For over five years, a man known as the AK-47 Bandit robbed at least seven banks.
The FBI gave the man the name because he wore a dark balaclava ski mask, body armor, and black gloves, and carried an AK-47 rifle with a drum magazine during his robberies.
During one of his robberies, he shot and wounded a police officer.
FBI Agent Kevin Boles said, “He has shown he is not afraid to shoot someone, and experience tells us he is not going to stop robbing banks until we catch him.”
The bank robberies occurred all over the west from California to Oregon to Nebraska.
As the FBI hunted the bank robber, they used billboard ads, digital online ads, and reward money leading to the arrest of the robber.
But, the way the robber was linked to the robberies ended up being something you’d expect in a Hollywood movie.
Richard Gathercole was arrested in Nebraska for attempting to kill a police officer. While sitting in jail Richard called his mother.
According to a transcript of the call that sounds like a movie script, he asked his mother:
“Did you get all the guns out too?”
“No, not yet,” she replied.
“You need to do that,” Richard stated. “As soon as possible.”
“Um, this is recorded,” the mother reminded her son. “You know that.”
That phone call was all it took to bring down the AK-47 Bandit.
Two days later, the FBI obtained a search warrant because of the phone call. They raided Richard’s home in Roundup, Montana.
The FBI found guns, bomb-making material, and evidence tying Richard to the AK-47 Bandit.
Authorities found so many homemade bombs they called in a bomb squad to clear the property.
In total, Richard was responsible for seven bank robberies.
The reward leading to his capture was $100,000. A federal court sentenced him to 35 years in prison.
To commit his crimes, Richard used one of the most recognizable guns in the world, the AK-47.
The reality is this is the type of gun loved by bad guys. They are inexpensive, but do the job.
Countries all over the world manufacture these guns.
But whether you are a military member, or like to travel the world, here is a list of common guns you’ll see bad guys use. (this is because they are cheap, easy to get and easy to operate.)
AK-47:
The AK-47 is popular among underfunded militaries and third-world drug lords.
Versions of the rifle have been mass-produced from countries such as China and Russia.
The AK-47 is a very simple design, that’s easy to shoot whether you are in the military, a drug warlord, or an average joe.
There are many different generations and variants of AK rifles. But once you familiarize yourself with one, they are easy to recognize.
One of the main reasons the rifle is so deadly is because it can be equipped with a fully automatic option.
This is why thugs all over the world like the AK-47.
Uzi:
The Israelis are known for taking self-defense seriously.
When your enemies are always attacking you, then you better be good at making weapons.
The Uzi was one of the first weapons to use a telescoping bolt design. This allows the magazine to be housed in the pistol grip.
Israeli military industries have sold two billion dollars’ worth of Uzi‘s to 100 countries.
The problem is these weapons often fall into the hands of bad guys.
The reason they love the Uzi is that it is simple to fire and is a small weapon for what it does.
Also, the Uzi can shoot 9mm rounds at an incredible rate.
Countries such as Serbia, China, and Vietnam have copied the original Uzi design.
Browning Hi-Power:
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action handgun designed by John Browning.
He died before the pistol was manufactured, but it was finished by FN in Belgium.
The Hi-Power is one of the most widely used military pistols in history. It has been used by armed forces of over 50 countries.
The Hi-Power usually holds 13 to 17 rounds of ammo. It is available in 9mm and .40 S& W.
One of the reasons it became so popular was because it has a single-action trigger pull.
At one point, both sides in World War II carried Hi-Power pistols.
As common with military surplus, the pistols spread to criminal and terrorist forces.
Countries all over the world manufacture the guns.
At the end of the day, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with these 3 guns since they are so popular with both the good guys and bad guys.
