Chicago Crime Lab Gun Study marred by "TEC-11" Machine Pistol

Harold Pollack, one of the study Authors

A paper on where and how criminals obtain guns has been published in "Preventive Medicine" a rather peculiar place to publish a paper on the criminology of gun use.  Other than the apparent desire to medicalize crime that involves guns, the paper is reasonably well done, with some good information that reinforces much of what we already knew.  

A minor complaint is that the authors seem nearly as ignorant about guns as the criminals that they interview.  They use the terms "assault weapon" and "machine pistol" without any definition, and little knowledge.  Here are the quotes.   From sciencedirect.com:

Of the primary guns, just five would be classified as assault weapons, including a TEC-9, TEC-11, and AK47. As has frequently been reported, assault weapons play only a small role in everyday crime (Koper, 2013). Several mentioned a strong preference for large-capacity magazines for their firearms, noting that a magazine holding 30–50 rounds would give them a tactical advantage in a firefight.

and here

Others reported what appeared to be one-time events where they sold extra guns. For example, R17 reported that he had robbed a cell-phone store and recovered several guns which he sold. He reports “not needing a lot of guns.” R22 sold the first gun he owned, which had been in his possession for two years (since age 18), for $200. R31 was persuaded by a “homie” (fellow gang member) to trade his TEC-11 (a machine pistol) for a car — he did not want to part with the pistol, but needed the car.

The double reference to a "TEC-11 (a machine pistol)" is rather peculiar.  I have not heard of such a firearm, though I am willing to be educated.   It may be related to the mythical AK-15, an mishmash of AK 47 and AR-15.  There is a TEC-9 and a MAC-11, so perhaps that is what occurred.  Real machine pistols are rare.

The researchers relied on the interviewees for the models of the guns, and it is clear that the interviewees are rather ignorant.   Still, to determine that a model that is rather important in a couple of paragraphs really exists should be worth a 3 minute Internet search.

There is a Kel-Tec P-11 pistol, but it is an ordinary pistol, nothing like a machine pistol.  I do not believe that it is on any government list as a "assault weapon".

Similarly there are very few actual AK47 assault rifles in the United States.

There are quite a few AK47 type rifles, and the researchers would have done well to mention that.   Simply calling the firearm an "AK47 type" rifle would not have taken much effort.  It was the only rifle in the entire study.

Technical mistakes do much to mar what otherwise appears to be an interesting bit of research.


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