Posted on 11/30/2001 7:16:52 PM PST by technochick99
Branch Davidian cult members fired 50 caliber sniper rifles at federal agents during their initial gun battle on February 28, 1993. The weapons' ability to penetrate "any tactical vehicle in the FBI's inventory" prompted the agency to request military armored vehicles "to give FBI personnel adequate protection from the .50 caliber rifles" and other more powerful weapons the Branch Davidians might have had.
On February 27, 1992, a Wells Fargo armored delivery truck was attacked in a "military style operation" in Chamblee, Georgia, by several men using a smoke grenade and a Barrett 50 caliber sniper rifle. Two employees were wounded.
On April 28, 1995, Albert Petrosky walked into an Albertson's Grocery Store in suburban Denver, Colorado, and gunned down his estranged wife and the store manager. Armed with an L.A.R. Grizzly 50 caliber sniper rifle, an SKS Chinese semi-automatic assault rifle, a .32 revolver, and a 9mm semi-automatic pistol, Petrosky then walked out into the shopping center parking lot, where he exchanged fire with a federal IRS agent passing by and killed Sgt. Timothy Mossbrucker of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. Petrosky, who was known to his friends as "50-cal Al," fired all four weapons, including the 50 caliber rifle, during this murderous rampage.
On March 19, 1998, following an undercover investigation, federal law enforcement officers arrested three members of a radical Michigan group known as the North American Militia. The men were charged with plotting to bomb federal office buildings, destroy highways, utilities and public roads, and assassinate the state's governor, senior U.S. Senator, federal judges and other federal officials. All three were ultimately convicted. A 50 caliber sniper rifle was among the weapons found in their possession.
Wisconsin father and son James and Theodore Oswald were sentenced in 1995 to multiple life terms for armed robbery and the murder of a Waukesha police captain. The two had "a small armory of sophisticated and expensive weapons, including two custom-made .50-caliber rifles powerful enough to assault an armored car—which the two were considering doing," according to the Waukesha county sheriff.
In the summer of 1995, Canadian officials in British Columbia found a Barrett 50 caliber sniper rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition for it, and enough explosives to fill a five ton truck at a remote site. It is believed that members of a Texas militia group planned to set up a training camp at the site. Although at least one convicted felon was identified as a suspect, the investigation was dropped due to difficulties in prosecuting across national borders. The incident prompted one Texas Constitutional Militia official to observe, "We are not all raving maniacs. I'd kind of like to keep our lunatics on our side of the border."
According to the General Accounting Office, 50 caliber sniper rifles have been found in the armories of drug dealers in California, Missouri, and Indiana, and a federal investigation in 1999 was "targeting the movement of .50 caliber semi-automatic rifles from the United States to Mexico for use by drug cartels."
At least two persons have been charged with illegally making and selling 50 caliber sniper rifles. Robert W. Stewart of Mesa, Arizona, a convicted felon, is charged with felony possession of firearms by being in possession of Maadi-Griffin 50 caliber "kit guns" he was selling from his home, along with other firearms alleged to be in his possession. Stewart has become a folk hero among hard-line gun rights advocates and 50 caliber enthusiasts. He is distinguished, among other things, by his recent assertion that convicted felons have the right to have guns: "I don't care if he's a mass murderer, he killed 50,000 people. He still has a right to have a gun. A gun is just a tool."
Another convicted felon, Wayne Frank Barbuto, has been charged in Salt Lake with attempting to sell two 50 caliber sniper rifles to undercover federal agents. The government believes Barbuto manufactured the guns himself. It is not clear whether this refers to kit guns of the Maadi-Griffin type.
Here's a novel idea--prosecute those who actually use the guns to commit a crime, and leave the thousands of people who don't alone. But of course it's the same old game, demonize some undefined type of gun, like "assault rifles", "saturday night specials" "50 caliber sniper rifles", etc. Then deliberately write a law that is covers many other types of guns that people never thought would be included.
If the government was truely interesting in preventing deaths wouldn't they also attempt outlaw gay sex? The number of self inflicted AIDS deaths alone are staggering. I'd venture to say about 1,000,000 to 1 over .50 cal BMG deaths.
More Americans (inside this country, anyway) will be killed by just about anything than will be killed by a .50 BMG. More people will probably be killed by falling pianos.
The only criminal use of the gun ... was having the gun! It's like saying criminal use of fireworks, marijuana or an escort.
I really hate that level of deception, and I despise the people who are willing to engage in it to achieve their agenda. These people are dangerous because they are amoral, and they put their selfish political objectives above the truth, and probably the law. Clintonesque.
If cartoons are any gauge, that happens quite regularly.
-Redcoak, laying it on with a trowel.
The boys were flipping through Jane's, they found it and asked if I had one when I was little and could they please get one too.
It would take 4 gangsta's to get off more the 2 rounds. While their reloading, you could walk over and smack them in the head with a hammer.
Ban those evil dangerous plastic buckets before all our children are killed....same logic !
When this happened, the hysteria was about the SKS, no mention of the .50.
Nothing, the little 22-250 with Winchester Supreme ballistic tips puts a clean 50 cal. size hole right through it.
When the politicans find out that at close range the little 22-250 will also penetrate their limo glass and doors it will also become ripe for confiscation.
The FBI isn't afraid of the 50 cal. its so big that one could hide one...the politicans know that even in their cozy armored limo they can be touched by pissed off peasents.
While working in an IRS building a year ago I saw several cases of Kevlar vests. The revenooers know how popular they are with the people.
The weapons weren't even available to be fired at any mysterious men who may have been hiding in horse trailors.From:Files detail evidence of huge cult arsenalwe have the following which contradicts you:The Dallas Morning News, May 26, 1993
By Lee HancockAmong approximately 200 separate weapons cataloged during a three-week search of the compound were:* At least one Barrett 50-caliber sniper rifle. A Dallas-area gun dealer said during the standoff that he had sold one of the weapons to Mr. Koresh, and authorities suspected that he had several of the bipod-mounted weapons in the compound. Authorities also found another Barrett bipod bearing a different weapon serial number. Another court document filed Tuesday indicated that the search produced a second .50-caliber weapon.
the Davidian .50 calibre rifles were being shown at a gun show, not at the Waco compound, on February 28, 1993.From:U.S. not responsible, Davidian jury sayswe have the following which also contradicts your statement:Judge must still rule, but sect's lawyer calls decision final
The Dallas Morning News, July 15, 2000
By Lee Hancock... lawyers also spent more than a day detailing the 300 weapons amassed by Mr. Koresh.Jurors saw charred remnants of a .50-caliber sniper rifle ...
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