Was a gun, in fact, used to assassinate Abe?

Looking closely at this image of the weapon used, it appears to me to be a couple of pipes taped to a board and what seems to be some sort of electronic ignition source. Wires underneath leading into the end caps, and what may be a battery mounted underneath.

Can this even be technically defined as a gun, or an open ended pipe bomb? I don’t know.

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Remington had a rifle with electronic ignition a few decades ago. It required special ammunition to match.

Etronics or something.

It doesn’t surprise me that a homemade firearm in Japan used electronic ignition instead of mechanical ignition.

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only goes to show, where there is a will, there is a way.

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Another data point that proves evil intent will have its way without regard to laws that only serve to disarm the righteous.

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I would consider this a firearm. Looks like a simple homemade muzzle loader but with an electric ignition system instead of a percussion cap or flint lock.

Goes to show you that outlawing guns won’t stop murderers. They will just get or make their firearms illegally or resort to other methods.

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My question is how did this guy conceal this thing well enough to get close enough to Abe to actually hit him with it?

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In most places, you could carry a cannon and no one would give you a second look. I think this might be especially true in a place like Japan where almost no one owns a gun, let alone a handgun.

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Based on the images it looks like the shoulder strap the gun was attached to also had a blue sack attached before he was tackled. Suspect his homemade weapon was inside or behind the sack and it looked like a typical shoulder bag.

Being a former government official I suspect the security detail and measures were not extensive.

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RE: pic supplied by @Gary263 Looks like a mag was used as a grip, notice the arc.

My bets are 100% homemade with zero production parts. Probably not even loaded with cartridges.

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Not if it was electronically fired. Probably gunpowder and something like a ball bearing. They’ll most likely never reveal too many details so other wannabes don’t try to copy it.

However, I’m sure we smarter-than-average gun owners could easily figure it out.

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Possibly, but mags are probably just as hard to come across in Japan as guns. Could be just another piece of wood covered in duct tape. Definitely not a Hogue.

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I couldn’t even see smoke in the video I watched.

Black powder could be scavenged from fireworks.

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In the full size photo you can see it was not attached to a shoulder strap. The black strap you see was just the strap for his backpack.

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Here’s the full photo. The security person seems to be carrying a small subcompact or maybe a small revolver. He didn’t even draw it. Funnily enough his holster also seems to be held together with tape. Must be a Japan thing.

By the way the photo credit is Nara Shimbun/Kyodo News via AP. Don’t wanna get in trouble for using it.

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Thanks for the clearer image. Haven’t watched any of the videos but assume he pulled it out of his pack?

Looks like only a couple of guards were somewhat nearby and the area wasn’t blocked off. Think it would be hard to stop a person who didn’t mind getting caught given those conditions. Unless the guards were being very vigilant and responding aggressively to anyone who approached.

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Can’t say I disagree with you @Barry54 , An AR mag would be as hard to get as any real gun parts. Just has a very recognizable arc. The video I saw showed smoke. But we all know how inaccurate early release news clips can be.

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Smokeless powder, too, which is not actually smokeless, just less so compared to gun powder (aka black powder).

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Strictly speaking, in the U.S., a firearm is “any weapon (including a starter gun) which will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive” (18 U.S.C., § 921(a)(3)). So technically, yes. At least here anyway.

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