Early reports indicate that the shooter who attacked the Republican congressional baseball practice was armed with a 9mm handgun and a Chines Type 56 rifle, more commonly known by it’s Russian acronym, the SKS. The SKS is a self loading rifle which fires the same round as the AK-47, but is fed from a semi-fixed 10 round magazine. It is legal in all states because it lacks the features to make it an “Assault Rifle” under various state laws.
An inexpensive gun, the SKS was imported in very large numbers by the Chinese since the 1990’s and sold widely through the US as a hunting and recreational rifle. Some models featured a bayonet and other varients had larger magazines.
No details are known about the 9mm pistol at this time.
The Chicago Tribune states that the shooter purchased an SKS rifle and a 9mm pistol in Illinois, legally and had a Firearms Owner Identification Card (FOID) a concealed carry permit from Illinois. That is unverified.
