Heard about the new Federal .50 BMG ban bill?

[Carl N. Brown]

* Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda network bought 25 Barrett .50 Caliber sniper rifles in the late 1980s.--VPC

The US DoD through the CIA supplied .50 Barrett rifles to the Afghans
fighting the Russian occupation of Afhanistan. After the Russians
left, the CIA made no effort to reclaim the Barrett rifles so
Taliban "inherited" them and may or may not have passed them
on to Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden. Since Al-Qaeda has apparently
not used .50 Barrett rifles, we may never know. If Al-Qaeda had to
buy the rifles from the Taliban, so much for Islamic "brotherhood"
although I suspect Al Qaeda picked them up as free-bies if the
picked them up at all.

But Tom Dias' and VPC's old story of Ronny Barrett making his early
profits selling guns to Bin Laden is pure bull**** and slanderlous libel.

 

[hornadylnl]

"Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]
Cosponsors
Sen. Barbara Boxer [D-CA]
Sen. Hillary Clinton [D-NY]
Sen. Christopher Dodd [D-CT]
Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL]
Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA]
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D-NJ]
Sen. Carl Levin [D-MI]
Sen. Robert Menéndez [D-NJ]
Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D-MD]
Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY]"

Can you believe that there are gun owners on this forum that vote for Democrats? Granted, their senator may not be on this list but voting them into power helped give Democrat senate rule, thus putting the antis in control of congress. Thanks.

 

[asknight]

It's a good thing that the rifle I was looking at wasn't a 50 BMG, it was a 12.7x99mm!

Banning a product by name doesn't make any sense. And with technology the way it is, and in the right hands (Ronnie Barrett)... a superior performing round could be developed in mere hours after a ban.

ETA: hornadylnl, thanks for the info. I note that it's all Cali and Yankee Democrats on that sponsorship... interesting to say the least!

 

[Prince Yamato]

These powerful sniper rifles which were designed for the battlefield to puncture armor and destroy targets from long range are easier to get than a handgun.

Oh that is SUCH crap. I WISH I could get a 50bmg as easy as I could get a handgun.

 

[RobTzu]

I sent the following email to Senator Brownback (R) Kansas and Senator Roberts (R) Kansas.

I am concerned about Senate Bill 1331 ("Long-Range Sniper Rifle Safety Act of 2007.") It is my hope that you will do everything in your power to stop this bill from becoming law. The 2nd amendment states that the "the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." This bill is an infringement, and therefore unconstitutional. If the 2nd Amendment can be run over rough shod, what guarentee does the citizen have that other Civil Liberties and Rights will be respected?

I am tired of these nibbles.

 

[tmajors]

No surprise really, but Pres candidate Hillarity Clinton is a co-sponsor to remove any doubt how her presidency would be towards gun owners.

 

[fletcher]

^^^ Yeah, maybe as easy to get if you have thousands of dollars you can throw around. Also, "destroy targets from long range" - isn't that kind of the idea for a rifle?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

Actually, rifles (and guns in general) are designed to deliver a projecile down range in a controlled manner. Whether the target is long or short range and whether it is to be destroyed or not isn't a design parameter of the rifle, but an application.

 

[RobTzu]

I got a reply back from one of my Senators... Roberts (R) KS. Someone actually read it, because the filter on his site did not have a "gun rights" section, I had to file it under "other". I know this is a canned response, but it is a good canned response:

Thank you for your letter regarding gun rights. I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts and concerns with me.

I remain in strong support of congressional efforts to preserve our Second Amendment right to bear arms. Furthermore, I am opposed to actions that infringe on those rights and do not effectively reduce crime and violence. Firearm laws should only be enacted with the intent to punish criminal activity. Rather than chipping away at fundamental liberties backed by the Constitution, we should target the real problem–mainly crime.

I support enforcing the gun laws currently on the books, instead of creating new ones that erode basic rights of self-protection. The best way to combat crime is through solid law enforcement opportunities and education. Throughout my service in the U.S. Senate, I have consistently voted to strengthen sentences for crimes committed with guns, and I have supported provisions to stop violent crime and remove repeat offenders from the streets. Supporters of gun control claim that to reduce crime the government must regulate firearms. This view fails to recognize that criminals do not obey laws, and that passing gun legislation has no effect on removing guns from the hands of criminals. Nationwide statistics prove that states with strict gun laws have little effect on crime rates. In the end, it is only law-abiding citizens who are punished by gun control.

As a public servant to both Kansas and the nation, I swore an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. Rest assured, I take that responsibility seriously. Again thank you for taking the time to contact me. If you would like more information on issues before the Senate, please visit my website at http://roberts.senate.gov. You may also sign up on my home page for a monthly electronic newsletter that will provide additional updates on my work for Kansas.

 

[50 Shooter]

If this crap passes and you own a .50 but don't live in a state that allows DD's... To bad, so sad, gotta sell it or turn it in!

Being that I live in Kali and they don't allow DD's but I'm supposedly "grandfathered" in, wanna bet that I can't keep it?

Is it time to feed the hogs yet?

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Being that I live in Kali and they don't allow DD's but I'm supposedly "grandfathered" in, wanna bet that I can't keep it?

No you can't keep it but you can turn in your several thousand dollar rifle for a shiny new $50 Best Buy gift card at the next "gun buy back"!!!
Don't worry, it won't be destroyed. It'll go into the armory of the "professionals" since we can't be trusted with it.

 

[fearless leader]

Retiring Democrat

[B]It's nice to know that while the war rages on, illegals continue to pour across our borders, China expanding it's military, or any other of the thousands of things you could accomplish this year, you have time to sponsor a bill to prevent all of those horrible 50 caliber snipings of which I never heard, and insure I will turn in my Democrat card.  I am a registered Democrat, but I am sick to death with the party banning guns.  
Every time there is a sensless shooting, I notice a common denominator: one "wolf" attacks a place full of defensless "sheep."  The standard Democrat answer to this has been to make more of us sheep.  
I am not in your voting area, or in your state, but if you want the party to keep it's base, keep in mind how many Democrats in the deep south your nauseating with your "make more sheep attitude."

How many good Democrats will be sacrificed on the alter of gun control?  There are more laws out there than the police know.  I should know, because when I attended the academy they answered many of my questions wrong, but as a student, I did as I was told.

Retiring Democrat

Jim Coker 

"I'm proud of our troops, but I'm ashamed of my Congress" - Jim Coker, Retiring Democrat
If you're not reading this in German or Japanese, be glad the seated Congress was not around in 1941[/B]

This is a message I just fired off to Diane "Frankenstein."
Around here, the Sheriff elections are between Democrats usually, so if you don't have a Democrat card, you can't vote for Sheriff. It's all settled in the primary. I let the Senator know I would be turning that in.

I would suggest similar, diplomatic, tactful e-mails and letters if you don't want to lose this.

 

[JimmyN]

They really build up the hype about the danger to airliners. Apparently they have never seen any WWII gun camera footage from fighter planes. Or maybe the fighter pilots should have been armed with a bolt action .50cal instead, allowing them to take out the enemy craft with a single shot.

 

[RobTzu]

Spellcheck before you send in the emails

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

+1 senator roberts!

 

[Gifted]

or any other rifle developed and manufactured after the date of enactment of this paragraph, regardless of caliber, if such rifle is capable of firing a projectile that attains a muzzle energy of 12,000 foot-pounds or greater in any combination of bullet, propellant, case, or primer.'.

I've been looking at messing with sabots. What's the smallest caliber that will do it there? would .308s be in trouble?

 

[Titan6]

Even the most powerful .308 can achieve only about one quarter of the energy of a .50BMG.

 

[trickyasafox]

who are we writing? the usual senator suspects?

 

[Reddbecca]

or any other rifle developed and manufactured after the date of enactment of this paragraph, regardless of caliber, if such rifle is capable of firing a projectile that attains a muzzle energy of 12,000 foot-pounds or greater in any combination of bullet, propellant, case, or primer.'.

This very well could be a ban of many, many guns, not just anything in the .50 caliber range. The devil is really in the details on this one. "or greater in any combination of bullet, propellant, case, or primer", four rounds of .30-06 have a combined muzzle energy of at least that much. This can ban hunting guns and many M1 Garands if the liberals read into it the way I can read it.

 

[ke6guj]

Being that I live in Kali and they don't allow DD's but I'm supposedly "grandfathered" in, wanna bet that I can't keep it?

Actually, certain DD's are legal in CA. CA defines a DD as .60" or greater (other than shotgun). Any DD under .60" (except for .50bmg) would not be regulated by CADOJ and not need a CADOJ DD permit. The way I read it, your existing CA-registered .50BMG should or CA-legal .50DTC be grandfathered even if it needed to NFA-registered as a DD. If future "grandfather" NFA registrations do not require CLEO sign-off on the Form 1, then you'd only need to file the form 1 and be done.

Heck, you could buy/build something like a 14.5x114mm Russian and only need CLEO sign-off for the NFA Form 1/4. No CADOJ DD permit needed for that. Yes, getting that CLEO sign-off may be difficult, but you could go corp or trust to bypass the sign-off.

12301. (a) The term "destructive device," as used in this chapter, shall include any of the following weapons:
(3) Any weapon of a caliber greater than 0.60 caliber which fires fixed ammunition, or any ammunition therefor, other than a shotgun (smooth or rifled bore) conforming to the definition of a "destructive device" found in subsection (b) of Section 479.11 of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations, shotgun ammunition (single projectile or shot), antique rifle, or an antique cannon. For purposes of this section, the term "antique cannon" means any cannon manufactured before January 1, 1899, which has been rendered incapable of firing or for which ammunition is no longer manufactured in the United States and is not readily available in the ordinary channels of commercial trade. The term "antique rifle" means a firearm conforming to the definition of an "antique firearm" in Section 479.11 of Title 27 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

 

[TimboKhan]

With no exceptions, I am automatically against any anti-gun bill, so I didn't really read more than the link to the bill and the first page. I wanted to comment on this:

If passed you can expect widespread disobedience. Even among the simple folk where I live there are quite a few .50s.

Uh... Really? Don't get me wrong, if guns are banned in the near future, I will be disobeying those laws and sinking my guns beneath the earth in PVC pipes, but I guess I am just not convinced that there are enough .50 caliber shooters around to really cause "widespread disobedience". Disobedience, sure. Widespread? Not so sure.

In any event, I don't support the bill, so I guess it's kind of a moot point.

 

[fearless leader]

Sorry Politicians fear the public

[B]How many .50 BMGs have been used to commit a crime in America in the past 5 years?[/B]

It doesn't matter. It only matters that they don't want you to be able to use it on them, in my opinion.

If I was part of the movement against America, as she is, I would fear a slug coming at me from a mile or so away too.

Kind of the same reason that they banned handguns in The Peoples Republic of Washington, DC.

I wonder when they'll burn the books?

_________________________________________________________________
If you can read this in English, be glad the seated Congress wasn't in power in 1941.
I'm proud of our troops, but I am ashamed of our Congress!

 

[SpeedAKL]

I was just drooling over a pair of Barretts in the store today, and a .50BMG was something I always wanted to own when I got out to enjoy the white-collar income that I'm busting my rear end in college to earn. Sadly, it seems that the Democrats wanna ruin my fun (along with ruining the war on terror, the military, the economy, my cars, the federal government, and anything else they can get their hands on).

 

[SpeedAKL]

Seriously, where in the hell is this country going. I saw the latest opinion polls in the Wall Street Journal, and it seems that the American people are bent on socialism.

 

[Blackbeard]

Well let's see, one of my Senators is a co-sponsor, and the other is Barack Obama. No point in writing any letters, eh?

I hate this ^#$&% state!!