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Letter from Barrett firearms to LAPD
California NRA Members' Councils ^ | 12-11-02 | Ronnie Barrett

Posted on 02/04/2003 6:32:45 PM PST by Inspector Harry Callahan

Chief William J. Bratton
Los Angeles Police Department
150 North Los Angeles Street

Re: LAPD 82A Rifle, Serial No. 11**

Dear Chief Bratton,

I, a U.S. citizen, own Barrett Firearms Mfg. Inc., and for 20 years I have built .50 caliber rifles for my fellow citizens, for their Law Enforcement departments and for their nation's armed forces.

You may be aware of the latest negative misinformation campaign from a Washington based anti-gun group, the Violence Policy Center. The VPC has, for three or so years, been unsuccessful in Washington, D.C. trying to demonize and ban a new subclass of firearms, the .50 caliber and other "too powerful" rifles. This type of nibbling process has been historically successful in civilian disarmament of other nations governed by totalitarian and other regimes less tolerant of individual rights than the United States .

The VPC's most recent efforts directs this misinformation campaign at your state, attempting to get any California body to pass any law against .50 caliber firearms. In March 2002 the VPC caused the California State Assembly, Public Safety Committee to consider and reject the issue by a 5 to 0 with 1 abstaining vote.

Regrettably, the same material has been presented to your city council. I personally attended the council meeting in Los Angeles regarding attempts to bar ownership of the .50 caliber rifle in your city. I was allowed to briefly address the council. The tone of the discussion was mostly emotionally based, so the facts that I attempted to provide were ineffective to the extent they were heard at all. The council voted to have the city attorney draft an ordinance to ban the .50, and further, to instruct the city's representatives in Sacramento and in Washington D.C. to push for bans at their respective levels.

At that council meeting, I was very surprised to see an LAPD officer seated front and center with a Barrett 82A1 .50 cal rifle. It was the centerpiece of the discussion. As you know, there have been no crimes committed with these rifles, and most importantly, current California law does not allow the sale of the M82AI in the state because of its detachable magazine and features that make it an "assault weapon." This rifle was being deceptively used by your department. The officer portrayed it as a sample of a currently available .50 cal rifle, available for sale to the civilians of Los Angeles. One councilman even questioned how this rifle was available under current laws, but as I stated, facts were ineffective that day.

Your officer, speaking for the LAPD, endorsed the banning of this rifle and its ammunition. Then he used the rifle for photo ops with the Councilmen each of whom, in handling the firearm, may have been committing a felony. I was amazed.

Since 1968, with the closing of the U.S. Springfield Amory, all of the small arms produced for the various government agencies are from the private sector. Every handgun, rifle or shotgun that law enforcement needs comes from this firearms industry. Unless the City of Los Angeles has plans of setting up its own firearms manufacturing, it may need to guard the manufacturing sources it has now.

When I returned to my office from Los Angeles, I found an example of our need for mutual cooperation. Your department had sent one of your 82A1 rifles in to us for service. All of my knowledge in the use of my rifle in the field of law enforcement had been turned upside down by witnessing how your department used yours. Not to protect and serve, but for deception, photo opportunities, and to further an ill-conceived effort that may result in the use of LA taxpayer monies to wage losing political battles in Washington against civil liberties regarding gun ownership.

Please excuse my slow response on the repair service of the rifle. I am battling to what service I am repairing the rifle for. I will not sell, nor service, my rifles to those seeking to infringe upon the Constitution and the crystal clear rights it affords individuals to own firearms.

I implore you to investigate the facts of the .50, to consider the liberties of the law-abiding people and our mutual coexistence, and to change your department's position on this issue.

Sincerely,
BARRETT FIREARMS MANUFACTURING, INC.

Ronnie Barrett
President


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: banglist
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To: Squantos
Oh, that list? Well, see, I was out on my boat and this change in sea-state came up and...well, it got caught by a gust of wind and blew overboard.

About in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, I imagine.

Who knows - I was too busy nursing the 350's through the storm to check the GPS.

101 posted on 02/05/2003 5:36:25 PM PST by patton (I have a .58 - does that count?)
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To: PatrioticAmerican
Makes it easier to shoot through doors at unarmed women with babies at their breasts.
Na, our law enforcement personnel would never do a thing like that, would they?
102 posted on 02/05/2003 5:37:08 PM PST by cavtrooper21 (Shoot 'em if they stand, cut 'em if they run!)
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To: PatrioticAmerican
Don't go there.
103 posted on 02/05/2003 6:04:39 PM PST by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: Travis McGee
I was thinking with a copy of your book!
104 posted on 02/05/2003 7:10:57 PM PST by PatrioticAmerican (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: cavtrooper21
"Makes it easier to shoot through doors at unarmed women with babies at their breasts.
Na, our law enforcement personnel would never do a thing like that, would they?"

Well, they have proven that a 308 does the job nicely.
105 posted on 02/05/2003 7:11:31 PM PST by PatrioticAmerican (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: PatrioticAmerican
Hmm... no thanks, my front door is not battering-ram proof.
106 posted on 02/05/2003 9:31:38 PM PST by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: 1redshirt
I know very well that JR lives in Fresno. So what? I am not saying there are no conservatives left in Kalifornia, just that you are vastly outnumbered. It's funny you blame other states for your liberal problem. We blame people from Kalifornia, NY and Mass. for our liberal problems here.
107 posted on 02/05/2003 9:48:34 PM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace (The one and only.)
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To: semaj
I really don't care what your opinion of me is to be quite honest.
108 posted on 02/05/2003 9:49:04 PM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace (The one and only.)
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To: Mikey
I know that saying well. It is a good point, however, Kalifornians are going to have to fight their own battle on this one.
109 posted on 02/05/2003 9:49:53 PM PST by ItisaReligionofPeace (The one and only.)
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To: Mulder
Yeah, it's either the down payment on a nice car, or a Barrett. .50 cal not so cheap!
110 posted on 02/05/2003 9:53:25 PM PST by July 4th
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To: PatrioticAmerican
Visual Aides


111 posted on 02/06/2003 2:20:45 PM PST by turbocat
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
Thank you Mr. Barrett!
112 posted on 02/06/2003 5:37:57 PM PST by AStack75
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace
But some of us are entrenched, and choose to fight on the front line in this war: the action is greater, the opportunities unlimited; the victories we achieve are all the sweeter, when we rescue young (or old) socialist indoctrinated minds from the brink of mindless support of their elected monsters.
113 posted on 02/12/2003 9:12:40 AM PST by Ferocity the cat
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To: AStack75
El Bump-a-roony!
114 posted on 02/22/2003 6:50:55 PM PST by TLI
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To: TLI
AND bumping again. Shameless, ain't I?
115 posted on 03/01/2003 7:45:14 AM PST by TLI
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To: TLI
Yup! gonna crank this little job RIGHT back up there!
116 posted on 03/05/2003 9:20:19 PM PST by TLI
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
Kick ass, Ronnie!
117 posted on 03/05/2003 9:27:48 PM PST by Dick Bachert
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To: Dick Bachert
Still bumping, this is the most oustanding act of courage and clear thinking I have seen in quite some time.
118 posted on 03/08/2003 6:40:29 AM PST by TLI
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To: TLI
Bump back atcha! :-))
119 posted on 03/08/2003 9:20:47 AM PST by Dick Bachert
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To: Inspector Harry Callahan
BTTT
120 posted on 03/08/2003 9:37:17 AM PST by Gritty
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