I wrote recently about the forcible citizen disarmament lobby's desire to ban .50 caliber rifles. In that piece, I pointed out that if such a ban were ever implemented, the gun prohibitionists would soon discover that a sniper limited to a .499 caliber rifle would not be seriously hampered by the loss of 1/1000th of an inch of bullet diameter, leading, no doubt, to calls for the banning of that caliber as well. Of course, a .498 caliber rifle would not really be noticeably less capable . . . etc.
The disarmament lobby considers it bad form for gun rights advocates to bring up the "slippery slope," and decry the logic of that argument--just as they pour some more oil on the surface, and jack the incline up a few more degrees. In a comment responding to my piece on a potential .50 caliber rifle ban, I was reminded about one potential manifestation of said slippery slope:
Don't forget, the VPC (w/ Joyce Foundation funding provided in part by Pres. Obama) has also called for the banning of 'intermediate sniper rifles'.
daysofourtrailers.blogspot.com/2008/02/for-hunters-who-dont-believe-theyre-on.html
The "VPC" referred to above is the Violence Policy Center, and this is what they have to say about so-called "intermediate sniper rifles" (a term they seem to have invented):
Some manufacturers may choose to refine the .338 Lapua Magnum, an intermediate round falling in size and power somewhere between the traditional military 30 calibers and the .50 BMG. The .338 Lapua Magnum was designed in the late 1980s "as a long-range European military sniping round," according to sniping expert John Plaster. He advises that its "great speed and heavy weight makes for especially lethal long-range shooting and good penetration against vehicles and aircraft—typical counterterrorist targets—as well as building materials." Some manufacturers already offer .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifles.
The .338 Lapua Magnum is functionally little different from popular elk (and bear, and moose) hunting calibers like the .338 Winchester Magnum, .340 Weatherby Magnum, etc., so any regulatory mechanism that applied to one of those calibers without applying to all of them would leave a large "loophole" (the dreaded "elk rifle loophole").
The regulatory mechanism the VPC recommends is placing all these rifles under National Firearms Act restrictions--treating them, in other words, like machine guns. This, essentially, would spell the end of North American big game hunting. Hunters who have no interest in handguns or detachable magazine fed, semi-automatic rifles (so-called "assault weapons), and are therefore uninterested in fighting restrictions on such guns, should realize that their "intermediate sniper rifles" are next on the chopping block.
Check out the latest from other Gun Rights Examiners:
Austin: Another Brady hallucination: More guns, more 'gun violence' (Part 2) Charlotte: Guns and the Constitution: Rep Itse responds to readers on secession bill Cleveland: God and Guns: a Christian viewpoint on self-defense DC: DC City Council enables residents' easy access to mail order handgun carry permits!
Denver: I carry a gun....and I buy groceries Los Angeles: Gun Control: Guns in churches. Milwaukee: Time to change our attitude about guns Minneapolis: Dispelling the myth of the "Wild West"
Comments
Thanks Kurt. I really appreciate how you explain the issues.
I know you've mentioned it elsewhere, but it might be worth reminding any readers who are late to the party that they already nudged us down the slippery slope of caliber bans with the "destructive devices" bit '68 GCA.
In Rep. South Africa, when they came for the "military style rifles" they came for the hunting rifles and handguns too, they skipped having a slippery slope. They just came for rifles other than .22LR.
Now most people in RSA are reduced to .22LR, which is now more restricted, and Air Rifles unless they are very wealthy or Professional Hunters.
The Wealthy never care about these laws because they'll still have them just like a number of Senators have personal machinegun collections that would be near impossible for us lowly peons to attain. No joke on that.
Just another attack on the firearms rights of normal citizens.
I wonder if the VPC considers Black Powder Muskets *Short Range Sniper Rifles*?
RSA has gone after black powder rifles for similar reasons and they are the last vestiges of semi-easily obtainable firearms in the nation. Of course, black powder rifles were competing in 1000 yard matches over 100 years ago...of course they will consider blackpowder a threat, especially because you can still buy them in the mails with no license and most states laet felons keep them.
Just because I have little interest in "detachable magazine fed, semi-automatic rifles" doesn't mean I won't fight restrictions on them. I know the Brady Bunch and their Republicrat allies have a long term goal and each step is just part of the implementation. The slippery slope is not a fallacy if the accused have made it plain each new restriction is part of a larger plan.
Aw, Kurt, you blew the whole thing wide open. Imagine the hysteria that we will witness when they learn what Roy Weatherby did sixty-four years ago.
Does anyone else know the diameter of the .50 cal BMG bullet is actually .511 inches? Again, facts vs. hysterics.
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