50 Caliber Handgun Threatens Police Lives, VPC Study Warns

VPC and Join Together ^ | 6-3-04 | Tom Diaz

[Dan from Michigan]

50 Caliber Handgun Threatens Police Lives, VPC Study Warns

6/3/2004

Press Release
Violence Policy Center
1140 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
www.vpc.org

Violence Policy Center Warns Nation's Law Enforcement Officers of New Handgun Threat to Police Body Armor

New VPC Study, Vest Buster: The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum -- The Gun Industry's Latest Challenge to Law Enforcement Body Armor, Documents That the 'Most Powerful Handgun in the World' Has Armor-Penetrating Power That Can Pierce the Highest Level of Bullet-Resistant Patrol Vests

Washington, DC - The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today released a new study, Vest Buster: The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum -- The Gun Industry's Latest Challenge to Law Enforcement Body Armor, warning that standard ammunition fired by the recently introduced .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum revolver, promoted as "the most powerful handgun in the world," can penetrate the highest level of body armor worn by the nation's police while on patrol.

Police body armor is designed to protect against handgun threats. The new Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum revolver, however, develops a striking force exceeding the power of many rifles. Only special external body armor, designed for use by SWAT teams and other high-risk units, can withstand rifle fire. The .500 Magnum thus brings a new level of handgun threat to the nation's streets.

"This vest-busting 50-caliber handgun draws a bead on every law enforcement officer in America," said Tom Diaz, VPC senior policy analyst and study author. "It is unfortunately only the latest example of dangerously reckless marketing by America's virtually unregulated gun industry." Diaz further noted that the .500 Magnum handgun, first introduced in February 2003, is already appearing at gun shows, notorious as sources of criminal gun trafficking. In addition, he pointed out, at least one shoulder holster is being sold for the Magnum revolver, thus making it easy for criminals to carry the gun concealed.

For the report, the VPC analyzed information published by Smith & Wesson, ballistics test data from the National Rifle Association's American Rifleman magazine, and federal body armor standards established by the U.S. Department of Justice. Vest Buster demonstrates that the power of the new .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum round substantially exceeds the protection of the highest level of concealable body armor normally worn by law enforcement officers in the field, known as Type IIIA.

The .500 Magnum follows a Smith & Wesson tradition of designing extremely powerful handguns. Vest Buster points out that 27 out of 144 (nearly one out of every five) law enforcement officers slain with a handgun from 1998 through 2000 were killed with one of three types of handgun and cartridge combinations originally designed and introduced by Smith & Wesson: the .357 Magnum, the .44 Magnum, and the .40 S&W.

[Dan from Michigan]

The latest from Very Poor Crap...VPC

[aomagrat]

[al baby]

[William Tell]

From the article: "In addition, he pointed out, at least one shoulder holster is being sold for the Magnum revolver, thus making it easy for criminals to carry the gun concealed. "

When leather is outlawed, only outlaws ... Oh, never mind.

[Soliton]

The thing is impossible to conceal. It is in essence a rifle.

[al baby]

[Lockbar]

Ummmmmm! Yummy!!!

[GSlob]

The whole thing is a big pile of clinton: the 0.500 revolver is so big and heavy that concealed carry (prerequisite for use in crime) is out of question, unless by a gorilla (who, being a gorilla, does not need one). Shooting one well would require both body build and training.
Once, some 15 yrs ago, I was a witness to quite a sight on a shooting range: a rather slender man (maybe 150 lbs) tried to cross-draw (single hand) a Charter Arms 0.457. The heavy thing sent him spinning around. When later he tried to shoot it (again, single hand grip, and, imagining himself in some sort of an action movie - from BENT ELBOW, God help us) - the recoil neatly jackknifed his right hand and strongly whacked him on the forehead with his big revolver. Me and other shooters then present collapsed from laughter. Served him right.

[al baby]

[Eastbound]

"50 Caliber Handgun Threatens Police Lives,.."

50-Caliber Handguns Threaten To Reduce Crime

Hey, we can't have that, can we?

[Nachoman]

How do these idiots manage to dress themselves. Who do they think supplied law enforcement agencies with duty weapons for decades, Toys R us? If these organizations have their way, cops will have to throw rocks at armed criminals because they will drive firearms manufacturers out of business (in the US).

[Living Stone]

America's virtually unregulated gun industry

And here in my ignorance I thought the firearms industry was one of the most heavily regulated in the country.

[BykrBayb]

That title is misleading. I don't think the handgun actually threatened anyone. What exactly did it say?

[Chode]

The new Smith & Wesson .500 Magnum revolver might be the first Crew Served Handgun, but, I bet if you got hit with the Desert Eagle .50AE, vest or no vest, it's Church.

[Eastbound]

I can dig it, al baby.

[neb52]

"Washington, DC - The Violence Policy Center (VPC) today released a new study, Vest Buster: The .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum -- The Gun Industry's Latest Challenge to Law Enforcement Body Armor, warning that standard ammunition fired by the recently introduced .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum revolver, promoted as "the most powerful handgun in the world," can penetrate the highest level of body armor worn by the nation's police while on patrol."

Yes I am sure the Gun Industry is sitting around thinking to themselves "how can we make guns powerful enough to pierce Police body armor". How much is this gun? I don't some low level crook is going to be using this big of a gun.

[Jeff Gordon]

Would someone tell me if the Violence Policy Center is for or against LEOs? It does not feel very pro-LEO when they research and publicly publish a report called "Vest Buster."

The group looks very left winged and liberal. We all know that such types want to restrict LEOs ability to act against poor and down trodden criminals. Are they now working to tell the bad guys what they need to know neutralize the cops?

[Steve Van Doorn]

Yeah I seen a 50 caliber walking down the street just yesterday. LOL :)

[onedoug]

"B-B Gun Threatens Police Lives...."

Ban 'em, quick.