FYI, Info on the rifle ban in California -

"AB - 50 the California bill to ban all 50 caliber rifles and make ownership of a single 50 caliber round punishable by a year in jail, passed the Assembly Committee on Public Safety just minutes ago in a party line 5-2 vote.

Despite expert testimony from FCSPI representative and terrorism author and expert Michael Marks, Ronnie Barrett of Barrett Firearms, Bill Ritchie of EDM Arms, the NRA, Gun Owners of California, Safari Club and several other pro-gun groups, this bill was a party line slam dunk.

On the anti-gun side, the usual full line up of gun grabbers was out in full force, from the Brady Campaign, Million Mom March, Doctors for Gun Control, the "consumer" federation and a few other radicals spewed forth the usual parade of lies about a gun that has been in America for nearly 70 years and never once used to kill anyone.

FCSPI will be fighting to the last breath to defeat this bill on the floor and we will keep you informed so that you can help.

Today a California Committee passed a law that would ban a gun never once used to committ a murder in 70 years, based admittedly on the notion that we need to prevent something that might possibly happen...if this logic succeeds, no firearm is safe in California or elsewhere.

Check back at www.fcspi.org/california for updates in the days to come.

Sincerely, John Burtt, Chairman FCSPI"

Not to dispute the matter, but Jefferson County Sheriff's deputy Dave Mossbrucker was shot and killed by Albert Pretrofsky with a 50 BMG several years ago, I think it was 95 or 96. Petrofsky later hung himself in his jail cell. He had gone into a local grocery store and shot his wife (9mm), who wanted a divorce. Shot the manager of the store on the way out (same), and shot Dave as he pulled into the parking lot with the 50, which he had in his vehicle. I don't recall the maker, but it was a single shot rifle. Shot Dave right through the vehicle, hit him in the chest after penetrating the vehicle, went through and through the deputy.

I certainly am not in line with the kooks from California, but those are the facts, and I am working from some pretty close knowledge of the situation, my department assisted with the investigation. I organized and managed a large statewide fundraiser for Lynn, his widow, and their 5 (6) kids- she was expecting when he got shot.

Re-reading your post, perhaps you mean never used in California to commit a murder? If so, I stand corrected.

qw1437:
I was just taking John Burtt's word for it. He may have intended California only. What happened to Deputy Mossbrucker is an evil thing. I am not John, maybe you should e-mail John at the above site so he knows.

I don't live in California, my point in posting is to let a wider audience become aware of what is going on. My feeling is that if the 50 BMG is banned then more bolt action rifles will be also. If the line goes "you don't need one of those" well there aren't many elephants in california either so you don't need an elephant gun so there goes all those over 5 thousand foot pound rifles too. Not to mention all those "sniper rifles" used on deer and such. etcetera, etcetera, etcetera

[ 04-30-2003, 04:49: Message edited by: Copper Country ]

"Sporting use" is not the reason the Framers said that our right to be armed cannot be infringed. The constitutionally recognized right to keep and bear arms pertains to those weapons suited for homicide. The security of a free state depends on the citizens' ability to kill those who would take away their freedoms.

H. C.

"Shot Dave right through the vehicle, hit him in the chest after penetrating the vehicle, went through and through the deputy."

qw1437, your words give the impression that this was really a hum dinger. Any '06 will go through a car windshield and through a human. The way you put it it is like this (.50) is the only thing that will, and or it is exceptional in some way.

This is not to minimize in any way the loss and senselessness, more it is to point out the damage one's words can do, if written and then taken out of context.

The talking heads at AP thought a .338 was "super-powerful" when some sphincterboy (currently getting gang ass-raped courtesy of Club Fed) shot a hole in the Pipeline. Since there wasn't anything exceptional about a .338 it went nowhere. It is due to the physical size of a rifle that fires the BMG that makes it a target for the anti-civil rights bigots. This war is being fought ass backwards. Instead of pointing out just how unusual the firearms are, start painting these shit-fer-brains anti-civil rights bigots as just that. You should see the reaction I get when some snot-faced, bepimpled punk tells me my T-Shirt with a K98k on it is offensive, I ask them, "what...are you some anti-civil rights bigot?" They look like you kicked them in the balls.
It is because firearms owners want to be polite and pander to the anit-civil rights bigots we have divisions like the femmeboy benchresters. I quit subscribing to Precision Shooting because I was told, "we don't carry advertising from an organizatin like that, referring to the NRA. So they think their pretty toys will not be touchable since they are so anal? HA! Ostriches.

Next time someone gives you are hard time get in their face, seriously and closely, this is about ANTI CIVIL-RIGHTS BIGOTS trying to bring us down to their level.

Rant mode...off.

When people rant about the "evil" Uzi I ask them if it "is the black skin they hate or are they just anti Semitic?"

Roger-
Was not trying to imply anything, just telling the story a bit. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

My brother is a geologist, and has a theory that 100 bazillion years ago the continent tilted, and everything that was "loose" rolled into California. Seems that the trend has continued to present day. It angers me that this kind of nonsense continues, this from the land that trashed the Pledge of Allegience. It sickens me, and to a certain degree, frightens me as well. How screwed up can people really get in their thinking, where they call right wrong and wrong right?

It seems that alot of Legislative ideas get started in Kalifornistan and then filter out to other states. With the current trend on things, I think this is a serious infringement.