City May Outlaw Sniper Gun Sales

Los Angeles Daily News | 09-11-2002

[boris]

Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas on Tuesday introduced a motion to ban the sale of .50-caliber sniper rifles in Los Angeles.

The proposal, which will be considered by the council next week, has the support of six other council members.

-Article Ends-

[IYAS9YAS]

Forgive my ignorance, but what does the BMG stand for...I have looked in several magazines and other sources but cannot come up with the answer. Doesn't mean I don't want one though.

[umgud]

BMG = Browning Machine Gun

[Jonah Hex]

BMG = "Big Mother-loving Gun"!

No, just joking, umgud called it correctly.

:-)

[IYAS9YAS]

My, how my ingorance ran deep on that one, thanks for the answer. I was just going to put my own definition on it if I couldn't find out...Brutishly Mean Gun.

[from occupied ga]

This is an over kill weapon for the neighborhood. One accidental round going off can go through several homes. There is no need to have this kind of a large caliber HP weapon in a large city.

I hope you forgot the sarcasm tag

[Billthedrill]

So if you're a city-dweller you can't compete in shooting matches? Because that's the number one use of these items, competition shooting. "Sniper rifle" is an emotionally-colored term that is used by the ignorant - have you ever heard of a single "sniper" killing in this country from these guns? A single crime, even?

Beware of deciding that you're the arbiter of what other people "need" - that's an attitude used by authoritarians to run other people's lives. There are a number of people who have decided that you don't "need" certain types of vehicles, or certain types of food, and definitely certain types of recreation. The question is, how do you feel about their ability to force you to obey them?

[RogueIsland]

This is an over kill weapon for the neighborhood. One accidental round going off can go through several homes.

Nah, the .50 BMG is a sissy round. This is the real deal:

[boris]

"This is an over kill weapon for the neighborhood. One accidental round going off can go through several homes. There is no need to have this kind of a large caliber HP weapon in a large city."

Sigh. The Second Amendment says nothing about "need". It says, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." This is clear language and its meaning cannot be mistaken unless wilfully.

When the ".50 caliber sniper rifle" flap went off, the papers were in an uproar over the 'fact' that "one shot can down a helicopter."

I wrote a letter to the paper (for some reason they declined to print it):

"Thank goodness someone is finally addressing the epidemic of helicopter shoot-downs. Why, just the other day, one crashed in my yard. Fellow who shot it only winged it, though, and I had to put it out of its misery. The haul-away costs are bankrupting me."

=================

I don't own a .50-caliber sniper rifle. I wish I did. Not because I need it...but because if these people don't want me to have it, that is sufficient justification to get one.

You may have forgotten--like most of the populace--that Americans have a strong streak of oneryness. Tell me I "can't" or "shouldn't" for "my own good" and I'll shove that .50-caliber barrel where the sun don't shine...and start angling for a larger caliber.

--Boris

[ZULU]

This is one more step along the road to incremental dismemberment of the Second Amendment by the same kind of liberal lunatics who support unilateral disarmament against terrorists, criminals and foreign foes.

I wonder if they will outlaw .58 caliber civil war guns?
These idiots probably do not even recognize the ramifications of their actions.

[rlwinston]

An automobile can passed 65 miles an hour, this is over kill for a typical neigborhood pehaps we should also do something about those horrible horrible cars that actually kill much more people per year that those nasty nasty 50 cal."SNIPER" GUNS. take a pill and lie down.

[PLMerite]

Go back and hide under your bed. We'll let you know when it's safe to come out again.

[Gritty]

One accidental round going off can go through several homes.

I see you subscribe to the "gun safety" mantra B#llsh!T!

There is no need to have this kind of a large caliber HP weapon in a large city.

In actuality, these elitist politicians don't like them because they can be a threat to their bullet-proof limosines! Don't think for a moment this is a "gun safety" issue. It is about controlling the serfs!

[taxcontrol]

Apparently you are confusing NEEDs with RIGHTS.

[from occupied ga]

These idiots probably do not even recognize the ramifications of their actions

You bet they realize the ramifications of their actions. They are working toward a gun-controlers wet dream of the USA - where only the police and military are armed. Then there can be no effective resistance to their most extreme social engineering plans.

[Dead Dog]

Any rifle will go through several houses, and they are almost all overkill for homedefense. The second amendment isn't just about homedefense.

[MD_Willington_1976]

I'm sure they could re-tool and neck-up/down the 50 BMG to 51 or 49 BMG for civilian use or just go all out and buy a 600 Nitro express. That way if they ban 50 calibre rifles you could just use a 51 or 49 calibre rifle.
The State Arms company (http://www.statearms.com/) made a rifle called a "Mach 5" which is a 50 BMG necked down from .50 to .375.

600 Nitro links:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~mickay/nitro.htm

http://www.skisland.com/reloadersnest/query.asp?Caliber=.600%20Nitro%20Express

[Jimbaugh]

http://www.birdman.org/products/Nuke50.htm

This will work for almost and problem.

[from occupied ga]

Nitro Express in considerably less energetic than .50 BMG

Nitro Express Bullet Weight; 900 grains
Muzzle Velocity; 1950 fps, Energy; 7591 ft/lbs

.50 BMG Bullet Weight; 750 grains
Muzzle Velocity; 2910 fps, Energy; 13048 ft/lbs

[ezo4]

any fool that chambers a round in this rifle in a home or place of residence is a idiot.

[oldfart]

The only time I remember anyone using a .50 cal in the LA area was during the Watts riots. Someone took a shot at a National Guard vehicle with a .22 and the NG gunner replied with a burst from his BMG. The NCO in charge chewed him out for being so quick on the trigger, reminding him that his rounds were probably still going through walls and buildings.
As usual though, the politicians are reacting to imaginary dangers, since .50 cal. rifles would have only very limited use in an urban area. As someone else pointed out though, the smaller .30 cal rifles, which would be much more useful, will be next on the 'banned' list.