Posted on 03/14/2005 9:41:32 AM PST by freepatriot32
CHICAGO, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Anti-Terrorism and Aviation Protection Act," (H.B. 1098), passed out of the Illinois House of Representatives Human Services Committee today, a homeland security bill to prevent a terrorist from using a .50 caliber sniper rifle to shoot down a civilian airliner during landing or takeoff. Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D-57th) and Rep. Beth Coulson (R-17th), the two main sponsors, have launched a bi-partisan effort to keep the most deadly and powerful sniper rifles on the market out of the hands of terrorists to protect Illinois aviation and vulnerable industrial targets.
.50 caliber sniper rifles were designed as battlefield rifles to puncture armor, attack personnel carriers and fuel tanks, and to be used for assassination due to the rifle's astonishing range and firepower, but are easier to get in Illinois than a handgun. In addition, .50 caliber sniper rifles and ammunition are easily available over the internet and at guns shows, including highly lethal ammunition such as armor piercing and incendiary rounds which are currently legal. It was because of the terrorist threat of .50 caliber sniper rifles that prompted Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to pass legislation in California to restrict the .50 caliber rifle to military and law enforcement officials only.
"Today's committee vote to keep the most deadly and powerful sniper rifles out of the hands of terrorists was the first step in preventing .50 caliber terror in Illinois," said Thom Mannard, Executive Director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence. "We are urging state lawmakers to be on the side of homeland security and not on the side of giving terrorists access to .50 caliber sniper rifles."
A recent study by the Rand Corporation found that there were no adequate defenses to prevent a terrorist from using a .50 caliber sniper rifle to attack civilian airplanes at long range taxiing on the runway or during takeoff or landing, as was reported recently by 60 Minutes. The combination of distance, firepower, and lethal ammunition puts .50 caliber sniper rifles in a class all on their own. .50 caliber sniper rifles can accurately engage targets up to 2,000 yards, or twenty football fields laid end to end. Visit http://www.50caliberterror.com for more information.
.50 caliber sniper rifles were designed as battlefield rifles to puncture armor, attack personnel carriers and fuel tanks, and to be used for assassination due to the rifle's astonishing range and firepower,
B.S. the 50 caliber rifle was on the civilian market 10 years before the military bought it for military use.
but are easier to get in Illinois than a handgun.
Ok this is a matter of schematics but i would say its a lot easier to come up with 500 dollars for a handgun then the $20,000 it would take to get a 50 caliber bmg rifle.
In addition, .50 caliber sniper rifles and ammunition are easily available over the internet and at guns shows, including highly lethal ammunition such as armor piercing and incendiary rounds which are currently legal.
The last I heard 50 caliber incendiary ammo was illegal for all but military personal.But why let facts and truth get in the way of a good hysterical coniption fit
A recent study by the Rand Corporation found that there were no adequate defenses to prevent a terrorist from using a .50 caliber sniper rifle to attack civilian airplanes at long range taxiing on the runway or during takeoff or landing,
Yes there is basic physics.It would be almost impossible to hit a plane with a simple gun taking off at 300 mph or landing at roughly 200 mph but even if you win the marksman lottory and hit the plane with a bullet at takeoff or landing that in itself isnt going to bring the plane down in a fiery crash.The most that would happen is that te plane loses pressure and the air masks come down.Then the pilots circle around and land a the airport safely.
ping
>>The most that would happen is that te plane loses pressure and the air masks come down.<<
Study up on the subject.
This is my state - Illinois. One of the few remaining states that won't even think about letting its citizens carry concealed or otherwise. As long as the dimwits control every branch of the government that's the way it will be.
keep the most deadly and powerful sniper rifles on the market out of the hands of terrorists to protect Illinois aviation and vulnerable industrial targets.
Should read:
keep the most accurate and powerful rifles on the market out of the hands of citizens to protect gun-grabbing politicians.
There, that's more accurate.
And that only happens above 8000 ft. The aircraft may be "tight" and lightly pressureized when the door closes, it truely isn't pressurized until above 8000 ft.
I am no marksmen, but I am a good shot. a plane accelerating to altitude is cruizing up to 350mph, who would be able to land a killing shot?
You gotta be kidding me. -- and I'm speaking from regulatory perspective since terrorists are going to have access to money, and price won't be too relevant.
"Hi, my name's Osama Been Drinkin'! Can you show me an assault rifle? Did I tell you I have a restraining order against me from wife Fatima?"
Politicians are dumber than a bag of hammers.
You would have to have close to a head-on angle. And I'm betting a silenced/suppressed 50 isn't going to have the range required, would it? So if they're firing it unsuppressed, this wouldn't be an operation they could carry out and then sneak away from too terribly easily. It *is* possible, in my mind (they would probably have to leave the weapon behind and/or fire from a deeply wooded area and then hightail it out of there fast.) They could also do it during deer season, to cover the sound, but then they'd run a higher risk of running into other hunters and having to kill a few more people to escape.
It would seem fairly risky and would almost certainly result in being caught. But is that a concern to them?
Good post. Thanks, that makes things clearer.
I tend to agree. It seems unlikely that terrorists would use this angle. This sounds like just another attempt to curry favor with ignorant anti-gun activists.
The only people afraid of a .50 cal rifle are Hillary Clinton, the Kennedy's, "hard core leftists", anti-Americans and Islamofascists, etc.
A good question for them is what are you planning that you are so afraid of the citizenry being armed?
A law is obviously needed to keep this firepower out of the wrong hands. We already keep marijuana, cocaine, heroin and such stuff out of circulation by outlawing them, and keep our southern border secure by having immigration laws. Another gun control law is just one more thing to make it impossible for criminals to do nasty things </sarcasm>
The article refers to the rifle eight times as a .50 "sniper" rifle.
Sniper, Sniper, Sniper, Sniper... (scared yet?)
What about .50 sporting rifles, or .50 utility rifles?
"Politicians are dumber than a bag of hammers"
I disagree.
They are effectively using stupid arguments like this one to get their agenda across of disarming us.
But why would terrorists use up all kinds of money on registered weapons when they can just smuggle RPG's, true AK's, mortars, etc into the country from the open borders and have a much easier time of taking down planes?
This is simply pols using terrorism to disarm us against the constitution.
Ramp up the hysteria and everyone will forget the 2d amendment ever existed. At least enough people to vote for them will.
your right after i posted i realised what i did when i read the article I read incendiary bullets but got them confused with depleted uranium bullets in my mind
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.