup

21 guns, in, um, more than 21 days as was promised back in December. Question: why did Cheesesteak start this series? Answer: guns are an integral part of American society, and their portrayal in the media is at time hysterical, worshipful, confused, and occasionally spot-on. Guns are of course one of the few legal consumer products whose proper use results in violence, with occasional mayhem, death, and destruction for good measure. By focusing on this selection of 21 guns in the media eye over 2007 Bostodelphia attempted to illuminate the media coverage and the consequences of a high rate of gun ownership by a populace that's very enthusiastic about their uses, whether those uses are as exercises of a Constitutional right or as tools of law enforcement and foreign policy.

Ok, yeah, there were a few cop-outs along the way (I take the blame for the M3, I was out of ideas that day). There's also the fact that a real 21 gun salute is 7 guns, fired 3 times, as I should have known right off the bat having played Taps at many Memorial Day services in my teens. Will this be repeated next year? Well, I suspect a 21 Cheese Salute of 2008 will be in the works. Check back in 11 months and find out.

In chronological order, here's the complete list:

1. Hi-Point 995 Carbine
2. FN SCAR
3. SIG P226 9mm
4. Heritage Rough Rider SA .22 Revolver
5. Glock 19
6. Bersa Thunder 380 Concealed Carry
7. Remmington M24 Sniper Weapon System
   
8. Walther P22
9. AC-130 arsenal
10. Barrett M82A1 0.50 caliber rifle
11. Sawed-off shotgun with birdshot
12. North American Arms .22 magnum revolver
    
13. Menacing "Black Rifles"
14. SIG P226 0.40 S&W
    
15. AMT Hardballer Longslide
16. M3 Grease Gun
17. Glock 17 9mm
18. M4 Carbine
19. Ruger 9mm
20. M-16 assault rifle
21. AK-47 assault rifle

There, tis done. And now to sleep, perchance to dream.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #1: The AK-47

In 2007, the AK-47 "lineage" (consisting of the original 1947 rifle and too many iterations to number of the original design, manufactured both in the USSR/Russia and former allies and client states) turned 60 years old. According to a New York Times article covering the celebration of the guns' birthday, it seems the originators of what was once the gun of people (or in our post Cold War economic terms, perhaps the first open source machine tooled military weapon) are now kicking themselves over squandered intellectual property rights. The rifle's got quite the brand affinity community, the Soviets just should have thought more like their capitalist enemies in terms of licensing it seems.

Ok. I'm out of ammo, my wad is shot.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #20: M16

A modern icon, the M16 has been used by US armed forces since 1964.  What's there to be said that hasn't been already?  It's #2 on the list due to its active use in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it has spawned countless copies, myths, and legends in the past 40+ years.   An early reputation for misfires and jams reminds one of the ill thought-out Top 21 gun count here on this blog, which while interesting enough to remind us of the bizarro-world place that guns hold in our society became painfully long running.  A similar criticism to the M4 holds: with a military budget approaching $1 trillion, shouldn't the US soldier carry the very best rifle, not one that's merely good and that is superceded in many areas by other guns?

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #19: Ruger 9mm

When trying to find information on the gun related incidents among the earlier mentioned 391 violent deaths that occurred in Philadelphia over 2007 (interactive Philadelphia homicide map for 2007), details on the make of specific firearms are left out. Generally when a suspect is apprehended, there is a mention of the caliber of the weapon allegedly used in the charged murder, but little else. From what we could cull here at Bostodelphia, 9mm semiautomatic pistols were the most common form of pistol used in Philadelphia homicides. Given that, we'll presume the dated information in this 1999 Crime Gun Trace Report put out by the ATF's Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative is still accurate in identifying Ruger 9mm's as the most common gun used in Philadelphia gun related crime.

Of course some Philadelphians don't care to hear anything at all about Philadelphia's gun crimes. (For the record, one of the reasons Bostodelphia opted to do this salute was to get people to think more about America's pervasive gun culture in general). Their justification stems from data indicating 2/3 of Philadelphia's 2006's shooting victims had mugshots on file with the police. This has led some folks, perhaps as a psychological defense mechanism in order to live and work in a city with an inordinate amount of gun violence, or more cynically psychologically protect their property value "investment" in areas affected by gun crime, to develop a "they had it coming stance" to news of shooting victims. These sentiments occasionally vent onto the internet and in some cases lead to people reflecting badly on their neighborhoods. For the record, the Daily News article is a bit unfair. In the discussion thread from which the "Scumbag" quote was pulled, you'll find that while the bulk of the word count in the thread, or the posts with the largest "volume" may be siding with the "victim had it coming" assertion, the bulk of the posters thought the uninformed assertion was as pigheaded as the reporter and the victim's family judged.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #18: M4 carbine

A shorter and lighter version of the M16A2, the M4 carbine is in active use with US forces around the world, and in particular in Iraq, which is why it's mentioned here. Being shorter and lighter than the M16, it is especially useful in close quarter combat and cramped conditions. All is not rosy in the M4 world, since it is frequently criticized for not being as good a weapon as it could be. Senator Tom Colburn sent a letter to the Army in the spring of 2007 urging reconsideration of this gun, an excerpt follows:

I understand that the Army decided to procure M4 Carbines in the early 1990’s to fill the gap between the M16 and 9mm pistol. At that time the Army specifically framed the requirement as the “Required Operational Capability (ROC) for the M4 Carbine.” M4 is a trademark name owned by Colt. Is it standard practice in Army acquisition to tie a requirement to a trademarked product?

I am certain that we can all agree that America’s soldiers should have the best technology in their hands. There is nothing more important to a soldier than their rifle, and there is simply no excuse for not providing our soldiers the best weapon – not just a weapon that is “good enough.” Unfortunately, considering the long standing reliability and lethality problems with the M-16 design, of which the M4 is based, I am afraid that our troops in combat might not have the best weapon.

Is it worth noting that no expense seems to be spared for fancy aircraft (B-2, F-22) or ships (pick a supercarrier), but that the Army and Marine Corps get shafted on weapons quality and "minor things" like armored Humvees and body armor?

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #17: 9mm Glock 17

The 9mm Glock 17 is the standard service weapon of the Philadelphia police department. While it's technically beyond the purview of our salute to '07, two police shootings over this weekend have raised the toll of dead by police weapons in Philadelphia for the year so far to 3. The 2007 death toll from police gunfire was 15, down 25% from 2006's toll of 20.

The first fatality of '08 was a man hit by police bullets after an officer responding to New Year's celebratory gunfire fired at a man standing in front of a residential doorway. The officer's 11 round volley hit his target, but also struck three people attending the New Year's party inside the residence.

It should be noted that 391 violent deaths also occurred in Philadelphia over '07 that had nothing to do with police gunfire. Small comfort may also be found in the slight drop those 391 deaths mark against 2006's murder total of 406.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #16: M3 Grease Gun

The M3 submachine gun, a.k.a. the "Grease Gun" for its resemblance to, well, a grease gun, was not in the news in 2007. Are we stretching a bit here? Perhaps, but 50 years ago in 1957 it was retired from US service, and we here at Bostodelphia like things that are evenly divisible by 10. Granted the gun was used into the '90's inside of cramped vehicles, but work with me here.

This gun was meant to be a cheap replacement for the popular (and expensive) Thompson submachinegun. Like the Thompson, it fires the 0.45 ACP pistol round. Gun forum poster brianh notes:

The M3 is truly an iconic American machinegun, but the truth is that there was very little that could be maintained on them (the were made so cheaply and simply) that when the broke the were simply scrapped rather than fixed. I once talked to a guy who was one of the original Delta Force Iranian hostage rescue team members. They used a lot of M3s and 1911s because Beckwith wanted them to carry machineguns and pistols that shared the same cartridge. He commented that they went through a LOT of M3s in training as they went through their "dump and run" drills (shoot the M3 until it's dry, toss the thing on the ground in front of you, draw your pistol and finish the fight). Rather than fix them they just requesitioned replacements. Why spend money to fix a gun that cost all of $12 to make in the first place?

However that cheapness came at a cost, since the gun never matched the popularity of the Thompson with US troops in either theatre of WWII. Finally, here's a video of it in action:

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #15 AMT Hardballer Longslide

Of course a .45 with the gunporn name "Hardballer Longslide" is going to have an extended barrel. We're not going to dwell much on its real world specs, as it was brought to Bostodelphia's attention as one of 47's weapons of choice in the Hitman line of videogames and 2007 film flop. As mentioned earlier this year, a promotional poster campaign depicting a profile of 47 and his Hardballer with a translucently clad woman draped behind him became and object of controversy in Philadelphia, being ill-timed with the recent shooting death of police officer Chuck Cassidy. The ads were removed from the SEPTA system they had been placed in, irking gun porn elements of the computer gaming community.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #14: Sig Sauer P 226 .40 S&W

Another P226, this time chambered for .40 S&W ammunition. The San Francisco PD adopted this pistol after dropping the 9mm Berreta as its standard service weapon. When police were called to the San Francisco Zoo to contend with an escaped tiger in the last days of '07, the officers brought down the animal with these.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #13: Menacing "Black Rifles"

"Black rifles" also called AR and AK style rifles, are rifles resembling or constructed along the same design as military combat rifles, minus the ability to fire fully automatic.

They became the subject of popular discussion after at the time popular hunting and outdoors writer Jim Zumbo denounced them in a column, finding them in conflict with the traditional relationship between hunter and rifle and also just ugly aesthetically. While it seems to Bostodelphia a fair point to suggest that an auto-loading rifle with a more gentle recoil than traditional hunting long rifles may take some of the disciplined and practiced craft out of game hunting, and it's also personally reasonable to question whether the "military" vibe black rifles give off is an image the hunting community really wants to associate itself with, the gun community, both firearm owners and the gun industry, basically went postal on Zumbo's career, as chronicled in this account from the International Herald Tribune.

Really, we had never thought hunters would be so fashion conscious, or emotionally volatile when posed with aesthetic criticism.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #12: North American Arms .22 Magnum Mini-Revolver

This gun was already mentioned in our citation of the Heritage Arms Rough Rider .22. To jog review:

Last June, Philadelphia media reported about an incident around the Wonderland Pier of Ocean City, N.J. where an off duty Philadelphia police officer lost his (presumably personal, non service) North American Arms .22 magnum revolver. Unlike the gun pictured in this post, the gun in this incident can actually fit in the palm of an adult's hand, and apparently can be easily mistaken for a toy. In fact, the 16 year old girl who found it initially thought it was cap pistol until she fired it into a sand dune. Still, she held onto it, even taking it on one of the pier's rides. Fortunately, this incident doesn't go much beyond embarrassment for an unnamed police officer as the girl and the girl's mother turned the weapon in after reports of the officer's missing piece were televised.

While I hit Coddy pretty hard on the shock and awe front with the AC-130, I wanted to point out this little piece has been on the table all along, outside of his notice. That's the point of one these "pocket jobs", to coin a loaded phrase.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #11: Sawed off shotgun loaded with birdshot.

No make on this one, as "sawing off" a shotgun makes its manufactured specifications pretty irrelevent. A load of birdshot made Philadephia headlines when a wannabe thug Antonio Coulter tried to empty two shots of it pointblank into rookie Philly PD officer Richard Decoatsworth's face. Decoatsworth pulled through, and unlike a more nationally noticed birdshot victim from the year before, Bostodelphia believes Decoatsworth is a real stand up guy.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #10: Barrett M82A1 .50 Caliber sniper rifle system

Warning, gun porn enthusiasts: commentary within my initial lead for the below video imply it was actually made as part of a devious gun-control plot:

#10 Barrett


Presumably, over the past year this weapon has seen service in the armed forces overseas. Apparently, it's also available in some configuration to the American civilian. Now from this blogger's perspective, the folks at .50 Caliber Terror are a bit heavy handed in their effort to raise alarm and support legislation against these weapons. Their tally of .50 caliber rifle incidents over 2007 from my scan consists of incidents where .50 caliber rifles were indeed inventoried in the course of someone's arrest. However, not one of .50 Caliber Terror's incidents involve a rifle actually being deployed in a crime. That said, I was still put off by The Countertop Chronicle's Defense against a .50 caliber rifle's criminal potential and need for stronger regulation if not outright banning. In short, he claims, "I'd never."

Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 # 8 9 (Begin Rapid Fire Sequence)

Ok, ok. So we didn't quite finish the volley by year's end. I will that formally speaking, a 21-gun salute consists of seven guns shot simultaneously three times. To wrap things up though, here we begin the final lucky 13 guns of Bostodelphia's 2007 salute in rapid fire sequence:

#9 Everything Mounted on the AC-130 "Spectre/Spooky" Gunship



So likely thinking I was sleeping like some easily duped deputy with my heals up on an open gun cabinet, Coddy tried to get the draw on me with his Walther P22. Now, despite whatever notoriety the P22 may have in its association with the Virginia Tech massacre, some gun bloggers insist the weapon is merely a "fun gun" and not appropriate for killing human beings. Seriously, gun bloggers do belittle those of us trying to dissuade you with death statistics, poo pooing us for our lack of calloused trigger fingers.

Whatever. Fun gun or killing machine, I'm an American. As an American, I tend to overact against both perceived and actual threats with overwhelming firepower:



Note, it would be just like Coddy to try to use some sort of light-bending extraterrestrial-manufactured stealth suit to sneak up on me.

Of course, it's a pain in the ass to have to have pay subway, bus, and cab fare for this crew of racially diverse heavily-armed landscapers. So, when I'm walking through the urban environments of Philadelphia and find myself outgunned or just in a difficult tactical situation ... say my opposition is in a building, or they're around the corner and I don't feel like going after them ... call in an AC-130 "Spooky". The current "Spooky" configuration of the AC-130 carries the following: 1 25 mm GAU/12 Equalizer gatling gun, 1 40 mm L60 Bofors cannon, 1 105 mm M102 howitzer
or 2 30 mm Bushmaster II cannons and 1 105 mm M102 howitzer. I'm not well versed in the Geneva Convention, but I'm pretty sure all this ordinance is considered "anti-material" and not for anti-personal purposes. Nevertheless, the "Spooky," according to this NPR report, is being used in counter-insurgency actions in Iraq, including the arrests of suspected insurgents and fighting in urban areas.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #8: Walther P22

The Walther P22 is a 0.22 caliber pistol. It is the other firearm used in the infamous Virginia Tech Massacre. Costs around $300. 'nuff said.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #7: Remmington M24 Sniper Weapon System

The Remmington M24 Sniper Weapon System (SWS) is the standard issue rifle for snipers in the U.S. Army. Both Remmington and official Army jargon refer to this rifle as a "system" as opposed to simply a "rifle" because of the essential use of a scope and other accessories beyond the basic working of the rifle proper in the sniper's mission. According to Remmington's specifications, the M24 is 43" in length, has a combat weight of 6.5 kg with an integral 5 round magazine, capable of firing either 7.62 Nato or Winchester 300 Magnum ammunition. It has an effective range of 800 meters with its day scope, and over 300 meters with its night scope.

Some U.S. Army snipers in Iraq issued the M24 have come under media and military justice fire for tactics allegedly given them by the army's Asymmetric Warfare Group. Apparently, the AWG advised sniper teams to plant explosives, wire, rifles, and other materials useful to insurgents as "bait" to draw insurgents into a sniper's sites. Because this tactic is part of larger classified program of instruction the AWG provides a broad range of Army units, the existence of this program leaves the civilian observer wanting for clarification. For example, it's unclear why active, organized, and presumably covertly operating insurgents would risk picking up materials outside of their particular faction's supply chain. It's also unclear how a sniper is to determine whether someone in contact with the bait materials is indeed an insurgent or other "bad guy" as opposed to someone troubled with or made curious by such materials in his or her neighborhood or path. What is clear is that this tactic, while controversial, is apparently legitimate in the military and its oversight's eyes, as the snipers in the referenced court martial covered by the Timeswere tried not for employing these tactics, but adapting them to place "drop weapons" on the corpses of Iraqis to justify their shootings.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #6: Bersa Thunder 380 Concealed Carry

Specific makes and models of firearms are hard to come by in the major market media's coverage of gun use. Bostodelphia selects the Bersa Thunder 380 Concealed Carry as number six in our 21 gun salute to 2007 because we were looking for a .380 semi-automatic pistol that met the descriptors "easily concealed" and "cheap" for reasons you'll see below. The Bersa .380 came out on top of our search. It is also to our knowledge the first firearm on our list to receive the endorsement "pocket rocket" from a YouTube gun model.

Jeff Quinn clears things up over at Gunblast. The Bersa 380 is not so much "cheap" as a serious "bargain." In Quinn's own words on the weapon itself:

The Concealed Carry (CC) is a slimmed and trimmed version of the Bersa Thunder .380, and the subtle changes make a big difference in the feel and concealability of the weapon. The CC weighs in at only 17.4 ounces unloaded, and is about the same size as my J-frame Smith & Wesson. The CC uses the same eight-shot magazines of the Thunder, but with a flat magazine floorplate for better concealment. The grip panels are very thin, but textured for a secure grasp. The backstrap is rounded and grooved, with finger grooves machined into the frame for a very comfortable hold. All of the controls are low-profile, but easy to reach and operate. The thumb safety is right side only, serves to safely drop the hammer without firing the weapon, and imposes a block between the hammer and firing pin, while disconnecting the trigger. The weapon also has a magazine disconnect safety, rendering the pistol inoperable when the magazine is removed. On the left side of the slide is a loaded chamber indicator. On the left side of the frame, just above the trigger, is an internal key lock for those who like to use such devices to secure the weapon from firing. Also on the left side is the slide release lever and magazine release button. On the right side of the frame is the take-down latch for easy disassembly of the weapon for cleaning. Like its big brother, the Concealed Carry has a barrel that is fixed to the frame, which also serves as a recoil spring guide rod. It is a very simple, reliable blow-back operated weapon. As stated earlier, the Bersa CC is very close in size to a five-shot thirty-eight, but is much thinner. It conceals very well in a jeans pocket or a slim holster. In an inside-the-pants holster, it would all but disappear. It is a very concealable weapon, and with a nine-shot total capacity, offers almost twice the firepower of the five-shot thirty-eight. Needless to say, I was elated when the long-awaited little pistol finally arrived. (emphasis added by Bostodelphia --cti)

With our selection thoroughly covered by the well-versed Mr. Quinn, we at Bostoldephia can now dwell on the factor that drew this firearm to our attention, concealability. Aside from avoiding whatever social stigma open carriage of a firearm may draw down upon ou, so to speak, the ability to conceal your weapon is just the feature one may want in order to get the jump on one's opponents. It's unknown whether the Bersa Thunder 380 Concealed Carry was the .380 automatic a particular individual was packing when he attempted to ambush two workers in an attempted robbery of David Geppert Recycling this past October. What is now known is the element of surprise may be lost when you yourself are surprised that the employees of your target business are encouraged to carry weapons themselves and use them if accosted by an armed robber.

It should be said that firearms and recycling's meeting in Philadelphia need not always be so violent. Rather, while a local artist isn't exactly implementing the swords to plowshares principle to the letter, unless you wish to wax metaphorical about furrowing the fields of fashion or whatnot, her gesture is appreciated in a city with a lot of lethal iron lying around.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #5: Glock 19

The Glock 19 is an extremely popular weapon amongst law enforcement and private citizens. Firing the 9mm cartridge, it can use magazines with capacities from 10-33 rounds. Online price seems to be about $450.

This gun gained a new infamy when it was used by Seung-Hui Cho in the April 16, 2007 Virginia Tech Massacre. There is a tremendous amount of acrimony regarding gun control in the United States. This crime was so terrible and the risk of the mentally ill gaining access to firearms is such an obviously bad idea that even Wayne la Pierre was on board with a new bill with Democrats in Congress to enhance background checks on handgun purchases.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #4: Heritage Rough Rider SA .22 Revolver

Number four in our twenty-one gun salute to 2007 was selected for the budget conscious. Made in the U.S.A., the Heritage Rough Rider single action .22 revolver has a manufacturer's suggested retail price of just over $160, but simply typing "Heritage Rough Rider" and ".22." into Google gives product search results as low as a little over $140.

While the phrase "Saturday Night Special" is more a term of journalism and politics than technical classification, .22 revolvers like the Heritage Rough Rider are cheap guns. In the online gun culture, some reference is made to "kit" or "starter" guns, usually with .22 revolvers in mind, presumably having something to do with their ease of use and low monetary investment. For instance, in a 2003 post on plans to attend Washington state gun show, gun blogger "Jeffersonian" opines, "Not expecting to expand the collection, unless I find a splendid deal on a .22 revolver for luring people into the gun culture." If the AK-47 makes our salute (duh), there may well be some punning about "gateway drugs". However, we at Bostodelphia want to point out here that some in the self-styled gun culture do apparently speak of "gateway guns."

And sometimes the gateway opens a bit prematurely, and accidentally. Last June, Philadelphia media reported about an incident around the Wonderland Pier of Ocean City, N.J. where an off duty Philadelphia police officer lost his (presumably personal, non service) North American Arms .22 magnum revolver. Unlike the gun pictured in this post, the gun in this incident can actually fit in the palm of an adult's hand, and apparently can be easily mistaken for a toy. In fact, the 16 year old girl who found it initially thought it was cap pistol until she fired it into a sand dune. Still, she held onto it, even taking it on one of the pier's rides. Fortunately, this incident doesn't go much beyond embarrassment for an unnamed police officer as the girl and the girl's mother turned the weapon in after reports of the officer's missing piece were televised.

That said, less than a month later, a .22 revolver, perhaps more along the lines of the Rough Rider, initiated self-styled thug Charles Meyer into the American incarceration system. Meyers, 18 at the time, shot once and killed 14 year old Tykeem Law. Law was riding a bicycle in front of car transporting Meyer, and Law's unwillingness, reluctance, or inability to clear out of the vehicle's way to Meyer's satisfaction apparently prompted Meyer's firing. "With a body on him," as the thugs put it, Meyer was welcomed into the "inside" of the criminal fraternity with a variation of open arms: a courthouse holding cell beating on the day of his arraignment that postponed his hearing until late September.

Bostodelphia 21 Gun Salute to the Firearms of 2007 #3: SIG P226 9mm

Number three in our 21 gun salute to 2007 is our first pistol, the Sig Sauer P226. Chambered for 9mm, given a 12 pound trigger pull, and configured for DAO fire, the P226 is one of three pistols authorized for use as a NYPD service weapon. As a gun produced as a "service weapon" yet also produced for the civilian market, the P226 apparently runs the risk of losing a literal "beauty contest" that apparently takes place within the non-service weapon marketplace. For instance, take Jan Libourel's qualification within his otherwise excellent review of the piece in The Arms Sight:

Let's face it, some handguns are loaded with glamour, allure, "sex appeal" or whatever you want to call it - the Luger is one such gun that comes to mind, the Colt Python another. The SIG-Sauer P-226 is not such a pistol; it's built strictly for business. If your primary interest in a handgun is as an object of aesthetic contemplation a lovely thing with lustrous polish and blueing and a figured exotic wood stock, I suggest you forget about the P-226 right now and turn to the next article. If, on the other hand, you might be interested in a superbly accurate, rugged, reliable service auto that may just be the best thing of its kind in the world today, then read on ...

Having forgotten the likely metaphorical origins of colloquial references to a pistol as a "piece", the admittedly not gun buying contributors to Bostodelphia had not considered the above discussed "vanity" criteria to the gun buying market. This factor will certainly be weighed as we continue with our salute; but before continuing our salute to the P226 as an NYPD service weapon, it should be mentioned in the interest of fairness that Sig Sauer does manufacture, among a number of configurations, a special edition of this sidearm crossbranded in collaboration with a company that has been noted this year for both its service and vanity, Blackwater USA. As we're not sure whether the Blackwater P226 is in fact standard issue among Blackwater operators, and being sure that Blackwater will come up again at some point during our salute, we'll now return to the P226's more humble, less mercenary, service.

While actual statistics on the number of P226s on the streets with the NYPD have not been discovered by Bostodelphia, we'll gamble that there is a good chance a plain clothes police officer was carrying a P226 when she was assaulted by Philadelphia CBS3 anchor Alycia Lane. While this incident has generally been discussed in terms of Lane's recent scandal-checked and bad judgment call colored career, it wouldn't be Bostodelphia's Saulte to the Firearms of 2007, if we didn't also mention that Lane's career also included as a stint and anchor for NYC's Cable 12, where she covered the 1999 "41 shots" police shooting of Amadou Diallo. While members of Bostodelphia have propagated elsewhere the conspiracy theory that this whole incident was staged as "payback" against Lane's coverage, we weren't really taking that flight of paranoia seriously.