S.C. Sheriff's Department Armored Vehicle with Belt-Fed Machine Gun, page 1

S.C. Sheriff's Department Armored Vehicle with Belt-Fed Machine Gun

www.policemag.com

The Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff's Department has acquired an armored personnel carrier complete with a turret-mounted .50-caliber belt-fed machine gun for its Special Response Team.

Sheriff Leon Lott told the Columbia State newspaper that he hoped the vehicle, named "The Peacemaker," would let the bad guys know that his officers are serious.

"We don't look at this as a killing machine," Lott told the paper. "It's going to keep the peace.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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I can almost hear the coming of the US "police state" clanking down the road right know!

This is just a little too much "military" and not enough "law enforcement" for me.

Now the police feel justified in having .50 caliber machine guns to use on citizens

Police work is usually done in close proximities and usually they are after one or two people together who broke a law. That is not the setting that a .50 caliber belt fed machine gun was designed to be used for.

If they fire that thing, that bullet is going through houses, it might go through three houses or more. This is not a gun that should be in their armory.

www.policemag.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 9/3/2008 by Keyhole]

Oh, and your gonna love this quote from the sheriff who bought the vehicle!

South Carolina sheriff buys tank to conduct raids

The Richland County, South Carolina Sheriff's Department (that's them above) just obtained an armored personnel carrier, complete with a belt-fed, .50-cal turreted machine gun. Sheriff Leon Lott has charmingly named the vehicle "The Peacemaker," and insists that using a caliber of ammunition that even the U.S. military is reluctant to use against human targets (it's generally reserved for use against armored vehicles) will "save lives."

It's probably going kill more people than it is going to save.

reply to post by Keyhole

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Yeah I saw the quote, he probably believes in the intimidation factor of it.

I bet he thinks he won't need to bother negotiating with hostage takers anymore.

reply to post by eNumbra

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They were likely given that equipment surplus or very cheap. The APC is old Vietnam era equipment as is likely the 50 cal.

Originally posted by jerico65

Well, the cops are using them for protection against RPGs, but riots and people armed with bottles and bricks. Small arm fire, too.

According to one article, they are going to be using it during raids!

South Carolina Sheriff Buys Tank to Conduct Raids

reply to post by jerico65

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An RPG will go through this track vehicle like a hot knife through butter. That is a surplus M-113A3 Vietnam era APC repainted black. Intimidating looking and effective for most rifle and pistol calibers but designed mostly to stop shrapnel from Viet-Cong mortar attacks which was killing a lot of grunts in those days.

The Cong destroyed a lot of them with their Chinese knock off RPGs during the conflict. They are most vulnerable on the driver side just behind the driver compartment or if you take out a track which is weakest on the outside link pins. Hit them in a link pin and they are rolling off of their track on one side and can only spin in a circle. Place an RPG round just above the track shroud behind the driver for the weakest spot.

From above they are very vulnerable to a cheap fuel bomb if they are not buttoned up tightly. If there is a gunner on the 50 you can be sure it is not buttoned up and the gunner has little protection so he is vulnerable and easy to sight in on. An AP+incendiary 50 cal will cut right through it as well and they are available surplus.

Like I said it will provide police with a false sense of security from a real threat and is only good for intimidating the defenseless or lightly armed and untrained. I trained in these decades ago and I am well aware of their vulnerabilities as it is taught to all drivers and armored infantry unit personnel during our training.

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