Underground Arms Cache Found Across Border from McAllen, Texas

By Dean Weingarten

Arizona – -(Ammoland.com)- A recent confiscation of some rifles and ammunition made headlines from an AP report.

The arms were found near Reynosa, Mexico, not far from the border with the United States and McAllen, Texas.

While the AP report claimed that 33 “assault rifles” were found, the pictures from Mexican sources indicate that is an exaggeration. This small cache would barely be noticed at a local gun club.  It is a moderate collection for an enthusiast.

The picture of the rifles on the table leaves much to be desired.  If anyone has access to a higher resolution image, please let me know.

The five rifles pictured above are an AR15 clone with stainless barrel, a AK clone, almost certainly semi-auto because of the thumbhole stock, a customized 98 Mauser or Enfield P14 (maybe in .22-250?) and an Enfield MK III or variant. The rifle on the table is an Armalite AR-50 .50 caliber single shot bolt action rifle. It is not much use without the scope.

Here are the captured magazines.    The round objects on the left and far upper right of the picture are AK drum magazines.   In the articles from Mexican sources, it is stated that 32 magazines for AKs were found, and 188 magazines for 7.62×39 machine guns.  Maybe they are refering to the drum magazines.  The AK magazines that I know of work in the AK family machine guns as well.

They also list 1,405 AR15/M16 magazines, 70 HK91/G3 magazines, 1 .50 caliber magazine (odd, as I do not believe the Armalite AR-50 takes a magazine), and 4 pistol magazines (two of the “pistol” magazines on the far right seem to be .30 carbine magazines).

The ammunition found with the rifles.  Most of it is .308 or 7.62 x 51 (5,514) linked cartridges listed, 620 7.62×39 cartridges, 40 “.30 caliber” cartridges (maybe for the .303 British?), 65 7.62X51 cartridges (with an 83 headstamp?), 170 .22-250 cartridges, and three 40 mm grenade rounds or launchers.  I do not see the grenades or launchers in the pictures.

Here is the trap door and the surroundings of the underground storage unit.

Perhaps some other subject matter experts can add to the above.  Technical details are often mangled by American reporters, so I do not expect any better South of the border.

c2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included. Link to Gun Watch

About Dean Weingarten;

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.