Contra Costa redies ban on .50 caliber rifles

Contra Costa Times ^ | August 9, 2003 | Peter Felsenfeld

[Socratease]

County studies, readies rifle bill By Peter Felsenfeld CONTRA COSTA TIMES

All it would take is a willing mind and a powerful explosive to turn Contra Costa's hulking oil refineries into giant chemical bombs.

In an age of terrorism and readily available weapons, neither prospect can be completely discounted.

So Contra Costa supervisors are scheduled Tuesday to take aim at a readily available gun they say presents just such a threat. The board is expected to ask county attorneys to draft an ordinance that would ban the sale of .50-caliber BMG rifles in unincorporated areas.

The measure would be based on similar legislation approved in Los Angeles this summer. Supervisors say they want Contra Costa cities to follow with similar laws.

Such steps are necessary because any person could purchase the weapon, set up on a hillside and cause some major damage to a refinery, said Supervisor John Gioia of Richmond. The gun is often fired as it rests on stand.

"These are not the kind of things that are used by street gangs, because they're so big and obvious," he said. "They're more likely to be used by bad people who are intent on causing serious harm."

Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, introduced legislation this year to curb the manufacture and sale of .50-caliber rifles statewide. His bill, AB50, stalled in the Senate Public Safety Committee last month.

The weapons generally weigh between 30 and 50 pounds, and can be bought legally in stores or online for about $5,000, said Dan Lilja, owner of Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels, which manufactures barrels for the guns.

The world's most skilled marksman can hit targets with the rifle up to 1,980 yards away, according to the Fifty Caliber Club Web site.

Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette said the guns could fire exploding bullets through 8 inches of steel, and certainly through containers transporting hazardous materials.

"There is no way we can completely shut off access to the refineries," she said. "The gun has the capability to destroy refinery equipment."

The ordinance would probably set off a firestorm of opposition from gun advocates. Chuck Michel, spokesman for the California Rifle and Pistol Association, called Uilkema's statement "utter crap."

"There's absolutely no way it can pierce 8 inches of steel."

He said the supervisors were stoking fears of terrorism to push an anti-gun agenda and mask the rifle's legitimate sporting uses.

"These rifles are legal for a reason: they're primarily used for hunting and target shooting events," he said. "If a terrorist really wanted to destroy a refinery, he could get his hands on a rocket-propelled grenade on the black market."

[Socratease]

The supes are meeting Tuesday morning in Martinez if you can make it. If not, go to http://NRAMembersCouncils.com/legs.shtml and email them your opinion.

[Lazamataz]

I understand if you fire one of these things at the sun, you can cause it to go supernova.

[Drango]

Boy that'll show those terrorist and I feel a lot safer now. /sarcasm

[Puppage]

Contra Costa redies ban on .50 caliber rifles

Oh, goody. Everyone knows that the average street thug is gunna lay down 5 grand for low end, 20 pound .50 so ya might just as well ban it.

BEHOLD! THE MIND OF THE DEFENSELESS.

[Puppage]

Contra Costa redies ban on .50 caliber rifles

Oh, goody. Everyone knows that the average street thug is gunna lay down 5 grand for low end, 20 pound .50 so ya might just as well ban it.

BEHOLD! THE MIND OF THE DEFENSELESS.

[Vulpes]

"These are not the kind of things that are used by street gangs, because they're so big and obvious," he said. "They're more likely to be used by bad people who are intent on causing serious harm."

Ummm what's wrong with this statement???

Aren’t gang members bad people??

[SLB]

Supervisor Gayle Uilkema of Lafayette said the guns could fire exploding bullets through 8 inches of steel, and certainly through containers transporting hazardous materials.

That is one whopper of a .50 cal round. I have a .50 SLAP round on my desk right now and it comes no where close to that in ballastics, although they are impressive. As far as it exploding, wow! I thought the penetrator was solid, the engineers who developed it never told me it would explode.

[Bluntpoint]

Call me a gun grabber but I don't think anyone should own one of these unless they can afford one.

Flame away.

[17th Miss Regt]

The sun is too small a star to go supernova. However, if you fire it at Mars in the next few days when it is large and easily hit, you may shatter it and create a new asteroid belt.

[Blood of Tyrants]

This proposed ban is so stupid on so many levels that it defies description. The worst one being that they believe making buying a .50 cal in that county will stop a terrorist from blowing up a refinery.

[17th Miss Regt]

The filler is not lead. It is higly enriched uranium. Upon impact the mechanical compression ignites the fission reaction and a well placed round will flatten a small town.

[Lazamataz]

The sun is too small a star to go supernova.

Yeah, well, with the size of the .50 cal bullet, you are adding enough mass.

Reporters know this stuff. They tell me and I trust them.

[Bluntpoint]

Call me a Mars hugger, but I don't think people need to be shooting planets when they have grocery stores on every corner.

Must be some macho thing.

Billy Bob bragging about his Mars Jerky:

"I bagged it myself with one shot."

I'm impressed!

[sean327]

I picked up on that also, maybe it's not PC in NOCAL to call gang bangers what they are (No good worthless, waste of oxygen, thugs, losers, druggies, and murderers.)

[Lazamataz]

The filler is not lead. It is higly enriched uranium. Upon impact the mechanical compression ignites the fission reaction and a well placed round will flatten a small town.

I have heard of entire galaxies destroyed by a single .50 caliber round.

[niteowl77]

I saw an episode of The Simpsons where a magnifying glass caused ants to ignite and start an oil fire; based on that documentary,* I think that these kommissars need to address the burning issue of civilian ownership of convex lenses.

*If that is what Michael Moore makes, then The Simpsons qualifies.

[17th Miss Regt]

WOW!! Must be an improved round!

[Bluntpoint]

"I have heard of entire galaxies destroyed by a single .50 caliber round."

First all you bastards shoot all the buffalo, now you are wiping out our great herds of galaxies.

Sickening!

[AngryJawa]

"Call me a gun grabber but I don't think anyone should own one of these unless they can afford one."

Who are you, sir, to tell me that I can't buy one of these fine weapons unless I can pay for it? Tha gall...8^)

Is it true that a 50 cal round will disrupt the space / time continuum if fired during a leap year?

[Bluntpoint]

Screw you Mr. Heston!

Until the check clears, take that gun from your frigit, comatose and pasty fingers.

[17th Miss Regt]

That is true, but only if fired at the exact moment we either go onto daylight savings time or go off daylight savings time. Fortunately for civilization, those are the only two windows of vulnerability!

[Lazamataz]

No, its the normal .50 round you can get anywhere.

Why do you think it's so important we get them banned??!??! You must be one of those horrible gun nuts who believes in civilian possession of metal in any form.

[litehaus]

"and can be bought legally in stores or online for about $5,000,"

Geez!! On Line????-Tell me how/where...NOW!

[Bluntpoint]

Stay out of Indiana you crazy gun nut fruitcakes. We have both fast time and slow time here. I am one mile away from either.

[AngryJawa]

Do you take Discover? It would be nice to get some cashback points on this baby.

[17th Miss Regt]

Call me a Mars hugger, but I don't think people need to be shooting planets when they have grocery stores on every corner.Sir, I beg to differ. Planet plinking is perfectly reasonable as long as it is done on public land and as long as the firer pays attention to who or what is behind his target (NRA, Planet Plinking Guidelines, 2001.)

[Charles Martel]

The filler is not lead. It is higly enriched uranium. Upon impact the mechanical compression ignites the fission reaction and a well placed round will flatten a small town.

Seen this video clip?

[rellimpank]

--anybody besides me note the sly piece of anti-fifty caliber propaganda in the movie "SWAT"?--or at least, I construed it as such--

[Hoverbug]

I have heard of entire galaxies destroyed by a single .50 caliber round.

If it'll save just one galaxy ..........

Hb

[in the Arena]

Come on, everyone knows that terrorists usually operate and purchase their tools of destruction in their own neighborhoods :O)

[17th Miss Regt]

Quite the contrary. I own a Saturn - no metal in that. Also, the coins in my pocket are plastic and have the motto "In Welfare We Trust" on them.

[scooter2]

Call me a gun grabber but I don't think anyone should own one of these unless they can afford one.

Now that's really an assinine statement. How else you gonna get one unless you can afford it, short of stealing one (not likely considering the size and weight). Or do you expect Kalifornia to give these out with welfare checks and food stamps?

[17th Miss Regt]

This is great!! LMAO!! Thanks!

[Bluntpoint]

Show me a "planet plinker" and I will show you a person that would shoot cute little puppies if there was a season for such hunting.

Whats the matter big bad "planet plinker," making up for for a deficiency somewhere else?

[Bluntpoint]

You miss a lot, don't you?

[Joe Brower]

[Varmint Al]

Contra Costa supervisors are scheduled Tuesday to take aim at a readily available gun they say presents just such a threat. The board is expected to ask county attorneys to draft an ordinance that would ban the sale of .50-caliber BMG rifles...

Excerpt form the Freedom and Firearms speech by Tom McClintoc:

There are two modern views of government that begin from entirely different premises.

There is the 18th Century American view propounded by our nation’s founders. They believed, and formed a government based upon that belief, that each of us is endowed by our creator with certain rights that cannot be alienated, and that governments are instituted to protect those rights. This view is proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and reflected in the American Bill of Rights.

The second view is 19th Century German in origin and expressed in the philosophies of Marx and Hegel and Nietzsche. It is a restatement of philosophies of absolutism that have plagued mankind for millennia. In this view, rights come not from God, but from the state. What rights you have are there because government has given them to you, all for the greater good – defined, of course, by government.

Contra Costa supervisors are not attempting to solve a problem, they are merely doing what liberals normally do. Do something to make them FEEL good.

With the current political recall fever in CA, it is time to Recall the Contra Costa Supervisors if they ban these calibers.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

Varmint Al's Gun Rights & Politics Page

[AngryJawa]

"You miss a lot, don't you?"

Perhaps it's best that he not own a fiddy cal.

[KC_for_Freedom]

This is sad for me, I grew up in the dry grass hills of Contra Costa County (Concord) and these areas were always the more "conservative" of the Bay Area (think San Francisco). The article does not mention it, but the Concord Navel Weapons Depot is near the refineries that they are afraid will be come terrorist targets.

But it is silly to outlaw the sale of the gun, why not just make it against the law to shoot up refineries and military bases, one would think that would have the same result. (Oh wait, its already illegal to shoot refineries and military bases.)

[Sender]

I don't see why you macho guys would want such a weapon, I mean, if you can't bag a planet with a simple phase disruptor then you shouldn't go out hunting. There's no need to pierce 8 feet of steel, at least in my galaxy. Sheesh.

[Bluntpoint]

I'm sure he has already hit the abuse button reporting me as an anti-planet hunting troll.

[Lazamataz]

Show me a "planet plinker" and I will show you a person that would shoot cute little puppies if there was a season for such hunting.

You've heard of potato guns?

I have a puppy gun. I use it to launch puppies over the Atlanta skyline.

They look just like meteors, except if you listen closely, you can hear: "wwwwhiiiiiimmppppppperrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........"

[Lazamataz]

Perhaps it's best that he not own a fiddy cal.

So I say's to the Loch Ness Monster, "MONSTER! No you can't have no fiddy cal." And my wife goes, "I let him have a 9." And I go, "WOMAN! You can't be giv'n no Loch Ness Monster no 9 millimeter! He'll just be back for a fiddy cal!"

[Bluntpoint]

You guys and your "traditional" equipment always going around and looking down your noses at people who use more modern weaponry.

Yeah, asshole, I wear blaze orange when I hunt planets not some silly ass coon-skin cap and buckskin leggins.

[AngryJawa]

Well, planet hunting season doesn't start for another two months. Maybe I'll report you too, troll. 8^)

You know, this whole line of debate may solve a future near-Earth asteriod problem. Every cloud does have a silver lining after all.

[Bluntpoint]

I'm tracing this post.

[Bluntpoint]

Another "silver cloud lining" cultist!

Go back an play with your fairy dust!

[ought-six]

"I understand if you fire one of these things at the sun, you can cause it to go supernova."

ROFLMAO! Yours is the post of the day!

[Bluntpoint]

I just reported you for butchering a South Park script!

[AngryJawa]

"They look just like meteors, except if you listen closely, you can hear: "wwwwhiiiiiimmppppppperrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr........"

Wow, that's a relief. I was thinkin' I'd have to cut back on my drinkin'. Them pups sure do fuss alot while you're ramrodding them down the barrel...I had to switch to hamsters.