That seems to be the thought process of the LA City Council, which yesterday passes six “anti-crime” ordinances, which do nothing but 1) place an increased burden on lawful gun owners, and 2) make stuff that is already illegal even more illegal.
Allowing landlords to evict tenants who illegally possess guns
Banning the sale of .50-caliber ammunition and cartridges
Requiring ammunition vendors to be licensed and require face-to-face transactions and record-keeping for all ammunition sales made in the city of Los Angeles
Allowing the seizure of vehicles used by gang members while committing a crime
Banning secret compartments in vehicles to hide firearms
Requiring gun dealers to conduct inventories and report the inventories to the Los Angeles Police Department
That list item – requiring “gun dealers” (such a scary word, why couldn’t they have said “law-abiding firearms retailers”?) to conduct and report inventories to LAPD is frankly ridiculous. As pointed out by NRA spokesmen in the article itself, it is completely redundant, as there are both state and federal laws which already require federally licensed dealers to maintain inventories which the BATFE can audit at any time.
I suppose that most of this post is rhetorical anyway, we know that the recently passed laws won’t do anything to reduce crime; I mean honestly, how many crimes have been committed in LA with a .50 BMG recently? Just because it happened in that movie SWAT doesn’t mean that gangbangers are coming out of the woodwork with Barrett rifles. I challenge anyone to show me an actual felony, such as armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, anything along those lines, committed with a .50 BMG in the United States, much less in the state of California.
Banning secret compartments in vehicles to hide firearms
They finally repealed this silliness in Illinois about hidden compartments.
If it’s hidden, what are the odds of them finding it?
Three thoughts on the .50 caliber ban:
1. I think I read of a shooting that occurred where a guy had a Barret in the back of his truck. One possible meaning of “with” thus allows the (misleading) statement that the crime was committed with such a rifle.
2. Aren’t there rumors of Mexican gangs using .50 guns?
3. I have a hard time imagining any ganbanger having an AR-15 in .50 Beowulf, but has this happened? Along the same lines, have we had any recent black powder rifle crimes?
I think it was the VPC that compiled a list of “crimes” committed with a .50 BMG. Nearly all of them were of the nature that some drug dealer or wife beater had a .50 stored away someplace and it was confiscated when they were arrested. The VPC concluded something to the effect, “See! The NRA lies! There are lots of .50 BMGs associated with crimes!”
Of course they are subject from what we claim. We claim the .50 is (almost) never used as a criminal tool. They claim it if was owned by a criminal then we are lying and banning the .50 is justified. I guess the .50 is a bad influence on people.the mere ownership can cause them to do bad things.
I think there was one actual crime committed with a .50 BMG in the last 30 years. IIRC a deputy in Colorado (???) trying to protect an ex-wife or girlfriend of the perp. The deputy was killed and the prep took his own life. There was a .50 present but it wasn’t entirely clear if it was actually used or if it was another rifle used killed the deputy. Since the perp was dead it didn’t really matter at the time.
At least that is the way I remember it. If it’s really important I could probably find the details.
I need an editor..
That should have been, “Of course they are changing the subject…”
And of course Police Chief Bratton’s remark ir rather stupid.
“Unless you are out trying to kill Godzilla there’s no need for this type of weapon in an urban environment,” police Chief William Bratton said at a news conference as he held up a .50-caliber bullet, easily longer than a finger.
I wonder what the definition of “hidden compartments” is? My Grand Caravan has the built in “stow-and-go” compartments under the floorboards, and it doesn’t take much imagination to think what you could hide in there.