The dangers of homemade guns

(Baonghean) - In recent years, Nghe An province has witnessed numerous murders and tragic accidents caused by firearms and explosives. From the beginning of 2014 to the present, thanks to the control and prevention efforts of various levels and functional agencies, the number of incidents involving the illegal use of weapons and explosives has decreased significantly compared to previous years. However, the risk posed by homemade firearms and ammunition remains a potential threat…

Over the years, numerous murders involving homemade muzzle-loading guns have occurred in the western provinces of Nghe An province. A typical example occurred around 11 PM on June 24, 2014, when Lo Thanh Ba, 22, the second son of Mr. Lo Van Quang in Tam Quang commune (Tuong Duong district), returned home drunk. Seeing his son about to leave on his motorbike, the father tried to stop him, leading to a physical altercation. Hearing his younger brother's disrespectful behavior towards their father, Lo Van Ty, Mr. Quang's eldest son, rushed over to intervene. Enraged by his older brother's harsh words, Lo Thanh Ba went into the kitchen, grabbed a muzzle-loading gun, pointed it at his brother's chest, and pulled the trigger. The tragic outcome was that the older brother died instantly, the younger brother went to prison, and the father fell ill from grief. A once peaceful home was shattered by a homemade gun, commonly known as a muzzle-loading gun. In court, after sincerely pleading guilty, Lo Thanh Ba stated that one of the reasons for his rash actions was that there was a gun "already present in the house".

As for prisoner Moong Pho Menh, currently serving his sentence at Prison No. 6, he is constantly tormented by his past mistakes. That day, Pho Menh invited Luong Ba Choong, a fellow villager from Keng Du commune (Ky Son district), into the forest to find something to eat. Choong volunteered to imitate the sound of a wild chicken to lure Pho Menh into shooting. Unfortunately, after a burst of shots from Menh, Choong died. In the highlands of Tuong Duong, a few years ago, there was a case where children were playing with flintlock guns. Unexpectedly, the gun exploded, killing a child. This is not to mention the constant dangers faced by those who cut open bombs and ammunition to extract explosives.

For the people in the mountainous regions, flintlock guns are a symbol of "manliness." They are a long-standing "tool of production" and have become a custom. For many years, at the request of the authorities, most people have surrendered these guns along with other weapons and explosives they were illegally possessing and using. However, there are still many who either refuse to surrender or secretly manufacture and purchase them to "find food in the forest." According to Mr. Vừa Bùa Lỳ, residing in Tây Sơn commune (Kỳ Sơn district), making flintlock guns is quite simple; one only needs to go to Mường Xén market to buy steel pipes, weld them, and use a power drill to create the desired gun barrel.

In the lowlands, the illegal possession and use of firearms is largely concentrated among criminals and gangsters, who possess all kinds of homemade guns, including submachine guns, military-grade handguns, sawed-off guns, and other homemade weapons. In fact, serious murders involving firearms have occurred in Vinh City.

Not only are firearms being used, but more dangerously, some individuals are even opening workshops to manufacture guns for illicit profit. At noon on September 29, 2014, during a traffic violation investigation, a traffic police team from Nam Dan District Police discovered a young man illegally carrying a homemade revolver and three bullets. At the police station, Nguyen Van Chuong (born 1978) – the offender (residing in Dong Thuong hamlet, Dong Van commune, Thanh Chuong district) – confessed that he bought the gun from Tran Dinh Ngoc (residing in the same hamlet) for over 3 million VND for "self-defense." More than an hour later, Tran Dinh Ngoc (born 1969) was arrested by the police with evidence including two short-barreled revolvers, 260 sporting bullets, one air rifle, a set of blueprints for gun parts, dozens of unassembled gun parts, and many other related tools and materials. Ngoc admitted that he set up a tent by the fish pond in his garden to make homemade guns.

The suspect Tran Dinh Ngoc and the evidence related to the manufacture of revolvers.

Two years ago, at the home of Mr. Luong Van Truong in Huoi Mac village, Lang Khe commune (Con Cuong district), the police caught several individuals red-handed "manufacturing" guns, seizing 3 incomplete handguns, 1 electric drill, 1 electric grinder, 4 gun barrels, 17 drill bits of various types, and other related evidence.

According to official figures, from the beginning of 2014 to the present, the entire province has mobilized, inspected, and confiscated 117 military firearms, 193 sporting rifles, 3,317 flintlock rifles, 116 grenades, 339 artillery shells, and over 29,000 rounds of ammunition. In Ky Son district alone, nearly 9,000 homemade firearms and 8 grenades were seized.

Government Decree 25/2012/ND-CP dated April 5, 2012, detailing the implementation of several articles of Ordinance 16/2011 dated June 30, 2011, of the National Assembly Standing Committee on the management and use of weapons, explosives, and supporting tools, as well as Circular 30/2012 dated May 29, 2012, of the Ministry of Public Security, have specific and detailed regulations on handling acts of illegal production, trading, storage, and use of weapons and explosives, which are being implemented by all levels of government and relevant sectors. However, in reality, the recovery and management of weapons and explosives face many difficulties: the habit of using muzzle-loading guns, a long-standing custom of people in mountainous areas, is very difficult to change; some people still secretly store and use illegal homemade guns. In addition, recently, some areas in the province have seen a surge in crimes involving the use of firearms to resist law enforcement.

Therefore, in addition to stepping up propaganda efforts and raising awareness among the people about the hidden dangers of homemade guns, it is essential to have decisive action from all levels of government to tighten management; at the same time, strengthening the exemplary and pioneering role of village elders and influential people in surrendering weapons…

Viet Long