[Drizzt]

Military guns too accessible to public

By Adam Slingwein / Columnist
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2005

If I gave you $7,000 to spend on whatever you wanted, what would you buy? Seven thousand dollars may not be a huge sum of money, but it is still a significant chunk of change. I mean, you could buy a car, pay your room and board at EMU for the year, or have 70% of the buy-in for the World Series of Poker main event. The list is almost endless, but there is one item in particular that really struck me as surprising when I learned that my gift money could purchase it. It is the Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle, and for the fairly modest amount of seven grand, you could take one home today.

To those of you unfamiliar with the M82A1, as I was, my saying that it could be purchased for that price may not strike you as startling or worrisome. Upon researching this firearm further, my opinion rapidly changed. Just looking at the weapon, totally ignorant of its capabilities, I could tell that this was no peashooter. It looks like a modern-day cannon, but with a comfortable pistol grip slapped on the bottom. Thanks to war movies and an uncle who's a card carrying NRA member, I have seen and fired my fair share of weaponry, but never had I even seen a firearm as intimidating as this one.

Reading the gun's specs proved to be more than intimidating; it was downright scary. According to the product's website, the M82A1 "easily fires the largest commercially available cartridge in the world, the .50 caliber." The weapon doesn't just fire .50 caliber cartridges like a few other weapons, but does so with ease. What sets it apart from other .50 caliber rifles is the fact that it is not bolt action, but semiautomatic with a ten round clip. Instead of having to manually discharge the empty cartridge then load the next, you can snap off ten shots as fast as you can pull the trigger. Ten rounds at a buck from any .50 caliber rifle will leave hunters with very little to mount. I also learned that the gun has an effective range of over 2,000 yards. Hunters generally shoot at targets 150-200 yards away, so accuracy over ten times that distance is understandable, right? No, it really isn't, especially with a weapon so powerful. Unless the gun was designed for hunters planning on shooting game from over a mile away and then walking 15 minutes to go retrieve it, this weapon could not have been made for hunting.

Sure enough, the M82A1 was not created for civilian gamesmen. It was designed for use in the military and in law enforcement, both of which herald the M107 as the premier big bore rifle (the M82A1 is the civilian version). Used by the United States armed forces as well as over 40 others worldwide, the weapon has won several awards and Barrett has yet to have a contract not renewed due to the military being unsatisfied. What makes the gun so loved by armies across the globe? Not only does it boast incredible range and extremely destructive ammunition (standard rounds can go through brick walls); it has minimal recoil and is extremely easy to fire. With the recoil of a 12-gauge shotgun if fired from the shoulder and considerably less when fired from the stock bipod, it is very easy for a soldier with little practice or training to become very proficient with the weapon. This reason for praise quickly becomes cause for alarm if the gun falls into the wrong hands.

Now that I knew how effective the weapon was, I looked up what its applications are. Due to their gratuitous power, these guns are used to attack stationary or landing aircraft, tanks, armored personnel carriers and concrete bunkers. They are very rarely used on single enemy combatants, just as I rarely swat flies with a baseball bat. Like a rocket launcher with a tighter shot pattern, these rifles destroy enemy aircraft and tanks cleaner, faster and from farther away.

I think I have established the fact that the Barrett M82A1 is any target's worst nightmare, but now I think we all need to look at why I can get one of these easier than I could get a handgun. There is absolutely no reason why a civilian would need to own this weapon, yet background checks are looser on this gun than on a handgun because the M82A1 falls under the category of "hunting rifle" (Honestly, who are they kidding?). The amount of havoc that can be caused by this weapon if it found its way into the wrong hands is off the charts. Pedestrians would have to worry the least; the rounds can go through motor vehicles, walls or aircraft shells from over a mile away. Whether it be terrorism or just criminal use, no one would be safe. Another feature of the weapon that should get the thing banned is its ease of use. With minimal training, anyone could become extremely accurate with this weapon, endangering everyone within a mile radius.

Despite my firm agreement with the Second Amendment, there are specific cases where the right to bear certain arms is significantly more dangerous than what may happen if one could not. This is one of those cases. The Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber rifle, as well as all other semiautomatic .50 caliber rifles, has no place in society. They are not effective hunting weapons, and anyone could defend themselves more than effectively with a less powerful gun. This weapon is extremely dangerous and not worth the risk.

http://www.easternecho.com/cgi-bin/story.cgi?3911

In other words, "It looks scary!!!!!" "It's too easy to shoot."

I love that one line: Like a rocket launcher with a tighter shot pattern, these rifles destroy enemy aircraft and tanks cleaner, faster and from farther away.
Maybe propane tanks....

another fine example of what passes for an article in college .....

[Dr.Rob]

Not to mention its a civilian designed ruifle re-tasked for military use. Blah.

[Luchtaine]

hrmm all I need to take over the world is a M82A1 ah ha! now all I have to do is get out of California and I will be able to defeat all who defy me.

[Alex45ACP]

Sounds like he got all his "facts" from www.50caliberterror.com :rolleyes:

[mons meg]

I'd pay to see video of the author of that piece firing an M82A1 from his shoulder as fast as he could pull the trigger... :rolleyes:

[shermacman]

Let's see, where to start with this idiot...

If I gave you $7,000 to spend on whatever you wanted

OK, first sentence. The guy is a barking moonbat.

[Vern Humphrey]

The weapon doesn't just fire .50 caliber cartridges like a few other weapons, but does so with ease.

As opposed to my old Stevens Favorite .22, which fires ".50 caliber cartridges" with extreme difficulty. :neener:

[Strings]

Vern: my wife's offered to send you a shoe-horn, to make that Stevens fire .50s easier... ;)

[dk-corriveau]

I don't know about the rest of you but he sold me. Where do I get one? :D

I agree that there probably isn't much of a civilian use for the gun, but that being said I still want one and there is no need to outlaw it. This is (or should I say was) the land of the free. :cuss: :banghead:

The thing that I find bothersome about these articles is the total lack of research beyond the retoric. Shooting out tanks and airplanes, good lord. :cuss:

[Dorian]

I think someone should send a copie of this article to Ronnie Barrett and see what his response is.

[buzz_knox]

Despite my firm agreement with the Second Amendment, there are specific cases where the right to bear certain arms is significantly more dangerous than what may happen if one could not.

"I believe in the Second Amendment but not for these guns." Given that internally contradictory statements, is he:

a. self-deluded
b. a liar who doesn't believe in the Second Amendment but claims he does, much like a racist "who has black friends"
c. stupid
d. all of the above

[Zrex]

Heck, just go buy a fully automatic UZI and a decent suppressor instead, that would really wrinkle that guys panties.

[Vern Humphrey]

Vern: my wife's offered to send you a shoe-horn, to make that Stevens fire .50s easier...

I've worn out three ball peen hammers and a post maul, and it STILL ain't loaded. :p

[R.H. Lee]

Where does it say anything about 'hunting' in the 2nd Amendment?

[Mumbles_45]

:barf: :fire: :cuss: :banghead:

[Justin]

http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/onion_news1174.jpg
Peace Activist Has To Admit Barrett .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle is Pretty Cool (http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28181)

January 23, 2002 | Issue 38•02

BURLINGTON, VT—Despite his staunch opposition to the National Rifle Association and U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, peace activist Paul Robinson conceded Monday that the Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle is "pretty damn cool."

"Look, I realize that the use of this instrument of destruction, even in wartime, is morally reprehensible, and I don't see how anyone with a conscience could justify owning one," said Robinson, 31, a University of Vermont graduate student in sociology and president of the campus chapter of Amnesty International. "But you have to admit, it's pretty wild to think that it's capable of throwing a half-inch bullet into a man-sized target 1,500 meters away."

Robinson first became aware of the high-powered, exceptionally accurate weapon in 1995 while researching U.S. military involvement in Somalia, which he protested while pursuing a masters degree at Bates College.

"While gathering data for a petition letter condemning U.S. policy in Somalia, I was appalled to learn that the Special Forces were using a gun called the Barrett M82A1 to take out trucks from a mile away," Robinson said. "A friggin' mile. Can you imagine?"

Last week, a guilt-ridden Robinson bought a copy of Guns & Ammo containing an article titled "The Guns Of Black Hawk Down," which prominently featured the Barrett.

"It's a big gun, the Barrett," said Robinson, leafing through the article. "It's about five feet long and weighs almost 30 pounds. It fires the largest widely available cartridge in the world—a machine-gun bullet, really. It can empty a 10-round magazine as fast as you can pull the trigger. And thanks to its ingenious dual-chamber muzzle brake, gases are vented away, and the user feels no more recoil than you get with a 12-gauge shotgun. Not that anyone should know what the recoil feels like on any gun."

Robinson also noted that anyone with $7,300 can buy the civilian version of the M82A1, a fact he finds "thoroughly repugnant" and "kind of tempting."

"Though I would never, ever so much as touch one, I bet the Barrett is probably very fun to shoot," Robinson said. "And the fact that anyone can get their hands on this killing machine, plus a 10-power Unertl scope and a few boxes of match-grade 750-grain cartridges, for less than $10,000, well, that's just sickening."

The pacifist added that he would be willing to meet with any interested owners of Barrett rifles in order to "open a dialogue."

Robinson's friends are appalled by his attraction to the rifle.

"Paul can praise the Barrett all he wants, but he needs to remember that it's a device whose sole function is to kill people," said Max Shorter, 28, a friend and colleague of Robinson's in the sociology department. "It might be a triumph of ballistic engineering, but that should in no way obscure the fact that this is a tool for murder."

"Plus, it failed some of the Navy's field tests for reliability and accuracy," Shorter added. "The extractors kept breaking, I seem to recall."


-----------------
Thought it reminded me of something I'd read before.

[Lemon328i]

:) That Onion article is hilarious! Love their stuff.

Back to the first post though, the .50 might be the most popular of readily available cartridges, but plenty of people also use the larger 577 T-rex, 577 Nitro Express and the 600 Nitro Express.

That ninny didn't consider that such large caliber firearms were often developed for safari hunting against very dangerous game. He is guilty of being limited to thinking that American Hunters only hunt in America.

[Jhorn]

With minimal training, anyone could become extremely accurate with this weapon, endangering everyone within a mile radius.

I'd like to see the guy who has "minimal" trainng make a hit at 1 mile!

[heypete]

Hmm. Not really going to comment on the article (spit), but the Barret rifle costs more money than my new-to-me used 1992 Mercedes-Benz. That puts it all into perspective for me.

[Henry Bowman]

In addition to the idiocy pointed out above, I'd like to add that the $7,000 [actually $7,775] price tag is without any optics! It does include back-up iron sights. You couldn't hit anything with accuracy, certainly not at a long distance, without some seriously expensive optics. ["Scope and rings priced separately." The rings are $180.]

[Zundfolge]

a $7000 TOY is NOT "accessible" ... if it was there's be a couple of Barretts in my safe ... along with a collection of Ferraris and 12 cyl Porsches :rolleyes:

[Justin]

Ferraris and Porsches in your safe? That would have to be a mighty big safe.

:neener:

[Zundfolge]

Well if I was rich enought to buy $7000 toys I'd be rich enough to have a drive in safe :neener:

[Justin]

Two words: Pintle Mount

[Working Man]

If that picture is him, I doubt he could even lift it. :evil:

That first article made a great advertisement!

[Ginger]

I skimmed the comments on his article and he appears to be getting trashed - in a college setting, no less! There may be some hope for kids after all.

[1 old 0311]

I AGREE..........After all look at the times this has been used in crimes..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................well never mind :evil:

Kevin

[TexasRifleman]

Problem is you wouldn't have any money left to buy ammo for the darned thing!

[armoredman]

I can't afford another Yugo SKS, and this guy calls a $7000+ Barret affordable? His definition and mine are a little differant....

[Luchtaine]

Well when you are 31 live at home, strike that, live in a commune pacifist with a bicycle for fear of poluteing the enviroment you have more money to go around!

Maybe they are on to something... if he can afford a Barret maybe I will give it a shot.

[TheFreepster]

Hey, no fair, the onion is atributing a fake hippy to my college!


and we don't have a masters program

[Commissar Gribb]

The Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber rifle, as well as all other semiautomatic .50 caliber rifles, has no place in society.

is this some kind of joke?

The government has them in quantity- seems like a good enough reason for Joe American to have one as any! lexington was fought with muskets because that was the military arm at the time. If It happens again, It'll have to be with military arms also.

[Commissar Gribb]

I can't afford another Yugo SKS, and this guy calls a $7000+ Barret affordable? His definition and mine are a little differant....

10 AR-15s...

[Standing Wolf]

Reading the gun's specs proved to be more than intimidating; it was downright scary.

So refreshing to hear deep thoughts from yet another downright scared leftist extremist pantywaist.

[Jet22]

Where does it say anything about 'hunting' in the 2nd Amendment?

I think the US Supreme Court ruled on this once before in the short barreled shotgun case when they ruled that the 2nd Amendment dosen't guarentee you your hunting guns, just military arms. :eek:
Don't remember the name of the case, but I'm sure many of you out there do.

And another thing: This gun, the Barett 50 cal, has been sold to the public for over 20 years now...how many crimes have been comitted with it?? :scrutiny:

[Mannlicher]

his name is Adam Slingwein ? Sounds more like SlingS*^%

[Pointman]

Forget the .50... I want a Stevens Favorite! :what:

You guys crack me up :D

[Robert Hairless]

I am sick and tired of seeing all the gang bangers crowding the streets carrying their Barrett rifles. The noise of the Barretts shooting at planes flying overhead has become deafening. It wouldn't be so bad if they'd shoot their Barretts during daylight hours but they have no consideration for anyone. The Barretts don't even stop shooting at night, when decent people try to get some sleep and don't want to be awakened by crashing planes. The price of gas is climbing sky high because the ammunition for the Barrett rifles is so heavy that these criminals with Barrett rifles clog the roads with their Sport Utility Vehicles toting them around from crime to crime. Managers of convenience stores are forced to have a separate line for people with Barrett rifles: they need to take a number and wait until their number is called before they are allowed to take their turn robbing the store. Muggers are even worse. It's scarey to see a mugger armed with a Barrett rifle run after his victim through the city streets. You can't even drive anywhere anymore without having to wait for all the guys with Barrett rifles to cross the streets once the light changes from red to green. Somebody needs to do something before this country goes down the drain.

[Kurush]

Like a rocket launcher with a tighter shot patternNo need fer ta get a fancy rifle son, just put a full choke on ya rocket launcher an' she'll tighten right up. Why a'fore I put a choke on 'er my RPG-7 couldn't take grouse at mor'n 20 yards.

[3rdpig]

How enlightening to find a liberal who supports the 2nd Amendment, that's the one that gives us the right to hunt deer. That is how it reads, right? It's amazing, for years the liberals told us the "the people" referred to in the 2nd meant the National Guard, now that that's blown out of the water they're trying to tell us that it's all about hunting deer and the weapons we own have to be socially acceptable. Incredible. They find it socially acceptable to murder an 8 month old baby buy sticking a pair of scissors in it's head and sucking it's brains out, but find it morally reprehensible to kill an enemy sniper with a Barret rifle in a time of war.

How in God's name to they manage to justify these thoughts?

And they claim that they're the smart ones.

[Taurus 66]

If that picture is him, I doubt he could even lift it.

LOL! Lack of meat in the diet does that to the body ... and mind.

If more liberals included just a small portion of meat in their weekly diets (because they're omnivores by nature anyways), maybe they'd at least make some common sense. Oh and the physical strength would return. Carbohydrate and protein starvation is deadly and is every bit as painful as rabies.

[fistful]

The Barrett M82A1 .50 caliber rifle, as well as all other semiautomatic .50 caliber rifles, has no place in society. They are not effective hunting weapons... Yeah, those semi-auto's are bad news. A bolt-action .50 BMG, though, that's a fine deer gun.

gamesmenIs this a new word for hunters?

extremely destructive ammunition (standard rounds can go through brick walls) Saints preserve us! I've never shot a brick wall, before. Can a .30-06 FMJ do this?

I can get one of these easier than I could get a handgun. At $7000? I envy the schmuck. He needs to let us advise him on how to spend his money.

There is absolutely no reason why a civilian would need to own this weapon, yet background checks are looser on this gun than on a handgun because the M82A1 falls under the category of "hunting rifle" (Honestly, who are they kidding?).
1. Yet another reason not to let the Bill of Rights become the Bill of Needs.

2. Who classifies it as a hunting rifle?

3. Do they do closer background checks for handguns?

[fistful]

The thing that I find bothersome about these articles is the total lack of research beyond the retoric. Shooting out tanks and airplanes,Sure he researched it. He says so right here.

I looked up what its applications are. Due to their gratuitous power, these guns are used to attack stationary or landing aircraft, tanks, armored personnel carriers and concrete bunkers. :rolleyes:


What bothers me is his total lack of writing skills or proofreading. Does he know what gratuitous means?

[Zach S]

They are very rarely used on single enemy combatants, just as I rarely swat flies with a baseball bat.
Nice to know I'm not the only one who's done that...

[owen]

They are very rarely used on single enemy combatants, just as I rarely swat flies with a baseball bat.

Im tellin ya, you haven't lived until you've chased palmetto bugs around the garage with a 2 pound hammer.

[Eskimo Jim]

If "military" rifles are too easy to get, then where is the end of the line for me to stand in? :D

There are other sports that involve firearms other than hunting. The 50 cal issue seems pretty similar to car nuts to me. Let's build something that goes further and faster than what we already have. Shoot, toss in some horse and dog breeders too!!!

That jerk isn't letting the facts get in the way of an emotionally charged article. The M82 has not been used in any crime. I bet that the last time a 50 cal weapon was used in a crime was in the 1800s! The 2nd Amendment isn't about hunting either. geesh, what a cry baby.

-Jim

[ZeroX]

:D :D :D

I can't believe I haven't seen that Onion article!

[alpineman]

I'd never seen that .50caliberterror website before == how'd they get that plane to hang in space like that?!?!? Wow, if I could just figure out how to get squirrels, deer & ducks to do that on command, I'd be the HUNTERKING!!! Does this mean terrorists have discovered some kind of airliner-levitation-superpower that makes their targets hold still?

Oh, and $7000 is chump change. Pardon me while I go lick my Rolls Royce clean.

[RVSinOK]

I loved this one -

Ten rounds at a buck from any .50 caliber rifle will leave hunters with very little to mount.

:what: TEN rounds? I can't say for sure, but my guess would be that if you hit a buck with ONE round of .50 BMG, a followup shot wouldn't be too necessary...

[mbs357]

Sure enough, the M82A1 was not created for civilian gamesmen.
I seem to recall from Mr. Barrett himself that it was designed for civilians.

Like a rocket launcher with a tighter shot pattern, these rifles destroy enemy aircraft and tanks cleaner, faster and from farther away.
***?

Robinson also noted that anyone with $7,300 can buy the civilian version of the M82A1, a fact he finds "thoroughly repugnant" and "kind of tempting."

After all the evil he's condemned to guns thus far in his article, how in the WORLD can he call it tempting???
Oh wait, it's an Onion article. >_>

[Sleeping Dog]

It does include back-up iron sights.
Does it come with a bayonet lug? That would make the thing a truly awesome assault weapon!

[mbs357]

I think you meant to say 'assault rifle.'
And 'kitten raper.'

[Sewerman]

That cuts it I'm on my way to get one NOW! :evil:

[AndrewB]

Despite my blatant misunderstanding of the Second Amendment, there are specific cases where the right to bear certain arms is significantly more dangerous than what may happen if one could not.

There, I fixed his statement. :rolleyes:

[bamawrx]

Actually, that made me want one even more. :D

[LAR-15]

What do you expect from a whiny rich kid?

[GunGoBoom]

Don't anyone tell him that single shot .50s are $1,500 or he'd have a wall-eyed, ring-tailed conniption fit.

[Sleeping Dog]

I think you meant to say 'assault rifle.'
No, to be an "assault rifle", it would have to have "da switch". I don't know how useful that would be on a .50-cal shoulder-fired rifle. It might be fun to try it.

Regards.

[mbs357]

Oh of course it would require the switch, but since when did these journalists care about such minor details?

[XLMiguel]

Yet another dweeb who feels that the gun endows the owner with magical skill and ability, obviously never heard the notion, "It's not the gun, it's the gunner." Moron. Don'cha wish the media was required to display the author's credentials pertainent to the articlw, I mean, wouldn't you love to see that "Mr. So/n/so has no formal or particular knowledge, nor hands-on exerience with firearms of any sort" in the byline.

I always enjoy the minor epiphany of a first time shooter who finds it difficult to put all 8 rounds of .45 ACP in the X-ring and the staggering distance of 7 yards. Or the dilatant tennis play who goes out an buys a $500 carbon fiber racquet and wonder why he isn't dominent on the court, 'cus after all, he practices once a week for an hour or so.
:barf:

[demusn1979]

i want one for CHRISTMAS! :)

[Eskimo Jim]

Demusn,
You'll shoot your eye out kid!!! :neener: :neener:

-Jim

[ruger270man]

people are SUPPOSED to have guns equivalen to our militaries' and other militaries'.

The second amendment is to protect people from criminals, OUR government, and OTHER governments.. and we should have a fair fight.

[artherd]

I'd pay to see video of the author of that piece firing an M82A1 from his shoulder as fast as he could pull the trigger...

Here's mine from the standing offhand, 3 rounds fired on a 18" steel target at 100yds as fast as I could. You can see 2 cartridges in the air (and admitedly, my foot lifting off the ground, hey it is a .50 :)

I'm with the Peace Activist. The M82A1 really is 'Pretty Damn Cool!' (though I want 3 grand from the other guy, my gun came in at 10 grand once I scoped it!)

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=29216


Oh yeah, mine has a very legitimate place in society. I use it to take out engine blocks of anyone in a Bradley that would do me harm.

[fistful]

We are SUPPOSED to have guns equivalent to that of our military and other militaries.

The second amendment is meant to protect people from criminals, OUR government, and OTHER governments.. and we should have a fair fight.

Plus 1,

but with editing.

[Joejojoba111]

This is probably what people were reading in Germany in 1939, thinking, 'they must be kidding, they must be kidding'.

But they weren't kidding, they were serious, it's called a precursor. Any firearm legislation would have been outright illegal in 1900. 100 years later there is a new law proposed every week.

This stuff is real, these people and the interests they serve are real, the plan is broadcast in the open. In his very article he specifies no-one ever should ever know what recoil from a firearm feels like. That is the goal. It's real, they aren't kidding.

And the people who are anti-gun might not be pro-police state, but once the guns are gone they're going to get a police state along with the rest of us anyway.

[Pietro Beretta]

I myself would like one of those.

I wonder if they offer financing for one of those.

Put 1,000 down, get payments as low as 200$ a month, and interest free for 6 months, with the APR at 12% after the 6months........ I would buy If I could get a deal like that :-P


In reality 7g's is not that much. If you go to www.rimfirecentral.com there are people their that dump as much as 1,500+ on their 10/22's .

[TMM]

the first amendment is to porn as the second is to hunting.

stupid +^@&ing @$$hole...

[fistful]

THE SECOND ARTICLE IS A SATIRE.

[Justin]

Kinda makes a point when, in light of the first article, the second one seems plausible.

[GunGoBoom]

I about lost it when the 2nd guy in the onion article talks about it being a baby-murdering machine, then makes it clear he's studied the field trial results intensively, by saying "I seem to recall broken extractors" or whatever. Bwaaaahaha. Took me about 1/2 of a second to get it, then I yukked hard. :)