The guns that killed the Nepalese royal family
Details about the guns that were used in the tragic massacre of the royal family of Nepal in 2001, which killed King Birendra.
Nepalese-Royal-Family
About 22 years ago, one of the most historic royal incidents took place in Nepal when a lovesick Prince Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah killed his family.
On 1 June 2001, Friday night, the massacre occurred at the Narayanhiti Palace (former residence of the Nepalese monarchy) during a royal family gathering, murdering nine people including King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya.
How did Prince Dipendra Get These Guns?
Many claimed Dipendra Bir Bikram Shah had a hobby of collecting guns so he had all those firearms in his bedroom. At the age of 8, he received his first pistol.
According to Vivek Kumar Shah, a 26-year veteran aide-de-camp of the royal court, Dipendra had submachine guns like an M16 commando, an MP5, and a hunting rifle, as well as, pistols.
The young prince likely enjoyed going for military training with his dad, and whenever he saw pistols and rifles, he would grab them from the army forces.
Kumar also said, “It was kind of the tradition of the royal family to carry guns around. The King did it too. And whenever the Nepalese army got a new weapon both the King and his son wanted to it out.”
Guns Used On The Nepalese Royal Massacre
- Colt M16A2 rifle
The M16 rifle (officially termed as Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16), is an extensive line of military rifles invented by the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the US Army. The first generation M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic firearm having a twenty-round magazine.
It is a magazine-fed assault firearm with a rotating bolt, which is gas-operated, air-cooled, and lightweight, 5.56 mm. The receivers of the M16 are created of 7075 aluminum alloy, and steel is used on its bolt, barrel, and bolt carrier of steel.
Likewise, its pistol grip, buttstock, and handguards are built of plastic.
- Heckler & Koch MP5K 9 mm
It is a submachine firearm with roller-delayed blowback that fires from a closed bolt that is mostly designed for bodyguards and special armed forces.
The MP5K is useful for close-range fighting and is designed so compactly to carry out for carryout concealed on the body. Its modular design helps in configuration mobility like any other submachine weapon of the same range.
- Franchi SPAS-12
Franchi SPAS-12 is a dual-mode combat shotgun that was designed by Italian-based weapons firm Franchi between 1979 to 2000. It is easy to adjust for both pump-action and semi-automatic operation.
The concept of the duo feature is to have the weapon cycle in pump-action mode for low-pressure ammo like baton rounds or beanbags, while the semi-automatic setting is when employing standard shells.
- Glock 19 9 mm pistol
The Glock 19 is a medium-sized handgun, firing the 9x19mm pistol cartridge (9mm Parabellum), a normal military round that’s simple to search ammunition for anywhere. It is designed with a 5.5-pound trigger, a 4.02-inch barrel, and a polymer grip.
It offers double semi-automatic action with a 15-round capacity. It also offers fixed rear sight and front sight with front serrations.
