Challenge to Cyril Wecht

[Jack Trojan]

Sit in a slowly-moving convertible and let an ex-Marine sharpshooter take three shots at you with a MC (using real ammunition) if you think it's such a piece of harmless junk. Does he seriously think it's impossible to kill someone with that "joke" of a rifle from a distance of 88 yards?

When the FBI tried to duplicate the shots, they needed to add 3 shims to the scope to even hit the target. A sharpshooter would NEVER use a misaligned scope, especially if he planned to assassinate the POTUS.

So, the answer is no, it would not have been impossible to kill someone with that MC, however, hitting a moving target 2 of 3 times including a headshot at 88 yards, looking thru the wonky scope of a crap rifle is so improbable we should be able to rule it out, like Wecht does.

[Sean Kneringer]

When the FBI tried to duplicate the shots, they needed to add 3 shims to the scope to even hit the target. A sharpshooter would NEVER use a misaligned scope, especially if he planned to assassinate the POTUS.

So, the answer is no, it would not have been impossible to kill someone with that MC, however, hitting a moving target 2 of 3 times including a headshot at 88 yards, looking thru the wonky scope of a crap rifle is so improbable we should be able to rule it out, like Wecht does.

Three shots at Wecht with a slightly misaligned scope? Still works for me.

[Andrew Mason]

When the FBI tried to duplicate the shots, they needed to add 3 shims to the scope to even hit the target. A sharpshooter would NEVER use a misaligned scope, especially if he planned to assassinate the POTUS.

So, the answer is no, it would not have been impossible to kill someone with that MC, however, hitting a moving target 2 of 3 times including a headshot at 88 yards, looking thru the wonky scope of a crap rifle is so improbable we should be able to rule it out, like Wecht does.

The rifle was found on the TSBD 6th floor hidden between rows of boxes of books. We don't know how carefully it was placed there by Oswald as he was leaving. Do we know what dropping the rifle like that might have done to the scope alignment?

[Richard Smith]

The rifle was found on the TSBD 6th floor hidden between rows of boxes of books. We don't know how carefully it was placed there by Oswald as he was leaving. Do we know what dropping the rifle like that might have done to the scope alignment?

That's exactly right.  The condition of the scope at the moment Oswald fired the shots can't be known for the reasons you note.  I seem to recall that the scope was also removed to check the rifle for prints before it was test fired. 

[Jack Trojan]

That's exactly right.  The condition of the scope at the moment Oswald fired the shots can't be known for the reasons you note.  I seem to recall that the scope was also removed to check the rifle for prints before it was test fired. 

We know enough to make a few logical assumptions:

1) According to the DPD and the photos of their discovery of the rifle, it was carefully laid between boxes and not dropped from a distance that would have damaged and grossly misaligned the scope.
2) A sharpshooter would always "sight-in" a scope on the rifle he intended to assassinate the POTUS with.
3) The FBI said the scope was grossly misaligned and required 3 shims before it could be used.
4) There were no shims on the rifle when Oswald supposedly used it.

When a scope requires 3 shims to zero, it is either bent or has never been sighted-in. The DPD were careful not to damage the scope when they laid it down between the boxes because they wanted it to match the backyard photos exactly. That's why the misaligned scope was on the rifle in the first place. Same reason they left the strap on the rifle.

Since 4 contradicts 2, the MC was never sighted-in and LHO did not use it to assassinate JFK. QED

[Marjan Rynkiewicz]

When the FBI tried to duplicate the shots, they needed to add 3 shims to the scope to even hit the target. A sharpshooter would NEVER use a misaligned scope, especially if he planned to assassinate the POTUS.

So, the answer is no, it would not have been impossible to kill someone with that MC, however, hitting a moving target 2 of 3 times including a headshot at 88 yards, looking thru the wonky scope of a crap rifle is so improbable we should be able to rule it out, like Wecht does.

Oswald hit jfk with his shot-2, so thats 1 out of 2.
Or 2 out of 2 if u rightfully credit shot-2 as hitting 2 birds with one bullet.
And Wecht is an idiot (like most around the jfk saga).

[Richard Smith]

We know enough to make a few logical assumptions:

1) According to the DPD and the photos of their discovery of the rifle, it was carefully laid between boxes and not dropped from a distance that would have damaged and grossly misaligned the scope.
2) A sharpshooter would always "sight-in" a scope on the rifle he intended to assassinate the POTUS with.
3) The FBI said the scope was grossly misaligned and required 3 shims before it could be used.
4) There were no shims on the rifle when Oswald supposedly used it.

When a scope requires 3 shims to zero, it is either bent or has never been sighted-in. The DPD were careful not to damage the scope when they laid it down between the boxes because they wanted it to match the backyard photos exactly. That's why the misaligned scope was on the rifle in the first place. Same reason they left the strap on the rifle.

Since 4 contradicts 2, the MC was never sighted-in and LHO did not use it to assassinate JFK. QED

There is no way to know the condition of the scope at the time Oswald fired it to assassinate JFK.  The scope was also removed and reattached before even being test fired.  Why would Oswald "carefully" place the rifle between the boxes while in flight from the assassination?  That is speculation.  He didn't care if the rifle was damaged at that point.  He was making tracks and never intended to use that rifle again.  He was only interested in saving time at that point. It wasn't even necessary that Oswald use the scope.  Nothing here casts an iota of doubt to rebut the mountain of evidence and circumstances that link Oswald to this crime. 

[John Iacoletti]

Nothing here casts an iota of doubt to rebut the mountain of evidence and circumstances that link Oswald to this crime.

LOL