"High-Powered Ammunition" CA?

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Was reading an article on the Santa killer and came across this:

"Authorities said his plan was thorough and detailed. Pardo had a getaway car, an airplane ticket to the Midwest, several guns, and high-powered ammunition only sold outside the state."
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081230/D95D0UJO0.html

What does CA consider "high-powered ammunition"?
 
So far as I know the only regular high power commerical ammo that CA has banned is .50 BMG. This super-duper deadly ammo has accounted for zero Californians killed by non-LEOs in the last 50 years but was very menancing in size and appearance.
 
If fired from a long gun it is "high powered" in the media.
Many handgun rounds are also considered "high powered".

In fact even a "scary" looking "tactical" carbine in a pistol caliber will be refered to as "high powered".


The term means nothing.

"High powered," "for the children", "assault weapon", "weapon expert" (when refering to either anti gun advocates like the Brady's or local "ban em all except ours" police spokesman), "reasonable restriction" and numerous other terms all mean nothing in the media.

There is so many terms that mean nothing in the media except they do not like the item and wish to sensationalize it as much as possible. Whether for ratings or to promote new legislation reducing rights.
It does not actualy have to make sense, just achieve the desired goal.

If you try to make sense of media gun rhetoric you will find so many contradictions your head will explode and you will lose reasonable grasp of logic.
 
The only people more ignorant about guns than politicians are news reporters.
 
California has not banned .50 BMG ammo. You can buy it in a store, or mail-order. AP rifle ammo is not banned either, AFAIK, though AP handgun ammo is banned. You know, all that black-tip handgun ammo...

You can't buy a new rifle for yourself in .50 BMG. You'll have to go with .460 Steyr or .510 DTC, since the .50 BMG round is deadly at long ranges, whereas those rounds are not. Also, the scary .50 BMG can disable a cop car's engine! No other round can do this.
 
So far as I know yes. 50 BMG was banned quite recently. Since it was banned I am sure that is why it was not used in the killings. Therefore banning it saved liv... never mind.
 
Bullets containing lead have been banned in several areas of the state.

Perhaps he got some of that "outside the state".

Everyone knows ammo with a lead additive must certainly be High-Octane stuff!

rcmodel
 
I think that retail sales of .50BMG ammo have been banned in the city of Los Angeles, Titan. You would have to drive to Van Nuys or Burbank to buy it.

Nothing has happened at the state level.
 
Bullets containing lead have been banned in several areas of the state.
Click to expand...

Again, no they have not. This is only for hunting mammals in specific regions where the carcass-eating Condor lives.

Lead is legal in all areas, including Condor range, for range shooting, home defense, plinking, clay shooting, and bird hunting.
 
The author here doesn't represent what California laws are. She's just one media writer. The original post is about how sloppy the media is with respect to reporting gun-related news. This topic is not California specific.
 
The original post is about how sloppy the media is with respect to reporting gun-related news.
Click to expand...

I was actually curious if CA had banned some types of ammo.

I'm not sure whats easier to believe CA banning something else or a media screw up...
 
California has banned certain types of ammo, but these bans have been in place for a long while.

Said ammo would be considered "exotic", generally, like flechette shotshells.

Incendiary and tracer ammo is also banned, but I believe that has to do mostly with the wildfires for which the state has become famous, just like fireworks bans.
 
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