I think there is a police department or newspaper that seriously needs some straightening out. From the Orlando Sentinel. "The sole purpose for this weapon is large or exotic animals," sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said Thursday www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-newguns28...6672.story?track=rss

That's kind of humorous. I think when he says "the sole purpose" he is talking about their purpose not the design itself but the title says it all.

Hey, my friends at Gunblast got quoted. They'll find that amusing.

They could have saved some money by getting H&R Handi-Rifles in .45/70 and using Garrett ammo. Such is the choice of folks who REALLY know about powerful guns for elephants.

I'm bored today so below is what I posted on their editorial section and emailed a copy to the correspondent as well:

"Regarding subject article on the Sheriff Department's new "wonder weapon", I am amazed at the complete lack of ignorance regarding weapons and ballistics demonstrated by the Sheriff's Department and it's armorers.

Your erroneous and obviously anti-gun statement regarding the {sic} skyrocketing murder rate as a result of increased use of Ak-47s is typical of your rabid anti-Second Amendment views was totally predictable and a veiled attempt to criticize the end of the ineffective Clinton "so-called" Assault Weapons'Ban", but the Sheriff's expectations regarding subject rifle, the .50 Beauwolf is laughable.

Anybody that knows anything about dangerous game hunting, particularly the large carnivores and not to mention elephant, Cape Buffalo, rhino and other large Arican game will tell you the Beuwolf is woefully inadequate for such a task.

Let me put it in more sophomoric terms; If you make the mistake of shooting any of the animals above with that rifle caliber and he finds out about it, he'll really be upset and might just have to eat you or stomp you to death.

If the Sheriff is indeed interested in securing correct weapons to deal with the potential dangers of these zoo animals, I'll offer my professional services totally gratis of course.

jorge

Jorge:

Let's do Sunday.

If you remember, .450 No. 2 actually trained a SWAT team for the Dallas Zoo and armed them with .460 Weatherbys, a "mild" step up from a Beuwolf, I reckon.

Tony even had to shoot an escaped gorilla that had attacked a mama and baby. If you've ever seen the picture of the dead primate with the baby's shoe underneath its body, it is unnerving, to say the least. The gorilla had no good intent.

Click to see story: A Dallas Maverick?

Several years ago, I was asked by the Baltimore Zoo to obtain some ammo for their "elephant gun." They actually had(have?) a .458WM.but had no idea where or how to get ammo for it. Heaven help us if they ever have to use it.

WILCO Sunday Ernest. ETA? we're flexible with the time so you tell us and we'll be expecting you with some "Romeo Y Julietas" and Dalmore Single Malt in hand....jorge

Great response jorge. Even many of our 'finest' haven't got a clue, but have bought into the weapons hysteria and other misinformation.

quote:

I am amazed at the complete lack of ignorance regarding weapons and ballistics demonstrated by the Sheriff's Department and it's armorers.

Jorge
I am not sure this is what you meant to say?

oops. Guess I screwed the pooch on that one. Hopefully, most readers won't be as smart as you. Good catch. jorge

quote:

Originally posted by OldGuy:

quote:

I am amazed at the complete lack of ignorance regarding weapons and ballistics demonstrated by the Sheriff's Department and it's armorers.

Jorge
I am not sure this is what you meant to
say?

Easy mistake to make! THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF IGNORANCE, in that sheriff!

Well.....we really do have a good sheriff in Kevin Beary.....unfortunately his "spokemen" leave a bit to be desired. I know a few of his deputies....really good men who would know what to do with those tools....and it wouldn't involve elephants or killer whales

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

quote:

Originally posted by JudgeG:
They could have saved some money by getting H&R Handi-Rifles in .45/70 and using Garrett ammo. Such is the choice of folks who REALLY know about powerful guns for elephants.

Thats the problem with the world today. A real man would not need the law to protec him if something got out from the zoo. Because real men have their own big bore doubles to protec there familys! (Thats what I told my wife when I tried to explain the 470 merkel. I told her that the 9.3 double was for her use, if I were to go down. She is lucky I care that much, I expained a lot of me don't!)

JD

Just let me say for the record that I live here in Orange County, Florida. I for one fully support this choice of weapon. I feel safer knowing that if a rampaging killer whale escapes Sea World, that 14 of these bad boys are prepared to stop him from taking hostages. Let's not forget rogue cows that escape and have to be blasted. Oh nevermind...I am embarassed as hell...Good Lord...but at least they have laser sites

Jeff

Wait till they shoot someone with that "elephant gun".....Think of all the law suits they will have coming!!!!!!!!!

Ok lets be frank here. It IS a really really fun gun to shoot. The got a HLS grant, had some $$ left over. Your tax $$ at work. This asshat was just dumb enough to go to the press about it.

Our dept. just got a great new boat, same program. You should see the flat screen TV's that y'all bought us for our ferries. Really nice. Thanks.

Finest my ass.

While it is stupid, they did have to kill an elephant a number of years ago here in Central Florida.

I vividly remember seeing the video clips of the police officers shooting at it with pistols.

I would pick a 308 Winchster with FMJ bullets if I had to shoot an elephant rather than this one.

The "high powered AK-47?"

I'm glad they bought the Beowulf; this way the prices for REAL DG rifles will not climb due to a sudden urge of Law Enforcement agencies across the US to have "stopping" rifles. That would make Fed. Premium ammo real expensive.

Seems like a Garand with black tip ammo would be natural choice for these guys.

The Beowulf isn't the answer for DG (although it does better than most of you think...ever heard of solids?) but it would be very appropriate for most of what the sheriff's dept. will really be doing...like manning roadblocks and checkpoints. In fact, it's about ideal for that. It will also do well on most types of animal control.

From Alexander Arms:

quote:

Providing a semi automatic, light carbine with the performance of the venerable 45-70 rifle, the .50 Beowulf® has found wide acceptance with Military and Law Enforcement agencies.

334 grain FMJ has muzzle velocity of 1980 out of a 24 inch barrel, dropping to 1890 at 25 yards.

It is a close quarter combat weapon, that would probably make a nice close work pig stopper. But a dangerous game rifle it is definitely not.

Anybody ever looked at one of the Beowulf cartridges? Man, talk about a rebated rim! Makes the 500 Jeffery look like a rimmed double rifle cartridge.

I wonder what that sucker headspaces off of? (I assume the case mouth, like a pistol cartridge)

There is nothing enherantly wrong with the Beowulf cartridge, for use that the police really want it for! That is, a fine cartridge for penetrating cars, to get to the bad guys, but it is certainly not an Elephant rifle cartridge, though it might kill one if everything is perfect. It wouldn't be my choice for anything, especially in a gang banger rifle!

The news has already jumped on this, and have even interviewed a pair of gang bangers on TV holding a full auto Uzzi, saying I need this in my HOOD, because it is dangerous there. You can bet the Uzzi was not legally obtained, and registered with the Gov, for full auto permit, but nothing was said about that, leaving people to believe anyone can own full auto firearms at will, and all that is needed is money, a gun show! Nothing could be farther from the truth. A lie that is about on the same level as calling an m-16 chambered for the Beowulf an elephant rifle.

The fact remains that a police department is the poorest place in the world to find firearm expertese. That is, excepting the departments that have a person like Tony (Nitro 450 No2)which are damn few!

They carry firearms all the time, and when the fire fight starts, the mentality is, to fill the air with bullets, and hope something gets hit! If one of those junk arms jams, it makes little difference, because the rest of the department, or squad takes up the slack while the jam is being cleared. These gang banger want-to-bes are the one group that will finally drive the last nail in the coffin of legal gun ownership in the USA!

Hey....Dirty Harry used a 458.....of course he missed.


Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

quote:

Originally posted by GarBy:
Hey....Dirty Harry used a 458.....of course he missed.

Not Harry's fault, but that damn unreliable 458!!!!!

INCOMING!

That gorilla was dispatched with the zoo's 458 win mag... Which our own former D SWAT officer gave him two shots..If I remember the story correctly..

Mike

Twas a 458. Forward motion carried it to the feet of the shooter.

To think of all the people the gorilla could have picked a fight with that day...

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Manion:
Twas a 458. Forward motion carried it to the feet of the shooter.

To think of all the people the gorilla could have picked a fight with that day...

You've got that right Jim, That gorilla made a real mistake when he chose to resist arrest to Tony!

Sounds like a story familiar to many of you in TX. Does anyone have the story available so I can read it? Was anyone hurt?

quote:

o think of all the people the gorilla could have picked a fight with that day...

He wasn't the first...

My wife was there with the kids and asked why they closed the "Wilds of Africa" part. She jokingly said "Did one of the animals escape?"

Thanks. I didn't see that before.