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Mike Freeman of CBS Sports has a column today that, while withholding judgment about whether Marvin Harrison was involved in the shooting outside his North Philadelphia bar last week, questions why Harrison owned the Belgian gun that is at the center of the investigation.
Freeman gives some details about the gun, a Fabrique Nationale 5.7 firearm, noting that it has been advertised for its ability to pierce 48 layers of Kevlar at 50 meters.
Writes Freeman:Â “Does it bother anyone that an NFL player allegedly owns a gun in which its main attraction to potential buyers is the fact that its ammunition can penetrate body armor? Body armor most times worn by police?”
It’s probably safe to say that it bothers the NFL. The league’s official policy on guns for all employees, including players, states, “In some circumstances, such as for sport or protection, you may legally possess a firearm or other weapon. However, we strongly recommend that you not do so.”
May 5th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Why would anybody need to pierce 48 layers of Kevlar????
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Rating: 2.8 / 5 with 11 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Aww his poor nice guy image up in smoke. Just another turd. I wonder if a suspension will come out of this when all is said and done?
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Rating: 3.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
I still can’t believe this about Harrison. I hope somehow they prove he didn’t do it, he always seemed like one of the good guys of the NFL. Of course, now it’s too late, now that all this is coming out about him. As for players owning guns, it seems like after what happened to Sean Taylor, God rest his soul, that it seems players should carry guns because if he wasn’t in the spotlight, rich and famous, that may not have happened but unfortunately players won’t always be smart about carrying guns.
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Rating: Not yet rated
May 5th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
On a positive note, Mike Shanahan was reportedly struck by a bullet from this exact gun and was not even knocked off of his feet from 25 feet away. How many layers of kevlar does he wear?! Solve for X
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Rating: 4.85 / 5 with 9 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
As a gun owner I can safely speculate that being able to pierce body armor worn by the police most likely has nothing to do with the reason that Harrison owns a .50 caliber hand gun. I don’t own one, but I would definitely like to… simply because they are freakin’ cool.
Some people just don’t understand the coolness factor as it relates to firearms. I am willing to bet that Freeman has never fired a weapon before.
Kitchen knives can slash the unprotected throats of police officers everywhere. I wonder if Freeman owns any kitchen knives. If so, I wonder what his motives are for possessing such dangerous weapons.
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Rating: 2.2 / 5 with 26 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
48 layers of kevlar eh?
Shannhans best be careful
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Its fine to possess a gun if it is being used for self defense. These guys live in nice houses, and are probably sometimes targeted for burglarly or robbery if someone got a hold of their address. But to be in possession of a weapon that contains armor piercing bullets is a little ridiculous. Thats unecessary. Not that Marvin Harrison is the type to attempt an armored truck heist. Its just a little much
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
The FN five-seven handgun shoots 5.7mm ammunition, which is also used in several of FN’s rifles. It should be noted that just about ANY ammunition fired out of a rifle will be capable of defeating body armor.
However, most rounds fired out of a handgun usually lack the velocity and power to defeat body armor, and those rounds that are capable (Armor-Piercing) are usually regulated or restricted to law-enforcement or military only.
So, I wouldn’t worry about the fact that the FN advertises that it can defeat body armor, as the only people who can obtain the proper ammo are probably the same people only wearing body armor.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Have to look at the rare case someone were to bust into his house or club wearing body armor and he had a normal gun fired a few times and did nothing then hes shot and killed. if I owned a gun I’d have one that could pierce the armor of a vest as well, just in the rare case someone smart busted into my home with a firearm, I want that guy to go down and down quick and not risk the chance of me getting killed.
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
BTW, a 5.7mm round is equivalent in diameter to a .22 caliber round.
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May 5th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Want to bet that Co-Commissioner’s Goddell and Polian are able to bury this story or somehow implicate the Patriots? After all, a Colt could never do anything wrong.
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Rating: 2.55 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
@Savage Beatings: I’m guessing Freeman’s motive for owning kitchen knives is for cooking.
I’m not saying one way or the other about gun ownership, but if you own a .50 caliber hand gun, you probably should keep it at home and locked up. Especially if you’re only motive for owning it is because it’s “freakin’ cool”.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Where do we have confirmation it was .50cal? I have yet to hear it from anywhere but comments…
Also, when I think .50cal, I think rifle. I’m sure it’s (relatively) less maiming coming from a hand gun than the .50cal rifle in the movie “Jackal”
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May 5th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Someone’s seen the movie “Heat” one too many times. What are the odds of the riot police trying to rob his bar? And could he have found a MORE traceable handgun?
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May 5th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Just because he doesn’t celebrate touchdowns or speak to the media doesn’t make him a “good guy”. Ive wondered about him since the choking a child allegations came up at the Probowl years back.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Standard mainstream media, anti-gun sentiment. Same arguement of “why do you need _____?”
I got news for the author, MANY guns will pierce Kevlar. There’s nothing special about that.
All guns kill people, not just the scary looking ones.
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:55 pm
The gun debate rages on. While I think guns are way too prevalent in this country and there is certainly no need to own a gun like this (other than the coolness factor), as long as it is legal, people will own them. It is interesting that the NFL has taken a stance in the ownership of guns by its players however given the fact that Sean Taylor would most likely be alive today had he had a gun by his bed instead of a machete.
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Rating: 2.65 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
why is marvin harrison still hanging out in north philadelphia…..I know all about “keeping it real,” but I’m from philly, worked in north philly for 2 1/2 years, and it’s not a really nice place to hang out….frankly, I’m surprised it took him this long to get into serious shit hanging out in the hood….shame on marvin for putting himself in this situation….just another turd.
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Rating: 3.8 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I’ve hung out in that neighborhood (it’s actually pretty close to the art museum in the Rocky movies). Sad to say, but a lot of the bad guys around there have body armor too. Actually, there’ve been some nights that I wish I had body armor!
As for the “guns are cool” guy, no - they’re really not. Maybe if you’re up in Montana and you haven’t eaten in three days and could REALLY go for a mountain lion sandwich, it’d be cool to have one - but not in a city. If you want to live where everybody packs heat, move to Afghanistan and look for Osama.
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Rating: 3.85 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Savage,
Kitchen knives also have other purposes. Like preparing food.
Handguns that can can pierce Kevlar are designed to, well, pierce Kevlar. Handy in Baghdad. Not real practical for much else.
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Rating: 3.75 / 5 with 13 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
It really doesn’t matter what the NFL policy on guns is. If they tried to punish him simply for owning a gun, they would be in more trouble then they want with lots of national attention from all sides of the spectrum . Bottom line, the right to own a gun is determined by the US constitution not the NFL office. Any wavering from this can be seen to be futile in the most recent supreme court case reiterating a citizens right to own a firearm. And, even though the NFL can set its own policys as a independent organization, they would be way out of their league to try to impose any ban on hand guns or any other gun particularly this soon after the hand gun case in DC. They simply dont have anywhere near that kind of clout, not to mention the public outcry would be potentially harmfull to the league regardless of its stance on the issue.
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Rating: 4.75 / 5 with 11 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Freeman needs to grow up.
I have firearms that can also penetrate Kevlar. But some people collect guns. I bet the resale on that Firearm that Harrison has continually increases every year.
Should it be an issue that he had a firearm that can beat Kevlar, NO what should be the issue is the weapon NO MATTER what the capabilities are was used during the commission of a crime.
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Rating: 4.35 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Savage that post was quite stupid. I own a car, does that mean I want to run people over? I think you are missing the point. Kitchen knives, cars, and other practical items have actual uses in everyday life. This kevlar destroying terrorist toter has no other practical use than to kill people.
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Rating: 3.4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
“…they are freakin’ cool…” Wow. Thanks Beavis. By the way, at how many meters will a kitchen knife pierce 50 layers of kevlar?
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Rating: 3.4 / 5 with 8 rating(s)
May 5th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I suppose the excuse will be that he’s a high profile athlete and that he needs to be able to protect himself.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)