A Spanish-language article at ElImparcial.com has a considerable amount of detail regarding the weapons seized, including the "anti-aircraft gun" the Agence France-Presse article mentions. I was definitely off-base thinking the gun was an Oerlikon GAI-BO1, but I guess I wasn't thinking
of a .50-caliber gun like the Browning that was seized as a true AA gun, although it can be used for that purpose.
According to inetres.com: "The M2 .50 caliber machine gun is an automatic, belt-fed, recoil-operated, air-cooled, crew-operated machine gun. This gun may be mounted on ground mounts and most vehicles as an anti-personnel and anti-aircraft weapon. The gun is capable of single-shot (ground version M2), as well as automatic fire and was used to a very limited degree as a sniper weapon during the Vietnam war. The weapon provides automatic weapon suppressive fire for offensive and defensive purposes. This weapon can be used effectively against personnel, light armored vehicles; low, slow flying aircraft; and small boats."
The last sentence pretty much answers the questions I posed in my last post regarding what a DTO might use this type of weapon for, although I still think a .50 caliber is overkill, and I still haven't seen any reports of a Barrett or Browning being used against the Mexican army or law enforcement. If any readers have links to news stories of these guns being used against Mexican authorities, please send them my way. I'd also love to hear your theories of why DTOs are going to the trouble of acquiring these cumbersome and powerful weapons if they're just going to collect dust.
The Browing .50 on tripod is NOT the antiaircraft weapon mounted in pickup bed that was seized. Check photo#4 in el Universal photo gallery http://fotos.eluniversal.com.mx/coleccion/muestra_fotogaleria.html?idgal=6591
Posted by: July Dogs | April 15, 2009 at 04:20 PM
July Dogs, you're absolutely right...that's the best photo I've seen of it yet. Unfortunately, the only reporting I've seen with a list of weapons seized only mentions the Barrett and the Browning .50 calibers. Do any readers know what kind of AA gun is pictured in #4?:
http://fotos.eluniversal.com.mx/coleccion/muestra_fotogaleria.html?idgal=6591
Posted by: Sylvia Longmire | April 15, 2009 at 05:48 PM
the photo is a .30 cal not a .50cal
Posted by: grayman | August 19, 2009 at 03:31 PM
http://narcosphere.narconews.com/notebook/bill-conroy/2009/05/was-anti-aircraft-gun-seized-mexico-big-hoax The weapon in question was a semi-auto replica. As usual the press has not done its homework.
Posted by: Ronald McDonald | October 31, 2009 at 10:23 PM
RM - You're absolutely right. I didn't write an update on it, but I believe the replica was purchased in Oregon. I love how the Mexican media makes everything sound like something they seized from a DTO is one step short of a nuclear device. Thanks for your input!
Posted by: Sylvia Longmire | November 02, 2009 at 07:21 AM
Hi great blog The weapon provides automatic weapon suppressive fire for offensive and defensive purposes. This weapon can be used effectively against personnel, light armored vehicles; low, slow flying aircraft; and small boats."
Posted by: Buy Viagra | November 06, 2009 at 05:25 PM