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
His actions speak louder than his words.
More guns, less crime, fewer LE jobs? Any LEO Freepers out there who wish to verify or rebut?
IMHO you're an idiot.
You might want to CC: JR about the above statement ... he lives in Fresno
We, the native born Californians, are doing our best to re-take our state from the misfits who moved here from other states and brought their liberal crap with them. Don't forget that this is the state of Ronald Reagan. We are not about to move from our native home state and surrender out birth-right to the liberal miscreants who have infested our state.
LOL!
Translation:
"When you see Satan wearing icicles, expect that rifle via Pony Express a week later!"
A couple of professional bail recovery agents -- unarmed, without attitude, and dressed in casual attire -- would have been more likey than local LEOs or a Fe(de)ral SWAT (Safer-With-A-Terrorist) Team to produce ol' Randy in court without producing a bruise or shedding a drop of blood...
Please send Mr. Ronnie Barret an e-mail of support. Anything will do.
.50 BMG Custom Bolt Action Rifles
"We build a complete line of custom .50 BMG bolt action rifles. We start out by using high quality German designed and made custom barreled actions. We then add your choice of high quality laminated wood stock and bipod to make this a truly amazing gun to shoot and a real piece of art. We have several styles to choose from including our Standard Lite Weight, Modular Lite Weight SWAT, Lite Weight Hunting, and Bull Barrel Target model."
I want one.........
"Can the States of the United States come together and vote to do away with a State? Kalifornia does not speak for the rest of the country nor does it abide by the laws of the land...seem like if we voted them in the union we could vote them out!"
"Anyone who voluntarily lives in Kalifornia deserves what he/she gets in my humble opinion."
Can any of you read? Try it again below!
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.
The State of California got it right for a change. The City of Angels is another story.
But I know Ronnie B. wouldn't do that.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.