When Antiques are Outlawed, Only Outlaws with Have Antiques

Where did AFP dig this up, the Smithsonian?

While the blurred edges and inadequate lighting make a positive ID very difficult, it certainly appears that AFP might be using a century-old 1903 Colt Hammerless pistol in this obviously and admitted staged photo related to the Virginia Tech massacre.

* * *

Update: Speaking of guns lost in time, an eagle-eyed Glennstapundit links to a gun control article at the Huffington Post, ~~noting that the guns in the photo aren't real; they're Airsoft~~.

You would think that some subtle clues would encourage the HuffPuffers to question the authenticity of the weapons pictured--perhaps the grenade launcher component slung under the barrel of the gun held by the guy in the white shirt might have clued them in, or the fact that the rifle in question was a prototype cancelled in 2005--but apparently these little details slipped through the cracks.

They do give the Associated Press photo credit, however, and I wonder if the AP might have botched it as well.

Update: According to Canada.com, the AP photo shows firearms on display at an NRA convention in Pittsburgh, PA. A quick Google search indicates that the convention was held in April, 2004. The firearms in question appear to be part of a "hands on" display focusing on next-generation military combat rifles.

They are decidedly not for sale in Virginia, as the Huffington Post article seems to imply, and could not be sold to civilians under federal law, as all of the firearms displayed are automatic weapons manufactured after 1986.

The Huffington Post is lying with pictures, just not in the way we originally thought. Thanks to SayUncle's "Quack" for catching the photo's origins.

Posted by: Confederate Yankee at 01:13 PM

Comments

1 CY:

Why did you use line-through markup instead of simply removing or changing the post to reflect the updated information? I see this done every once in a while on various sites, and I guess I missed the memo on the reasoning behind it.

Posted by: Doc Washboard at May 11, 2007 07:24 PM (wbZIb)

2 Doc, on the starboard side of the 'sphere we still believe in owning up to our mistakes. It's called "integrity." Memory Holes are for the Lefties.

Posted by: Bill Faith at May 11, 2007 09:48 PM (n7SaI)

3 nice weapon. BTW, i do that strikethough thing to. its a good idea, shows your not underhanded.

Posted by: jamal at May 13, 2007 10:17 AM (g8EqA)

4 Doc,

Let me put it in a less contentious way. (Do we on the right call them "teaching moments?" I've only heard that term from left-wingers, but it seems a useful one.)

It's customary on a lot of blogs to indicate corrections when they're made. This way if someone linked to the post with a comment, the original material is intact. And, if you go back to a story later, for reference, you can see if things have changed.

The news sources try to provide the best info they can right now, and the best truth eventually for archival research. But they don't provide a back-trail showing prior erroneous reports.

This infuriates bloggers because they will discuss something in a news story, and then the something will suddenly unexist.

BTW I personally prefer to see updates because they carry over if the text is cut and pasted to a text-only format. Like the comments here.

Here's some cut and paste:
"Update: Speaking of guns lost in time, an eagle-eyed Glennstapundit links to a gun control article at the Huffington Post, noting that the guns in the photo aren't real; they're Airsoft."

All the formatting would have to be reconstructed, and it's easy to get wrong.

Posted by: Sam at May 14, 2007 12:55 PM (6GFTi)

5 BTW I like the approach used in the post "Please Tell Me This In't True" much better.

Posted by: Sam at May 14, 2007 12:56 PM (6GFTi)

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