Why? Because someone might shoot down an airliner with a single shot from a .50 caliber rifle.
The best part of that whole fiasco was that Ronnie Barrett made a public statement that Barrett Firearms would no longer sell to, support, nor service any Barrett rifle owned by any municipality or state law enforcement agency in CA as a result.
Mark
I hope he, and his company, has ‘stuck to their guns’ on this...
Bravo to Mr. Ronnie Barrett. Sad to say I didn’t have the money then nor now for one of the .50 BMG semi auto configurations. Hell even a bolt gun would be just fine.