Posted on 02/25/2008 8:38:35 AM PST by kiriath_jearim
A battle is brewing between the Honolulu Police Department and the Hawaii Rifle Association over a proposed ban of a high-powered sniper rifle.
KITV's Catherine Cruz reported that the 50-caliber rifle is dubbed the most powerful rifle on the market today, and the HPD said it is their worst nightmare. That is why they said they want it out of civilian hands.
It's a weapon that's long been used by the military and law enforcement, but in most states, a person can buy it over the Internet or from a gun store, which is making law enforcement uneasy.
"There is nothing we have that can withstand this. If you look at an armored car, those things have a half-inch of steel. These can go through 1 inch of steel at a thousand yards," HPD Major Gregory Lefcourt said.
The rifle can fire 10 rounds in 10 seconds, and the bullets can travel for miles, police officials said.
They said that a shot fired from the rooftop at police headquarters could precisely hit a target at the state Capitol, four-tenths of a mile away.
The National Guard calls the weapon a threat to homeland security.
"It does concern us -- shooting down airplanes four miles distances," Hawaii National Guard Gen.Gary Ishikawa said.
The National Rifle Association said that a ban would infringe on the right to bear arms. It argued that the weapon hasn't ever been used in a crime in the islands.
"We haven't had any incidents of robbers at banks or terrorist shooting airplanes -- it just doesn't happen," HRA member Mark Plischke said.
But police said they don't want to wait until then.
They said the proposed ban will die in the judiciary committee if they don't get enough public support for the bill.
The rifles are outlawed for civilian use in California, New Jersey and New York.
The HRA maintained that their members use it for hunting or eradicating goats. Others users of the rifle said they enter long range firing competitions
The rifle is so powerful that it has been banned from the Kokohead Firing Range, range officials said. The rifle is only allowed at military ranges, which are off limits to civilians.
It is also very expensive. One rifle will fetch about $8,000, officials said.
There are 125 registered owners of the high-powered rifle in the state, with 90 owners living on Oahu.
More innocents have been killed by LEOS than by 50s.
W/E
I take deer with mine...
-—and it took an average of 12000 rounds of .50 BMG to do so —both in the Pacific and European theaters of war—
“THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS...SHALL...NOT...BE...INFRINGED.”
Pretty easy concept to understand. You, as a “soldier dad” should understand that.
The Constitution says NOTHING about “civilian use”, “sporting use”, or ANY use other than what a firearm is intended for. It does NOT say “the right to keep only the arms WE feel are acceptable.”
It was written for the AGES, not the DAY. And almost EVERY State Constitution has a keep and bear arms clause in it. Look them up. New Jersey is an exception, and the Dems that control Jersey use it to their advantage fanatically, even though they violate the Federal Constitution (read that: BREAK THE LAW OF THE LAND) with impunity.
“Sporting use” came from 1930’s Nazi gun laws which the Dems (the previous Senator Dodd) copied in 1968 (look it up on JPFO.org).
They’re crying about the .50 now; next it’ll be the .30 caliber weapons. Then smaller and smaller. They already have their playbook written.
The way LEOs and Pols view a FREE MAN’s RIGHT to own firearms is critical. They either view you as a SUBJECT or as a Free citizen. They do NOT deserve to hold office if they don’t recognize you as a free citizen with unalienable rights, PERIOD. If they are afraid of YOU, you need to worry about THEM havening ANY power over you.
They are public servants; they work for YOU, and they should be reminded of it at every opportunity. And thrown out of office poste haste if they forget it.
Men DIED for this right; we should not give it up cheaply.
Pretty much puts it in a nutshell.
Bump!
Fine, don't buy one. After you ban this, then a scoped .30 will be the next thing for the squeemish to wet themselves over. Don't buy into the "legitimate purpose for civilian use" crap. If I want one that should be enough in a free country.
Bump!
So, you wish to try and compare the late 1700’s with today? Wow. No small stretch for use of logic there. Yeah, there’s no difference today compared to during the 1700’s. Our nation is just the same today as it was back then. We have no problems with border security or illegal immigrants today. We have no enemies which, coming here legally, would then want to be able to purchase weapons that could be used against civilian populations simply for the sake of creating terror. You can justify your position all you want using anedotes from the 1700’s, but that doesn’t mean you have a valid argument in today’s world. You perhaps might also have made a comment that in the late 1700’s the only people allowed to vote were property owners. But, you left that part out. You could also have reported the fact that today almost anyone can find a way to purchase a firearm, but in the 1700’s the only people that had the money to buy the types of weapons you speak of were either property owners or those with the skills to make their own. Not much of a comparison between then and now, now that you take a closer look.
Spot on, well said!
I gotta think it would be useful to plug Rocky Mountain antelope, high-range mountain goats (mentioned above, I assume), moose, wapiti and other high-strung animals.
Cool...the 1st ammendment only protects quill pens and printing presses from that era. Nice logic.
Illegals got you down?
Immigrants who are still loyal to enemy causes too?
Read my tagline!
So... common sense has an experation date, eh?
Ecclesiastes 1:9-14
One of them .50s is a little hard to whip out from under the seat and take a shot as you drive down the street.
I get an extra $8,000 and I’d like one. But then I’d have to get a bigger gun safe.
I feel the same way about Corvettes. What do people want them for anyway? The pure excitement?
First, I don't remember the Constitution saying anything about legitimate purposes.
Secondly, the .50 BMG has been used in competitive 1000 yard events for many years.
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